Hamburg, 23 June 2024 – After much anticipation, the christening of the newest member of the Mein Schiff fleet, Mein Schiff 7, was finally held yesterday in Kiel Bay. The event was a grand celebration, culminating in a drone show and fireworks display that showcased the feel-good ship against the stunning backdrop of Kiel.
The christening ceremony was led by Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, who opened the event on the pool deck with an impressive ensemble performance by dancer and choreographer Chris Cross. A spectacular drone show with 400 drones illuminated the night sky, projecting images of the feel-good fleet. The highlight of the ceremony was when godmother Fenia Kalachani, who has been an environmental officer on board the Mein Schiff fleet since 2020, broke the bottle of champagne at the bow of the ship and officially christened it “Mein Schiff 7.”
The event was attended by 2,500 guests, including celebrity guests such as Andrea Kathrin Loewig, Bettina Cramer, and Gerrit & Anja Kling, as well as thousands of onlookers on land who watched the festivities live from the Kiellinie promenade.
Guests on board Mein Schiff 7 were treated to an exclusive christening ceremony during the ship’s launch cruise from and to Kiel. The ship will spend the summer on 8- to 17-day voyages between Norway and Kiel, before embarking on 8- to 10-day Baltic Sea cruises from Warnemünde. In the winter of 2024/2025, Mein Schiff 7 will sail around the islands of eternal spring, starting and ending in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria.
Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, expressed her excitement about the christening of Mein Schiff 7, stating, “The first christening in the Mein Schiff fleet since 2019 is a wonderful moment for the guests, the crew, the employees, and everyone involved, but also for me personally.”
The godmother of Mein Schiff 7, Fenia Kalachani, was the star of the event, wearing a stunning dress specially designed for her by the employees of TUI Cruises. As the environmental officer on the Mein Schiff fleet, Fenia represents the entire crew and was honored to christen the ship. “It was a particularly moving moment when I had the honor of christening our newest fleet member. I was proud to recite the christening speech on behalf of the entire Mein Schiff crew and all employees and to celebrate the official naming of Mein Schiff 7 with the traditional and ceremonial smashing of the champagne bottle,” said Fenia.
The christening of Mein Schiff 7 marks a significant milestone for TUI Cruises, one of the leading cruise companies in the German-speaking countries. The company operates a fleet of seven ships and plans to add two more by 2026 as part of its sustainable growth strategy. The new ship, Mein Schiff 7, has a bed capacity of 18,800 and is one of the most modern, environmentally and climate-friendly ships in the world. More information on bookings and prices for Mein Schiff 7 can be found on their website, www.meinschiff.com.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.