The ship is the first of three Tui River Cruises vessels to set sail after 18 months of delays due to the pandemic.
“It’s been a long and difficult journey,” said Richard Sofer, Tui UK and Ireland’s commercial and business development director, during the christening event on Thursday (12 August).
“We’ve learnt a lot in the past two years but now it’s a real chance for our business to go from strength to strength.”
Chris Hackney, Tui’s UK and Ireland managing director of cruise, said: "We are delighted to finally launch Tui River Cruises and had a fitting celebration to get sailing in style.
"The team have worked tirelessly to get to this launch, and they’ve done a sensational job. The initial feedback we’ve had has been incredible and we’re now all really excited to welcome our first customers this weekend."
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Tui Maya will operate on the Main, Danube, Moselle, Rhine and Dutch and Belgian Waterways and be joined by Tui Skyla later this year and Tui Isla in 2022.
The ship has 79 cabins sleeping 155 passengers in seven categories ranging from standard cabin to superior French balcony suite and has undergone full renovations ready for its launch.
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Passengers can dine and drink in two restaurants and two bars, relax in the Wellness Centre, and enjoy a range of activities including yoga, language lessons, craft workshops, cookery demonstrations, interactive quizzes, stargazing, alfresco film screenings and silent discos.
Tui River Cruises is offering more than 100 shore excursions, with all passengers receiving £120 excursion credit per week. Highlights include wine tasting in Boppard, concerts in Vienna, seeing iconic windmills in the Netherlands and a range of city walking tours.
The line has also launched its Satisfaction Promise, which means that if a customer isn’t happy with their holiday and the issue can’t be resolved onboard, they can receive a full refund.
“We have a great range of product – we do cities, we do tours, we do ocean cruise, and river cruise is just another part of that journey to expand our portfolio,” said Sofer.
“I expect big things from this business and I can’t wait to see those happy customers smiling at the end of their cruises.”
