Mein Schiff 5

The 2016-built TUI Mein Schiff 5 cruise ship is owned by TUI Group and was constructed by Meyer Turku Shipyard (Finland). TUI Schiff 5 has five sisterships from the same series — Schiff 3 (2014), Schiff 4 (2015), Schiff 6 (2017), Schiff 1 (2018), and Schiff 2 (2019).

The vessel (IMO number 9753193) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 256235000) and registered in Valletta.

History - Construction and Ownership

TUI Cruises is a UK-based joint venture (50/50) between TUI Group (a British-German travel and tourism corporation) and RCG – Royal Caribbean Group (the USA-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, one of the world’s largest passenger shipping companies).

TUI launched its cruise operations in 2009, targeting primarily the German-speaking market with a premium all-inclusive vacation product. German and English are the main onboard languages across all TUI ships. TUI’s sister brands include Marella Cruises UK and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

The 2,500-passenger Mein Schiff 5 was launched on January 15, 2016, following a 14-month construction period. The launch took place six months before the christening ceremony, held on July 15, 2016, in Lübeck Bay near Travemünde, Germany.

Schiff 5 is equipped with highly advanced technologies for environmentally friendly operations. Each ship in the series consumes approximately 30% less energy than vessels of comparable size. The combined exhaust gas treatment system minimizes harmful emissions, ensuring the ships meet the highest environmental standards.

TUI Mein Schiff 5 cruise fares include the following:

• 24-hour dining and snacks onboard
• over 100 brand beverages and cocktails (excluding premium brands)
• children’s and teen facilities and entertainment
• complimentary access to the SPA sauna area
• free gym and wellness courses
• onboard entertainment (shows, concerts, theatrical and musical performances)
• gratuities (all onboard tips included)

Decks and Cabins

TUI Schiff 5 staterooms (1,267 total) include 80 Suites, 963 Balcony cabins (80% of all accommodations), 97 Oceanviews, and 127 Interior cabins — totaling 23 cabin categories and 2,534 lower berths. There are four wheelchair-accessible cabins (on Deck 3), each designed with wider entry and bathroom doors, emergency phones, handrails, and close proximity to elevators. All Suite and Family cabins feature Xbox gaming consoles. Exclusive Suite privileges include free Internet access, a complimentary mini-bar, concierge service, priority services, in-room dining, and access to the ship’s X-Lounge and private sundeck.

The ship has 14 decks, 12 accessible to passengers and 8 with cabins.

Special cabin types include the two-level Himmel & Meer Suites (maisonette-style accommodations with private rooftop terraces), Family Comfort Cabins, and Spa Balcony Cabins offering direct access to the SPA area.

All Schiff 5 staterooms are equipped with standard amenities: two single beds (convertible to a double), bedside cabinets with drawers and reading lamps, sofa bed (or 1–2 Pullman beds), smart HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system with on-demand movies, Internet, ship information channel), direct-dial telephone, wardrobe, electronic safe (in closet), minibar, Nespresso coffee machine (two capsules provided daily), water carafe with glasses, mirrored dressing table (writing desk) with chair, en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, single-sink vanity, hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers, and bath products including shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner), individually controlled air conditioning, and 24-hour room service.

The vessel has 15 decks, 12 accessible to passengers and 9 featuring cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

The Anckelmannsplatz buffet restaurant offers complimentary dining, while a bakery serves fresh tarts and paninis free of charge. The Atlantik Restaurant is divided into three themed venues — Asian, Mediterranean, and a 5-course fine dining option — all included in the cruise fare. Gosch Sylt specializes in seafood, while other bistros provide smaller snacks. Specialty dining options available at a surcharge include Hanami (Japanese cuisine), Richards Fine Dining, and Surf & Turf Steakhouse.

Complete list of Mein Schiff 5 restaurants and dining venues:

• Atlantik Classic – 530-seat main restaurant offering buffet breakfast and waiter-served lunch and dinner (some menu items at surcharge)
• Atlantik Brasserie – 265-seat French restaurant serving à la carte specialties and healthy options
• Atlantik Mediterran – 266-seat Mediterranean restaurant (some dishes marked as family meals)
• Hanami – 62-seat Japanese restaurant (à la carte, at surcharge)
• Tag & Nacht – 24-hour bistro with 88 seats
• Richards Fine Dining – 70-seat restaurant (reservations required, surcharge applies)
• Surf & Turf – specialty seafood and steakhouse
• Backstube / Bakery – 120-seat complimentary venue
• Anckelmannsplatz Buffet – 745-seat self-service restaurant with partially covered al-fresco area
• GOSCH Sylt – 133-seat complimentary seafood restaurant with outdoor seating
• Außenalster Bar & Grill

Compared to TUI ships 3 and 4, the 5th and 6th ships introduced several new venues:

• Thalia Leselounge (reading lounge) and Nespresso Bar (Deck 3)
• Hanami (Asian restaurant by Tim Raue, Deck 5)
• Schmankerl-Entspannt (Austrian restaurant, Deck 5)
• Osteria (pizzeria, Deck 5)
• Lagune (outdoor pool, Deck 12)

Shipboard Entertainment – Fun and Sports

The main onboard language is German. Most food, beverages, and gratuities are included in the fare. Evening entertainment in the theatre features musicals, opera, variety shows, Beatles-themed performances, sketch parades, acrobatic acts, and magic shows. The theatre is equipped with dynamic LED screens and a revolving stage.

