Exactly half a year before its christening, the Mein Schiff 5 was floated out of the Meyer Turku Oy shipyard today for the first time. After 14 months of construction, the dry dock was flooded during the so-called floating out ceremony. Ferdinand Strohmeier, Vice President Operations of TUI Cruises, along with shipyard CEO Dr. Jan Meyer and other members of the Mein Schiff 5 project team, opened the gates to flood the dry dock. Despite the freezing temperature of -12 degrees Celsius, the water flowed in. In the next few hours, the dock will be filled with up to 300 million liters of water. After that, the Mein Schiff 5 will be towed to the outfitting pier located in front of the shipyard, where it will be completed both inside and outside over the coming months. “Even though it’s now the third new build for TUI Cruises, it’s still not routine for us. It’s always a good feeling when we see the ship floating for the first time,” said Ferdinand Strohmeier.
Earlier in the morning, TUI Cruises and the Meyer Turku shipyard provided an overview of the construction progress of the Mein Schiff 5. 1,500 workers are currently involved in the construction of the newest feel-good ship, with 72 percent already completed. This puts the shipyard right on schedule. “Step by step, the good work of our entire team is coming together, and the ship is now clearly recognizable as such. I am confident that we can once again deliver an excellent cruise ship for TUI Cruises within the agreed timeframe,” said Dr. Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku shipyard.
Mein Schiff 5 will be christened off Travemünde. The Mein Schiff 5 will be christened in the Bay of Lübeck on July 15, 2016. The maiden voyage will take place from July 16 to 24, 2016, leading the youngest fleet member to the Baltic Sea: from Kiel, it will sail through the Baltic Sea to the ports of Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm before returning to Kiel. In the summer season of 2016, the Mein Schiff 5 will sail on various routes in the Baltic Sea with the Baltic States, in Northern Europe around Norway, and in Western Europe. In the winter, the fifth feel-good ship will cruise through the Caribbean.