Hanover, Hamburg, 20 March 2018

High demand: TUI Group accelerates expansion of its cruise fleet in Germany and UK

  • TUI Cruises: Faster expansion – current Mein Schiff 2 remains in fleet beyond 2019
  • TUI subsidiary Marella Cruises receives SkySea Golden Era from Royal Caribbean Cruises
  • Overall fleet to grow to 18 ships by 2023

TUI Group is expecting continuous strong growth in cruises for the coming years. The cruises segment is one of the group’s growth pillars. Therefore the TUI Executive Board has decided to increase capacities at TUI Cruises. Due to the continued increase in demand, TUI Group has adjusted its existing plans to accelerate the expansion and modernisation of its fleet. Its current Mein Schiff 2 vessel, which was set to transfer to TUI’s British subsidiary Marella Cruises, will now remain within TUI Cruises. Including the new Mein Schiff 2, the newbuild scheduled for delivery in 2019, TUI Cruises’ fleet will grow to seven ships. At the same time, Marella Cruises will also continue to modernise its fleet. TUI UK & Ireland will acquire SkySea Golden Era from Royal Carribean Cruises for the Group’s British cruise subsidiary. It was agreed to keep the purchasing price confidential. The investment equates to the initial plans for the acquisition of Mein Schiff 2. Following extensive renovation, the cruise ship will launch as Marella Explorer 2 in 2019.

The investment underscores TUI Group’s strategy. The cruise business is one of the key pillars of the growth roadmap pursued by the globally operating TUI Group. Sebastian Ebel, member of TUI Group’s Executive Board in charge of Cruises: “We will continue to invest in our cruise portfolio and expand, modernise and rejuvenate our fleet. With these decisions we increase the offer at TUI Cruises and accelerate the expansion of this growth segment.“

Cruise ship fleet to grow to 18 vessels by 2023

The change within TUI Cruises’ fleet planned for summer 2018 will be implemented as scheduled: The new Mein Schiff 1 will launch in May. The previous Mein Schiff 1 will transfer to Marella Cruises’ fleet as Marella Explorer. Marella Cruises is the cruise line formerly known as Thomson Cruises, a subsidiary of TUI UK & Ireland.

In 2019, the new Mein Schiff 2 will join the Mein Schiff fleet.

Also in 2019, the Hamburg-based TUI subsidiary Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will obtain two new luxury expedition cruise ships, Hanseatic nature and Hanseatic inspiration.

For 2023, TUI Group has announced a further newbuild: Mein Schiff 7 will join TUI Cruises’ fleet. The fleet addition will increase the size of the fleet operated by TUI Group around the world to a total of 18 cruise ships.

TUI Group’s fleet currently comprises 15 cruise ships, operated by its subsidiaries TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Marella Cruises.

About TUI Group

The TUI Group is one of the world's leading tourism groups and operates worldwide. The Group is headquartered in Germany. TUI shares are listed in the MDAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the regulated market of the Lower Saxony Stock Exchange in Hanover. TUI Group offers its 19 million customers integrated services from a single source and forms the entire tourism value chain under one roof. The Group owns over 400 hotels and resorts with premium brands such as RIU, TUI Blue and Robinson and 17 cruise ships, ranging from the MS Europa and MS Europa 2 in the luxury class and expedition ships in the HANSEATIC class to the Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises and cruise ships operated by Marella Cruises in the UK. The Group also includes Europe's leading tour operator brands and online marketing platforms, for example for hotel-only or flight-only offers, five airlines with more than 130 modern medium- and long-haul aircraft and around 1,200 travel agencies. In addition to expanding its core business with hotels and cruises via successful joint ventures and activities in vacation destinations, TUI is increasingly focusing on the expansion of digital platforms. The Group is transforming itself into a global tourism platform company.  

Global responsibility for sustainable economic, environmental and social action is at the heart of our corporate culture. With projects in 25 countries, the TUI Care Foundation initiated by TUI focuses on the positive effects of tourism, on education and training and on strengthening environmental and social standards. In this way, it supports the development of vacation destinations. The globally active TUI Care Foundation initiates projects that create new opportunities for the next generation.

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