TUI Cruises, the Hamburg based company that is jointly owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL) and TUI AG, is performing well and new investment drives its ambition to make the company a major force in Europe, senior officials said.
“We regard the cruise market as a growth market for our Group. By expanding our activities in this segment we want to drive the planned revenue and earnings increases for the TUI Group and at the same time develop into one of Europe s leading cruise providers,” Sebastian Ebel, responsible for the Cruise activities on the Board of TUI Group, said in a statement.
TUI Cruises had earlier today ordered two 99,300 gross ton ships at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. These will take the number of ships purpose built for the company to six. Two first units of the company are to be transferred to Thomson Cruises in the UK
“TUI Cruises has firmly established itself in the German-speaking market, with occupancy of our fleet totaling more than 100 percent last year," said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, in the statement.
“This year, demand has also been excellent so far with bookings currently being taken for five ships. A further expansion provides a great opportunity to strengthen our position with one of the most modern fleets in the German market.
TUI AG, which is headquartered in Hannover and whose shares are main listed in London, has said that it plans to rebrand most of its operations as TUI. It also wants to bring its Thomson Cruises, which operates five ships in the British market, closer to TUI Cruises.
Earlier this year, it announced that TUI Cruises will charter the 69,130 gross ton Splendour of the Seas that would be renamed Thomson Discovery to Thomson Cruises from next spring. TUI Cruises would manage the ship from Hamburg and it would be commercially operated by Thomson in Britain.
The move, which will be followed by Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 once the ships ordered today will be delivered, is intended to replace Thomson’s chartered ships and upgrade its fleet.
