The move will increase the line’s capacity in the region by 65%.

The 48-guest ship Eclipse and the16-guest catamaran Athala II will join the line’s existing Celebrity Xpedition vessel.

"Our guests use the most amazing words to describe their journeys to the Galapagos Islands," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and chief executive of 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 Galapagos programme with these two intimate ships. We want to make more lifetime memories."

The two vessels will join Celebrity’s fleet in the spring of 2016, pending the completion of the deal.

The ships will then be put into dry dock for a refresh in January 2017.

All existing Ocean Adventures’ bookings and reservation commitments will remain unchanged.

Ben Dod, president of Ocean Adventures, said, “After 16 years of building Ocean Adventures into one of the leading operators in the Galapagos Islands, we are proud to have caught the attention of a world-class cruise company like Celebrity Cruises and proud to be part of their ambitious plans to expand in the region.

"Eclipse and Athala II are the best vessels in their class and we are delighted that both ships will continue to deliver an unequalled level of service and experience to guests.”