This article is based on my experience from two separate cruises aboard Mein Schiff 6, taken at different times—but on the same ship. As a non-German speaker, I wanted to share what it’s like to cruise with TUI Cruises, a company that’s hugely popular in Germany but remains relatively unknown in the English-speaking world.
Here, you’ll find my honest impressions of TUI’s unique version of all-inclusive cruising, what stood out (both good and bad), and what to expect if you’re considering sailing with them—even if you don’t speak a word of German.
TUI Cruises is a German cruise line, and around 90% of the passengers are German. All announcements, signage, daily programs, and restaurant menus are in German. Even booking a cruise on Mein Schiff can be a challenge if you don’t speak the language—it’s simply not available through most English-language travel platforms.
That said, you can easily navigate their website using a built-in browser translator (like Google Chrome’s)—it works well enough to get through the booking process.
Because I love trying something new. I’ve cruised with MSC, Celebrity, NCL, Costa, and AIDA—more than 20 cruises in total—and I’m always curious about what other cruise lines have to offer. TUI is a major player in the European cruise market, and I was particularly drawn to their Premium All-Inclusive concept and excellent value for money. The base fare already includes everything I personally care about: gratuities, alcoholic drinks in all bars, and more.
The fact that everything on board is in German didn’t bother me. For one, English isn’t my native language either, so I feel just as much (or just as little) “at home” on American cruise lines. And second, I’d already done two cruises with AIDA, which has the same language setup.
And here’s the important part: the crew on Mein Schiff all speak English. Like on every other cruise line, most of the crew members come from countries like the Philippines and Indonesia—German isn’t their native language either. Sure, the senior officers are probably German, but you won’t need to talk to them anyway.
Ordering drinks at the bar, talking to reception, or asking your room steward for something—you can do all of that in English, and most of the time they speak it better than I do.
And here she is—in person—Mein Schiff 6, docked in Abu Dhabi, where my first cruise with TUI began. Most of what I’ll describe in this review refers to that first sailing, since my second cruise on the same ship followed a different itinerary but was largely the same in terms of onboard experience.
The ship is elegant and fairly modern, launched in 2015.
I booked a guaranteed balcony cabin, meaning I couldn’t choose the exact location. A few days before the cruise, I was assigned a cabin on Deck 11, the highest residential deck.
Cabins on Mein Schiff ships are spacious—whether you book an interior or a balcony stateroom.
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The balcony was spacious, perfect for enjoying coffee in the morning or a glass of wine at sunset.
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Here’s the bathroom:
My only real complaint about the entire cabin? The sink. It was unusually narrow, making it awkward to use. Aside from that, everything was spot on—design, layout, functionality—all excellent in my opinion.
There was plenty of storage, including two separate wardrobes. The first one was next to the bed (only partially visible in the photo):
The second one was near the bathroom and included a safe, bathrobes, and slippers. The bathrobes came in different sizes (for him and her) and were surprisingly comfortable. The slippers were decent quality, branded with Mein Schiff, and lasted through the entire cruise without falling apart.
As far as I can tell, bathrobes are standard in all cabins on TUI, not just in suites. Nice touch.
The cabin also came with a Nespresso-style coffee machine, which I absolutely loved. I had fresh coffee on my balcony every morning—it’s a little thing, but it made a big difference.
You get six capsules per day, including decaf options. Your steward restocks them during daily service.
As for bottled water, it’s not included—just like on most other cruise lines. I believe it was €3.10 per bottle. But TUI has one of the smartest water solutions I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship:
At the elevator areas on every cabin deck, there are cold water dispensers.
Seriously—Costa, MSC… are you taking notes? No need to hoard plastic bottles or call room service—just walk a few steps from your cabin and fill up. Unlimited, free, and so simple.
Each cabin comes with a carafe for this very purpose. And inside the box next to it… something a little unusual:
These are “energy stones” for "charging" your water. Yep, really. You drop them into the carafe, fill it up, and let the magic happen. I’m personally not a believer in that kind of thing—but hey, it’s a fun gimmick. And yes, you’re allowed to take them home as a souvenir instead of a fridge magnet.
