Celebrity Cruises has sold the 30,440-ton, 1,106-passenger Meridian to Metro Holdings of Singapore for $62 million.

The Meridian is the former Galileo, which was built in 1963 but extensively rebuilt in 1989.

The sale was brokered by Simsonship of Stockholm.

Metro, which is involved in retailing, property and construction, will be a new player in the rapidly expanding Far Eastern cruise market.

The Meridian will continue to sail her present program until October (1997) and Celebrity said it will shortly be announcing new ship deployments for 1998.

In related news, industry sources speculate that Celebrity is close to announcing a two-ship newbuilding program at Meyer Werft for delivery in 1999 and 2000.