The leadership of the „Mein Schiff“, the first ship of TUI Cruises, has been determined: Kjell Holm (59) will be taking command of the bridge, while Axel Sorger (41) will be responsible for the hotel operations on the five-star plus ship as General Manager.
Kjell Holm, hailing from Finland, looks back on a long career on the water. Raised on the Finnish coast, he became a captain with the Swedish sea carrier Wallenius in 1983, for which he worked for 16 years. During this period, Holm was stationed in Bremerhaven for five years and is since fluent in the German language. Over the last 14 years, he worked as captain for Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises.
With Axel Sorger, TUI Cruises was able to win over an experienced General Manager. From 2000 to 2002, the qualified hotelier worked aboard the MS Arkona for Deutsche Seereederei. Assignments with the sea carriers Aida Cruises and Arosa followed, the positions being that of Hotel Manager and General Manager, respectively.
Richard J. Vogel, CEO of TUI Cruises, underscores the significance of these two key positions: „Captain Holm and Axel Sorger will have significant influence on the parameters for the success of TUI Cruises over the next weeks. They both have the indispensable experience and personality for this task, and I look forward to working with them.“
TUI Cruises is a joint venture of TUI AG and the US-American sea carrier Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. The newly founded company, based in Hamburg, will be offering premium cruises for the German-speaking market starting from May 2009. The concept is aimed especially towards couples and families who look for space, abundance, quality and service in a cruise. The „Mein Schiff“, the first vessel in the fleet, is a four-star plus ship. During the first season, TUI Cruises will offer Nordic and Baltic Sea cruises from May to September. From September to early November, „Mein Schiff“ will then head for the western Mediterranean Sea. Cruises through the Caribbean will be available from November 2009 to March 2010.