Naturally, after checking in, our first stop was the buffet—as it should be!
One quick reminder: all drinks are included, even in the buffet, where self-serve beer and wine taps are available. So of course, we kicked off the cruise with a celebratory glass of wine.
Some people say that TUI’s food quality has declined over the years, and that “it used to be better.”
Well—if this is the downgraded version, I can’t even imagine what it was like before, because my first impression was fantastic.
On my very first visit to the buffet, I assembled a plate of wine-friendly appetizers that would be hard to match on most other mainstream cruise lines:
prosciutto, salami, several types of cheese, smoked fish—it was a proper spread.
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And over at the fruit station, I found passionfruit. Have you ever seen passionfruit in a cruise ship buffet? On other days I spotted yellow mango, cherimoya, and other tropical fruits that are usually nowhere to be found outside of premium lines.
Here’s what the drink stations in the buffet look like: two taps for beer, one for white wine, one for red, and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks—all self-serve and unlimited.
A closer look at the non-alcoholic options: Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Cola Zero, orange juice, apple juice, sparkling water, and still water.
There’s also a great tea selection (and yes, it actually tastes good):
When it comes to coffee, you’ve got two options:
Regular brewed coffee from large dispensers
And bean-to-cup machines that also make milk-based drinks like cappuccino and latte. You just select your drink from the touchscreen.
Let me emphasize this again: everything here is available to every passenger, with no extra drink package needed. It’s all part of the base fare—true Premium All-Inclusive.
Yes, ice cream is included too—and not just one or two kinds. There are up to 18 flavors available! You’ll find ice cream stations in the buffet and also at the outdoor pool bar, where you can even get it served with fresh waffles or pancakes, also free of charge.
The ice cream was genuinely tasty.
I don’t have that many buffet photos, but one thing’s for sure—there’s plenty of food.
That said, the menu doesn’t change that much from day to day. Breakfast stays basically the same every day (which is true for most cruise lines), but even for lunch and dinner, only the main hot dishes rotate. Much of the food leans toward what German passengers are used to—lots of potato and pasta salads, cold dishes, and hearty comfort food.
If that’s not your style, you might find the selection a bit repetitive after several days.
I’ve only ever seen one person say they didn’t like the food on TUI—and I suspect it’s exactly for that reason: not a match for their tastes. On a longer cruise, even things you do like can get a little boring. But come on—if a buffet includes whole roast pig and fresh passionfruit, calling the food “bad” feels like a stretch.
In the end, the buffet variety is broad enough that most people will find something they like.
One cool option is the Wok station—you build your own stir-fry by picking raw ingredients: shrimp, meat, veggies, noodles or rice, and your preferred sauce. Then they cook it for you on the spot.
Here’s my first (not particularly successful) attempt with glass noodles and shrimp. Later versions were better :)
When it comes to cold appetizers—cheeses, meats, smoked fish—TUI is in a league of its own. I’ve never seen anything like it on any other mainstream cruise line I’ve sailed.
Here’s what a regular day’s cheese station looks like:
And on one special evening, there was a dedicated “cheese buffet”, where the selection tripled. It was absolutely wild.
There’s only one main buffet on Mein Schiff 6, but it seamlessly connects at the aft to a free specialty venue called GOSCH, which focuses on fish and seafood.
At GOSCH, you can either order from a menu or help yourself to the buffet-style seafood counter, which is what I usually did in the evenings—dining outdoors with views of Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi.
And here’s the outdoor terrace itself:
When the main buffet and GOSCH close at 10 PM, there’s still Tag & Nacht Café, which is open 24/7 and included in the fare.
You’ll find a small buffet, burgers, and classic German currywurst sausages. It’s perfect for night owls.
Right next to it is Osteria, a menu-service Italian restaurant (also included in the cruise price).
We only went there once—when we got tired of the buffet and GOSCH. It was packed, as it always is in the evenings. The food was... underwhelming. It took nearly an hour for our pizza and pasta to arrive.
Up on the open deck, you’ll find Bosporus Café, another free venue.
