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Tui Cruises News & Mein Schiff News

Captain Caruana – New leader of the TUI Cruises fleet

27 June 2024 – We last saw the Maltese Captain Omar Caruana next to TUI Cruises CEO Wybcke Meier and environmental officer Fenia Kalachani on the day of the ship’s christening on board the Mein Schiff 7. Now we hear that Captain Caruana will be responsible for the entire TUI Cruises fleet on land in the future.

My Ship 5 - Schlagerliner 3 - 2025

June 11, 2024 - bookings start for Schlagerliner 3 - 2025. Schlager fans, watch out! From April 23 to 28, 2025, the decks of the Mein Schiff 5 will be transformed into a huge Schlager stage when the Schlagerliner 3 sets sail in the Mediterranean for the first time. On board are Ben Zucker, Marie Reim, Oli P., the Dorfrocker, Ramon Roselly and many other artists. The third edition of the Schlagerliner will be hosted by TV presenter Andrea Kiewel and will really get things going.

MS Amadea and MS Deutschland back in service after a fresh treatment

May 8, 2024 - The Bonn-based cruise operator Phoenix Reisen had two of its cruise ships, the MS Amadea and the MS Deutschland, brought into shape by Bremerhaven shipyards for around 20 million euros .

Mein Schiff 7: traditional Lucky Coin ceremony performed

April 30, 2024 - The Mein Schiff 7 is still berthed at the equipment quay at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and expansions to the interior and exterior areas still need to be made before TUI Cruises takes over the new flagship and christens it on June 22, 2024. As a foretaste of the impending completion, the t traditional Lucky Coin Ceremony took place in the new building .

My ship 7 will be christened on June 22nd in the Bay of Kiel

April 16, 2024 – On June 22, 2024, the naming ceremony of Mein Schiff 7 will take place in the picturesque Bay of Kiel, an event that is of great importance for both cruise lovers and environmentally conscious people. This event marks the beginning of a new era for the Mein Schiff fleet, known for its commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Family travel with the Mein Schiff fleet: an overview

April 05, 2024 - The Mein Schiff® fleet offers specially designed trips for families who want to discover the world together. Here's a precise look at what makes these trips special and what families can expect on board, beyond any shiny marketing promises.

Mein Schiff Andrea Berg & Friends: The cruise for hit fans

March 26, 2024 – Prepare for an unparalleled musical adventure that will transform the North Sea into a dazzling sea of ​​music! The legendary Andrea Berg, known as the audience's favorite and the power woman of the pop scene, appears on a cruise ship for the first time. From September 27th to October 02nd, 2024, the “Mein Schiff 7”, the youngest member of the renowned Mein Schiff® fleet, will be the stage for the unique event trip “Mein Schiff Andrea Berg & Friends”.

My ship cruises winter 2025/2026

March 23, 2024 – Welcome aboard the Mein Schiff fleet for winter 2025/2026! Escape the cold weather and embark on a journey to some of the most breathtaking destinations in the world. From the sunny beaches of the Caribbean and Central America to the fascinating cultures of Asia, the magic of the Orient and the picturesque islands of eternal spring in the Canary Islands - the Mein Schiff cruises offer something for everyone.

MeerBeats on the Mein Schiff 7 with the Fantastischen Vier

March 14, 2024 - Party at sea with the giants of German hip-hop! TUI Cruises proudly presents the latest event travel format: MeerBeats, a festival of superlatives that transforms the Mein Schiff 7 into a floating stage for the music legends “Die Fantastischen Vier”.

My ship prospects travel year 2024

January 16, 2024 – My Ship: Outlook for an outstanding travel year in 2024. Expanded variety, additional event trips and the introduction of three new ships."

My ship 5 sets course for Singapore after renovation

December 4, 2023 – After the end of the Summer season in the Mediterranean, Mein Schiff 5 has recently been on its way to its Asian winter quarters. Before the trip began, an appointment in the dry dock in Dubai was on the agenda. Aim of the stay: modernization and redesign .

TUI Cruises – My ship 7 has floated up

December 1, 2023 – We hear good news from Turku, Finland. The Meyer Turku shipyard floated the Mein Schiff 7, which is currently under construction, today. With the flooding of the construction dock, a significant step has been taken towards the commissioning of Mein Schiff 7 in early summer 2024 .

Mein Schiff routes summer 2025 can be booked

November 14, 2023 -  The diverse trips of the Mein Schiff fleet can now be booked. Scandinavian summer dreams, Baltic Sea highlights & the diversity of the Mediterranean

My Ship 4 “TV Doctors on Board” themed trip

October 24, 2023 – The doctors, whom everyone trusts, set sail on the Mein Schiff 4

Mein Schiff Relax - First routes can be booked

October 17, 2023 – The first routes and trips are bookable from today . Secure your feel-good cabin on the new “Mein Schiff Relax” now .

TUI Cruises' eighth ship is called Mein Schiff Relax

October 16, 2023 - The sparrows were already whistling from the rooftops that the eighth ship in the TUI Cruises fleet would probably not be called Mein Schiff 8. Now the name has been decided: the new building will be called “Mein Schiff Relax” .

My ship fleet receives “World’s Best Cruise Spa 2023” award

September 05, 2023 - Experts from the SPA and wellness industry as well as guests worldwide agree: For the sixth time in a row, the Mein Schiff fleet has been awarded the “World's Best Cruise Spa” award.

Mein Schiff Hamburg Cruise Days 2023

September 05th, 2023 - Mein Schiff presents entertainment, infotainment and the new ship class: InTUItion at the Hamburg Cruise Days 2023

TUI Cruises: Construction of Mein Schiff 7 is proceeding according to plan

29 August 2023 – Mein Schiff 7 will join the fleet of TUI Cruises ships in the summer of next year. Work on the new building is progressing rapidly in Finland. The block with the allegorical diamond at the stern was recently placed on the ship's hull. The first cabins are currently being added .

Mein Schiff 3 - Winter Voyages to the North Country

August 22, 2023 – A varied program on board and ashore awaits the guests 

TUI Cruises – the restaurant concept for the eighth ship

August 5, 2023 – TUI Cruises fans will need a lot of patience until the eighth ship in the fleet is completed and leaves the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. TUI Cruises is using the time to fuel enthusiasm for and interest in the new ship with finely distributed information .

Mein Schiff 4 successfully tested sustainable biofuel

July 24th, 2023 – By the year 2030, the two cruise lines of the TUI Group are planning their absolute CO 2 -Reduce emissions by more than a quarter, 27,5 percent, compared to 2019. In order to achieve the ambitious goal, the addition of sustainable biofuel to marine diesel was successfully tested during a voyage to the north of Mein Schiff 4 .

TUI Cruises – new suite areas on Mein Schiff 8

July 21, 2023 - Peu à peu, TUI Cruises is launching innovations for the design of Mein Schiff 8. The latest information relates to the suite area of ​​the new building. There will be five suite categories on Mein Schiff 8 in the future. All suites are concentrated in the stern area. Two special restaurants are reserved for "noble guests" and the sun deck for suite guests will be enlarged .

News from Mein Schiff 8 – cabin formats

July 14, 2023 – Almost four weeks ago, construction of Mein Schiff 8 began at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. At almost 160.000 GT, the newbuild is significantly larger than Mein Schiff 1 or Mein Schiff 2. Mein Schiff 8 belongs to a new ship ship class .

TUI Cruises gives more details about the Jeckliner 2024

June 27, 2023 – TUI Cruises' Jeckliner has firmly established itself on the German cruise market. From September 15 to 19, 2024, the floating fool's party will set sail again.

TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 8 will be put into service at the end of 2024

June 20, 2023 - In two days it will start at the Fincantieri shipyard near Monfalcone/Italy the construction of the first of two identical cruise ships for the Mein Schiff fleet. The Hamburg-based premium shipping company is already celebrating the eighth ship in the fleet as the first of a new ship class. TUI Cruises promises full-bodied: Experience well-being in a new way !

Mein Schiff winter routes 2024 / 2025 - bookable now

May 03, 2023 - Mein Schiff Winter 2024/2025: The diverse routes of the Mein Schiff fleet can now be booked Pure Scandinavia, dreamy Caribbean beaches and pulsating metropolises

TUI Cruises - The Jeckliner 2024

April 18, 2023 – Start of bookings jeckliner 4 - 2024. The trip can now be booked. In 2024, the Jeckliner sets sail for the fourth time with numerous top acts! The Mein Schiff 3 will be sailing from Kiel to Gothenburg and Copenhagen from September 15th to 19th, 2024.

Official start of construction: the keel laying of Mein Schiff 7

March 21, 2023 – Today the first of a total of 85 steel blocks was dry docked at the MEYER shipyard in Turku, Finland. With the placement of the steel block and the symbolic coin ceremony, the new construction of Mein Schiff 7 was officially started in the presence of representatives of the shipping company and Meyer Werft .

The first Mein Schiff Dart Cup will start in October 2023

February 17, 2023 - The cruise industry has gained a new theme cruise. From October 8 to 15, 2023, TUI Cruises is organizing the first "Mein Schiff Dart Cup" on Mein Schiff 3. Guests play among themselves first. The tournament winners are offered the chance to compete against the dart professionals .

Start of booking: TUI Cruises - Rock 'n' Sail 2023 with Peter Maffay and band

January 26, 2023 - start of bookings Rock 'n' Sail 2023 is now bookable - Now TUI Cruises is really letting it rip: For the first time, exceptional musician Peter Maffay and his band are going on board the Mein Schiff fleet and on the 5-day trip from 10.09. to 15.09.2023/4/XNUMX from Kiel via Helsinki to Stockholm and back to Kiel three concerts on the Mein Schiff XNUMX.

TUI Cruises - the last voyages of Mein Schiff ♥ in 2023

December 16.12.2022, 6 – Many regular guests of TUI Cruises will find it difficult to say goodbye to Mein Schiff ♥ after the winter season. The oldest and smallest ship in the fleet is moving to the British Marella Cruises, a subsidiary of the TUI Group. The farewell trip will take place between April 16th and 2023th, XNUMX .

