Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet will receive two
new ships. With this move, TUI Group consistently continues its strategic
transformation to a hotel and cruise group. The Group will further expand its
own hotel and cruise portfolio. The world’s number one tourism group will
invest in two new builds for its Hamburg-based subsidiary Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
The two new 5-star expedition vessels are scheduled for launch in the spring
and autumn of 2019, respectively, following 20 months of construction.
Including the two luxury cruise ships "Europa" and "Europa
2" as well as the expedition vessel "Bremen“ there will be five ships
of the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises fleet fully owned by TUI Group. Financial details of
the transaction have not been disclosed.
Sebastian Ebel, member of the Executive
Board of TUI Group in charge of Cruises: “The cruise business is one of the key
elements of TUI’s growth strategy. Our ambitions are underpinned by our
investment in the two new ships for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’
luxury and expedition cruise segments serve as world-class benchmarks.”
Karl J. Pojer, CEO Hapag-Lloyd Cruises:
“Hapag-Director Albert Ballin invented modern ocean cruises 125 years ago. We
are perfectly positioned in the luxury market with our cruise ships “Europa”
and “Europa 2”. In the anniversary year, we are charting the course for the future.
We already operate successfully in our expedition segment, which offers growth
potential for 5-star cruises. Our new builds will help us to further develop
the expedition segment and offer a modern interpretation. They will also serve
to strengthen our leading position in this market, in particular at the
international level.”
The two ships will be built at the
Norwegian Vard shipyard of Vard Holdings Limited, a shareholding of the Italian
Fincantieri shipyard. The vessels will be equipped with state-of-the-art
technological features and environmental technology. With PC6, the highest
Polar Class designation for passenger ships, they will be able to cruise in
Polar Regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, but also in warm water destinations
such as the Amazon. On-board Zodiacs will allow landings in otherwise
inaccessible expedition areas. The ships will also feature a water sports
marina.
TUI Group currently operates a 14-strong
cruise fleet with its subsidiaries Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and UK-based Thomson
Cruises and the joint venture TUI Cruises.