STX Finland Oy and TUI Cruises have today signed a contract for the design and construction of a 97,000 GT cruise vessel.
The sophisticated and highly innovative cruise vessel is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2014. The vessel has many environmentally friendly features, with a particular emphasis on the vessel’s energy efficiency. The project will bring some 5,500 man-years of labour to STX Finland’s Turku shipyard. TUI Cruises has an option to order another ship subject to the decision of TUI Cruises shareholders.
The vessel will be approx. 295 meters long and approx. 36 meters wide. The ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will serve maximum of 2,500 passengers and a crew of 1,000 persons. High balcony ratio will ensure that most of the passengers will have a possibility to enjoy their own balconies during the cruise. The ship has a wide variety of restaurants, a theatre, a spa, a nightclub and a large deck area which all are carefully designed to ensure a unique cruising experience for passengers of all ages.
“We are extremely pleased to sign this contract with TUI Cruises. This order is highly important for STX and STX Finland. By building this innovative ship we continue our successful and long history of building top class cruise vessels” , says Sujou Kim, CEO of STX Europe and STX Finland .
“This is a very important contract for STX Finlands Turku Shipyard and for the entire Finnish maritime cluster. We are delighted to deliver to TUI Cruises their first newbuilding which will represent the next generation of energy efficient and environmentally friendly cruise ship” , says Jari Anttila, Director of STX Finlands Turku Shipyard.
“Due to its outstanding positioning as a shipyard and long-term cooperation with Royal Caribbean Cruises, we trust that STX Finland is a great partner for us and will successfully realize our ideas in the new ship” , says Richard J. Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises .
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Source: STX, September 27, 2011.