The termination of a Chinese joint venture of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCCL) and its partner Ctrip means that Marella Cruises, the British cruise line owned by TUI AG, will acquire the 72,458 gross ton Golden Era that was built in 1995 as Century of Celebrity Cruises, from the venture.
Delivery is expected to take place in December, RCCL said in a statement.
“As a result of this transaction, TUI Cruises will now retain Mein Schiff 2 in its fleet, rather than selling it to Marella Cruises, giving TUI Cruises increased capacity in the strong German market,” RCCL continued.
Mein Schiff 2 was built as Mercury of Celebrity Cruises and delivered in 1997. It is of 76,552 gross tons.