Complete list of Mein Schiff 5 lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for guests of all ages:

• Theatre – 1,000-seat main show lounge with revolving stage and dynamic LED screens
• Sturmfrei – Teens Lounge with gaming consoles, dance floor, foosball, karaoke, movies, and parties
• The Playground – Internet corner and video game lounge (free Wi-Fi for Suite guests; Wi-Fi available shipwide at hourly or package rates)
• Atelier – art workshop/studio
• Klanghaus (Sound House) – 300-seat chamber music hall for classical, jazz, cabaret, and opera performances
• Neuer Wall – onboard shopping arcade
• Various bars and lounges: TUI Bar, Coffee Lounge, Diamant Bar, Abtanz Bar (disco), Rauchersalon (Cigar Room), Schau Bar (show bar), Champagner Treff (Champagne and wine bar), Überschau Bar (wellness bar), Unverzicht Bar (poolside), Eis Bar (ice cream bar)
• Casino – 20-seat venue open during sea days
• Grosse Freiheit – aft complex featuring restaurants and a two-deck-high diamond-shaped glass wall (167 m² / 1,800 ft²)
• SPA & Sauna Area – Finnish, herbal, and salt saunas, and a Tea Lounge
• Himmel & Meer Lounge and X-Lounge – exclusive to Suite guests
• SPA & Meer Complex – Rasul room, treatment rooms, Zen garden, saunas, and beauty salon
• Sport & Gesundheit Fitness Centre – gym with personal training and fitness classes (some at surcharge)
• Aussenpool – outdoor pool area with 25 m “Lagune” pool, sunbathing area, and Außenalster Bar & Grill
• Innenpool – indoor, two-level pool area with one pool and one whirlpool
• Outdoor large LED movie screen
• Insel der Seeräuber – Pirates’ Island Kids Club (complimentary)
• Nest – baby room (babysitting services at surcharge)
• Arena – open-air sports court; Sport & Gesundheit Kursraum (spinning room); Power Walking/Jogging Track
• Blauer Balkon – “walk on water” glass-floored platforms (11 m² / 120 ft²), located 37 m (120 ft) above sea level

TUI Schiff Shopping (onboard retail areas)

TUI Schiff SPA & Sports

TUI Schiff Sundeck and Pool Deck Areas

Itineraries

Mein Schiff 5’s itinerary program initially featured Mediterranean roundtrips from Mallorca and Caribbean roundtrips from La Romana (Dominican Republic) and Barbados (Bridgetown). The ship also offers Transatlantic repositioning cruises (Europe–Caribbean–Europe), along with itineraries between the Mediterranean, Baltic, and through the Suez Canal (Mediterranean–Dubai–Mediterranean).

• In winter, Schiff 5 sails 14-day Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Barbados and the Dominican Republic, visiting Guadeloupe, Dominica, St Lucia, Grenada, Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba.
• Northern European itineraries include roundtrips from Germany to the UK (England, Ireland, Scotland) and Norway (Fjords).
• 7-day Dubai roundtrips visit Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and UAE ports (Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi), with pre- and post-cruise overnights in Dubai. In 2020, a special 14-day cruise from Dubai visited India (Mumbai, Cochin, Mormugao).

Following the COVID-19 pause, TUI announced in mid-April 2021 that Schiff 5 would resume operations on May 13, 2021, offering two alternating 7-day itineraries roundtrip from Heraklion, Crete. Itinerary 1 visited Rhodes, Piraeus (Athens), and Souda (Chania, Crete); Itinerary 2 included Corfu, Katakolon (Olympia), and Piraeus. Prices started from EUR 1,400 per person (balcony cabin, double occupancy) and EUR 1,850 for Junior Suites, with flights included via chartered aircraft.

TUI later repositioned Mein Schiff 5 from Europe to Asia via the Suez Canal, homeporting in Singapore (December 6, 2022 – March 15, 2023) and in Hong Kong (March 29 – April 6, 2023).

Schiff 5 is TUI's third newbuild vessel constructed in Turku, Finland. The shipbuilding company STX was acquired by Meyer Werft GmbH in 2015. All new TUI liners were built with energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies that reduce emissions by 30% and consume 30% less energy compared to other ships of similar size. The advanced exhaust gas cleaning system combines catalytic and scrubber converters, reducing sulfur emissions by 99% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 75%.

The designers of the new TUI ships include Wilson Butler Architects, CM Design, and Tillberg Design. Interestingly, each ship in this series represented nearly 5,000 person-years of labor at the Turku shipyard. Each vessel’s construction involved around 800 of the yard’s 1,400 workers. Approximately 80% of TUI’s cruise passengers are from Germany.

