Celebrity Cruises has acquired two-ship specialist cruise line Ocean Adventures.
The purchase of 48-guest ship Eclipse and 16-guest catamaran Athala II means Celebrity Cruises will increase its capacity in the Galapagos Islands by 65%.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and chief executive of Celebrity, said: “Our guests use the most amazing words to describe their journeys to the Galapagos Islands. They tell us the experience is ‘once in a lifetime’, ‘awe-inspiring’, and even ‘life-changing’.
“That’s why we’ve made Celebrity Xpedition such a special experience, and why we are thrilled to expand our Galapagos programme with these two intimate ships. We want to make more lifetime memories.”
The two ships will join the Celebrity fleet in spring, pending the closing of the deal.
Until a stint in drydock in January 2017 the ships will continue to offer the Ocean Adventures experiences.
All existing Ocean Adventures bookings and reservation commitments will remain unchanged, both before and after the drydock.
Ben Dod, president of Ocean Adventures, said, “After 16 years of building Ocean Adventures into one of the leading operators in the Galapagos Islands, we are proud to have caught the attention of a world-class cruise company like Celebrity Cruises and proud to be part of their ambitious plans to expand in the region.
“The Eclipse and Athala II are the best vessels in their class and we are delighted that both ships will continue to deliver an unequalled level of service and experience to guests.”