TUI Welcomes Mein Schiff 4’s New Captain Adam Swietlik

TUI Welcomes Mein Schiff 4’s New Captain Adam Swietlik

TUI Cruises promoted Captain Adam Swietlik as the Captain of the Mein Schiff 4.

In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “Swietlik has been part of the TUI Cruises family since 2014 and has taken on various responsible positions within our fleet during this time,  most recently as Staff Captain for several years.”

The company said that Swietlik succeeds Captain Panos Varotsos, and that with more than 20 years of experience at sea and his team-oriented leadership style, he brings the best prerequisites for his new role.

“We wish Swietlik and his crew onboard Mein Schiff 4 all the best, much success and always a hand’s breadth of water under the keel,” TUI Cruises stated.

According to Schiffe Und Kreuzfahrten, Swietlik joined Celebrity Cruises in spring 2010 and, in 2014, moved to TUI Cruises. He worked at the company for five years and was then promoted to Staff Captain in 2019. Świetlik officially assumed command of the vessel on July 19, 2026.

According to the article, Swietlik will first sail the Mein Schiff 4 in the Adriatic Sea.

The ship is currently operating seven-night roundtrip cruises from Trieste, Italy, with visits to ports across Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, and Slovenia. The seasonal program will continue until October.

Swietlik will be the third new TUI Cruises captain brought on in 2026. At the beginning of the year, Kira Schikorr steered the Mein Schiff 6 in Asia for the first time, and Alexander Orendt first captained the Mein Schiff 3 from Bremerhaven.

The company said that the promotions are due, among other things, to the growth of the Mein Schiff fleet.

TUI Cruises’ Eighth Newbuild Named Mein Schiff Relax

TUI Cruises’ Eighth Newbuild Named Mein Schiff Relax

The eighth ship in the Mein Schiff fleet, the first of the InTUItion class, will carry the name Mein Schiff Relax, according to a company statement.

“Communication on various platforms made it clear how important the name of this ship is for our guests. This ship is also something very special for us – it embodies the further development of everything that we have stood for almost ten years with the new ships in the Mein Schiff fleet,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

“That’s why we took our time and carefully considered the creation of the ship – along with all the great new opportunities for our guests. It is now clear to TUI Cruises that the new addition to the fleet can only have one name: Mein Schiff Relax. This is exactly what the first ship in the InTUItion class symbolizes – a completely new feel-good experience.”

The Mein Schiff Relax is set to offer the first cruises in the Mediterranean starting in March 2025.

 

TUI’s Winter Program Includes Two Ships in the Caribbean, Return to Asia

TUI’s Winter Program Includes Two Ships in the Caribbean, Return to Asia

Mein Shiff 3 entering the River Mersey Liverpool, photo credit Spacejunkie2 (flickr)

With its entire seven-ship fleet in service, TUI Cruises has a global footprint for the winter 2022-2023 cruise season.

While most of the fleet is set to offer traditional fly-cruises in the Caribbean and the Canaries, the brand will also offer itineraries in other parts of the world, such as Northern Europe and the Middle East.

Another highlight of the season is the return to Asia, with voyages visiting both the Far East and Southeast Asia onboard the Mein Schiff 5.

Cruise Industry News looked into the company’s entire program or the upcoming winter season. Here’s the breakdown:

Caribbean

Mein Schiff 1
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests
Built: 2018
Homeports: La Romana (Dominican Republic) and Montego Bay (Jamaica)
Length: 14 nights
Itineraries: Caribbean and Central America visiting Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia
Sailing Season: October 28 to March 31

Mein Schiff 2
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,900 guests
Built: 2019
Homeports: La Romana (Dominican Republic) and Bridgetown (Barbados)
Length: 14 nights
Itineraries: Eastern and Southern Caribbean with visits to St. Maarten, Tortola, St. John’s, Martinique, St. Vincent and more
Sailing Season: November 4 to April 7

Canaries, Madeira and Azores

Mein Schiff 4
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,500 guests
Built: 2015
Homeport: Gran Canaria (Spain)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco visiting La Gomera, Tenerife, Arrecife, Funchal, Agadir and more
Sailing Season: October 30 to March 26

Mein Schiff Herz
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 1,850 guests
Built: 1997
Homeport: Tenerife (Spain)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: Azores and Cape Verde, in addition to Canaries and Madeira
Sailing Season: November 10 to April 6

Northern Europe and Roundtrip Cruises from Germany

Mein Schiff 3
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,500 guests
Built: 2014
Homeport: Bremerhaven (Germany)
Length: Four to 35 nights
Itineraries: 26- to 35-night cruises to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, the Azores and the Caribbean sailing roundtrip from Germany, in addition to four- to 14-night itineraries in Northern Europe
Sailing Season: November 1 to April 23

Southeast Asia and the Far East

Mein Schiff 5
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,500 guests
Built: 2016
Homeports: Singapore and Hong Kong
Length: 14 nights
Itineraries: Southeast Asia visiting Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in December, January and February, in addition to Far East cruises to China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea in March and April
Sailing Season: December 7 to April 26

