Mein Schiff 3

Mein Schiff 3 marked a turning point for TUI Cruises, the German-market joint venture between TUI AG and the Royal Caribbean Group. Where the company's first two ships had been transferred and refitted secondhand tonnage, Mein Schiff 3 was the fleet's first purpose-built newbuild, ordered from STX Finland at Turku (the yard that soon passed to Meyer Turku) and delivered in 2014. Designed from a clean sheet for the German-speaking premium segment, she established the larger, all-inclusive template on which TUI Cruises would build the rest of its fleet, at a reported cost of roughly US$390 million.

At around 99,500 GT and 293 metres in length, spread across fifteen decks, the ship carries approximately 2,500 guests at double occupancy. Her design leaned into open, light-filled public spaces and an unusually generous complement of dining venues and spa and wellness areas, hallmarks of the TUI Cruises product that pairs a relaxed, informal atmosphere with a genuinely inclusive fare structure. A signature feature was the Diamant, a glass-walled multi-storey venue at the stern overlooking the sea, which became a recognisable element repeated across the class.

The ship was christened by German pop superstar Helene Fischer, one of the most bankable entertainers in the German-speaking world and a fitting godmother for a brand built around that audience. Registered in Valletta, Malta, and flying the Maltese flag with the call sign 9HA3062, she entered a fleet-wide practice of seasonal repositioning between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Mein Schiff 3 has spent her career ranging across the Baltic and North Sea in summer and the Mediterranean and Canary Islands in the cooler months, frequently working from a home port at Palma de Mallorca. She remains in active service with TUI Cruises, the eldest of the modern purpose-built quartet that reshaped the line.