Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AGcelebrate the first ship in the TUI
Cruises fleet, dedicated to the German market
MIAMI, May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mein Schiff (My Ship), the first ship
in the new TUI Cruises fleet, was named today in Hamburg, Germany, in a
celebration that marked a significant step for the joint venture between Royal
Caribbean Cruises Ltd and TUI AG.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090515/FL18235 )
The new brand is designed to serve the German cruise market, where some
906,000 Germans took cruises in 2008, and where that number is forecast to
increase by 11 percent in 2009.
Following a short inaugural cruise,Mein Schiffwill sail in the Baltic for the
2009 summer season (May through October). It will offer two- to 14-night
sailings from ports such as Kiel and Hamburg, Germany, and Palma de Mallorca,
Spain. The ship then will reposition to the Caribbean for winter (November
2009 through April 2010), home-porting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
During 2010 and 2011, Mein Schiff also will sail itineraries in the Nordic
Seas, reaching the far coasts of the Faroe Islands and Iceland, as well as the
eastern and western Mediterranean, passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to
visit the Canary Islands and Morocco.
"We are honoured to welcome Mein Schiffas a new benchmark in the European
cruise market," said Michael Bayley, senior vice president, International, for
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "The launching of TUI Cruises' first ship is a
significant milestone in the relationship between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
and TUI AG. We have an outstanding partnership in TUI Cruises, which will
provide extraordinary holidays for its German guests. We look forward to
helping the new brand grow and prosper."
"The naming of our first ship and her first sailing for us are significant
achievements for our new brand," said Richard J. Vogel, chief executive
officer of TUI Cruises. "This is a great day in the history of German
cruising, and it highlights our outstanding partnership with Royal Caribbean
Cruises Ltd. Together, we've done an excellent job rejuvenating Mein Schiffin
just 38 days, and the results are stunning. We look forward to providing an
entirely new level of service and enjoyment to our guests."
The 1,914-guestMein Schiff was formerly Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Galaxy.
The ship left the Celebrity fleet on March 16, 2009, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Her transformation began during her crossing from the Caribbean to Europe and
was completed in 38 days. The ship is now tailored to German guests, their
tastes in food, entertainment and amenities, and it will provide a
contemporary/premium cruise experience.
"TUI Cruises is another strategic step in our efforts to meet the growing
international demand for cruising," said Bayley. "It will provide more
options to German cruisers and assist in growing that market. In 2009, our
five wholly owned brands will have an unprecedented 22 ships deployed in
Europe. When combined with TUI Cruises, this provides more choices than ever
before to the European cruise market."
A national naming contest attracted over 30,000 suggestions for the name of
TUI Cruises' new ship. Mein Schiff(or My Ship, in English) was the
overwhelming winner.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AG announced their intentions to form TUI
Cruises on December 10, 2007. Each company holds a 50 percent interest in the
joint venture.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that operates
Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Cruises
and CDF Croisieres de France. The company has a combined total of 38 ships in
service and six under construction. It also offers unique land-tour vacations
in Alaska, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and South America.
Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com,
www.celebrity.com, www.pullmantur.es, www.azamaracruises.com,
www.cdfcroisieresdefrance.com or www.rclinvestor.com.
TUI AG is Europe's leading travel and shipping group. TUI AG holds the
majority stake in Europe's leading travel group, London-based TUI Travel PLC.
The corporation operates the world's fifth-largest container shipping company
-- Hapag-Lloyd -- and, through Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, also runs the leading
German cruise line company in the luxury and expedition segment.
TUI Cruises is a joint venture of TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The
newly formed company based in Hamburg will be offering from May 2009 premium
cruises in the German-speaking market. TUI Cruises focuses above all on
couples and families who value in a cruise ship room to move, generous
surroundings, high quality and service. "Mein Schiff," the first ship of the
fleet, is a four-star-plus ship. In its first season TUI Cruises is offering
Nordic and Baltic cruises from May to September. From September to the
beginning of November "Mein Schiff" will head for the western Mediterranean.
Caribbean cruises are on the agenda from November 2009 through to March 2010.
SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Elisabetta Raffo, of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., (+44) 1932 834272, or (+44)
7595 106410, eraffo@rccl.com
