Celebrity Buys Two Ocean Adventures Galápagos Ships
by James Shillinglaw /Photo courtesy: Raphodon
Celebrity Cruises is buying Galápagos Islands tour operator Ocean Adventures and its two ships, the 48-guest Eclipse and the 16-guest catamaran Athala II. Celebrity said the move expands its guest capacity in the Galápagos by 65 percent when combined with the 100-guest Celebrity Xpedition.
“Our unique Galapagos fleet will offer an up-close look at the region’s breathtaking natural beauty, paired with Celebrity's highly intuitive service and award-winning cuisine,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity’s president and CEO.
The new ships will allow Celebrity to offer several new distinctive itineraries with new destinations, including Puerto Villamil, Darwin Bay, Black Turtle Cove, Chinese Hat Islet, and Wall of Tears. The fleet expansion also allows Celebrity’s guests to take advantage of new packages to Ecuador, including the Andes, and Peru, including Machu Picchu and the Amazon.
Eclipse and Athala II will join the Celebrity fleet in the spring of 2016 when the deal is closed. Until a January 2017 drydock, the ships will continue to offer the Ocean Adventures experience, but after they are refurbished they will sail as part of Celebrity fleet with the line’s signature modern luxury elements. All existing Ocean Adventures’ bookings and reservation commitments will remain unchanged, both before and after the drydock.