TUI Cruises to Fork Over $62 Million on Ship Refit

The Celebrity Galaxy will be refitted in March and will leave drydock as TUI Cruises’ first ship. TUI Cruises, a joint venture of German travel giant TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., will spend about $62 million converting the Galaxy. Lloyd Shipyards in Bremerhaven, Germany, has been awarded the contract to refit the ship.

A greater number of outside cabins will get balconies, new restaurants will be added and the spa area will be modernized. Upon completion of the work, the ship will have 974 cabins. Of the 653 outside cabins, about 430 of them will have a veranda or balcony.

Also, the pool deck and casino will undergo renovations and the fitness center will be expanded. The ship will be christened in Hamburg on May 15, and will depart on its maiden voyage, a Baltic cruise, on May 23. TUI Cruises will cater to the German market. TUI Cruises has not revealed the name of the refitted ship.