As a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and German tourism company TUI AG this two vessels where transferred to this German operator and they are no longer part of the Celebrity fleet. Galaxy was first ship that was re-branded in Mein Schiff in May 2009. The Mercury is second ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet to join the German cruise line and the new name of the ship is Mein Schiff 2.

TUI Cruises CEO Richard Vogel said in a statement that the cruise brand, "has firmly established its place in the German market, and now, it is time to broaden and further develop the concept. ... We look forward to growing it further, with our expanded fleet and our unique 'premium all-inclusive' concept."

Celebrity CEO Dan Hanrahan noted in a statement that the Mercury would offer the same "impeccable service our brand is known for right up until the ship transitions to TUI Cruises."

He also spoke to the fate of the Mercury's crew, which he said would be absorbed by Celebrity's rapid growth, with the fourth member of the five-ship Solstice Class, the Celebrity Silhouette, set to debut in July 2011.