The upcoming Mein Schiff Relax from TUI Cruises has successfully completed her first round of sea trials, performing exceptionally well for maneuverability in the Adriatic Sea.
The 161,000-gross-ton vessel, largest ever built for TUI Cruises and first of the new and highly innovative inTUItion class ships, completed various maneuvers during her first round of sea trials.
Designed to ensure the ship can pivot, turn, and correct course properly, these maneuvers include a zig-zag course, a 360-degree circle turn in a tight radius, “crash stop” stopping distance test, and a Williamson Turn, a specific type of 180-degree, reciprocal course turn used in overboard situations.
“That is a very special situation,” said Moritz Schaefer, Chief Deck Officer. “Hopefully this will be the last man-overboard maneuver this vessel has to sail, ever.”
Mein Schiff Relax completed all these maneuvers well at at top speed, thoroughly demonstrating her abilities and responsiveness – something that was not necessarily guaranteed. New ship designs often have difficulties and challenges that aren’t revealed until these types of sea trials.
“This is not a given for a prototype with many technical innovations and a highly modern and innovative bridge,” TUI Cruises said. “The successful sea trial shows that the first ship in the Mein Schiff fleet to be equipped with two Azipods drives confidently and safely.”
“It is very important to do these tests as early as possible so that we have some time until delivery,” said Georgios Vagiannis, Newbuild Director for TUI Cruises. “To ensure that everything is working well.”
It should be noted that the ship’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) drive was not tested during this first round of sea trials, but will be put through its own rigorous operational testing during another round in a few weeks.
It is normal for new cruise ships to undergo several rounds of sea trials, each one focusing on different systems and actions. Safety, navigation, propulsion, maneuverability, emergency responses, and other features are all thoroughly tested in different scenarios to ensure the vessel’s complete operation.
While many tests and safety checks are performed throughout the ship’s construction, sea trials are necessary because some systems cannot be fully tested unless the ship is at sea.
“The behavior of the vessel is put through its paces on a test drive, you could say,” explained the ship’s start-up captain, Tom Roth. “That is also extremely exciting for us. We’re really learning how our vessel behaves. How it maneuvers. Everything is tested down to the smallest detail.”
Other systems tested during this first round include the davit system for lowering rescue boats, emergency horn signals, and other related functions.
“The maneuverability of our new Mein Schiff Relax, what it has proven, what it can do, has exceeded our expectations by far,” said Roth.
All the ship’s officers, cruise line executives, and shipyard authorities onboard for the sea trials note how emotional and exciting the results are as the ship moves to her next phase of construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.
“We usually compare the sea trial to a school test: If you have studied, you can aim for a good result.” said Massimo Canesin, Vice President of Production for Fincantieri. “I can say that we have studied, because we completed the sea trial with a good result. The behavior of the vessel is something that is unbelievable.”
Mein Schiff Relax Debut
While the new ship has aced her first sea trials, a great deal of work remains to be done before Mein Schiff Relax is ready for delivery and welcoming guests.
The ship’s interior, while framed in and recognizable in different spaces, has not yet been outfitted and all interior design work is yet to be completed. Carpeting, artwork, seating, and other final details are still missing, but the ship remains on schedule at this time.
It is normal to conduct sea trials early, while outfitting work will be done once the ship’s critical systems are confirmed fully operational and appropriately certified.
Mein Schiff Relax Sea Trials
The ship floated out in November 2023, and further detailed work will now be completed, as well as additional sea trials.
Mein Schiff Relax is scheduled for her maiden voyage to depart on March 16, 2025 from Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The 7-night sailing will include port visits in Italy and Spain.
The ship’s official christening is planned to be in Malaga, Spain, on April 9, 2025. Further details about what is sure to be a memorable event are yet to be released.
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The vessel will remain homeported from Palma de Mallorca through October 2025, offering a diverse range of 7- to 10-night itineraries visiting top destinations such as Las Spezia, Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Cadiz, Lisbon, Rome, Naples, Palermo, and much more.
Up to 3,984 travelers will be able to enjoy Mein Schiff Relax on every sailing, with approximately 1,100 international crew members onboard to ensure that everyone has the most relaxing cruise vacation possible.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com