Recently, TUI Cruises signed a design and construction contract with the Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri for two LNG dual-fuel luxury cruise ships.
Fincantieri stated that this new contract replaces the memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in March 2025, which at the time involved the construction of two new cruise ships for TUI Cruises’ brand Marella Cruises. According to the new contract, these two dual-fuel cruise ships will be delivered in 2031 and 2032 respectively, and belong to the InTUItion class series, alongside their sister ships “Mein Schiff Relax” and “Mein Schiff Flow”.
The new ships will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of using LNG and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) as fuel. They will have a gross tonnage of 160,000 tons, making them larger than the ships originally planned for Marella Cruises, and will be built according to the latest environmental standards.
The cost of the dual-fuel cruise ships ordered by TUI Cruises this time will be higher than the amount envisioned in the initial memorandum of understanding for the Marella Cruises brand. According to Fincantieri’s announcement at that time, the order for the two new ships for Marella Cruises was valued at over 2 billion euros (approximately RMB 16.717 billion).
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, said: “We are very pleased to expand our partnership with the TUI Cruises brand, further deepening our relationship with the TUI Group and Royal Caribbean. The latest contract reaffirms the trust relationship built over the years and the successful cooperation achieved in the previous two InTUItion class cruise ship projects. At the same time, it also demonstrates Fincantieri’s ability to support the fleet expansion of the world’s leading cruise operators through innovation, sustainability, and the excellence of Italian shipbuilding craftsmanship.”
It is understood that Hamburg-based TUI Cruises is a joint venture established in 2008 by TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. It has been providing cruises for the German market since 2009. Currently, the TUI Cruises fleet operates 14 cruise ships. In addition, there is the second InTUItion class dual-fuel cruise ship “Mein Schiff Flow” under construction, as well as the newly ordered third and fourth ships.
The cooperation between TUI Cruises and Fincantieri began in 2018, when TUI Cruises placed an order with Fincantieri for a series of two 160,000-ton InTUItion class LNG-powered luxury cruise ships, which were the largest cruise ships ever built in Italy at that time. Among them, the first ship, “Mein Schiff Relax”, commenced its maiden voyage in March this year, and the second ship, “Mein Schiff Flow”, is scheduled for delivery in 2026.
