Robbie Williams Headlines Mein Schiff Relax Christening in Málaga

Robbie Williams Headlines Mein Schiff Relax Christening in Málaga

TUI announced in a press release that the Mein Schiff Relax was christened on April 9, 2025, in the port of Málaga. The event was attended by more than 12,000 guests.

Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, opened the official christening show with presenter Judith Rakers, who hosted the evening.

According to the company, the occasion was the first to include three of its ships and a christening in its history: Robbie Williams performed for guests onboard the Mein Schiff 5, Mein Schiff 7 and Mein Schiff Relax, as well as for other visitors, in a concert held for the christening of the ship.

Williams said: “The Mein Schiff Relax embodies the perfect blend of relaxation and diversity; she is truly an incredible ship. I loved performing at the christening ceremony in this stunning setting in the old town of Málaga.”

“The christening of Mein Schiff Relax is the beginning of a new era for TUI Cruises and another milestone in our success story. Mein Schiff Relax offers numerous innovations that make it unique. And that’s why it was important to us to welcome this new feel-good ship to the fleet in a special way,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

The christening event included musical highlights such as local artists Mitchy and André Katawazi and MOKABY and performances by Giovanni Zarrella and Robbie Williams.

According to the press release, the staging culminated with the smashing of the champagne bottle, which was initiated by Giuliana Rizzo, godmother and spa and sports manager of Mein Schiff Relax.

The Mein Schiff Relax will offer seven- to 10-day cruises from/to Palma/Mallorca this summer. Highlights include Italian cities such as Rome, La Spezia and Naples; the Spanish mainland; and coastal cities Valencia, Barcelona, Málaga and Cádiz.

The ship will also sail to Marseille or Ajaccio in France, Lisbon in Portugal, and Sardinia or Sicily in Italy. Highlights include the port city of Tangier and an overnight stay in the port of Palma on selected routes.

Hong Kong to Focus on Increasing Cruise Ship Arrivals

Hong Kong to Focus on Increasing Cruise Ship Arrivals

After reopening for cruise ships in January, Hong Kong is expecting to receive a total of 160 calls from 16 cruise lines through the end of 2023.

“We are still doing a lot of engagement, so, hopefully, towards the end of the year we’ll be able to receive even more ship calls,” Kenneth Wong, Hong Kong Tourism Board General Manager for MICE and Cruise, told Cruise Industry News during an exclusive interview.

Enlarging the number of arrivals is currently one of the priorities of Wong, who noted the city has had a strong return to the cruise scene.

“I now look forward to receiving more cruise ships in Hong Kong. That’s the number one priority,” he added.

To do that, the city came up with a “total package” that includes funding support, marketing cooperation and help with itinerary planning along with neighbouring ports, Wong explained.

“I also look forward to creating more interesting itineraries because, during the pandemic, all ports in the world and in Asia closed. Now, some of the destinations and ports are trying to reopen and pick up a bit,” he noted.

The scenario gives Hong Kong an opportunity to work with other ports to create new itineraries, Wong added.

According to him, the city currently offers a mix of deployment with not only ports of call but also homeport operations.

“We want to bring in more homeporting, which could actually give a very sustainable business for Hong Kong. We welcome those turnaround calls as well as ports of calls,” he explained.

Reasons for the transit visits include the new developments and attractions introduced by the city, Wong said.

“I think the cruise line as well as their customer would like to see the new happenings in Hong Kong through their excursion programs.”

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

Meyer Turku Delivers Mein Schiff 5 Ahead of Schedule

Mein Schiff 5 delivery. Credit: Meyer Turku

Thanks to https://gcaptain.com

Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku on Monday delivered the cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 to TUI Cruises a full ten days ahead of schedule. 

Construction of the vessel began in November 2014 shortly after the Turku shipyard, formerly part of STX Finland, was acquired by State of Finland and German shipbuilder Meyer Werft. The order for Mein Schiff 5 – and Mein Schiff 6 – was actually finalized with the completion of the acquisition in September 2014. The vessels are sister ships to Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4, completed in May 2014 and May 2015, respectively.

“Although this is already our third new build, it’s still incredibly exciting to see a new ship grow from the first steel cutting to the finishing interior touches. In a good two-year construction period, countless people have dedicated themselves to turning ten million components into our ship. We are looking forward to finally putting Mein Schiff 5 into service in mid-July,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

On Tuesday the Mein Schiff 5 and her approximately 1,000 crew members are expected to set sail for Kiel, the first German port of call where the ship will dock on June 23, 2016.

The 99,800 gross ton Mein Schiff 5 measures 295 meters long and will be able to accommodate 2,794 passengers. The vessel features an exhaust gas scrubber system that reduces sulphur emissions by approximately 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by around 75 percent. Combined with other eco-friendly technologies, energy consumption of theMein Schiff 5 is estimated to be 4 percent lower than on the sister ship Mein Schiff 3, making the vessel one of the most energy-efficient ships in its class.

“We had the unique opportunity to build on the high standard and success of Mein Schiff 3 andMein Schiff 4 to further perfect this series of ships with Mein Schiff 5. We are immensely proud of the result. This is in no small measure due to the trust and excellent cooperation with TUI Cruises,” Dr. Jan Meyer adds.

The keel for Mein Schiff 6 was laid in April.