The construction of Schiff 5 began with the keel-laying ceremony on June 23, 2015, when the first keel block was lowered into the shipyard’s drydock. Following maritime tradition, “lucky coins” were placed beneath the keel block for good fortune. The vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) on January 15, 2016, at Meyer Werft’s newly acquired Turku Shipyard. The 14-month construction period involved around 1,500 workers, and 77 steel blocks were assembled to form the ship’s hull.

The ship was delivered 10 days ahead of schedule, on June 20, 2016. The delivery ceremony was attended by Frank Kuhlmann (TUI CFO), Wybcke Meier (TUI CEO), and Jan Meyer (Meyer Turku CEO). TUI Schiff 5 was the first cruise ship both contracted and built entirely under Meyer Werft’s ownership. On June 21, the vessel departed the shipyard with a crew of around 1,000 and sailed for Kiel, Germany—her first port of call—arriving on June 23.

The christening ceremony took place on July 15, 2016, in Lübeck Bay, near Travemünde, Germany. The Godmother was Lena Johanna Therese Meyer-Landrut (born 1991), a German singer and songwriter. After performing her song “Satellite” live, Lena activated a laser beam from the top of the Maritim Strandhotel that triggered the breaking of a Champagne bottle against the hull. The ceremony also included acrobatic performances by “Les Oiseaux du Paradis” and a fireworks display shown on LED screens along the beach. Among the 1,800 cruise passengers and 300 special guests were Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The inaugural cruise took place from July 16–24, 2016, following a Baltic Capitals itinerary roundtrip from Kiel to Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm. On September 12, 2016, the vessel made her maiden UK call at Portland, England. During the stay, more than 75% of passengers joined shore excursions to Dorset attractions, including the Jurassic Coast, Abbotsbury Swannery, Corfe Castle, Minterne House, and Portland Bill.

During her inaugural season (summer 2016), Schiff 5 operated Northern European itineraries covering Norway, the UK, the Baltic, Scandinavia, and Russia. In winter, she sailed Mediterranean roundtrips from Spain (Palma de Mallorca), Transatlantic repositioning voyages, and Caribbean cruises from Barbados (Bridgetown) and La Romana (Dominican Republic).

During the scheduled drydock in 2020, Schiff 5’s powerplant was upgraded with shoreside power capabilities, allowing her to shut down diesel engines in port and receive electricity from the local grid via dockside connection.

Mein Schiff 5’s most recent drydock refurbishment took place from November 20 to December 2, 2023, in Dubai, UAE. The project included routine maintenance and classification surveys, hull cleaning and silicon coating, as well as technical overhauls and upgrades to public areas. Renovations featured new carpeting throughout (2,500 m² / 26,900 ft²), a new Shore Excursions Desk, Future Cruise Office, poolside bar, and Art Gallery. The ship also received an additional upgrade to her shoreside power system.

Inaugural Itineraries 2016

Below is a list of special and repositioning cruises of the new TUI Schiff 5, including sample ticket prices per person.

• “Inaugural Cruise” (July 16–24): 8-day Baltic roundtrip from Kiel, Germany to Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm. Prices started at EUR 1,800 per person. The maiden season featured itineraries across the Baltic, Norway, and Northern and Western Europe, while the Caribbean program began in winter 2016–2017.
• November 2 (Transatlantic repositioning): 17-day / 16-night voyage from Palma de Mallorca to the Caribbean – La Romana (Dominican Republic), via Malaga, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands (Arrecife), Cape Verde (Mindelo), Barbados (Bridgetown), Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre), and the British Virgin Islands (Tortola).
• November 2 (alternative Transatlantic repositioning): 20-day / 19-night cruise from Palma de Mallorca to Barbados (Bridgetown), visiting Malaga, Gibraltar, Arrecife, Mindelo, Bridgetown, Pointe-à-Pitre, Tortola, La Romana, and Dominica (Roseau). Prices started at EUR 2,020 per person.
• November 18 (Inaugural Caribbean Cruise): 15-day / 14-night roundtrip from La Romana visiting Roseau (20), Barbados (21–22), Pointe-à-Pitre (23), Martinique (Fort-de-France /24), St Lucia (Castries /25), Grenada (St George’s /26), Curaçao (Willemstad /28), Bonaire (Kralendijk /29), and Aruba (Oranjestad /30). Prices from EUR 2,020 per person.
• April 7, 2017 (Transatlantic repositioning): 18-day / 17-night cruise from La Romana to Palma de Mallorca, calling at Roseau, Bridgetown, St Kitts (Basseterre), St Maarten (Philipsburg), Madeira (Funchal), and Cadiz.
• April 10, 2017 (Transatlantic repositioning): 15-day / 14-night voyage from Bridgetown to Palma de Mallorca, visiting Basseterre, Philipsburg, Funchal, and Cadiz.

Godspeed!