TUI picks Fincantieri for Marella Cruises’ first-ever newbuilds

German cruise company TUI AG has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the design and construction of two new eco-friendly cruise ships for the Marella Cruises brand.

This agreement is said to represent a major step for Marella Cruises, which is embarking on its newbuild journey, ordering its first-ever new ships.

As informed, the ships will be designed specifically for the English market and have a focus on environmental sustainability. The two vessels are planned to be delivered in calendar years 2030 and 2032, according to Fincantieri.

“We are proud to welcome Marella Cruises as a new customer and to support its vision as it enters the newbuild segment. This agreement is a testament to Fincantieri’s ability to forge strategic partnerships with an expanding client base, reinforcing our long-term visibility and ensuring a high level of capacity saturation for our shipyards,” Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented.

Fincantieri already has good cooperation with the brand TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises. This year in February, the group delivered the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax, the first of two InTUItion class new dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) cruise ships.

The second unit from the batch, Mein Schiff Flow, is currently under construction at the Monfalcone shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2026.

Last year, TUI Cruises also took delivery of Mein Schiff 7, a methanol-ready cruise ship built by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku. Mein Schiff 7 is the seventh ship of the Mein Schiff series and the first unit with methanol capability built at the Turku shipyard.

In related news, Marella Cruises is rolling out an ‘industry-first’ microfibre filter initiative to support the prevention of ocean pollution from microplastics across the fleet of five ships by September 2025. The cruise line expects to capture an estimated 500kg of microfibre pollution per ship per year.

Last year, the UK-based cruise line and compatriot greentech innovation company Cleaner Seas Group launched a six-month trial in microplastic capture aboard the Marella Explorer, installing two INDIKON filters onto the vessel’s laundry system. The duo was also working with the University of Surrey to monitor and measure microplastics captured on board the ship. The ultimate goal was to provide long-term filter solutions in microplastic capture.