TUI - new old company on the rivers

[notamermaid]

Cruisecritic.co.uk ran this story on 11 April: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/3982/

 

TUI, apart from being a European well-known package tour operator, rang a bell with me as regards river cruising. There was something, in German, let me think... I have found it, TUI Sonata! Digging a bit deeper in my brain and consequently the internet, I re-found this article about the end of river cruising for TUI: https://www.schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de/sonstige-reederei/kein-tui-flussgenuss-mehr-aus-fuer-flusskreuzfahrtschiffe-ende-oktober/52455/

 

The TUI Sonata was one of four ships of TUI Flussgenuss that was an enterprise serving the German river cruising market. Sailings only started in 2011, it ceased operations at the end of the 2014 season.

 

As a company not being a complete newcomer to river cruising as such, this article from the German correspondent with Seatradecruisenews, reads a little differently: http://www.seatrade-*****/news/news-headlines/tui-returns-to-the-rivers-with-three-vessels-for-the-uk-market.html

 

And this is how travelweekly ran the news: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/TUI-launching-river-cruises-in-2020

 

TUI UK will operate these three ships solely for the UK market. The vessels have not been confirmed yet, it will be interesting to learn which ones they have chosen. The WT Sonata mentioned in the article, when it started sailing for TUI, was a new-built, a so-called twincruiser, a design that is a kind of pushboat in that the driving vessel is separate from the passenger vessel, both parts together have a standard length of 135m, the longest allowed on the rivers she operates on.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[steamboats]

They are buying back three of the old TUI Flussgenuss river cruise ships

 

WT Sonata (ex TUI Sonata) - Werner-Tours

Excellence Allegra (ex TUI Allegra) - Reisebüro Mittelthurgau

Escellence Melodia (ex TUI Melodia) - Reisebüro Mittelthurgau

 

All three of them are twin cruisers originally built for Premicon AG and operated by TUI Flussgenuss.

 

The former TUI Maxima is now with nicko cruises as Maxima. But that was the only ship which wasn´t a twin cruiser.

 

BTW I posted this back on April 11th on my FB site and on a German cruise board 😉

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

On 4/21/2019 at 7:50 AM, steamboats said:

They are buying back three of the old TUI Flussgenuss river cruise ships

 

WT Sonata (ex TUI Sonata) - Werner-Tours

Excellence Allegra (ex TUI Allegra) - Reisebüro Mittelthurgau

Escellence Melodia (ex TUI Melodia) - Reisebüro Mittelthurgau

 

All three of them are twin cruisers originally built for Premicon AG and operated by TUI Flussgenuss.

 

The former TUI Maxima is now with nicko cruises as Maxima. But that was the only ship which wasn´t a twin cruiser.

 

BTW I posted this back on April 11th on my FB site and on a German cruise board 😉

 

steamboats

A belated Thank You for the info, steamboats.

 

Here is the site for booking the river cruises, the ships are now called TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla: https://www.tui.co.uk/river-cruises/

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Only about a week ago TUI presented their first river cruise captain for one of the ships, the TUI Skyla, now they have stepped up a notch and announced that they are looking for godmothers - or godfathers! - for the ships.

 

Here are the articles: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/introducing-first-tui-river-cruises-captain

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/5088/

 

23 March, I am free on that day. Seeing the ship that one is godmother to sailing along on the Rhine, now that is an exciting thought...

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

@notamermaid I´d be available too on March 23rd 🤣. But I fear they are looking for someone from the UK.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

4 minutes ago, steamboats said:

@notamermaid I´d be available too on March 23rd 🤣. But I fear they are looking for someone from the UK.

 

steamboats

Oh, yeah, probably. Oh well, perhaps we will have to wait and name the next excursion boat on the Isar and Rhine, respectively.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Well, we all know what the situation has been this year and when it hit us in Spring, TUI as a consequence postponed the launch of the three ships. CC informed us of the new plans in August: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/5536/

 

26th November it still is according to TUI's website, the wording says cancellations before or on 25th November on this page: https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/coronavirus

 

But there is trouble on the horizon potentially as Germany has declared the UK a risk zone. There is a headline in the questions section on that page which gives you a little information when you open it out with a click.

 

Will it work out for UK cruisers? Who knows... The experience will be an altered one as many Christmas markets have already been cancelled. Large New Year's Eve celebrations at this point in time look unlikely.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Today, the lockdown in England has started which means all non-essential travel is supposed to not happen, also from England to other countries.

 

Sadly, TUI have had to react accordingly and rather than postponing the river cruise launch to an indefinite date after the potential end of the lockdown in December, have cancelled it altogether for this year. The launch has been postponed to 2021. See under "How do I know if my holiday is impacted?": https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/coronavirus

 

notamermaid

 

[Cruising744]

We were booked on a TUI River Cruise in December. When I discovered that they were delaying the start of their operation I spoke to a very friendly lady who offered a full refund. The money was paid into my account the same day.

 

I have been very impressed with TUI River Cruises in all of my dealings with them. I will be booking with them when this crazy situation is over.