Mein Schiff 5 departs from Singapore for Far East cruises

December 6, 2022 - TUI Cruises is back in Southeast Asia. After a three-year break due to Corona, Germany's second largest cruise operator is again offering cruises in Asia. Mein Schiff 5 entered Singapore's port on Tuesday. Tomorrow the ship will start six XNUMX-day trips from/to Singapore .

Mein Schiff 7 first voyages are bookable

November 24th, 2022 – Anticipation for the new Mein Schiff 7. The first voyages for the summer of 2024 for the Mein Schiff 7 are unlocked!

My ship BLACK WEEK 2022

November 17, 2022 – Feel-good trips at top prices. now Mein Schiff ® Book BLACK WEEK 2020 deals from Friday, November 18.11.2022, 28.11.2022 to Monday, November XNUMX, XNUMX.

Mein Schiff-Fleet: Routes for the summer of 2024 have been set

November 15, 2022 – As of today, the new trips of the Mein Schiff fleet for the summer of 2024. The trips will be available to book soon.

TUI Cruises unveils seven highlights of Mein Schiff 7

November 8, 2022 – MEYER Turku shipyard is building the new Mein Schiff 7. Production of the 1.447 cabin ship started in June this year. The new building, around 316 meters long, will go into service in 2024. The sister ship of Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 is the first of three new ships that will complete the Mein Schiff fleet by 2026 .

Mein Schiff 5: Kick-off for the 2022/23 Asian season

November 4, 2022 - Tomorrow, Saturday, Mein Schiff 5 will depart from Antalya for Singapore. After arriving in Singapore, six fortnightly trips are on the program from December 7th.

Advent and Christmas on board Mein Schiff

October 25, 2022 – Advent and Christmas on board the Mein Schiff fleet. Soothing warmth at Christmas: the Caribbean, the Orient, Asia or the Canary Islands.

TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 3 – restart after a fresh cell cure

October 6th, 2022 – Today, after an eleven-day stay in the shipyard in Hamburg, Mein Schiff 3 sets off on an eight-day voyage to Mallorca. The trip was preceded by a renovation in the Elbe 17 dry dock at Blohm & Voss. In addition to general technical maintenance work, the ship experienced a few notable innovations and improvements .

Apprenticeship as hotel and hospitality assistant on TUI Cruises ships

September 23.09.2022 – Many aspects contribute to the success or failure of a cruise. A key factor in the success of a holiday on board the ships is the commitment of the crew. To ensure that this leads to success, TUI Cruises cruise ships offer training programs for hotel and hospitality assistants .

Full Metal Cruise 2023 - Part II bookable now

September 15 – From September 20-24, 2023, Europe's loudest cruise will set sail and transform the My ship 4 on their trip to Denmark and Norway to a metal stronghold.

Full Metal Cruise 2023 bookable from today

September 06th – From September 15th to 20th, 2023, the Full Metal Cruise 2023, the loudest cruise in Europe, sets sail for the tenth time and transforms the Mein Schiff 4 on its journey to the metal strongholds Sweden and Finland into a gigantic anniversary Ship.

Mein Schiff 5 - nine cruises from Singapore in winter 2022/23

2 September 2022 - TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 5 is sailing between December 2022 and May 2023 nine cruises departing from Singapore. Eight journeys begin and end in the city-state. The ninth cruise starts in Singapore and ends in Dubai. The passengers get to know destinations in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam on the journey .

TUI Cruises - The Jeckliner 2023

September 1, 2022 – The Jeckliner sets sail for the third time in 2023 with numerous top acts! The Mein Schiff 4 is scheduled to sail through the Mediterranean from May 01st to 05th, 2023 from Mallorca.

Mein Schiff 3 - "Der Schiffsarzt" broadcast date on RTL has been set

August 25, 2022 - Mein Schiff 3 becomes a secret series star. Broadcast date for the medical drama "Der Schiffsarzt" on RTL has been set.

Mein Schiff - Start of two great offers today

August 25, 2022 – Two great offers started today at TUI Cruises.

TUI Cruises is committed to climate protection and is examining other goals

August 23, 2022 - TUI Cruises has always focused on climate protection. The cruise line is now having the targets for reducing its own emissions scientifically reviewed.

Mein Schiff 6 - second TUI Cruises ship ready for shore power

2 August 2022 – After Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 6 is the second cruise ship in the TUI Cruises fleet to have a shore power connection. The upgrade was put through its paces yesterday in the port of Kiel. The finding: all systems work perfectly; Mein Schiff 6 is able to ensure almost emission-free ship operation on port days .

Mein Schiff 1 Reboot on North American routes

July 04th, 2022 - In autumn 1, Mein Schiff 2022 will again be sailing on interesting North American routes.

Summer in winter on board the Mein Schiff fleet

24 June 2022 – The countdown is on: Only 6 months until Christmas. Christmas comes as a surprise every year, which is why TUI Cruises extends the anticipation of Christmas into the summer. .

TUI Cruises – second steel cut within a week

June 22, 2022 - One week after the start of production of Mein Schiff 7, TUI Cruises is setting another example for the expansion of the fleet. In San Giorgio di Nogaro, Italy, Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, has completed the first steel cutting for the first of two identical cruise ships for the Mein Schiff fleet. The ships, measured at around 166.000 GT, are being built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone near Trieste .

TUI Cruises: Construction of Mein Schiff 7 started today

June 14, 2022 - Ten years after the start of production of the first newbuild of the Mein Schiff fleet, the first steel cutting for Mein Schiff 7 was completed today in Turku, Finland. None other than Wybcke Meier, head of TUI Cruises, gave the signal for the start of production. TUI Cruises will invest in three new buildings by 2026 .

Summer 2022 Baltic Sea - Mein Schiff 6 becomes a family ship

May 24, 2022 – Attention families: Extra time out on board the Mein Schiff fleet in summer Stable prices for spontaneous cruises during the summer holidays

The Kelly Family Cruise - My Ship 6

May 19, 2022 – TUI Cruises invites you to “The Kelly Family Cruise” on board Mein Schiff 6 . Three exclusive concerts on the high seas with the famous singing family.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is relaxing the hygiene concept on board the ships

May 19, 2022 – In the future, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will waive certain hygiene regulations when boarding. As of today, simplified boarding regulations apply to ships in the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet. With this measure, the company follows the parent company TUI Cruises. From May 29th, TUI Cruises will relax the hygiene requirements on board the fleet.

My ship fleet relaxes travel requirements

May 17, 2022 - Summer can come: Mein Schiff Flotte relaxes travel requirements for a carefree cruise

Mein Schiff 3 booking start winter timetable 2022/2023

May 12, 2022 – Caribbean flair, Atlantic islands and Scandinavian highlight ports: Mein Schiff 3 offers the greatest variety in winter 2022/2023

TUI Cruises presents routes for the 2023/24 winter season

March 29, 2022 - The routes of the Mein Schiff fleet for the winter season 2023/2024 can now be viewed. The destinations all lure with plenty of sun and soothing warmth. At the moment the winter timetables of five ships are presented. The Mein Schiff 3 route plans are expected to follow from the summer of this year.

Mein Schiff 6 becomes a hit stage on the Baltic Sea

March 22, 2022 - A week ago, TUI Cruises announced the ninth Full Metal Cruise of Mein Schiff 3 from Bremerhaven. As of today, the date for the second music event of the Hamburg shipping company has been set. Mein Schiff 6 chooses Kiel as the starting point of a five-day hit cruise on the Baltic Sea .

TUI Cruises - the ninth Full Metal Cruise starts in June 2022

March 15th, 2022 – On June 2nd, 2022, Mein Schiff 3 starts from Bremerhaven for the ninth Full Metal Cruise. The five-day journey takes in Invergordon and Newcastle on the east coast of Great Britain. Representatives of the heavy metal scene present themselves on three stages and other locations. The supporting program of the trip includes comedy, metal karaoke, meet and greet with the stars, readings, cinema, tattoo artists, metal wellness and music workshops.

Mein Schiff 3 sets course for Great Britain in summer 2022

March 11, 2022 – TUI Cruises is promoting new bookings for trips to Great Britain with Mein Schiff 3 with attractive weekend offers. Until March 11.03th, 14.03.2022, attractive prices for trips from/to Bremerhaven will be called up.

TUI Cruises adjusts Baltic Sea timetables to the crisis situation

February 28, 2022 – The war Russia has sparked in Ukraine is forcing companies to adjust their planning and operations. Cruise lines are not exempt from the exceptional situation. Hamburg-based TUI Cruises is informing its customers about upcoming timetable changes in the Baltic and Black Seas.

Mein Schiff 5 sets sail again on March 6th

February 26, 2022 - Reboot + Easter offers + great video of Mein Schiff 5

TUI Cruises extends early booking discounts for selected Mein Schiff cruises

February 01st, 2022 – Save up to 28 euros per person until February 130th.

TUI Cruises creates new management position in sales

January 25, 2022 – TUI Cruises announces that Clas Eckholt will be appointed Vice President Marketing & Sales for the “Mein Schiff” brand as of May 1, 2022. Mr. Eckholt was previously 15 years worked in various marketing and sales functions at Stage Entertainment. His task will be to promote the interaction of all commercial disciplines of the cruise line and the premium brand "My ship" to strengthen .

TUI Cruises – My ship fleet affected by Corona

January 18, 2022 – TUI Cruises is sailing in choppy waters. Since July 2020, the Hamburg cruise line has been operating cruises without any problems after the previous business interruption caused by the corona pandemic. Corona cases have recently been reported on three ships .

TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 6 is stopping the Dubai cruise for the time being

January 3, 2022 | According to AIDA Cruises (AIDAnova), TUI Cruises is forced to cancel the Dubai cruise that starts today due to corona cases on board Mein Schiff 6. The Hamburg cruise company announces that the company has decided to take a short break to protect guests and crew.

Experience Norway for the first time in winter and spring with Mein Schiff 1

• November 23, 2021 | Maximum variety with 4 to 14-day trips from February 23 to April 22, 2022  

Families on a cruise - offers from German shipping companies

September 15, 2021 - To coincide with the upcoming autumn holidays, nicko cruises and TUI Cruises are offering time out for families at VASCO DA GAMA  (nicko)  and Mein Schiff 4 (TUI Cruises). Related to  the autumn holidays, both companies organize boat trips for the entire family in the Mediterranean region.

