TUI Skyla - the second riverboat in the TUI River Cruises fleet, was officially christened before embarking on her inaugural voyage.
The festive voyage will visit some of Germany’s popular riverport cities including Cologne/Koln, Koblenz and Dusseldorf, where passengers will be able to get into the festive spirit while visiting renowned Christmas markets.
Vacationers will also enjoy Christmas activities, regional Christmas dishes, and mulled wine onboard.
The christening ceremony was complete with the traditional champagne smash and officiated over by corporate captain, Marco Menke along with godmother, and college exam officer, Catherine Hawkins.
To celebrate Skyla's launch and naming, TUI created a winter wonderland-themed top deck with igloo-style pods, festive treats (hot chocolate, mulled wine), and a live choir.
Chris Hackney (Cruise TUI UK & Ireland's managing director) said they were thrilled to welcome the 2nd ship to the TUI River Cruises fleet on their first festive sailing of the year.
“Since going on-sale we have seen continued growth in demand for Tui Skyla itineraries on the Danube with Danube Treasures being the top seller.”
TUI Skyla cruise ship, like the sisterships TUI Isla and TUI Maya, is a riverboat owned by TUI AG and operated by its subsidiary company "TUI UK and Ireland". The new brand "TUI River Cruises" (tui.co.uk/river-cruises) was established in 2019 and targets predominantly UK passenger sourcing. The 3 TUI boats were officially launched in 2020 following extensive drydock refit (and complete refurbishment) projects. However, due to the Coronavirus crisis, the brand's inauguration was postponed for a year (March 2021 instead of the planned March 2020).