Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku today laid keel of Mein Schiff 5, and officially cut the first steel of its sister ship Mein Schiff 6, built for the German cruise line TUI Cruises.
The production of the cruise ship Mein Schiff 6 was officially launched when TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meyer started the plasma cutting machine in the production hall of Meyer Turku shipyard.
The hull construction of the Mein Schiff 5 began by lowering the keel block into the shipyard’s drydock. Following old traditions of the shipyard in this event some coins were placed under the keel block to bring luck for the ship.
Like their sister ships (Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4), they will be approximately 294 meters long, have 15 decks with around 1,253 staterooms and the capacity to carry approximately 2,506 passengers.
”This growth presents us with the opportunity to further strengthen our position with one of the most modern fleets on the German market. With six ships in the medium term, we are aiming at a market share in excess of 25 percent,” said Wybcke Meier, TUI Cruises’ CEO.
TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI AG and the global cruise shipping line Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.