Mein Schiff 6 - TUI Cruises confirms Orient cruises in 2021/22

September 07th, 2021 - Mein Schiff 6 will carry out Orient cruises in autumn and winter as planned. Travelers are requested to provide proof of full vaccination protection against COVID-19 before starting their journey. In addition, two negative COVID-19 test results are expected to be proven. There are restrictions on excursions.

TUI Cruises - Finally free travel to Norway again

July 22, 2021 - Norway lovers and TUI fans can breathe easy: From August 22nd, Mein Schiff 1 will start sailing towards Norway. Destinations are the Norwegian fjords, the historic Hanseatic city of Bergen or the capital Oslo. The only downer: all adults on board - guests and crew - must be fully vaccinated. A test is compulsory for children aged four and over .

TUI Cruises will start with “Blue” trips from Kiel in May

May 12, 2021 Update - TUI Cruises is currently offering trips to the Canary Islands and Greece. That is not all: On Whitsunday, May 23, 2021, the first “German” cruise of the Mein Schiff fleet will start in Kiel. A “blue voyage” without going ashore is offered .

Greece cruises - TUI Cruises requires two corona tests

May 20, 2021 - Starting May 13, Mein Schiff 5 will undertake a total of six trips through Greece's archipelago. The announcement arouses hope among holidaymakers and the Greek tourism industry. The trips take place in accordance with the health and hygiene concept introduced by TUI Cruises. What is new is that two corona tests are required for the trips .

Mein Schiff 6 and Corona - TUI Cruises cancels Dubai trip

February 01, 2021 -  TUI Cruises canceled the 14-day Dubai trip planned in March with Mein Schiff 6 today. The trip should start on March 1st, 2020. The shipping company cannot guarantee that the situation in the individual countries will make a call possible or that the necessary promises will be made in good time before your voyage begins. Booked guests are offered personal Mein Schiff travel credit with bonus options.

Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 certified by Fresenius

December 11, 2020 - Do the right thing and talk about it. TUI Cruises acts according to this motto. The hygiene concept of the cruise company battered by the COVID-19 pandemic has been certified for Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2. The hygiene certificate was issued by the independent SGS Institute Fresenius.

Caribbean cruise Mein Schiff 1 - Severe setback for TUI Cruises

December 04, 2020 - The effects of Corona on the cruise industry are terrifying. Royal Caribbean is considering extending the lay offs. NCL and its brand subsidiaries are suspending cruises for an extended period of time. Costa cancels Christmas and New Year cruises. TUI Cruises and their guests are hit hard. The planned 35-day Caribbean voyage of Mein Schiff 1 is canceled.

Mein Schiff 1 Caribbean Cruise - Christmas and New Years Eve 2020

November 20th, 2020 - The cruise ship Mein Schiff 1 of TUI Cruises is going on a 35-day voyage. The destination is the Caribbean. On a private island nine days island vacation are offered. The journey with the special Caribbean feeling starts and ends in Germany.

TUI Cruises slowed down - Schleswig Holstein stops blue trips

November 4, 2020 - According to RTL, the state of Schleswig-Holstein has banned the Hamburg shipping company TUI Cruises from operating cruises from this state. The ban will come into force on November 5, 2020.

Breakwater shutdown - TUI Cruises reacts calmly

October 29.10.2020, 16 - Yesterday, the federal government, together with the 2020 federal states, decided on measures to combat the corona pandemic. The drastic measures in force until the end of November XNUMX all serve to limit contacts. What influence does the decision have on Germany's cruise lines?

TUI Cruises - Canary Islands Cruises 2020 bookable now

October 13, 2020 - TUI Cruises today publishes travel dates and sailing areas for the 2020 winter season. The shipping company is convinced that there is something for everyone. The offer includes classic one to two-week cruises into the sun with shore excursions as well as short trips from German ports. The two routes around the Canary Islands to be completed by Mein Schiff 2 are particularly interesting.

TUI Cruises CEO Meier gives an interview with Tagesspiegel

September 26, 2020 - Wybcke Meier, has been managing the cruise company TUI Cruises GmbH for six years. The company is one of the premium providers on the cruise market. Ms. Meier talks about current topics at TUI Cruises in an interview with the Berliner Tagesspiegel . We quote from the report .

TUI Cruises - The Jeckliner 2

September 7, 2020 - The Rockliner and Metal Cruises already existed. Now the "Jeckliner" is put on. On April 07th, 2022 Mein Schiff 6 will start a four-day “fifth season cruise” from Palma de Mallorca. TUI Cruises promise a superlative costume party. On board: ten well-known carnival artists such as the "Höhner", the Bläck Fööss "or the" Klüngelköpp ".

TUI Cruises: Blue trips and the Greek islands

August 13, 2020 - The corona pandemic is being extended for cruise companies. A normal business operation is out of the question. As an intermediate step, TUI Cruises is again planning “Blue Voyages” in September with Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2. At the same time, Mein Schiff 6 will offer 13-day cruises to and from Crete from September 7th .

TUI Cruises - Blue cruises with Mein Schiff 2 from July 2020

July 9, 2020- Something's happening at TUI Cruises! The “Blue Journeys” will begin on July 24th, 2020. The starting point is Hamburg. The cruise will be with Mein Schiff 2. Until further notice, 3- and 4- day trips are planned. There are no ports of call and the number of guests on board the ship is limited to a maximum of 60 percent of capacity .

TUI Cruises cancels trips to South Africa with Mein Schiff Herz

June 25, 2020 - TUI Cruises cancels the trip planned for winter with "Mein Schiff ♥". The shipping company considers it "rather unlikely" that the South African ports will be opened to cruise ships in the next few months.

TUI Cruises: resumption of cruises in summer

June 17, 2020- The TUI Group, the world's leading tourism group, has expressed its opinion on the resumption of activities in submarkets in Europe. The company also comments on its cruise activities in this context. The main player, TUI Cruises, will start as soon as possible with short cruises in the North and Baltic Seas .

TUI Cruises: Planning for post-corona times

May 13, 2020 - TUI AG presents itself with the hashtag #holidays2020 - Holidays rethought in times of Corona. The company's CEO, Friedrich Joussen, comments on matters relating to TUI Cruises. After all, TUI AG is one of the two shareholders in the Hamburg cruise line. According to current plans, the brand will be present on the high seas again by the end of August 2020 at the latest.

Mein Schiff 3 current statements from Tui Cruises

Hamburg, May 5, 2020 / 17:00pm - Tui Cruises press release. Mein Schiff 3 is currently with around 2.900 crew members on board in Cuxhaven. The only reason for Mein Schiff 3's call was and is to enable the crew to return to their home countries.

Mein Schiff 3 - No further cases of Corona so far

Hamburg, May 2, 2020. Despite extensive preventive measures and the entire crew being in isolation for over four weeks, a crew member of Mein Schiff 3 was on Thursday, April 30.4th. Tested positive for COVID-19.

Coronavirus also reaches Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises

March 15, 2020 - Until recently, Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises had not made a final statement on the coronavirus crisis. Now it is official: Both cruise lines are suspending ship operations for the foreseeable future .

TUI Cruises and Hapag Lloyd Cruises in the future under one roof

February 7, 2020 - " The TUI Group wants to significantly expand the luxury, expedition and premium segment for cruises together with its long-term partner Royal Caribbean and win new customer groups for luxury cruises ”. This is today's press statement from the Hanover-based TUI Group.

A technical defect slows down Mein Schiff 1

August 31, 2019 - The Neue Mein Schiff 1 was stuck for 24 hours in the small town of Leirvik with 10.000 inhabitants on the Norwegian island of Stord. A defect in an emergency generator forced the ship's command to take a compulsory break at an equipment pier in the port area of ​​Leirvik. After replacing the generator, Mein Schiff 1 continued its voyage around midnight on Friday Molde away .

New Mein Schiff 2 christened in Lisbon

February 09, 2020 - Tonight the new Mein Schiff 2 was christened in Lisbon in front of almost 3000 guests and many onlookers. The godmother of the latest TUI Cruises new building is Carolyn Niemczyk, singer of the electro-pop band Glasperlenspiel. The christening ceremony was followed by fireworks and a performance by the band on the pool deck .

Mein Schiff 2 NEW visited the port of Hamburg

January 26, 2019 - Yesterday, Mein Schiff 2 NEW came to Hamburg's port from Kiel. TUI Cruises' sixth new building moored at the Steinwerder cruise terminal under the command of Captain Kjell Holm. From the outside, the cruise ship is the same as the new Mein Schiff 1 . The differences are only in the equipment. .

Port of Kiel: the final touches for Mein Schiff 2 NEW

January 9, 2019 - TUI Cruises' new Mein Schiff 2 has been moored at the Ostseekai in Kiel harbor since January 22, 2019. The MEYER Turku shipyard will officially hand over the new building to TUI Cruises on January 22, 2019. On January 23, the first guests will go on board the shipping company's new flagship .

TUI Cruises: Crew members have access to guest areas in their free time

November 9, 2018 - The website Crew-center.com, operated by former crew members, reports that crew members of TUI Cruises have had unrestricted access to the guest areas in their free time since October 2018. What was previously reserved for the ship's officers and individual employees now applies to all crew members .

TUI Cruises is now cooking in Italian

October 24, 2018 - Italian cooking is now available on individual ships in the Mein Schiff fleet. These days, Mein Schiff 3 and Mein Schiff 4 are launching a surcharge-based restaurant with an Italian menu. It replaces the aging restaurant Richard - Feines Essen. The star chef Theodor Falser from Welschnofen near Bozen / South Tyrol is responsible for the culinary concept .

Ride in anticipation with the new Mein Schiff 2

October 16, 2018 - Before Mein Schiff 2, TUI Cruises' new flagship, is christened in Lisbon on February 9, 2020, paying guests can enjoy an anticipation trip. The journey leads from Bremerhaven via Zeebrugge and Amsterdam back to Bremerhaven .

