13 ships” with a multitude of onboard amenities and spaces designed to promote relaxation, generate the “feelgood factor” and empower guests to “experience wellbeing in a new way”. “Our existing vessels are very popular with guests but we wanted to raise the bar even further with the new InTUItionclass ships,” says Meier. “We kept many of the elements our guests love, but as the newbuilds are slightly larger, we took the opportunity to look at what we could do differently too. Our aim was to improve everything from the layout to the onboard facilities and guest experiences.” TUI Cruises collaborated with a team of renowned cruise ship design and architecture firms – including 3Deluxe, JOI-Design, Tillberg Design of Sweden and Wilson Butler Architects – to rework the general arrangement and create the interiors. Drawing on guest feedback, the brand has grouped related venues together across Mein Schiff Relax, creating dedicated areas for entertainment, sports and wellness, suite guests and more. It also reconfigured existing spaces to facilitate easy movement throughout the ship – for instance the reception is now directly connected to the boarding area and the deck above via an escalator. “Changing the layout has greatly improved the flow throughout the ship and made it easier for guests to find what they’re looking for,” says Meier. “We’ve also played around with the locations of some of our signature spaces. This helped us maximise our use of outdoor decks and add more expansive windows in areas such as the atrium to bring in as much natural light – and as many sea views – as possible.” One signature venue that has been moved is the main restaurant Atlantik. The restaurant and its adjoining bar are now situated at the aft of decks four and five. “We were able to incorporate floorto-ceiling windows that provide sweeping views of the path the ship has sailed,” says Meier. Atlantik is just one of 14 restaurants and bistros on Mein Schiff Relax, which also has 17 bars and lounges. Many were previously introduced on the existing Mein Schiff vessels, such as Italian eatery Osteria – Pizza e Pasta. New additions include industrial-style Street Art Bar, Alpine-inspired eatery The Chalet, French restaurant Sur Mer Bistrot, indoor/outdoor Greek dining venue Taverna Dionysos, the Harbour Market buffet, and Scandinavian-themed diner Høfde. There is also an Asian restaurant named Fugu, which was created in partnership with Chef Tim Raue. Here, “space-changing projections and soundscapes” take guests on a “sensual journey through the cuisine and culture of Japan” as they dine on a five-course meal. Guests can enjoy similarly immersive entertainment in La Cage, a new 1920s-style bar and casino that hosts burlesque dancing and live music performances, as well as workshops and culinary tastings. Alternatively, they can visit the new Blaue Flora – Stage & Bar to watch small-stage drama performances, radio plays, readings and lectures. There is also a redesigned main theatre spanning three decks. “Typically, cruise ship theatres are designed with fixed seating to host big shows attended by lots of people, but we wanted to provide a varied programme TUI Cruises reworked the general arrangement of Mein Schiff Relax, which enabled it to introudce new venues like the Captain’s Bar KEYNOTE
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