Middle East

Mein Schiff 6
Capacity (at 100% Occupancy): 2,534 guests
Built: 2017
Homeport: Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Length: Seven nights
Itineraries: United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman including overnight stays in Dubai and visits to Sir Bani Yas, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Khasab and more
Sailing Season: October 29 to March 18

Mein Schiff 3 ‘Saves’ Tourists Stranded on Spitsbergen

Mein Schiff 3 ‘Saves’ Tourists Stranded on Spitsbergen

Mein Schiff 3 entering the River Mersey Liverpool, photo credit Spacejunkie2

TUI Cruises Mein Schiff 3 “saved” visitors stranded on Spitsbergen following the Scandinavian Airlines’ pilots' strike, according to Norwegian press reports.

Mein Schiff 3 carried more than 100 people as passengers sailing from Longyearbyen to Tromso in Northern Norway. The ship reportedly had available cabin space.

Scandinavian Airlines’ pilots went on strike on July 3, and with only Norwegian Air also flying regularly to the Arctic archipelago, there have not been enough air seats for tourists and locals to travel to the mainland or return to their country of origin. Thus, effectively stranding many expedition cruise guests in Longyearbyen.

This has also prevented many from being able to fly to Spitsbergen unless their expedition lines had reserved seats with Norwegian or arranged charter flights.

The Longyearbyen harbour master Kjetil Braaten was quoted saying that some expedition ships have sailed with hardly any passengers on board and that discounted sailings are offered to the local population.

Cruise Ships Dock and Anchor in Funchal for New Year's Fireworks

Cruise ships are stacked in Funchal (Madeira) for the city's landmark midnight fireworks display to mark the start of a new decade.

At Anchor:

• CMV Columbus
• CMV Marco Polo
• Saga Sapphire
• Pullmantur Zenith
• TUI Mein Schiff 3
• Fred. Olsen Balmoral
• Marella Explorer
• Phoenix Reisen Amera

Docked:

• Cunard Queen Victoria
• Ocean Majesty
• AIDAstella
• P&O Aurora

Mein Schiff 3 Becomes First Ship Back in Dominica

Dominica recently welcomed its first cruise ship since Hurricane Maria hit the island as the Mein Schiff 3 called on Jan. 28 with more than 2,000 passengers visiting the island, according to a statement. 

Passengers from the ship engaged in shore excursions to Dominica’s famous Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Twin Falls, Bois Cotlette Estate and. Some participated in whale watching tours and experienced the island’s unique therapeutic black sand at Mero Beach.

Dominica also said it welcomed a delegation from Carnival Cruise Lines last week. In a prepared statement, Discover Dominica said the delegation met with local tour operators to assess various sites and attractions for future tour offerings. 

Discover Dominica also announced that all natural sites on the island managed by the Division of Forestry, with the exception of the Boiling Lake, Waitukubuli National Trail and Soufrière Sulphur Springs, are now open to visitors. Park wardens are there to attend to guests. Trail beds have been cleared, debris has been removed and information centres are back in operation. These beautiful and distinctive sites reflect the Nature Island’s resilience and the country’s boundless natural beauty.

Trafalgar Falls has received a great deal of attention since Hurricane Maria as well. The Visitor Reception facility has a new roof and work on the interpretation signage continues. The trail bed has been cleared of debris and restored, while the viewing platform has been replaced.

RCCL to reduce emissions from 19 ships

RCCL said that the move will position it “ahead of all forthcoming International Maritime Organization Emission Control Area emissions standards, and will ensure compliance with existing European Union standards.”

Beginning in January, installation will take place on 13 Royal Caribbean International ships and six Celebrity Cruises ships, during scheduled drydocks and while ships are in service.

Preliminary work has begun on several of the ships, RCCL said, but most work will take place between 2015 and 2017. Each installation will take approximately eight months.

Two ships that entered into service this year, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas and TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3, had scrubbers installed during initial construction. Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas has been operating one of its six engines with a retrofitted scrubber system for two years.

Royal Caribbean said the system "scrubs" exhaust gases by injecting a high volume of water spray into the exhaust stream.

STX Finland shipyard to be sold

By Jerry Limone

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft and the Finnish government have agreed to acquire STX Finland from South Korea-based STX Corp.

Meyer Werft will buy a 70% stake, the Finnish government 30%. The acquisition is subject to clearance by antitrust authorities and banks.

STX Finland has a shipyard in Turku; a shipyard in Rauma was sold to the Finnish town earlier this year. The plan is to rename the company Meyer Turku Shipyard.

The Turku yard built the Mein Schiff 3, a TUI Cruises ship that entered service in June. STX Finland is currently constructing the Mein Schiff 4, and TUI Cruises this week reached a deal for two more ships of the same class to be constructed at the Turku yard.

STX also has built many ships for the North American market, including Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure of the Seas.

Meyer Werft’s Papenburg yard built Celebrity’s Solstice-class and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway-class ships. The yard is constructing Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class vessels.