When members of a cruise line start talking openly about the likelihood that a ship will be sold, you know it’s a done deal. In April, during an itineraries presentation on the Celebrity Millennium, Cruise Sales Manager Wes Savery made it clear he thought the good ship Mercury’s days were numbered. It is now official.
In what is essentially a family transaction, the Mercury will end its almost 13-year run with Celebrity next April and become the Mein Schiff 2, the second ship for German line TUI Cruises. Like Celebrity and Azamara, TUI Cruises is part of the Royal Caribbean conglomerate.
Mein Schiff 1, incidentally, was once the Celebrity Galaxy. Before launching it, TUI did some major renovations, which is what awaits the Mercury after its final Celebrity cruise on Valentine’s Day next year. Passengers already booked on the Mercury after that date will have cancellation or re-booking options.
With a 10% increase in Germans who cruise, the timing was perfect for the Mercury’s in-house transfer.
The demise of the Mercury leaves only the Century in the class of ships under the same name. Refurbished last year, it will soldier on as the standard bearer as Celebrity focuses on expanding its Millennium and Solstice Class ships to cater to the growth of cruisers looking for bigger or more-modern vessels.
That’s it, we’re done.