Celebrity Cruises this morning confirmed that Celebrity Mercury will leave the Celebrity fleet at the end of February 2011. It will become the second ship in the TUI Cruises fleet, a line that is jointly owned by Celebrity parent Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and German travel conglomerate TUI.
Celebrity Mercury's last sailing for the Celebrity brand will be on February 14, 2011. Sailings beginning with the February 28, 2011, will be canceled. The line only had sailings through April 11, 2011, open for sale, which has caused rumors for several months. Celebrity normally has programs for each ship selling about a year (or more) in advance. Incentives will be offered for passengers on the affected sailings to move to other itineraries. (Passengers with affected bookings can call 1-888-281-9343 to discuss their options.)
Celebrity Mercury had been scheduled to operate from Charleston (SC) beginning at the end of February. The line did not announce future plans for Charleston.
The ship will become TUI's Mein Schiff 2 and enter service for TUI in May 2011. Like TUI's other ship, it is expected to be marketed only in German-speaking markets.
The artist's rendering above shows the former Celebrity Galaxy and former Celebrity Mercury sailing in their TUI livery as Mein Schiff and Mein Schiff 2.
The complete article appeared in the May 27, 2010, edition of Cruise News Daily.
