Recovery of the cruise operations of TUI AG, the German tour operator, continues in line with the company’s expectations, it said in a statement.

“Cruises has continued to recover into Q4, with occupancies building strongly and rates in line with 2019 levels. Winter 2022/23 occupancies are developing in line with our expectations at rates above 2019 levels,” the company said.

TUI AG’s financial year ends on 30 September.

"We continue to see strong demand for our unique cruise brands which offer a strong value proposition for customers in the current inflationary environment. Short-term bookings continue to represent a large share of overall bookings, however, the proportion of mid- term bookings is increasing as customer confidence returns,” the company said.

Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which are parts of TUI Cruises that is jointly owned with the Royal Caribbean Group,  are currently operating all their 12 ships, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and around the world, with Asia itineraries resuming in Winter 2022/23.

Marella Cruises, which focuses on the UK market and is fully owned by TUI AG, with its fleet of four ships, currently operates itineraries across the Mediterranean and in Winter 2022/23 with one ship in the Canaries and three ships in the Caribbean.

Photo: Marella Voyager will join Marella Cruises' fleet in June 2023. The ship currently operates as main Schiff Herz for Mein Schiff