TUI Cruises has added the sixth newbuild in six years to its fleet, the Mein Schiff 2.
Although built at Meyer Turku in Finland, delivery took place in Kiel, Germany. The new cruise ship had left the shipyard in early January to berth at the port of Kiel on the Baltic Sea due to its delivery ahead of schedule and the Finnish winter: the final silicone painting of the hull’s underwater part of Mein Schiff 2 is not designed to withstand icy water.
20 Metres Longer
Just as Mein Schiff 1, launched last year, Mein Schiff 2 is part of a new generation of ships. Both ships are around 20 metres longer than the previous ships. Apart from offering even more generous feel-good space, they feature a wider choice of cabins and suites.
Catalysts
As with the previous five newbuilds, TUI Cruises' latest newbuild has been designed to optimise energy efficiency and use cutting-edge emissions technologies to achieve a substantial reduction in CO2 and pollutant emissions. Due to these systems, the Mein Schiff newbuilds rank top in the industry’s emissions reduction league. Like Mein Schiff 1, the new Mein Schiff 2 also features catalysts for its main and auxiliary engines. This helps to further reduce nitrogen oxide emissions worldwide, in particular in coastal and port regions.
40 Per Cent Less Fuel
The new Mein Schiff 2 consumes up to 40 per cent less fuel than ships of comparable size, driven in part by a comprehensive energy management system, an innovative light control system, highly efficient air conditioning, the ships’ hydrodynamic hull shape and a comprehensive LED concept as well as the environmentally friendly underwater silicone painting.
Fair Trade and FSC
All fabrics from the bed linen via towels all the way to bathrobes in the cabins are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton additionally certified with the Fair Trade label. Moreover, like all previous newbuilds, all wooden furnishings in the cabins are from responsible forestry schemes and have been certified with the FSC Mix label. Moreover, natural materials such as wool or cork have been used.
First Cruises and Naming Ceremony
The new Mein Schiff 2 departed from Kiel on 23 January for inaugural sailings with travel agency partners and first guests. Under the motto “Charting a discovery course”, it will then set sail from Bremerhaven on 3 February for a 12-day christening itinerary in the sun. Following port calls in in La Coruna (Spain) and Leixoes (Portugal), the Mein Schiff 2 will call at Lisbon for 3 days for the naming ceremony before continuing its itinerary to Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) via Cadiz (Spain) and Arrecife (Lanzarote).
