Huge block laid as cruise ship hits construction milestone

With the laying of the keel, TUI Cruises is celebrating a significant milestone in the ongoing fleet expansion my ship 7 at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

The ceremony, which follows ancient naval traditions, marks the completion of a quarter of shipbuilding. Planned to join the fleet in 2024, my ship 7 is the latest addition to the TUI Cruises fleet. The company launched two ships in 2018 and 2019 and plans to launch another ship in 2024 and 2026.

Keel laying ceremony for my ship 7 at the shipyard

According to an old shipping tradition, coins were symbolically inserted my ship 7‘s center block during the traditional keel laying ceremony at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The milestone marks an important step in the construction of a ship, as this is when the actual construction can begin.

“We are very pleased that the first ship block could be laid as planned and look forward to the further milestones that lie ahead of us,” said Tim Meyer from Meyer Werft.

A total of 85 steel blocks are assembled and welded during the construction process. Representatives from TUI Cruises and Meyer Turku were present to celebrate the construction milestone for the new Mein Schiff fleet.

Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, said: “With the laying of the keel of Mein Schiff 7, we are continuing to expand our feel-good fleet and are asserting our position with the most modern fleet on the German market.”

my ship 7 is a sister ship of my ship 1 And my ship 2which entered service in 2018 and 2019. By 2026, TUI Cruises intends to put two more newbuilds into service in addition to Mein Schiff 7, thereby doubling the capacity of the Mein Schiff fleet to almost 27,000 beds. my ship 8 is also scheduled to go into operation in 2024, and my ship 9 will enter service in 2026.

Drive for sustainability

my ship 7 will be operated with less polluting marine diesel and equipped with catalytic converters that ensure a nitrogen oxide reduction of around 75%, and it will have a shore power connection. The ship will also be built to run on green methanol, making its propulsion system nearly carbon neutral.

“The decision to equip the Mein Schiff 7 for a methanol drive is an important investment in the future for us and an important contribution to climate-neutral cruising,” said Meier.

In addition, the ship will have a system for shredding organic waste through thermal treatment, making waste processing more efficient.

The company’s ambitious climate plan was recently validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI), which recently validated the company’s ambitious climate plan.

Launched in 2015, this initiative aims to help companies set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The ambitious goals will also help Mein Schiff achieve the goals that the entire cruise industry has set itself become carbon neutral by 2050.

Facts and figures too my ship 7

my ship 7‘s construction embarked on June 14, 2022 and will enter service in June 2024. The ship is 315.7 meters long and weighs 111,500 gross register tons, has 15 decks and 1,461 cabins for 2,894 guests at double occupancy.

Mein Schiff 7’s maiden voyage is scheduled for June 23, 2024, departing from Kiel, Germany. The 14-night cruise will call at various ports in Norway including Stavanger, Nordfjordeid, Molde, Honningsvag, Trondheim and Alesund. my ship 7 will even visit the North Pole with a stopover in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen before returning to Kiel on July 7, 2024.

TUI Cruises, a joint partnership between Royal Caribbean Group and TUI Group, owns and operates the cruise ship Mein Schiff. The shipping company offers a German-language all-round carefree concept with almost all food and drinks on board. Gratuities and several bars, lounges, and restaurants are also included in the price.