Thomson Cruises have confirmed they are to receive two new ships from sister line, TUI Cruises. The Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 will transfer to Thomson Cruises over the next couple of years as the line continues to modernise and expand its fleet.
The TUI Group, parent company of both TUI Cruises and Thomson Cruises, first announced the news earlier this week in its Interim Results Document. No dates have been set yet, but it is expected the transfers will be sooner rather than later.
Thomson Cruises’ fleet is quickly expanding, having already confirmed Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas is set to join the line in April 2016. Set to be renamed the Thomson Discovery, the Splendour’s transfer has also been facilitated by TUI Group.
Both the ships are Century Class ships – following the same design as the Celebrity Century, and were built by Meyer Werft. The two ships have enjoyed a varied history, sailing under a few different names for different fleets. The Mein Schiff 1 started off as the MV Galaxy before becoming the Celebrity Galaxy in 2008. The Mein Schiff 2 was originally named the MV Mercury before being renamed Celebrity Mercury in 2008 and joining TUI Cruises in 2011.
The ships received significant refurbishments and refits when joining the TUI Cruises fleet – fitted with modern amenities and fixtures. Thomson Cruises have not yet confirmed whether they plan to rename the ships when they join their new line, but it is expected they will adopt a moniker following the naming standards of the other ships in the fleet.
Images sourced By Rainer Lippert (Own work) and Ivan T. (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons via Wikimedia Commons
