May 2, 2008 - Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Galaxy will become the first ship of TUI Cruises, a new cruise brand established through a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and TUI AG.

TUI Cruises will cater for German-speaking guests wanting a premium cruise experience custom-tailored to German tastes in food, entertainment and amenities.

Galaxy, which carries 1,870 guests, will complete its scheduled sailings until March 2009 before entering service for TUI two months later, with a new name, sailing in the Baltic in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter.

The 77,713-ton ship, built at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, joined the Celebrity fleet in December 1996. The line's president Dan Hanrahan described her as "a treasured member of our family of ships".

TUI Cruises' CEO Richard Vogel: added: "We are very pleased to have Celebrity Galaxy become the first ship in the new TUI Cruises fleet and we look forward to customising the ship for our German customer base, growing our brand, and providing our guests with an incredible vacation experience."