The keel of Mein Schiff 2 was laid today for TUI Cruises at Finland's Meyer Turku shipyard.
The 315-metre-long Mein Schiff 2 will be a sister ship to Mein Schiff 1, which will be delivered from the shipyard next year.
Based on Mein Schiff 6, both ships will have space for 2,894 guests and include a 438-metre jogging track, a closed and covered sports arena, and a climbing wall.
Meanwhile, parts of the shipyard's 1,200-tonne goliath gantry crane are being moved at the shoreline to be ready for an eventual lifting starting on week 41 of the process.
"We have just floated out the newly developed new Mein Schiff 1 and begin directly assembling its sister, new Mein Schiff 2, from pre-produced grand blocks," said Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer.
"The process of lifting the crane is quite interesting: we will lift the first leg in two weeks' time, followed by the second shortly after. It sounds very simple, but the crane's beam's own weight is 2,500 tons. The main crane beam is lifted by the crane legs to the height of over 100 metres in early November."
When fully erect, the gantry crane will reach 130 metres in height and will be a visible landmark at the Turku shipyard.
Mein Schiff 2 will be delivered in early 2019.
