A joint venture between
Royal Caribbean Cruises and European firm TUI AG came into fruition yesterday.
The recent completion of the deal will see the creation of TUI Cruises, a cruise line designed to serve the German cruise market.
TUI Cruises will be based in Hamburg, Germany and will enter into service with one ship initially during the first quarter of 2009.
"We look forward to working with our colleagues at TUI AG to build a world class cruise line for Germany. TUI Cruises is another strategic step in our efforts to meet the growing global demand for cruising," Richard Fain, Chairman of
Royal Caribbean Cruises, commented.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of TUI AG Dr Michael Frenzel anticipated that TUI Cruises would become a "central player" in what is Germany's "fast-growing" cruise market.
The German theme aboard TUI Cruises will include German food, entertainment and amenities, with German being the language spoken onboard.