My ship offers

The cruises can be under  myship.com  get booked.

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Cruise passengers kicked off ship and told to go home early due to ‘technical issue with catering’

Exclusive: ‘we have taken the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming pride of panama cruise,’ says tui spokesperson, article bookmarked.

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A Caribbean cruise run by Tui has been brought to an abrupt halt – with passengers told to leave the ship and fly home early after what the firm says is “a technical issue with our catering facilities”.

David and Maria Hitchcock from Ormskirk were on a fortnight’s voyage aboard Marella Discovery 2 – comprising a pair of one-week back-to-back cruises – as part of his 60th birthday celebrations.

Six days in, they were told the first part, “Flavours of the Caribbean,” had been curtailed and was returning to its winter home port of Montego Bay “due to food issues”.

The second part, “Pride of Panama,” has been cancelled altogether.

The couple are currently out of communication contact in the Caribbean; they have decided to stay in Jamaica until their scheduled flight home on 7 February.

But David’s sister, Melanie Hitchcock, told The Independent : “They have been offered roughly a quarter of the total price of the trip back and some vouchers.

“They will never use the vouchers as this was a one-off trip for a special occasion. They prefer to holiday in their caravan with their dogs.”

Some passengers aboard Marella Discovery 2 have complained that the ship appears to be “running out of food”.

Tui rejects this assertion, saying “the ship is currently able to deliver our full food and beverage offering to customers currently on board”.

The ship set sail from Montego Bay in Jamaica last Tuesday, 24 January. She called at Cozumel in Mexico and the Cuban capital, Havana. But the ship is returning early to Montego Bay.

Passengers were offered the choice of staying in Jamaica until they were due to come home or flying back on planes sent to airlift them back to the UK.

They may not be able to travel direct to their intended airport, but coach transfers will be arranged as necessary.

The subsequent cruise, visiting Port Royal in Jamaica, Cartagena in Colombia, Colon in Panama and Puerto Limon in Costa Rica has been cancelled.

The company is offering a “a pro-rata per night refund” and a £300 holiday voucher “as a gesture of goodwill” to those who are on board the ship.

Those who were due to begin their cruise on Tuesday, 31 January, will receive a full refund and a holiday voucher.

A spokesperson for Tui said: “Due to a technical issue with our catering facilities on Marella Discovery 2 we have taken the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming Pride of Panama cruise.

“We understand how disappointing this will be and would like to apologise to our customers who have been impacted, and thank them for their patience and understanding at this time.

“Our customer teams are already in contact with those customers impacted and are supporting them with their future travel plans. All customers impacted have been offered future holiday vouchers as a gesture of goodwill.

“ Marella Discovery 2 is currently on day six of the seven-night Flavours of the Caribbean cruise. The Pride of Panama Cruise seven-night cruise, which has been cancelled, was due to commence on Tuesday 31 January.

“The next scheduled cruise on Tuesday 7 February is due to operate as planned.”

Ms Hitchcock told The Independent that her brother and sister-in-law “are terribly upset about this and have been put off the whole idea of going abroad”.

She said they had booked a hotel at a cost of £3,000 for the week when they should have been on the second part of the cruise.

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TUI Cruises

All information about tui cruises. 2024, 2025 and 2026 itinerary of company's ships. technical data, rating and reviews of tourists. the actual location of the vessels..

TUI Cruises is a cruise line based in Germany. It was formed in 2007 as a joint venture between the German tourism company TUI AG and the American cruise line operator Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., both of whom hold a 50% stake in the company. The company started operations in 2009 and competes with AIDA Cruises for the German market. It targets German-speaking customers who opt for a premium cruise experience. The onboard product, including food, entertainment and amenities, is custom-tailored for German tastes and German is the main language used onboard its ships. In February 2020 TUI announced the purchase of Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten. The take over was completed in July 2020. Due to lack of new-building capacity, TUI Cruises started by acquiring the cruise ship Celebrity Galaxy, which was built by Meyer Werft and was owned by another RCCL subsidiary, Celebrity Cruises. She left the Celebrity fleet on 16 March 2009.[4] After acquiring Celebrity Galaxy, the ship headed to Lloyd Werft shipyards in Bremerhaven, Germany. She arrived on 27 March 2009, and received a €50 million, 38-day conversion to upgrade her facilities to suit a German-speaking market. After the conversion, she was re-christened on 15 May 2009 in Hamburg, Germany bearing her new name, Mein Schiff (My Ship). TUI planned to build two 2,500-passenger, 100,000-GT cruise ships in 2011 and 2012. On May 27, 2010, it was announced that another Century-class ship, Celebrity Mercury, would become the latest addition to TUI's fleet, renamed Mein Schiff 2. Due to this Mein Schiff was immediately renamed Mein Schiff 1. Mein Schiff 2 entered service with TUI in February 2011 after its extensive refurbishment, with the addition of more verandas, an expanded fitness area and design elements which are also found on Mein Schiff 1. TUI and STX Finland announced a contract on 27 September 2011 to build a 97,000-GT vessel named Mein Schiff 3, which was delivered in 2014. The vessel is approximately 295 metres (968 ft) long and approximately 36 metres (118 ft) wide.[9] The ship has 1,250 staterooms, most of which have balconies, with a capacity of 2,500 passengers and a crew of 1,000. The ship includes several restaurants, a theatre, spa and nightclub. The contract included an option to build a second ship, dependent on the approval of TUI Cruises shareholders. It was announced on November 5, 2012 that TUI had taken up the second option for the sister ship to the Mein Schiff 3, to be named Mein Schiff 4. On April 22, 2014, Mein Schiff 3 entered service. In March 2015, Royal Caribbean International announced that they had agreed to sell Splendour of the Seas to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016, and that TUI would lease the ship to Thomson Cruises to replace the Island Escape. In May 2015, TUI Group announced that as part of their modernization strategy, Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 would be transferred to Thomson Cruises over the next few years, as a result, 2 replacement ships neue Mein Schiff 1 and neue Mein Schiff 2 were ordered. On January 15, Mein Schiff 5 was launched. On April 28, Mein Schiff 6's was laid down.

TUI Cruises ships

Year built: 1997

Length: 866 ft / 264 m

Passengers: 1912

Overall Rating: 2.53 (place: #243)

Year built: 2018

Length: 1037 ft / 316 m

Passengers: 2534

Overall Rating: 3.58 (place: #88)

Year built: 2019

Overall Rating: 3.64 (place: #81)

Year built: 2014

Length: 961 ft / 293 m

Passengers: 2506

Overall Rating: 3.54 (place: #92)

Year built: 2015

Overall Rating: 3.22 (place: #148)

Year built: 2016

Overall Rating: 3.40 (place: #117)

Year built: 2017

Length: 968 ft / 295 m

Overall Rating: 3.50 (place: #97)

Year built: 2024

Overall Rating: 4.35 (place: #10)

TUI Cruises in the News

• Jun 25, 2024 Mein Schiff 7, newest addition to TUI fleet, christened in Kiel (Germany) Mein Schiff 7 was officially delivered by Meyer Turku to TUI Cruises on June 10, 2024, and was ch...
• Jun 21, 2024 Germany's largest maritime rescue drill conducted with TUI's Mein Schiff 7 Germany’s sea rescue forces recently conducted their largest training exercise to date in c...
• Jun 12, 2024 Meyer Turku delivers Mein Schiff 7 to TUI Cruises Turkish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has delivered the Mein Schiff 7 to German cruise line TUI Cruises...
• May 21, 2024 TUI's Mein Schiff 7 embarks on inaugural sea trials ahead of June debut TUI Cruises' newest vessel, Mein Schiff 7, reached a significant milestone this week as she embar...
• Apr 18, 2024 TUI Cruises appoints environmental officer as Godmother for Mein Schiff 7 As the construction of Mein Schiff 7 nears completion at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, TUI...
• Mar 15, 2024 TUI Cruises deploys two ships (Schiff 7 and Schiff Relax) to Canary Islands in winter 2025-2026 TUI Cruises, a TUI Group-Royal Caribbean Group joint venture, has announced its planned itinerari...
• Mar 10, 2024 Emirates renews partnership with TUI Cruises to boost Dubai's cruise tourism hub status Emirates has reaffirmed Dubai's position as a premier hub for cruise tourism by extending its col...
• Jan 30, 2024 TUI Cruises' ship Mein Schiff 7 to run on green methanol supplied by Mabanaft Mabanaft has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TUI Cruises, outlining plans f...
• Jan 19, 2024 TUI Cruises reveals plans for 3 new ships TUI Cruises, a collaboration between Royal Caribbean and TUI AG, has unveiled plans for the const...
• Dec 30, 2023 Fincantieri secures $461M 'Green' Loan for construction of innovative Mein Schiff Relax cruise ship Fincantieri has entered into a 'green' construction loan agreement, securing up to US$461 million...
• Dec 23, 2023 Hamburg Port concludes 2023 cruise season with record-breaking visits from AIDAnova Hamburg Port is concluding its 2023 cruise season with a notable finale featuring two visits from...
• Dec 3, 2023 TUI's Mein Schiff 7 launched at Meyer Turku shipyard marks milestone in Green Transition The construction of Mein Schiff 7, underway at the Meyer Turku shipyard, reached a milestone as t...
• Nov 29, 2023 First InTUItion class ship Mein Schiff Relax launched at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard The launch event for Mein Schiff Relax, the inaugural vessel of the InTUItion class - a series of...
• Nov 1, 2023 Port Funchal (Madeira) receives 3 cruise ships on a single day Port Funchal (Madeira Island Portugal) accommodated 3 cruise ships on Monday, October 30. This ar...
• Oct 18, 2023 TUI's first InTUItion Class ship to be named Mein Schiff Relax/fka Schiff 8 TUI Cruises has revealed that its 8th vessel (Schiff 8) in the Mein Schiff fleet - a newbuild fro...

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Here Are the New Cruise Ships Entering Service for the Summer

• June 21, 2024

Of the 11 newbuilds scheduled for delivery in 2024, four are debuting for the cruise summer season. Cruise Industry News looks at some key details of the vessels and their itineraries.

