STX Finland Oy Signs Design and Construction Contract for 97.000 GT Cruise Vessel

STX Finland Oy and TUI Cruises have today signed a contract for the design and construction of a 97,000 GT cruise vessel. The sophisticated and highly innovative cruise vessel is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2014. The vessel has many environmentally friendly features, with a particular emphasis on the vessel’s energy efficiency. The project will bring some 5,500 man-years of labour to STX Finland’s Turku shipyard.

TUI Cruises has an option to order another ship subject to the decision of TUI Cruises shareholders.

The vessel will be approx. 295 meters long and approx. 36 meters wide. The ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will serve maximum of 2,500 passengers and a crew of 1,000 persons. High balcony ratio will ensure that most of the passengers will have a possibility to enjoy their own balconies during the cruise. The ship has a wide variety of restaurants, a theatre, a spa, a nightclub and a large deck area which all are carefully designed to ensure a unique cruising experience for passengers of all ages.

“We are extremely pleased to sign this contract with TUI Cruises. This order is highly important for STX and STX Finland. By building this innovative ship we continue our successful and long history of building top class cruise vessels“, says Sujou Kim, CEO of STX Europe and STX Finland.

“This is a very important contract for STX Finlands Turku Shipyard and for the entire Finnish maritime cluster. We are delighted to deliver to TUI Cruises their first newbuilding which will represent the next generation of energy efficient and environmentally friendly cruise ship“, says Jari Anttila, Director of STX Finlands Turku Shipyard.

“Due to its outstanding positioning as a shipyard and long-term cooperation with Royal Caribbean Cruises​, we trust that STX Finland is a great partner for us and will successfully realize our ideas in the new ship“, says Richard J. Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises.

STX Finland Oy has three shipyards in Finland, Turku shipyard, Rauma shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy, of which STX Finland Oy owns 50%. STX Finland’s subsidiaries include Aker Arctic Technology Oy and STX Cabins Oy, among others. The company belongs to the STX Europe Group, an international shipbuilding group with a product range including cruise vessels, ferries, offshore services vessels, arctic and other specialized vessels. STX Europe has approximately 14,000 employees.

STX Europe’s principal shareholder, the Korean-based international industrial group STX Business Group, has approximately 58,000 employees and aims to be a global top player in its core areas; shipping and trade, shipbuilding and machineries, plant and construction, and energy.

TUI Cruises is a joint venture between TUI AG​ and the global cruise shipping line Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company founded in April 2008 and headquartered in Hamburg has been offering cruises for the German-speaking market since May 2009. The Mein Schiff fleet of TUI Cruises provides some 3,836 beds and has been designed from bow to stern with well-being and relaxation in mind. With its Premium All-Inclusive concept TUI Cruises is targeting first and foremost couples and families whose focus is on freedom, space, quality and personal service. Mein Schiff’s numerous service restaurants, the spa and sport zone, a personal Nespresso machine in every cabin, spacious balconies as well as relax islands on the deck ensure that cruise holidays with TUI Cruises are perfect for body and soul.

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Source: stxeurope, September 27, 2011