Celebrity Cruises recently acquired tour operator Ocean Adventures and its two ships, the 48-guest ship M/V Eclipse and the 16-guest catamaran M/C Athala II. This will now help Celebrity Cruises’ Galapagos itinerary, which had 100-guest Celebrity Xpedition in the region for more than a decade.

The benefit for cruisers travelling to Galapagos is the option to select a cruise ship according to their personal needs. There will be opportunities of regular cruises and group bookings providing a modern luxury experience.

“Our guests use the most amazing words to describe their journeys to the Galapágos Islands, said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President & CEO, Celebrity Cruises.

“They tell us the experience is ‘once in a lifetime,’ ‘awe-inspiring,’ even ‘life-changing.’  That’s why we’ve made Celebrity Xpedition such a special experience, and why we are thrilled to expand our Galápagos program with these two intimate ships. We want to make more lifetime memories.”

The new ships also make possible distinctive itineraries that feature an expanded list of destinations for Celebrity – like Puerto Villamil, Darwin Bay, Black Turtle Cove, Chinese Hat Islet and Wall of Tears.

Guests can choose from a number of immersive explorations of the local culture, including local hotel stays, encounters with local residents, and unique tours. The fleet expansion also allows Celebrity’s guests to take advantage of new packages that celebrate the most breathtaking spots in Ecuador – such as the Andes Mountains – and Peru, where Machu Picchu and Amazon packages are enduringly popular.

The two ships join Celebrity Cruises fleet in Autumn 2016.