Meyer Turku Begins Building TUI Cruises' Methanol-ready Cruise Ship

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku announced it has cut first steel for Mein Schiff 7, the latest new cruise ship for Germany's TUI Cruises. Notably, the 111,500 GT cruise ship will be able to run on methanol fuel.

“After two years of pandemics, we have returned to our course and will continue to grow as planned,” said TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier, during an official steel cutting ceremony held at the Turku shipyard on Tuesday.

“Mein Schiff 7 will take us forward in our work for more environmentally friendly cruise tourism. The ship will be built so that it can be used with methanol. In addition, the ship's operations in the port are almost emission-free. Mein Schiff 7 is an important milestone in our efforts to provide the first climate-neutral cruises by 2030,” Meier said.

Tim Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku, said, "We are really exited to continue the long and successful partnership with TUI Cruises. We have again been focusing on optimizing the design in regards of energy efficiency and technologies to increase sustainability and make this ship the finest in the entire series."

Similar to the structurally identical Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 delivered in 2018 and 2019, the new 316-meter-long vessel will hold around 2,849 passengers, most of whom will be accommodated in cabins with a sea view. The ship will feature a large number of outdoor cabins with balconies.

The running track (almost 440 meters long), the gym and spa areas, the arena with a sports court and climbing wall, and the 25-meter outdoor pool will also be similar to those found aboard the sister ships, the builder said, noting many features will be updated with the latest solutions available.