TUI River Cruises has announced TUI Luzia, the first purpose-built ship for the brand, was floated out in Kladovo, Serbia marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Scheduled for delivery in June 2027, TUI Luzia will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries on the Douro Valley in Portugal.

“The float out of TUI Luzia marks another significant milestone for TUI River Cruises and our longstanding partnership with Concordia Damen,” said Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises at TUI River Cruises. “As our first purpose-built ship, TUI Luzia represents an exciting new chapter for our brand. Her arrival on the River Douro in summer 2027 will not only extend our portfolio into one of Europe’s most sought-after river cruise destinations, but also open up new experiences for both existing and new TUI River Cruises customers.”

The float out took place at Concordia Damen’s partner yard Kladovo Shipyard in Serbia and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction.

Similar to the other TUI River Cruises ships, TUI Luzia will be Full Board Plus* as standard with the option for guests to upgrade to all-inclusive.

The ship will accommodate 111 passengers in 56 cabins, including Super French Balcony cabins, Balcony cabins, French Balcony Suites and a single cabin.

Customers will have access to four decks including a top deck complete with a shallow pool and sun loungers and Cinder, a bar and dining area will be open every day for drinks and self-serve lunches.

Other venues on the ship include Novo, the main lounge bar, Retreat, a hybrid area offering a juice bar and an intimate secondary lounge bar for a quiet drink at night. Sorriso, the main restaurant serving breakfast through to dinner and Vinha, a Portuguese inspired alfresco dining space where guests can enjoy a la carte dinner, and by day, will be a place for relaxation and unwinding.

Chris Kornet, CEO at Concordia Damen said: “We are proud to be partnering with TUI River Cruises on its first purpose-built river ship, TUI Luzia. The new vessel embodies our shared ambition to bring innovative, future‑ready ship designs to the European river cruise market, by combining Concordia Damen’s engineering expertise with TUI River Cruises’ clear vision for expanding the brand. We look forward to delivering the vessel that will support the river cruise brand’s growth.”

Prices start from £1859** per person for the ‘Douro Discovery’ flying from London Gatwick or Manchester to Porto via third party airlines on a seven night sailing on TUI Luzia which is available to book from now.