• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
TUI's cruise division demonstrated operational resilience in the third quarter of 2026, achieving underlying EBIT of €133m despite significant disruption from the war in Iran. The result represents a decline from €143m in the previous year, entirely attributed to a €20m negative impact from geopolitical events.
For safety reasons, Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 remained in ports in the Gulf region from March to mid-May. Operations resumed from mid-May onwards, but the extended port stays created substantial financial impact. Excluding this disruption, the cruise segment would have improved its underlying EBIT by €10m.
Despite operational challenges, strong demand for TUI's cruise offering in both Germany and the UK contributed to a 4% increase in rates to €252, compared with €243 in the previous year. Available passenger days stood at 3 million, roughly matching the previous year's 3.1 million, reflecting scheduled dry-dock periods for the Mein Schiff 3 and the Hanseatic Spirit.
Excluding the impact of the Iran War, overall load factor improved by one percentage point to 99%. This performance demonstrates the underlying strength of demand for TUI's cruise products despite the challenging operating environment.
For the first nine months of 2026, underlying EBIT in the cruise segment stood at €297m, compared with €273m in the previous year. However, the division faced €40m in costs arising from the Iran War across the nine-month period.
The number of available passenger days in the cruise segment is up by 12%, driven by the entry into service of Mein Schiff Flow as the nineteenth vessel in the TUI fleet, which includes TUI Cruises, Marella Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises brands. Despite increased capacity, occupancy remains consistently high with average daily rates rising by 2%.
TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel commented: "2026 is no ordinary year. TUI has held its own well in a difficult global environment. Our business model is proving to be resilient.
"Travel remains highly relevant to people's lives, but the timing of travel decisions has shifted. Wars and geopolitical tensions, consumer caution, economic weakness and rising inflation in Europe's core markets – all these factors have influenced consumer sentiment and the timing of purchasing decisions."
He added: "Our integrated business model has stood the test in this environment. In particular, our portfolio of well-known own hotel and cruise brands embodies TUI's proven promise of quality and service…"
The cruise business is being strengthened by new ships from TUI Cruises and the modernisation of the Marella fleet as part of TUI's ongoing strategic development plans.