Mein Schiff 7 Cruise Line: TUI Cruises Shipyard: Meyer Turku (Finland) Capacity:  2,900 guests Tonnage:  110,000 Maiden Cruise: June 12 Debut Region: Northern Europe

The Mein Schiff 7 recently started its maiden season in Northern Europe. Built by the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the 2,900-guest vessel was delivered to TUI Cruises earlier this month .

Now cruising from Germany, the ship is set to offer a series of itineraries to Scandinavia, Svalbard, Iceland, the Baltic Sea and the British Isles as part of its maiden season . 

Silver Ray Cruise Line: Silversea Cruises Shipyard: Meyer Werft (Germany) Capacity:  728 guests Tonnage:  54,700 Maiden Cruise: June 15 Debut Region: Mediterranean

The Silver Ray also entered service ahead of the 2024 summer. Following the 2023-built Silver Nova, the luxury ship welcomed its first guests on June 15.

As the sixth new ship to join the Silversea Cruises fleet in a three-year period , the 728-guest vessel is spending its inaugural season in the Mediterranean before repositioning to South America later this year.

Utopia of the Seas Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International Shipyard: Chantiers de l’Atlantique (France) Capacity:  5,714 guests Tonnage:  231,000 Maiden Cruise: July 19 Debut Region: Bahamas

Royal Caribbean International’s Utopia of the Seas will debut on July 19. As the first ever Oasis-class vessel fully dedicated to short cruises, the 231,000-ton vessel is set to offer three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas.

Sailing from Port Canaveral on a year-round basis , the cruises feature visits to Nassau and Royal Caribbean’s private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Explora II Cruise Line: Explora Journeys Shipyard: Fincantieri (Italy) Capacity:  922 guests Tonnage:  64,000 Maiden Cruise: September Debut Region: Mediterranean

The Explora II is set to enter service in September. Joining the 2023-built Explora I, the 922-guest vessel will become the second ship in the fleet of Explora Journeys, the new luxury brand of the MSC Cruises Group.

For its inaugural season, the upscale vessel is set to offer different itineraries in the Mediterranean, visiting ports in Spain, France, Italy, Tunisia, Portugal and Morocco .

Other ships that already entered service this year include:

• Princess Cruises’ Star Princess
• Cunard Line’s Queen Anne

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Impacts may be 'catastrophic' as Hurricane Beryl pounds Jamaica: Live updates

Hurricane Beryl was retreating from Jamaica late Wednesday and is expected to pass just south of the Cayman Islands overnight as a major hurricane, bringing intense winds and heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center said.

As of 2 a.m. ET Thursday, Beryl was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph and was about 110 miles southeast of Grand Cayman — the largest of the Cayman Islands. After roaring by Jamaica's southern coast, the hurricane was expected to unload "devastating hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging waves" across the Cayman Islands, according to the hurricane center.

The Cayman Islands could get up to half a foot of rain through Thursday. Weather officials are also warning about life-threatening surf and rip currents along parts of western Cuba, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the coast of Belize.

Beryl was on track to approach the Cayman Islands on Wednesday night and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula about 24 hours later, still as a hurricane but weakened by expected wind shear.

In Jamaica, emergency crews evacuated people living in flood-prone communities and nearly 500 people were in shelters by Wednesday afternoon, according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“We’re concerned about widespread damage and potentially catastrophic impacts in Jamaica,” said Bernie Rayno, AccuWeather's chief on-air meteorologist. "Flooding may last days to even weeks. Widespread power outages are expected. Beryl will likely damage many homes and businesses and cause severe coastal inundation."

The chances of Beryl impacting part of the Texas Gulf Coast have increased with the projected path veering northwest, AccuWeather reported , although it would not bring anywhere near the ferocity of its devastating assault on the southern Windward Islands earlier this week. The current track calls for Beryl to weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses the Yucatan and then becomes a hurricane again before making landfall along the coast near the border of Mexico and Texas.

The storm is projected to drench Jamaica with 4 to 8 inches of rain, and 12 inches are forecast in some places, which could cause "life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC said. Holness declared all of Jamaica a "disaster area" and imposed an islandwide curfew Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Monday, Beryl made landfall in Grenada's Carriacou island as a Category 4 hurricane, ravaging the southern Caribbean Islands, flattening hundreds of buildings and causing the deaths of at least seven people. On Monday night, Beryl became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. Driven by record-hot ocean temperatures, Beryl's rapid strengthening has stunned experts.

Amazing drone footage: As Hurricane Beryl tears through Caribbean, a drone sends back stunning footage

Developments:

∎ The death toll from the powerful hurricane rose to at least 10, according to Reuters. But that figure is expected to increase as communications come back online across islands damaged by flooding and intense winds.

∎ The Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica posted on X that a small section of the roof of its passenger boarding pier was damaged by Beryl. "Once the storm has completely passed, a full assessment of damage will be done," the airport stated on X.

∎ The Meteorological Service of Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun, a popular tourist destination, according to the NHC. Tropical storm warnings were also issued for other parts of the Yucatan Peninsula.

∎ Venezuela's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, and senior officials in her traveling party were injured by a falling tree Tuesday night while surveying an area near the country's Caribbean coast where the Manzanares River overran its banks after heavy rainfall caused by Beryl.

Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path of storm

Will Hurricane Beryl hit Texas?

Portions of South Texas are now within the forecast cone of Hurricane Beryl , which meteorologists say could arrive in the state over the weekend or early Monday.

However, forecasters remain unsure of what Beryl will do and how strong it will be as it approaches the Gulf Coast after hitting Mexico: "High uncertainty remains with both the track and intensity of Beryl," the  National Weather Service said Wednesday.

"From Panama City, Florida to New Orleans, there is a low risk of direct impacts from Beryl, but from about Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Texas, the risk increases significantly due to the potential for Beryl to have more direct impacts,"  AccuWeather  meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. "That southern portion of the Texas coast is the zone we have to really watch."

Coastal threats could begin this weekend, Weather.com warned: "Well ahead of Beryl, onshore winds could lead to increasing surf, rip currents and coastal flooding along parts of the Gulf Coast from eastern Mexico to Texas and western Louisiana beginning as soon as Saturday, and continuing until just after Beryl's final landfall, Weather.com  said. The rip current threat could also even extend farther east along the northern Gulf Coast.

Brennan said Tuesday that "folks in the Texas coast, as we go into the holiday weekend, you're going to want to make sure you check back on the forecast and make sure you're ready for any potential impact. If we were to see tropical storm conditions affect those areas in the far western Gulf of Mexico, it could be during the day Saturday."

– Doyle Rice

More than 90% of the homes, buildings destroyed

More than 90% of homes and buildings across at least three islands were destroyed or severely damaged after Beryl tore through the southeast Caribbean, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday. The agency was assisting with the disaster response in Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.

Beryl struck the islands with winds of 150 mph and higher gusts on Monday, causing significant impacts to the islands, according to Elizabeth Riley, the disaster management agency's executive director. In addition to infrastructure damages, some islands have also faced power outages and disruptions to communications.

In a briefing late Tuesday, Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described "total destruction" on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

"There's really nothing that can prepare you to see this level of destruction," Mitchell said. "It is almost Armageddon-like, almost total damage and destruction of all buildings. Complete devastation and destruction of agriculture. Complete and total destruction of the natural environment."

— Dinah Voyles Pulver

Airlines waive fees for some in Hurricane Beryl's path

Six major U.S. airlines said they're waiving various fees for travelers who have flights booked in Beryl's path. In most cases, flights booked before July 1 are eligible for the changes. The listed flights include departures from or arrivals in airports in Mexico, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Belize.

American , JetBlue , United , Delta , Southwest , and Spirit Airlines are offering a variety of fee waivers because of the hurricane. Passengers are encouraged to check directly with the airlines on what amended policies apply to them.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said on its website travelers on international flights may be able to recover expenses from a delayed or canceled flight by filing a claim with the airline.

"If the claim is denied, you may pursue the matter in court if you believe that the carrier did not take all measures that could reasonably be required to avoid the damages caused by the delay," the agency said. 

− Krystal Nurse

Resort manager in Jamaica maintains composure as Hurricane Beryl approaches

The coming hurricane doesn't scare Tamar Atkinson, the manager of a small resort in Hanover, a community on Jamaica's northwest coast.

"The way I look at it, I can't stop it," she told USA TODAY. "If the hurricane is going to blow your house down, it's going to blow the house down."

Atkinson, 42, who moved back to Hanover a year ago after she lived in the U.S. for 20 years, already has her sea legs in weathering Jamaica's hurricanes. She remembers facing Hurricane Gilbert, a Category 5, as a little girl – the storm blew the roof off her aunt's house, where she sheltered, but left her mother's house in "perfect condition."

When Hurricane Ivan hit two decades ago, Atkinson sheltered at a nearby school. Once again, the storm blew out the school's windows but left Atkinson's house untouched. "I'm not leaving my house, and I'm not going to go crazy like the rest of the people," she said, adding that she's told her guests to "relax their nerves."

Jamaica closes all international airports as Hurricane Beryl nears island

The Jamaica Tourist Board announced Wednesday that the Sangster, Norman Manley, and Ian Fleming international airports were closed as Hurricane Beryl approached the island.

Jamaica's travel website, VisitJamaica.com, doesn't list a reopening time for the airports and encourages travelers to contact their travel agents and/or airlines for flight updates. The website also encourages travelers to heed any instructions from their hotel or private accommodation on sheltering.

"We also encourage you to register with your Embassy for country-specific guidance and support," the board said on the website.

The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica is open on a limited basis and encourages Americans to not visit the embassy for shelter and instead seek a government-run shelter. Citizens in Jamaica are encouraged to call the embassy at (876) 702-6486 if they need assistance. 

– Krystal Nurse

Ahead of Hurricane Beryl, Jamaicans prepare their homes

Donae Maye stocked up on water, candles, and food earlier this week, before supermarkets across her hometown of Montego Bay, a city on Jamaica's northern Coast, emptied.

"There was no bread, no essentials that you actually need, no candles, very few tin products," she said on Wednesday, after a recent visit to some local grocery stores.

