TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI and Royal Caribbean Cruises, has commissioned Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the construction of the new cruise ships that will be powered by dual-fuel LNG engines.
The new design and construction order replaces the memorandum of agreement (MoU) from March 2025, which entailed the construction of two cruise ships for the Marella Cruises brand, Fincantieri revealed.
Under the new contract, the shipbuilder will deliver the ships in 2031 and 2032. The newbuilds will be sister ships to Mein Schiff Relax and Mein Schiff Flow – part of the InTUItion class – and will be powered by dual-fuel engines (LNG and MGO).
The ships will have a gross tonnage of approximately 160,000 tons, making them larger than the one originally planned for Marella Cruises’ configuration, and will be built according to the latest environmental standards.
According to Fincantieri, the value of the contract, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, is higher than the one foreseen in the initial MoA for the Marella Cruises brand, but remains within the threshold communicated on March 31, 2025.
Pierroberto Folgiero , CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented: “ We are delighted to expand our partnership with the TUI Cruises brand, further enhancing our relationship both with TUI and Royal Caribbean. This contract reaffirms the trust built over the years and the successful cooperation already achieved with the first two InTUItion class ships. It also confirms Fincantieri’s capability to support the fleet growth of the world’s most prominent cruise operators, combining innovation, sustainability, and the Italian shipbuilding excellence. ”