"Mein Schiff 1" for dry dock at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven

Eight days in the Kaiserdock. Yard well-equipped for demanding job.

Bremerhaven / Hamburg - 13th March 2014

The ink is still not dry on a contract signed yesterday (March 12th 2014) by TUI Cruises CEO Richard J. Vogel and Lloyd Werft chairmen Rüdiger Pallentin and Carsten J. Haake. It was signed at the international trade fair Cruise Shipping Miami and provides for the return to Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven between April 24th and May 2nd of the 76,998 GRT "Mein Schiff 1" - nearly five years after she was converted at the yard.

When "Mein Schiff 1" discharges her passengers on April 24th at the Columbus Cruise Centre in Bremerhaven some Lloyd Werft workers will already be on board her and will have carried out preliminary work in preparation for the ship’s docking. After the ship has been brought from the Columbuskaje into Lloyd Werft’s big dry dock a multi-shift race will begin to complete the scheduled work. Along with the usual standard jobs necessary for class renewal at Lloyds Register of Shipping, the ship will also undergo inspection of all sea-cocks, shafts and rudders and, above all, the overhaul of both stabilisers and five bow and stern thrusters. The entire ship will also be painted and tank steel repairs carried out. Lloyd Werft however expects the biggest and most challenging job will be the extensive work on the "feel good" cruise ship’s air conditioning system. Two on-board cold water chillers, the work including changes to the footings and work on the piping system.

Lloyd Werft has just eight days to complete the technically demanding project in the big Kaiserdock. Rüdiger Pallentin said "extremely tight deadlines are nothing new to us. We are well acquainted with "Mein Schiff 1" from the time she was extensively converted here five years ago and we could not be better equipped to handle her now". "Mein Schiff 1" is also still well-remembered by yard workers. They completed the technically demanding refit of the former "Celebrity Galaxy", on May 5th 2009 for TUI Cruises. The ship was built by Meyer in Papenburg in 1996 for Celebrity Cruises. Her sister ship "Mein Schiff 2" (ex "Celebrity Mercury") followed in 2011. "We have great faith in the ability of Lloyd Werft to return the ship to her scheduled time-table in just eight days", said Richard J. Vogel, TUI Cruises CEO. "Guests will go on board "Mein Schiff 1" again at the Columbuskaje on May 3rd", he added.

"We are very happy about this contract, which our yard was able to clinch over stiff competition", says Pallentin. He is however particularly pleased by the fact that after her conversion at Lloyd Werft, "Mein Schiff 1" laid the foundation for the subsequent great success of the TUI "feel good" fleet. "With the conversion of "Mein Schiff 2" we were able to contribute to the further expansion of this impressive success. It’s great that after almost exactly five years, we can welcome back the first ship in the TUI fleet, one much loved by her passengers, says Pallentin.

Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, press release