Maye, 27, also prepped her home, where she will shelter with her fiance, her son and his father. "We cleared away any trees that might be blocking any electrical wires and stuff like that that might fall and break the window," she said.

She's confident that her house, which is made of concrete, will stand up to the storm better than many buildings did to Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago. Back then, more structures were made of board, which didn't fare well in the storm, she said. Today, "most structures are built to withstand the winds and the hurricane," she said.

Humanitarian groups rally relief for impacted countries

Global Giving and Americares are among the humanitarian organizations collecting money for those affected by Hurricane Beryl. Both promise donations to support various impacted communities, focusing on those who are disadvantaged and on decimated medical facilities.

Cora Nally, international emergency response director of Americares, said the organization focuses on restoring damaged medical facilities and expects to deploy its workers to Jamaica soon after Beryl leaves.

"That is really going to serve as a home base for them, and we are asking them to do an assessment of all the impacted islands in the Caribbean, and we are going to be keeping an eye on the storm as it moves towards Mexico and the United States," she said.

Is Cancun in the path of Hurricane Beryl?

Among the parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and surrounding areas under hurricane warnings were Cancun and the island of Cozumel, two popular tourist destinations packed with luxury resorts and cruise ship ports.

The hurricane warnings were issued by the Meteorological Service of Mexico as forecasters warned residents and tourists of the projected impact of Hurricane Beryl.

Brennan, the director of the NHC, said in a YouTube livestream on Wednesday that the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, including Cancun, faces 3 to 5 feet of storm surge as well as up to 8 inches of rain.

The record-breaking hurricane is expected to make landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday night or early Friday, NHC said.

In Jamaica, tourists shelter in hotel ballroom from Hurricane Beryl

Cecilia Garcia and her family initially planned to weather the beginning of the hurricane in the bathroom of their hotel room in Ocho Rios, on Jamaica's northern coastline. "We do have windows in our room, so I think the safest option would probably be to go in our restroom," she said.

Moon Palace Jamaica, where Garcia, 25, is staying with her parents, brother, sister and two kids, told hotel guests to evacuate to a ballroom. When Garcia and her family first visited the shelter, they found it too chaotic. "We ended up back in our room because it was very crowded," she said. "It was very hot in there."

But later on Wednesday morning, as the winds picked up, the family returned to the packed ballroom, where thin cots were arranged in rows, according to a video Garcia shared with USA TODAY.

Garcia and her family's flight back to their home of Houston, Texas, isn't until Saturday – the hurricane will strike at the midpoint of their week-long vacation. Garcia said if they chose to end their stay earlier, they wouldn't get a refund. 

Looking out at skies still partially clear on Wednesday morning, Garcia said the family was keeping calm ahead of the storm. "We're kind of used to bad weather and floods like that in Houston," she said. "But again, it's different when you're not at home, so that's the only scary part."

Hurricane Beryl spoiling graduation trip

Mona Parhar, 23, and Arezoo Rafkhani, 24, didn't start searching for early return flights from their vacation to Jamaica until Tuesday night, less than 24 hours before Hurricane Beryl was expected to sweep across the island. By then, they learned airports had closed.

"We really have no choice but to stick it out," Parhar said Wednesday from their hotel room at the Hotel Riu in Montego Bay on the island's northern side.

The two Toronto natives booked their trip to celebrate their recent graduations – Rafkhani from Toronto Metropolitan University and Parhar from York University. "We've never experienced something like this as Canadians," Rafkhani said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking."

The pair were comforted by the hotel staff, who kept guests informed and safe. "Since last night, they've been sending us messages about how to get prepared, what they're doing and will be doing this morning," Rafkhani said. "They've been keeping us calm," Parhar said.

Jamaica braces for Hurricane Beryl

Jamaican officials warned residents to stock up on food, batteries, candles, and drinking water. Residents in flood-prone areas were also advised to prepare for evacuation.

"Secure your critical documents and remove any trees or items that could endanger your property," the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica said on X on Tuesday. "Everyone, including those living alone, should take these necessary steps now."

As a precaution, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Tuesday night that electricity and water services will likely be shut off "if the storm reaches a serious threshold" to prevent fires and protect equipment.

"Only one hurricane has ever affected Jamaica during July," according to AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell. "Category 4 Hurricane Dennis in 2005 did not make landfall but killed one person and caused a lot of damage."

Record-breaking path: Hurricane Beryl tears through the Caribbean

Hurricane Beryl breaks records

Forecasters have projected 2024 to be one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record. Beryl has already surprised forecasters and broken records since it formed, including becoming the earliest Category 4 or 5 storm on record.

Beryl broke the previous record set by Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005, for the strongest Category 5 hurricane. Beryl rapidly strengthened from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in about 48 hours.

The storm is also the earliest Category 4 or larger storm by more than a week, breaking the record set by Hurricane Dennis, a Category 4 storm on July 8, 2005.

It was fueled by  much warmer than normal  ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and aided in that development by light winds that allowed it to build a strong inner core.

— Jennifer Borresen, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Ramon Padilla

Hurricane Beryl tracker: See projected path of Category 5 storm

Smaller islands hit hard by Beryl

Beryl hit St. Vincent and the Grenadines especially hard, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

"The hurricane has come and gone, and it has left in its wake immense destruction," he said, adding that Union Island had 90% of homes "severely damaged or destroyed."

After making landfall in Grenada's Carriacou Island on Monday, strong winds and high water levels smashed fishing boats in Barbados, downed power lines in Grenada and St. Vincent, and knocked out drinking water in St. Lucia, according to officials.

Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell noted on Tuesday that the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique were significantly impacted by the hurricane. In addition to downed power lines, roads remained impassable and fuel stations were destroyed.

"The situation is grim. There is no power. There is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings," Mitchell said.

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida ; Reuters

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European cruise line Marella not coming back for second year at Port Canaveral

Marella Cruises , a European cruise line that sailed out of Port Canaveral during 2023, is not coming back this year, port officials say.

The cruise line was unique for the port. It sailed the Marella Discovery out of Port Canaveral for six months in 2023. But U.S. residents could not book a sailing on the ship. The sailings were just for people who booked a flight from Europe to Melbourne Orlando International Airport on an affiliated airline, TUI Airways. Both Marella and TUI Airways are part of the TUI Group, a major international travel company.

Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said the Marella Discovery was scheduled to sail only during 2023 out of Port Canaveral before switching to other itineraries. He said there were no issues between the port and the cruise line that triggered Marella to not sail from Port Canaveral this year.

More on Marella Discovery: 5 things to know about new Port Canaveral cruise ship, including why locals can't sail

The Marella Discovery had a total of 28 sailings out of Port Canaveral from May to November 2023, with a total of 85,533 passengers getting on or off the ship. Most of the sailings were seven nights in duration.

There were various itineraries from Port Canaveral. A typical one was called "American Dream," with stops in Charleston, South Carolina; New York City; and Freeport, Bahamas.

TUI's business model is to sell full-scale travel packages. So the cruise was part of a package that includes a flight from a United Kingdom airport to Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Some packages had an option to add a hotel stay in Florida.

The Marella Discovery currently is sailing seven-night "Ottoman Odyssey" cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean, sailing out of Marmaris, Turkey.

Marella Cruises is a relatively small cruise line, with five ships in operation.

The Marella Discovery also is relatively small, compared with some of the megaships based at Port Canaveral. The Discovery has 915 cabins; a double-occupancy capacity of 1,830 passengers; and a full capacity of 2,076 passengers. It is 866 feet long and has a gross tonnage of 69,130 tons.

It has sailed under various names over the years. It initially sailed for Royal Caribbean International as the Splendour of the Seas, starting in 1996. The ship was refurbished in 2016, after being acquired by TUI.

Port's cruise business booming

Despite not having a Marella ship in port this year, Port Canaveral's cruise business is going gangbusters.

For the first seven months of the current budget year (October 2023 through April 2024), the port's total cruise revenue, including from cruise passenger parking, is $92.43 million, which is $2.12 million above budget. During that time, there have been 553 cruise ship calls and 4.52 million multiday passengers getting on or off those ships.

Port Canaveral is the world's second-busiest cruise port. Five cruise lines base ships at Port Canaveral — Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Celebrity and Princess will add ships to the Port Canaveral lineup later this year.

A total of 21 multiday cruise ships will be based at Port Canaveral during at least part of this year.

TUI continues to fly to Melbourne

Despite not having a Marella ship at Port Canaveral, TUI is continuing its flights into and out of Melbourne Orlando International Airport for a third straight year in 2024.

The airport reported that a total of 242,542 passengers got on or off international flights in Melbourne in 2022, and 231,472 did so in 2023. The airport does not report passenger totals by airline, but airport officials said the vast majority of those were TUI passengers.

TUI's Melbourne service originates from English cities of Birmingham, London (London-Gatwick airport), Manchester and Newcastle, along with Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland. This year's TUI flights started March 18, and will run through Oct. 26.

In 2025, TUI will add a new departure city for its flights to Melbourne — Dublin, Ireland.

The international travel giant flies U.K. travelers to U.S. destinations aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliners via vacation packages. The airline does not offer tickets for Melbourne passengers to fly to Europe.

Rick Neale contributed to this story.

Dave Berman is business editor at  FLORIDA TODAY.  Contact Berman at  [email protected] , on X at  @bydaveberman  and on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Marella Cruises isn't coming to Port Canaveral this year after 2023 debut

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Breaking news, fire breaks out on icon of the seas — the world’s largest cruise ship.

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A fire broke out Tuesday on the largest cruise ship in the world — the same liner where a passenger plunged to their death last month.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico when the small blaze erupted, causing the massive ship to briefly lose power, officials told USA Today.

The fire was isolated to a crew area and was quickly extinguished without any injuries.

The ship’s backup power was activated, preventing the vessel from deviating from its itinerary. The 20-deck vessel is sailing a week-long Western Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami, Florida on Saturday, according to  CruiseMapper .

The minor blaze isn’t the first notable incident on the Icon of the Seas since setting sail on its maiden voyage in January.

