TUI River Cruises has announced that its first purpose-built ship, TUI Luzia, was floated out in Kladovo, Serbia, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.
*All details correct at time of publish (29 July 2026)
Scheduled for delivery in June 2027, TUI Luzia will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries on the Douro Valley in Portugal.
Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises at TUI River Cruises, said: “The float out of TUI Luzia marks another significant milestone for TUI River Cruises and our longstanding partnership with Concordia Damen.
“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 à 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 £1219** 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.
*Full Board Plus comes as standard, which means you get tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine or beer with meals. There’s the option of house white, red, or rosé wine at lunch and dinner, or you can try the specially selected wine from the region at dinnertime. Any other drinks need to be paid for, or you can upgrade to All Inclusive.
**All prices quoted are correct to the particular product package at the time of TUI issuing the price package/packages to the publication. Price was quoted on 29/07/2026. Prices provided are subject to change and have limited availability. Terms and conditions apply.
For more information, visit www.tui.co.uk.
Visit the Travel Pursuit News Hub for more exciting updates.