[ighten]

We were also on the Isla for December and were also very impressed.. Money back in the bank account within two days followed by the trip excess.. Well done TUI

[yorkshirephil]

We are booked on the 14 night Danube cruise on Tui Maya 04th June 21 (we hope). Our first river cruise after 46 ocean cruises with various lines including Thompsons/Marella. We have been talking of a river cruise for a few years but the price always put us off, however we have decided that we will have to suck it up if we want to see more of the world. 

[notamermaid]

@yorkshirephil Your river cruise is the "European Icons" from Amsterdam to Budapest, isn't it? A great journey through Europe. Currently, the TUI website says that river cruises run from 1 June, so yours is in. I hope it works out.

 

Uncertain times still sadly.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

In 2017 the Thompson’s travel company in the U.K. became TUI at the time TUI was a German company I suppose it still is. CA

[notamermaid]

Ah, interesting. I have not looked into that takeover.

 

TUI is a massive thing, subsidiary here, shifting about there...

 

It is German, with its company base being in Hanover, but Wikipedia calls it Anglo-German: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TUI_Group

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Try Wiki, Thompson travel group, it explains it fairly well. CA

[notamermaid]

The date is finally nearly here for the first river cruise, the TUI Maya on 15 August from Frankfurt.

 

@Host Jazzbeau do you know if CruiseCritic will be on board?

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The date is finally nearly here for the first river cruise, the TUI Maya on 15 August from Frankfurt.

 

@Host Jazzbeau do you know if CruiseCritic will be on board?

 

notamermaid

 

No, I don't know.  It would make sense for CC's UK editors to consider, since they ran this preview of this ship:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=1376

 

[CPT Trips]

Who is the godmother/father? 🙄

 

Piers Morgan? Melanie Brown, aka Scary Spice?

[Canal archive]

Ooh I’ll do it! Ha ha!

[notamermaid]

Well, I was seriously thinking of applying for the competition to be godmother.

 

I have no idea what became of the plans and who is godmother (or godfather (eek, not traditional)) to any of the three ships.

 

18 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

No, I don't know.  It would make sense for CC's UK editors to consider, since they ran this preview of this ship:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=1376

 

Thank you for the info. I guess that is then Adam Coulter who would see to such a visit being organized.  @Adam Coulter  Thank you for all your great work on CC. If I may be so bold and occupy a little of your valuable time and ask you to give us a little bit of current info on the Maya if CC is following the development of her or the other ships ? Thank you.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

And here is the article: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/6389/

 

Thank you Adam and the CC team ☺️.

 

TUI Maya's godmother is Catherine Hawkins, chosen with the help of the competition mentioned before.

 

Edit: Here is some more info:

https://www.ttgmedia.com/news/tui-unveils-first-ship-of-long-awaited-river-fleet-29971

A remote christening!?

End Edit

 

The TUi Maya will embark on her first itinerary with passengers since her renovation and renaming on Sunday. Safe travels to the ship and her passengers always.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

After TUI Maya in August it is the TUI Skyla's big day at the end of this month, I think it is the "Yuletide Wonders", the article at the end of this post says 23 November, the Yuletide Wonders on 28 November is also sailed by the Skyla. True to previous info I have read, this is again an unusual itinerary that TUI has chosen, starting and ending in Frankfurt with an excursion from Plittersdorf dock to - Rastatt and Baden-Baden! This is Rastatt: https://www.tourismus-rastatt.de/en/

 

TUI has just launched its 2023 programme, again with some unusual stops and also reacting to special events in the area where they sail with one-off itineraries, like to the #"Rhine in Flames" fireworks: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/tui-river-cruises-adds-three-new-itineraries-summer-2023

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

And here she is, the TUI Skyla!

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/6616/

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/tui-river-cruises-welcomes-second-ship-tui-skyla-named

 

https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/cruise-news/tui-skyla-cruise-ship-river-cruises-cabins-dining-entertainment

 

Safe travels to her always.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Well, TUI Skyla had a good start but then things changed for TUI. With the Omicron variant emerging, Germany barred entry to UK travellers. From 20 December only Germans citizens and permanent residents were allowed into the country so TUI had to cancel all the remaining river cruises in December. TUI has no river cruises in Winter and will resume with the TUI Skyla 28 March Danube sailing. On 8 April the TUI Isla will start her 14-day trip from Amsterdam to Budapest, according to "Wales online". Also mentioned is the first sailing for the TUI Maya in the season, starting on 1 April. It is a themed itinerary that takes passengers to the Moselle - one of my favourite itineraries available on the "big five" in Germany, that are the Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube and Elbe.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

The fleet is complete! The TUI Isla has been christened and is on her first voyage with paying guests, which concludes in Amsterdam on 8 April. Safe travels to her always.

 

Here are two articles:

https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/travel-agents/homeworker-christens-third-tui-river-cruises-vessel

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/tui-isla-embarks-maiden-voyage-along-rhine

 

I have mentioned before that TUI is going to include some unusual ports off the beaten track and itineraries that differ a little from the norm. From the second article: "... Two new itineraries and one new port of call appear in TUI Cruises’ 2022 voyages: ‘Treasures of the Main’ features the new port of call Aschaffenburg..."

 

Aschaffenburg? Yes, it is a nice alternative or addition to the travels on the Main in my opinion. I have mentioned the town here, post #98: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2670259-the-river-main-infos-and-river-cruising-experiences/page/4/

 

notamermaid