In May, a passenger leapt off the 1,200-foot cruise ship on the first day of the week-long expedition to Honduras. The boat was only 300 miles from its Florida origin port at the time.

Passengers told The Post about the “dystopian” scene that ensued when people aboard prematurely celebrated that he was pulled from the water, assuming the man was alive.

One month earlier, 20-year-old passenger Levion Parker plunged to his death off another Royal Caribbean cruise after a reportedly drunken fight with his father.

His remains have not yet been found after he climbed through a window on the Liberty of the Seas and jumped in front of his younger brother and dad.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

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Marella Cruises

History, review, itineraries, ships, deck plans, news.

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Marella Cruises fleet

Marella voyager, marella discovery, marella explorer, marella discovery 2, marella explorer 2, review of marella cruises.

Marella Cruises (renamed in 2018 from "Thomson Cruises", tui.co.uk/cruise) is a "TUI Group"-owned and "TUI UK and Ireland"-operated British cruise line, that offers low-price voyages in Europe, Caribbean, and Asia. The company's older vessels are chartered from Holland America Line and Celestyal Cruises . Marella's new fleet consists of TUI-owned ships formerly owned and operated by Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises .

In late-April 2020 was officially announced that the liner Marella Celebration will be retired (either sold or scrapped ) after 15 years of service with Thomson-Marella UK. The ship was scheduled to be homeported in Dubrovnik Croatia (June through October 2020, and May through October 2021), in Limassol Cyprus (Nov-Dec 2020, and March-April 2021) and in Dubai UAE (Dec 2020 through March 2021). All these voyages (which are still listed at CruiseMapper) were canceled.

In mid-October 2021, TUI announced that Mein Schiff Herz will be transferred in 2023 to Marella's fleet. Following a drydock refurbishment, the boat will be renamed Marella Voyager , starting operations for Marella on June 3, 2023.

Company history and changes

Initially, Thomson Cruises (UK company) started operations in 1973, but due to rising fuel costs, its passenger shipping operations were terminated in 1976. Thomson restarted cruise shipping in 1995. Marella Cruises is a very popular brand on the British travel market. It was established in 1965 as a division of the UK's largest tour operator and travel agency Thomson Holidays (now TUI UK). Thomson Holidays was a subsidiary of Thomson Corporation (1989-2008 defunct). Marella's parent company (TUI Group) owns hotels, the companies TUI Cruises, Marella Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises , and the travel brands International Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions. The company also owns aircraft and the airlines Corsair International (France), TUI Airways (UK), TUI fly Nordic (Sweden), TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Deutschland, TUI fly Netherlands.

Two Greek ocean liners were chartered by Thomson in 1973, but the company failed to capture the audience, like other cruise lines of the 1970s. Operations were restarted in 1995 after Thomson chartered the liner Sapphire (originally named MS Italia, built 1965, scrapped 2010) from Louis Cruise Lines (now Celestyal Cruises ). Soon the company chartered other ocean liners, among which Island Breeze (RMS Transvaal Castle, 1961-2003), Topaz (RMS Empress of Britain, 1955-2008), The Emerald (SS Santa Rosa, 1958-2012).

Thomson Cruises aimed an effect on the British market just like Carnival did in the USA. Package holidays had already been very popular in the UK, and the company wanted the same for cruising. Despite the aging ships, Thomson Cruises attracted an ever-increasing number of first-time UK cruisers with affordable fares and presence of the company's travel agencies across Britain. In the 1990s, Thomson started operations as a budget cruise line and improved its product becoming more successful in the UK by improving amenities, ships and services, and introducing a wider range of itineraries.

Royal Caribbean sold its stake in Island Cruises to TUI Travel (Thomson's parent company) in 2008. In 2009 Island Star left the fleet and joined the Spanish brand of Royal Caribbean - Pullmantur. Island Escape joined Thomson fleet in 2009 and continued to offer informal cruises to the UK source market. Thomson Dream (Marella Dream) joined the fleet in spring 2010 being long-term chartered from Costa Cruises .

In March 2015, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) announced they had agreed to sell Splendour of the Seas to TUI in the second quarter of 2016. TUI would lease the vessel to Thomson Cruises in order to replace Island Escape. In May 2015, TUI Group announced plans for Mein Schiff 1/now Marella Explorer and Mein Schiff 2/Herz/now Marella Voyager to be transferred to Thomson UK over the next few years. Shiff 1 (renamed Marella Explorer ) entered Marella's fleet in 2017. In October 2015, Thomson's Island Cruises brand was discontinued after its only ship MS Island Escape (now Ocean Gala ) completed its last voyage with Thomson.

For FY2017, company's turnover was GBP 502 million, with EBITA (earnings-before-interest-taxes-depreciation-amortization) GBP 86,5 million and total number of served passengers 308,000 (101,7% occupancy). For FY2018 (fiscal year), TUI Group's earnings (from the 3 cruise brands - TUI, Marella, and Hapag-Lloyd) increased by 10,7% - to EUR 901,9 million. The company's turnover was EUR 324 million (26,8% increase over 2017). Group's average daily rates increased to EUR 178 euro (TUI, up from EUR 173), EUR 141 (Marella, up from EUR 131) and EUR 615 (Hapag-Lloyd, up from EUR 594).

In March 2018, TUI Group announced that to Marella's fleet will be added Marella Explorer 2 (formerly SkySea Golden Era, initially Celebrity Century), with scheduled delivery in December 2018. The liner was previously operated by SkySea Cruise Line - Asian joint venture company (owned by the RCCL-Royal Caribbean and Ctrip International). SkySea was the first contemporary brand developed for the Chinese market. Operational between May 2015 - September 2018, the new cruise line handled nearly 300 voyages and around 0,5 million passengers.

Marella "cruise and stay" holiday package deals include hotel or apartment at the beginning or at the end of the voyage.

Onboard cuisine offers everything you can think about - from healthy options to exotic local specialties and culinary choices on offer. Daytime entertainment with Marella cruises is great for all members of the family. There are also different activities for children onboard and special children's menu for junior diners. You can relax each evening in the wide range of bars and lounges or enjoy first-class entertainment with singers and comedians.

Marella fly-cruise deals from the UK to the Caribbean are served by regional TUI Airways flights from UK airports ( Cardiff , Doncaster Sheffield, East Midlands, Greenock-Glasgow , Newcastle , Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, London -Gatwick). Flights are to the company's Caribbean homeports Bridgetown Barbados and Montego Bay Jamaica . In 2019 were introduced "cruise-only flights" to Malaysia from Manchester Airport. The TUI Airways service (via Boeing 787 aircraft) connects to Langkawi Island - homeport for Marella's Far East Asia voyages. Such direct flights (TUI Airways) are also offered from London-Gatwick and Birmingham.

On select cruises, Marella offers free all-inclusive upgrades on the fleet's older liners. The new vessels ( Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 ) offered these all-inclusive packages as standard fare inclusion. Since summer 2019, TUI's Marella brand operates with all-inclusive cruise deals fleetwide.

Since November 2022, Marella UK (via partnership with OneSpaWorld Holdings/health and wellness company) provides ocean-inspired wellness products and services on all its ships. The range of OneSpaWorld's services includes Ocean Body Treatments (massages and polishes), Ocean Facial, Ocean Salon Services. On Marella ships, OneSpaWorld uses premium beauty brands like Elemis, L'Oreal, Kerastase. The brands owned by OneSpaWorld include Mandara Spa, Bliss Spa, Chavana Spa, Glow Spa.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, Marella UK suspended its entire fleet's passenger shipping operations (all liners) by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 14, 2020, through late-June 2021.

Next are listed all Marella ships and their first departure dates/regions/homeports in 2021-2022 - DISCOVERY (Sept 3/Mediterranean-Greece from Corfu/"Aegean Discovery"), DISCOVERY 2 ( April 5, 2022 /Mediterranean from Palma de Mallorca), EXPLORER (June 25/ UK from Southampton ), EXPLORER 2 (July 10/ UK from Newcastle ).

• Marella's Caribbean 2021 program was canceled, which affected the ships DISCOVERY (from Montego Bay Jamaica) and EXPLORER 2 (from Bridgetown Barbados).
• DISCOVERY 2's Mediterranean 2021 program (Adriatic and Greek Islands from Corfu) was canceled, and the ship restarted in April 2022.
• DISCOVERY's 2021 homeporting in Palma de Mallorca was replaced with Corfu Greece.
• Two Marella ships (Celebration, Dream) were sold and left the fleet. Marella Dream was originally planned to restart voyages on May 4, 2021. Marella Dream was originally planned to restart voyages on May 4, 2021.

All affected bookings received full refunds (100% monetary) or 110% in FCC (future cruise credit), including on prepurchased through Marella (TUI UK) packages and services. With rebooking, the fare paid is transferred to FCCs (110%). Holiday package bookings (cruise and land vacations) receive 120% refund (in FCC) or 100% cash refund. All refunds are received within 4 weeks prior to the original departure date.

Itinerary of Marella Cruises

With a large selection of destinations and itineraries, Marella Cruises may show you the whole world. With a variety of UK cruises with departures from Southampton , Newcastle and Harwich , fly-cruise holidays from a large number of airports (available departures from over twenty UK airports), Marella Cruises sail in the Red Sea and the Canary Islands during winter, the Mediterranean in summer. There are about a hundred different destinations to explore aboard Marella ships.

Marella's UK-Caribbean fly-cruise deals are via TUI Airways (sister-company, part of TUI Group). The packages include direct flights from the UK (London-Gatwick and Birmingham) to Melbourne Orlando Airport. Marella optionally offers "cruise and stay" packages with a choice of 18 different hotels in the Caribbean.

Marella cruise itinerary changes

Following the Coronavirus crisis, in mid-April 2021 Marella announced a new ex-UK 2021 summer program with itineraries leaving roundtrip from UK ports and mainly coastal cruising along Britain's coast.

Marella Explorer 1 was homeported in Southampton (starting June 25, 2021).

