While there are seemingly endless cruise options if you live in America, the options are a bit more sparse in other countries. TUI Cruises (the TUI stands for Touristik Union International) is one of the biggest and most popular cruise lines in all of Germany, and they cater to the rest of the European market as well. If you’ve never taken a cruise with them and are curious to see what the hype is all about, let us break it down for you.
Fleet
The TUI fleet is made up of seven ships, and they all have very similar names. There are the Mein Schiffs 1 through 6, and then a seventh vessel called the Mein Schiff Herz. Mein Schiff 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all basically the same size and fit about 2500 passengers with 1000 crew. The Mein Schiff 1 and 2 both hold closer to 2900 passengers, while the Mein Schiff Herz is a bit smaller and fits about 1900.
Price
TUI is, for the most part, pretty affordable. Their shorter itineraries start in the 500€ range, with the longer trips climbing up to closer to 2000€. There’s a good amount of variety in terms of pricing and it is likely that you will be able to find something that is in your budget. The average price seems to lie between 1000 € and 2000 € , but there are definitely exceptions to this rule. One great part about TUI is that almost everything is included in your initial payment, aside from some specialty dining and drinks.
Dining/activities
TUI is generally geared towards a more mature crowd, meaning that there is less of an emphasis on family fun and more of a focus on familiar activities like fitness. There’s a great variety of resources for those looking to get some exercise. There are also some shows on board that you can catch at night for some entertainment. In terms of dining, there isn’t a whole lot to write home about, but be prepared for typical German fare that might not suit your palate if you’re from out of town. Or then again, it might!
Reputation
Because it is one of the chief cruise lines in all of Germany, TUI is known to be particularly German. It largely caters to a German-speaking crowd, so keep that in mind before you book. Guests seem to enjoy this cruise line and recommend it, but they don’t find that it particularly excels in any area. People are somewhat mixed on the service, however, so you may want to look closely at that if it is something that is important to you.
TUI may not be a specialty cruise line, but it appeals to a wide population due to its broad range of prices and destinations. If you’re a German speaking individual, definitely look into TUI.
