Hamburg, 27 May 2010. TUI Cruises GmbH has announced the expansion of its fleet. The second ship is to be commissioned in May 2011 and will be the Celebrity Mercury, a liner currently sailing for Celebrity Cruises. The ship was built in 1997 at the Meyer Werft GmbH in Papenburg, Germany, and subsequent to being acquired by TUI Cruises GmbH in spring 2011 will be extensively redesigned and modernised. It has been agreed not to disclose the acquisition price. TUI Cruises estimates the costs for conversion at about 50 million euro. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. has agreed to provide seller’s financing in the event that alternative financing is not fully available at the time of delivery. The cruise routes will be in Nordic regions in summer 2011. Bookings can be made from 1 June 2010. She will be named “Mein Schiff 2”. It has not yet been decided what shipyard will do the work.
"TUI Cruises has firmly established itself on the market within a very short period of time. The expansion of the fleet is an important step for us in consolidating our market position in the volume cruise segment. We are pleased now to start the next phase of the cooperation with our joint venture partner Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.“, said Dr Michael Frenzel, Chief Executive of TUI AG.
“The juncture for expanding the fleet could hardly be better for TUI Cruises. ‘Mein Schiff’ has established its firm place on the market as a feel-good ship and now it is time to broaden and further develop the concept by adding extra quality features“, said Richard J. Vogel, Chief Executive of TUI Cruises. He continued on a confident note: “The cruise market, which to a large extent has escaped the ravages of the crisis, will be stimulated to grow further by our expanded fleet with the unique concept of Premium All Inclusive.“
“Celebrity Mercury has been a cherished member of the Celebrity family since she entered service in 1997, and has offered countless guests outstanding vacation experiences”, said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “We are dedicated to offering the same impeccable service our brand is known for right up until the ship transitions to TUI Cruises. We foresee a lustrous future for the ship in the fleet of TUI Cruises and together with our German colleagues are happy to see their fleet expand.”
After taking charge of “Mein Schiff 2” at the end of February 2011 the feel-good concept will be consistently further developed. It is intended to expand to a great extent the Spa & Fitness section. Likewise the gastronomy facilities are to be modified and extended by including significant elements relating to the Premium All Inclusive concept. The TUI Cruises colour concept entitled “1000 shades of blue“ will be incorporated into the design of the cabins. In addition – as was the case with the first ship – numerous balconies and verandas will be added to cabins. Something new will be a teens bar, which takes the existing guest structure into account.
Heading the layout aspects of the ship will be the interior designers at cm-Design headed by Ralf Claussen; they will work very closely with the conversion team of TUI Cruises’s partner Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
It is planned to christen the ship in May 2011. After the christening the new feel-good ship will sail into its first season on routes to Nordic regions and in the Baltic. On this vessel too guests will be able to enjoy Premium All Inclusive, which will be offered from 27 October 2010 also on “Mein Schiff”, the first ship of the fleet. “We are convinced of being able to position this unique concept in the German cruise market as a fixed distinctive feature for our target group“, said Richard J. Vogel. From 27 October 2010 the TUI Cruises holiday price will include almost all drinks and meals in most of the restaurants and bistros. Premium All Inclusive services from TUI Cruises includes as well diverse sporting offers, use of the wellness area and sauna facilities, entertainment on board, child care and supervision, the German-speaking on-board tour rep service as well as tips.