• The 3-night "Sail the South Coast" (mini-cruise itinerary from Southampton) visits Dover and Portland.
• The "Sail the Irish Sea" itinerary (starting August 2021) from Southampton visits Liverpool, Dublin, Cobh.
• Scottish itineraries out of Southampton visit Invergordon, Leith (Edinburgh), Newcastle.
• "A Taste of the West Coast" itinerary (one-way Southampton to Portland) visits Greenock, Belfast, Holyhead.

Marella Explorer 2 was homeported in Newcastle upon Tyne (starting July 10, 2021).

Marella Celebration (1984-built, former ms Noordam and Thomson Celebration) joined the fleet in 2005. During summer, the ship operated Adriatic Sea roundtrips out of Dubrovnik Croatia. During winter it offered Persian Gulf cruises from Dubai . For summer 2018, the ship was relocated to homeport Dubrovnik for an adults-only cruise program with full-day port stays in Bar, Korcula, Zadar, Venice, Trieste, Split. The ship also introduced 2 new 7-day itineraries, themed "Sail Three Seas" (Valletta Malta, Messina Sicily, Cephalonia Island, Igoumenitsa, Kotor) and "Greek Mystique" (Chania Crete, Piraeus-Athens, Kalamata, Corfu Island, Kotor).

• In late-April 2020, Marella announced that the Celebration ship will be retired after 15 years of service with Thomson-Marella UK.
• Marella Celebration was scheduled to be homeported in Dubrovnik Croatia (June through October 2020, and May through October 2021), in Limassol Cyprus (Nov-Dec 2020, and March-April 2021) and in Dubai UAE (Dec 2020 through March 2021). All these scheduled departures were cancelled. Among those were two repositioning cruises (via Suez Canal ) visiting Singapore . Both relocation voyages ("Wonders of the Far East" and "Flavours of the Far East") were planned as 14-day itineraries featuring a late-night stay in Singapore.
• Marella Celebration had also planned 3 new itineraries from homeports Limassol, Dubai and Dubrovnik. The 6-night "Ancient Adventure" (from Dubrovnik) visits Piraeus-Athens and Rhodes Island. The relocation voyages between Limassol and Dubai ("Continental Crossing" and "Arabia Awaits") visited Aqaba-Petra (Jordan) and Salalah (Oman).

Thomson Majesty (1992-built) joined the fleet in 2012 and operated roundtrips to Madeira and Canary Islands with departures from Tenerife and Gran Canaria. In 2018, the ship was sold to Mano Cruises and now operates as Crown Iris .

Thomson Spirit (1983-built, former ms Nieuw Amsterdam , ms Patriot, ms Spirit), joined the fleet in 2003. The ship offered year-round European itineraries - Western Mediterranean (from Malaga and roundtrip Madeira) and Canary Islands (departures from Tenerife and Gran Canaria). Thomson Spirit's last cruise for Marella was scheduled for October 21, 2018.

Marella Dream (1986, fka MS Homeric, ms Westerdam , Costa Europa, Thomson Dream) joined the fleet in 2010 and left the fleet in 2020. During summer, the ship offered Eastern Mediterranean roundtrips from Corfu Greece. During winter it offered Caribbean roundtrips from Jamaica (Montego Bay), with Transatlantic repositioning crossings between the Caribbean and Europe.

• On October 1, 2020, was announced the r etirement ( end of the charter ) of the 34-year-old Marella Dream - after 10 years of service with Thomson-Marella UK (2010-2020). All Marella Dream cruises scheduled between May 4 and December 30, 2021 (37x itineraries) were cancelled. All Marella Dream Mediterranean 2021 voyages were transferred to Marella Discovery 1, which was rescheduled for homeporting in Palma de Mallorca Spain (instead of Port Canaveral USA ). As a result of the redeployment, Discovery 1's summer 2021 Caribbean voyages were all cancelled.

Marella Discovery 1 (1996, former "Splendour of the Seas" and "Thomson Discovery") joined the fleet in 2016. The ship offers year-round Western Mediterranean roundtrips from Palma de Mallorca .

Marella Discovery 2 (1995-built, fka "Legend of the Seas" / Royal Caribbean and "TUI Discovery 2"), joined the fleet in Spring 2017. The ship operates Mediterranean cruises (leaving from Malaga Spain) and Canary Islands cruises (out of Tenerife to ports in the Canaries, Morocco, and Madeira).

Marella Explorer (1996-built, fka Mein Schiff 1 , initially "Celebrity Galaxy") started operations in 2018, with 7-day Western Mediterranean cruises leaving roundtrip from homeport Palma De Mallorca Spain and visiting popular French Riviera ports in France .

Marella Explorer 2 (1995-built, fka "SkySea Golden Era", initially "Celebrity Century") started operations in April 2019 with 7-day Mediterranean itineraries leaving roundtrip from homeport Naples (Italy) .

Marella Voyager (1997-built, fka "Mein Schiff 1" and "Mein Schiff Herz", initially "Celebrity Mercury") joins Marella's fleet in June 2023. Following a drydock, the boat's Maiden Voyage leaves on June 3, 2023, from Palma de Mallorca (Majorca Island, Balearic Spain) .

• Out of Palma/homeport are visited large port cities in Italy, Spain and France. The 7-day itineraries are themed "Mediterranean Secrets", "Highlights Of The Mediterranean", "Highlights Of The Med", "Magic Of Spain", "Cosmopolitan Classics", "Mediterranean Secrets".
• Marella Voyager's winter 2023-2024 program is in the Caribbean, based on homeporting in Bridgetown Barbados and offers 3x 8-day itineraries - "A Taste of the Tropics from Barbados", "Paradise Islands", and "Tropical Delights". The ship's winter schedule will be open for booking from July 21, 2022.

Itineraries 2024-2025

Marella returns to Dominicana in winter 2024-2025, after a 7-year hiatus (since 2017 under the Thomson Cruises brand).

The adults-only ship Marella Explorer 2 is homeported in La Romana (starting on Christmas Eve/Dec 24, 2024) for a series of Caribbean roundtrips. The itineraries visit destinations in Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, Dominica, Antigua, St Maarten, Tortola BVI, and Samana Dominicana (new port for Marella).

Additionally, a third itinerary visits the Netherlands' ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao).

Marella's winter 2024-2025 Mediterranean schedule features two shorter itineraries. Marella Explorer ship starts from Malaga (on December 9th, 2024) heading towards Tenerife Canaries via Gibraltar UK and Casablanca Morocco , with one day at sea. The Marella Voyager ship departs from Palma de Mallorca (on November 2) visiting Spain's ports Alicante , Almeria , and Malaga.

New winter itineraries include 6-night voyages leaving from Marmaris Turkey , Corfu Greece and Malaga.

Marella's summer 2025 itineraries incorporate 10x cruise-and-stay/cruisetour packages.

Marella Discovery 2 is homeported in Limassol Cyprus (commencing May 7, 2025) for the summer, marking the brand's return to Limassol since the winter of 2017 (under the Thomson brand). The liner will operate two different itineraries - "Aegean Gems" ( Kusadasi , Mykonos , Piraeus-Athens , Souda Crete , Rhodes ) and "Grecian Discovery" (Piraeus, Santorini , Crete, Rhodes).

Simultaneously, Marella Voyager (inaugurated in June 2023) is homeported in Palma during summer 2025, introducing 4 different itineraries: "Magic of Spain", "Treasures of the Mediterranean", "Mediterranean Secrets" and "Mediterranean Medley".

Marella's summer 2025 program also introduces 10x cruise-and-land packages providing access to 200+ hotels in destinations like Palma, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Cyprus. These packages allow selection between pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel stays.

Marella Cruises to Cuba

Marella Explorer 2's 7-night itinerary "Flavours of the Caribbean" visits Cuba with an overnight in Havana . The 7-day roundtrip from Jamaica ( Montego Bay ) also visits Mexico (Cozumel), and Grand Cayman Island (George Town).

Marella offered roundtrips to Cuba out of Jamaica ( Montego Bay ) with Marella Dream . Itineraries started in 2017. The maiden voyage was on January 31 (7-night to Grand Cayman, Havana, Cozumel). In 2020, two Marella ships (Celebration, Dream) were sold and left the fleet.

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World's Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail for the First Time in Initial Sea Trial — See Photos!

Royal Caribbean's "Icon of the Seas" is slated to embark on its maiden voyage out of South Florida in January 2024

Royal Caribbean's record-breaking Icon of the Seas is drawing closer to its debut in January 2024 after completing its first phase of sea trials in Europe.

Set to be the world’s largest cruise ship and the company's first Icon-class ship, the vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, according to an official release .

The cruise will offer vacationers the world’s largest waterpark at sea, dubbed Category 6 and featuring six water slides. Icon of the Seas also offers a "resort getaway," a "beach escape," a theme park and over "40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained," according to the company.

Royal Caribbean

Inside, it will feature a one-of-a-kind accommodation: the "Ultimate Family Townhouse," which Royal Caribbean describes as a three-story "sprawling adventure-filled pad" with an in-suite slide, a karaoke station, and hidden areas to discover.

The ship's 20 decks will include Royal Caribbean's first-ever dueling piano bar, eight "neighborhoods," the largest pool at sea and experiences for thrill-seekers like Crown's Edge, described as "a fear-inducing challenge that’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride and an all-out test of your courage."

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The ship weighs in at an estimated 250,800 tons and measures close to 1,200 feet long. It also holds about 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members, according to CNN .

Over 450 specialists have run four days of preliminary tests on the ship’s main engines, bow and propellers, as well as checking noise and vibration levels, a release shared.

"Between preparations and the trials, the important step in the journey to bring  Icon  to life involved more than 2,000 specialists, hundreds of miles traveled, four 37- to 67-ton tugboats and more than 350 hours of work," according to the release.

All of that will prepare the cruise for its second round of sea trials later this year, ahead of its debut out of South Florida in January 2024.

The Icon of the Seas will set sail from Miami on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations all year round, where passengers can visit popular tropical destinations like the Bahamas, Mexico, St. Maarten and Honduras, as well as Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay.

At a press panel earlier this year, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley described the ship as “literally the best-performing new product launch we’ve ever had," according to CNN.

Royal Caribbean will be ousting themselves from the top spot. It's Wonder of the Seas is currently the world’s largest cruise ship.

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