Finland-based Meyer Turku shipyard has started the assembly of TUI Cruises ship Mein Schiff 6 with the laying of the first grandblock in the big building dock.

"After many months of planning and pre-production we are starting a very exciting period in the building of Mein Schiff 6: It will now only take 7 months until the ship is fully assembled from its grand blocks. This period in which the ship takes shape is then followed by further outfitting, commissioning and testing works," says Meyer Turku CEO Jan Meyer.

When ready in 2017, Mein Schiff 6 will measure approximately 294 meters long, have 15 decks with around 1,267 staterooms and the capacity to carry approximately 2,534 passengers. It is the final ship in the series.

Mein Schiff 6 will be the fourth high-technology cruise ship being built in Turku shipyard for TUI Cruises and the sixth ship built by the Meyer brand in total.

According to its builder, Mein Schiff 6 will feature a number of improvements in terms of energy efficiency and passenger amenities – even over its sister ships Mein Schiff 3-5, including an advanced exhaust cleaning system that uses a scrubber and catalytic converter, cutting sulphur emissions by approximately 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by around 75 percent.