Marella Explorer
Marella Explorer is a Century-class cruise ship operated by Marella Cruises.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Marella Explorer is a Century-class cruise ship that has operated under several names and within multiple cruise businesses since entering service in 1996. The vessel was constructed by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, for Celebrity Cruises, which initially named her Galaxy. She was developed as a modified and lengthened version of the Century design, with a hull approximately 15.4 metres longer than the first ship in the class. The additional space enabled changes to the galley and pantry areas and allowed the inclusion of extra public facilities, including an additional bar, lounge seating and a sushi bar. The ship entered commercial service on 21 December 1996 with a Caribbean itinerary from Port Everglades. During her Celebrity Cruises career, she operated week-long Caribbean voyages and later spent several summer seasons cruising to Alaska from Vancouver. From 2001 onward, she was deployed more extensively in European waters, including the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, and during some seasons operated longer Caribbean itineraries from Baltimore. She also made transatlantic repositioning voyages between European and Caribbean cruising seasons. In June 2001, while leaving Amsterdam in severe weather, the ship touched bottom near IJmuiden and damaged all four blades of her port-side propeller. The cancelled voyage was followed by repairs at Blohm + Voss in Hamburg. Replacement blades were sourced partly from her sister ship Mercury, allowing the vessel to return to service on 16 June 2001. In 2008, the ship adopted the name Celebrity Galaxy as part of Celebrity Cruises' naming policy. The ship moved into the German-market fleet of TUI Cruises in 2009, following the withdrawal of Celebrity Galaxy from Celebrity Cruises. At Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, she received a reported €50 million modernization that included refreshed cabins and public areas and the installation of additional balconies on selected outside cabins. She was renamed Mein Schiff in Hamburg on 15 May 2009 and began her TUI Cruises career with a Baltic Sea sailing from Kiel. In November 2010, the name was changed to Mein Schiff 1 as the TUI Cruises fleet expanded. A minor port incident occurred in Bergen, Norway, in August 2014 when the service vessel Princess Marseilles struck Mein Schiff 1. The cruise ship sustained only limited damage. Two months later, a fire in the incinerator area was extinguished by the crew while the vessel was sailing from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca. The ship reached Palma as scheduled, and passenger-facing entertainment was briefly interrupted while the incident was handled. TUI Group later decided to transfer Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 toward the Thomson Cruises fleet as part of a fleet-modernization program. The vessel was ultimately allocated to Marella Cruises, the rebranded successor to Thomson Cruises. Plans announced in 2017 initially referred to a TUI Explorer identity, but the final commercial name became Marella Explorer. The ship underwent a four-week refit in Cádiz, Spain, in 2018, including a broad modernization of its facilities and accommodation. Its principal dining room is designed in an Art Deco style inspired by 1930s ocean liners and can accommodate 1,088 diners in a single seating. The ship's identity is therefore closely associated with fleet renewal, repeated rebranding and adaptation to the changing customer bases of Celebrity Cruises, TUI Cruises and Marella Cruises.
History
Marella Explorer was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg for Celebrity Cruises as the second vessel derived from the Century-class design. Celebrity had originally ordered a new ship that became MV Century and later exercised options for additional ships. The design used for Galaxy differed from Century: the hull was lengthened by approximately 15.4 metres, while the galley and pantry arrangements were redesigned. The extra passenger-space allowance supported an additional bar, lounge seating and a sushi bar in an atrium-like section near the aft elevators. The keel was laid on 25 May 1995. The ship was launched from drydock in May 1996 and delivered to Celebrity Cruises on 10 October 1996. After promotional calls in Southampton and several North American ports, she crossed the Atlantic without passengers and proceeded to Port Everglades. Her first commercial voyage began on 21 December 1996, a week-long Caribbean cruise. Her maiden voyage was later featured in the BBC television series The Cruise, which helped bring passenger-cruise operations to a wider television audience. During the late 1990s, Galaxy operated alternating eastern and western Caribbean cruises with near-sister ship Century. She moved to the west coast of North America for summer Alaska cruises from Vancouver from 1997 through 2000. When the newer GTS Infinity took over the Alaska deployment in 2001, Galaxy shifted toward European itineraries, including Mediterranean and Baltic cruises. That year, a heavy-weather incident near IJmuiden caused serious damage to the port-side propeller. The affected cruise was cancelled, and the ship was repaired at Blohm + Voss in Hamburg. All four blades had to be replaced; blades obtained from sister ship Mercury supplemented the ship's onboard spares. Galaxy resumed service on 16 June 2001. The vessel later operated longer Caribbean voyages from Baltimore and Mediterranean voyages