Here you can grab a freshly made kebab or flatbread sandwich.
There are also two main dining rooms where you can enjoy multi-course meals from a menu, free of charge. They looked nice inside, but we never made it there.
Why?
Menus are only in German and—honestly—there were already enough dining options to keep us busy for a week.
If you want to splurge, Mein Schiff 6 has three for-fee restaurants:
— A steakhouse
— A sushi bar
— And another one with a long, unpronounceable name and a concept I couldn’t quite figure out
This whole specialty dining area, located aft on Deck 5, is beautifully designed—the nicest decor on the ship, in my opinion.
Steakhouse:
Sushi bar:
Specialty dining zone:
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Alcoholic drinks are included in the cruise fare, and I already showed you what’s available in the buffet. But at the bars? There’s a huge selection of cocktails, wines, and spirits—and a lot of it is brand-name alcohol.
If you’re curious, you can browse the full bar menu here (link)—everything that’s included is marked with "inklusive".
But to save you time: yes, the drinks are legit.
For example:
In cocktails too—you’re not getting mystery-brand mixers. I mostly drank margaritas, and I watched the bartender pour actual tequila and Cointreau, not some generic orange liqueur.
For comparison, MSC only includes that level of alcohol in their Premium package—not in the standard Easy Package.
Here I am, on the aft deck with my margarita and a view of Costa Toscana.
Let me tell you—it feels better to look at Costa from TUI than the other way around.
Because drinks are so freely available, everyone’s walking around with a glass, even the “I-don’t-really-drink” crowd. Especially during special moments like sailaway—the decks fill up with people, and nearly all of them are holding drinks.
TUI is smart about this: the crew brings around trays of prosecco and cocktails to ease pressure on the bars and keep things flowing. You never see just one overwhelmed bartender struggling to serve a line 20 people deep—unlike some cruise lines.
Even in the buffet, I never once had to stand in line.
Okay, I lied—there was a short line in the morning at the fancy coffee machine, but that’s only because it’s slow. Two or three people max.
The fun starts early on TUI. At breakfast in the buffet, there’s free-flowing prosecco, just sitting there waiting for you.
And yet, despite this open-bar environment, I never once saw a drunk or unruly guest in either of my cruises. TUI manages to strike a balance: plenty of alcohol, zero chaos.
To wrap things up, here are just a few photos from around the ship—the ones that didn’t quite fit into other sections.
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I could keep talking about Mein Schiff 6 for hours, but honestly... I’ve already spent half a day writing this review, and there’s only so much I can cover in one go.
TUI is a great choice if what you want from a cruise is comfort and a long list of included perks:
— Robes and a coffee machine in every cabin
— Quality food
— Drinks available anytime, anywhere, in generous amounts
However, I wouldn’t recommend TUI for first-time cruisers—especially if you don’t speak German. You might feel lost without some prior cruise experience under your belt.
I also wouldn’t recommend it if entertainment is your main priority. Like AIDA, TUI doesn’t offer nightly Broadway-style shows, and many events are German-language only.
But if you’re someone who can enjoy your own company, loves quiet, comfortable cruising, appreciates good food, and wants to avoid rowdy crowds, long buffet lines, and constant upselling—then TUI might be exactly what you’re looking for.
TUI Cruises primarily targets German-speaking travelers, so you won’t find their itineraries on most English-language booking platforms like Expedia or CruiseDirect.
So where should you book?
I recommend using e-hoi.de — a reliable German cruise agency with great prices and smooth service. That’s where I booked both of my TUI cruises.
Their website is in German, but you can easily use Google Translate in your browser to navigate the booking process. And here’s the best part:
If you have any questions or concerns, E-hoi staff will happily respond in English via email. They’re professional, responsive, and can assist you throughout the process — which is why I personally recommend them.
A few things to note:
— You’ll typically pay in euros by credit card
— Booking confirmations and emails are clear and easy to follow
— Support is available in English if needed
So yes, it takes a bit more effort than booking a mainstream cruise — but it’s absolutely worth it for what TUI offers in return.
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