Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Mercury will become the second ship in the fleet of TUI Cruises, a cruise brand established in 2008 through a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and TUI AG, tailored for the German market. The new ship, to be named Mein Schiff 2, will become sister ship to Mein Schiff (the former Celebrity Galaxy).

“Celebrity Mercury has been a cherished member of the Celebrity family since she entered service in 1997, and has offered countless guests outstanding holiday experiences,” said Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan. “We are dedicated to offering the same impeccable service our brand is known for right up until the ship transitions to TUI Cruises, and we are confident that the ship’s future with TUI Cruises is very bright.”

Hanrahan assured that the future for the crew on Celebrity Mercury is equally bright. “With the rapid growth and momentum of the Celebrity brand, and the fourth member of our five-ship Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Silhouette, launching in July 2011, we have abundant opportunities for the fine crew on Celebrity Mercury to transfer to another Celebrity ship.”

Celebrity Mercury joined the Celebrity Cruises fleet in November 1997, and was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.  The 77,713-ton ship carries 1,898 guests (double occupancy) and 909 crew.

“The timing for expanding the TUI Cruises fleet could not be better,” said TUI Cruises CEO Richard J. Vogel. “Mein Schiff has firmly established its place in the German market, and now, it is time to broaden and further develop the concept. The cruise industry has shown its resilience in the midst of the economic crisis, and we look forward to growing it further, with our expanded fleet and our unique ‘premium all-inclusive’ concept.”

Celebrity Mercury will complete its scheduled sailings inclusive of the February 14, 2011, itinerary. Guests with individual bookings and named group bookings on Celebrity Mercury on or after February 26, 2011 have the option to either cancel their booking or move to any Celebrity Mercury sailing from Baltimore from October 18, 2010 until February 14, 2011, with the exception of the December 20, 2010 itinerary.