from Civitavecchia, the port serving Rome. Seasonal transatlantic crossings connected these European and Caribbean deployments. In February 2008, the ship became Celebrity Galaxy under Celebrity Cruises' naming convention. Royal Caribbean Cruises, the parent of Celebrity Cruises, announced in 2008 that Celebrity Galaxy would leave Celebrity service and move to TUI Cruises, the joint venture created with TUI AG for the German market. After withdrawal from Celebrity, the ship went to Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven for an extensive reported €50 million refit. The work modernized public spaces and cabins and added balconies to some existing outside cabins. Renamed Mein Schiff in Hamburg on 15 May 2009, she entered TUI Cruises service with a Baltic Sea sailing from Kiel on 23 May. The name became Mein Schiff 1 in November 2010. The TUI Cruises period included both routine itinerary changes and operational incidents. In August 2014, a service vessel hit Mein Schiff 1 in Bergen, but the cruise ship suffered only minor damage. In October of the same year, an incinerator fire occurred while the ship was sailing from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca. The crew quickly contained the fire, the ship arrived at Palma on schedule and passengers remained calm, although a theatre performance was interrupted and an internal fire announcement was briefly audible over the public-address system. In 2015, TUI Group announced plans to move Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 into the Thomson Cruises fleet as part of a modernization strategy. The transfer plan evolved as Thomson Cruises was repositioned under the Marella Cruises name. Announcements in 2017 first referred to the vessel as TUI Explorer and later confirmed Marella Explorer as the final operating name. In 2018, the ship received a four-week refit in Cádiz before joining Marella Cruises. Its onboard offer includes accommodation, restaurants, bars, entertainment and cruise itineraries, while its principal dining room uses an Art Deco aesthetic associated with 1930s ocean liners and seats 1,088 diners in a single seating. The ship's career illustrates how an established cruise vessel can be repeatedly refurbished, renamed and redeployed as ownership structures, market priorities and brand portfolios change.
- 2018
Renamed Marella Explorer after Cádiz refit
[1]A four-week Cádiz modernization preceded the ship's operation under the Marella Explorer name.
- 2017
Marella fleet transfer announced
[1]The ship was designated for transfer toward the Thomson, later Marella, fleet.
- 2010
Renamed Mein Schiff 1
[1]The vessel adopted the numbered name Mein Schiff 1 in November.
- 2009
Joined TUI Cruises as Mein Schiff
[1]After a major Bremerhaven refit, the ship was renamed Mein Schiff and began service for TUI Cruises.
- 2008
Renamed Celebrity Galaxy
[1]Celebrity Cruises changed the vessel's name to Celebrity Galaxy.
- 2001
Propeller damage repaired in Hamburg
[1]After touching bottom near IJmuiden, Galaxy underwent repairs at Blohm + Voss and returned to service on 16 June.
- 1996
Delivered and launched as Galaxy
[1]The ship was launched in May, delivered to Celebrity Cruises on 10 October and entered commercial service on 21 December.
- 1995
Keel laid at Meyer Werft
[1]Construction began at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, on 25 May.
Products and positioning
A multi-market cruise ship positioned for resort-style leisure cruising, combining a mature large-ship platform with refurbished cabins, dining, entertainment and European-focused itineraries.
Cruise ship · 1996
Marella Explorer cruise ship
The vessel's principal offering is the cruise experience itself: passenger accommodation combined with restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and destination itineraries. Across its operating history, it has served Caribbean, Alaska, Mediterranean, Baltic and Northern European markets. Its facilities have been modified through major refits to suit different operators and customer segments.
Onboard dining
Main dining room
The principal dining area is decorated in an Art Deco style influenced by 1930s ocean liners. It can accommodate 1,088 diners at a single seating and forms one of the ship's major hospitality facilities.
Brand decisions
2017
Marella Explorer rebranding and refurbishment planGeneration changeBackground
The vessel was being prepared for deployment under the evolving Thomson Cruises and Marella Cruises portfolio.
Action taken
The company moved from the proposed TUI Explorer name to Marella Explorer and scheduled a shipyard refit in Cádiz.
Aftermath
The ship entered Marella Cruises service under the Marella Explorer name in 2018.
2015
Planned transfer toward the Thomson and Marella fleetStrategyBackground
TUI Group announced that Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 would be moved toward Thomson Cruises as part of a fleet-modernization strategy.
Action taken
The vessel was reassigned from TUI Cruises and prepared for the later Marella Cruises identity.
Aftermath
The ship was ultimately renamed Marella Explorer after a Cádiz refit in 2018.
2008
Transfer from Celebrity Cruises to TUI CruisesStrategyBackground
Celebrity Galaxy was scheduled to leave Celebrity Cruises as its parent company and TUI AG developed the German-market TUI Cruises venture.
Action taken
The ship was withdrawn from Celebrity service, comprehensively refitted in Bremerhaven and renamed Mein Schiff.
Aftermath
The vessel entered TUI Cruises service in May 2009 and later became Mein Schiff 1.
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