Key Aspects
- Fincantieri will build two new cruise ships for TUI Cruises instead of Marella Cruises, reversing an earlier plan announced in March 2025.
- The ships will each be about 160,000 gross tons and use dual-fuel engines capable of running on liquefied natural gas.
- TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group, will take delivery of the ships in 2031 and 2032.
Earlier this year, Marella Cruises, a UK-based cruise line fully owned by TUI Group, made headlines with news it would receive its first-ever newbuilds from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. But that plan has now changed.
The order has been reassigned to TUI Cruises, a separate brand that operates under a joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group.
The two companies announced today that they have finalized a contract with Fincantieri for the design and construction of two large new cruise ships. The order replaces the March 2025 agreement that had originally been signed for Marella Cruises.
The new ships will join TUI Cruises’ growing InTUItion class, which already includes Mein Schiff Relax. The two sister ships are scheduled for delivery in 2031 and 2032.
At approximately 160,000 gross tons, the ships will feature dual-fuel engines capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
While the specific financial terms of the order were not released, Fincantieri confirmed the contract value is higher than the amount foreseen in the original Marella agreement.
Fierroberto Folgiero, CEO and managing director of Fincantieri, said, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with the TUI Cruises brand, further enhancing our relationship both with TUI and Royal Caribbean.”
For Marella Cruises, the news means the British line will continue operating its fleet of refurbished, second-hand vessels while TUI Cruises secures the new tonnage.
A Boost for TUI Cruises
The decision to shift the order away from Marella Cruises puts the focus on TUI Cruises, the brand launched in 2008 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
It serves the German-speaking market in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, competing most directly with AIDA Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.
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The cruise line has steadily grown its fleet in recent years. Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2, each just over 111,000 gross tons, kicked off the expansion in 2018, with Mein Schiff 3 through 6 following at a slightly smaller tonnage.
The cruise line’s original Mein Schiff 1, originally a Celebrity Cruises’ vessel, was transferred to Marella Cruises and currently sails as Marella Explorer.
In June 2024, Mein Schiff 7 was delivered by Meyer Turku shipyard, matching 1 and 2’s tonnage and capacity. It was the first new ship constructed for TUI Cruises since 2019.
But this year, the ships began making way for even more passengers. Mein Schiff Relax, debuting in March 2025 as the first InTUItion vessel, is 160,000 gross tons and can hold 4,100 passengers – the largest in TUI Cruises’ fleet.
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The vessel is currently homeported in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, offering 8-night roundtrip voyages to Sardinia, Sicily, Naples, and Rome.
Mein Schiff Flow is scheduled to be received in July 2026 at the same size and will also operate its first season from Palma de Mallorca, with now the sister InTUIton class ships arriving from Fincantieri in 2031 and 2032.
