Marella Explorer, formerly known as Mein Schiff 1 is undergoing a refit in Cadiz before it departs for Palma on May 13. Explorer will be Marella’s sixth addition to the fleet and will sail its first paying voyage on May 19.
Marella has chosen two Godmothers for Explorer from among its own staff. Hotel operations manager Sue Stewart and Tui retail agent Mandy Galloway have been chosen “for their commitment to and passion for cruise, particularly around their focus and dedication to customer experience”.
The 1,924-passenger vessel is the biggest ship to enter the Marella fleet, with 962 cabins on 13 decks. Nearly 40% of cabins have balconies. Two of the biggest new features will be Indigo - the ship’s new flagship bar, club and casino and the first Champneys Spa at sea.
The spa will feature a full-service thermal suite, treatment suites with their own showers and mini saunas, a Finnish sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, and spa cabanas on an adults-only Veranda.
The four-week dry dock stint involves a workforce of around 1,600 providing more than 200,000 employee hours. They will lay 45 square km of carpet, more than 60km of data cabling and 650 Wi-Fi access points. Ten tonnes of Marella-branded items, including uniforms and 1,000 show team costumes are en-route to Spain.
