TUI Cruises taking off

**Ally** · 05-13-2008, 07:48 AM

Quote:

As the latest cruise product targeting the German market, TUI Cruises has recently revealed details about its operation which is due to start in spring 2009. The new venture, which is jointly owned by TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd, has already announced it will deploy the current Galaxy starting in May 2009.

Until September of next year the ship will sail to the Baltic and Norway. Then it will redeploy to the western Mediterranean until early November 2009 followed by a winter season in the Caribbean until March 2010.

The maiden voyage will depart from Hamburg (where the company is based). Sales of the new product will start in autumn of this year, and a brochure is expected to be ready in September. A new website TUI Cruises - 368 Tage bis zur Schiffstaufe is already live.

Richard Vogel, md of TUI Cruises, explained recently the new line will offer a premium cruise product onboard a Four-Stars-Plus vessel. Main target group are couples and families and TUI estimates its potential market is 3.1m Germans.

Relaxation will be a key element of the product and Galaxy (which will be renamed) will be equipped with a number of individual hammocks all over the ship, including in the balconies as well as in public areas. Additionally, ‘Meditation Islands’ will be installed on deck: the ship's rail will be fitted with mini-balconies which are going to be equipped with special blinds. Here, passengers will be able to enjoy a private space for relaxation. On the f&b front there will be no pre-defined seating. Restaurants will range from buffet style to service, including a focus on healthy eating.

Following her final cruise under Celebrity colours the 1996 built Galaxy will undergo a major conversion next spring creating a total of 980 cabins; including 653 (67%) outside cabins. 428 of them will have balconies.

TUI Cruises will create more than 900 new jobs, including around 100 admin positions in its Hamburg based office at Ankelmannsplatz, located next door to Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten.

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