There’s something particularly satisfying about time-lapse videos, especially when it’s a cruise ship under construction or undergoing a refit, and we love the new video of Marella Explorer 2 from Marella Cruises.
The ship was transferred to the Marella fleet in late 2018 after several years sailing as SkySea Golden Era for SkySea Cruises (both SkySea and Marella are part of the Royal Caribbean Cruises group of cruise brands) and underwent a major refurbishment in Cadiz, Spain before re-launching as the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 in April this year.
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The entire ship has been transformed from bow-to-stern, the video only shows the changes made to her exterior, with the new livery of the British cruise line Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises), but keep reading to find out all about the changes made to the interior of the ship.
The new casino bar aboard Marella Explorer 2
Marella Explorer 2, which sailed as Celebrity Century before she was transferred to SkySea Cruises, has received a new Champneys Spa, a chic new bar casino space, new restaurants, an open-air swimming pool, Broadway show lounge, and mini golf, according to Cruise Hive.
The new Flutes champagne bar aboard Marella Explorer 2
There’ll also be a new clubhouse bar, the 19th hole, with quirky golf buggy-seating and two golf simulators, serving up golf themed cocktails and craft beers. The sophisticated champagne bar Flutes will offer a range of ‘bubbles’ from prosecco and champagne to exclusive wines nearby to Nonna’s, a traditional Italian trattoria offering traditional pizza and pasta.
Up top, The Beach Cove adjacent the main pool area will offer barbecue inspired food with an on the beach al fresco dining feel.
The Beach Cove up on the pool deck aboard Marella Explorer 2
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Some 1,520 people from sub-contractors, the shipyard and the Marella Cruises staff have put 190,000 man-hours into the ship’s transformation, which required 43sq km of carpet, 70km of network cabling and 640 Wi-Fi access points.
Tens of thousands of liters of paint, 2.9km of bathroom trims and several miles of fabric were also used in the refurbishment.
At 265.5-metres and with a passenger capacity of 1,814, Marella Explorer 2 will join sister ship Marella Explorer in the Marella Cruises fleet, increasing the line’s total fleet size to six, the most ships it has ever had dedicated to the British cruise market.
Marella Explorer 2, Marella Explorer and Marella Discovery and Discovery 2 were all recently added to the fleet from Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean, marking a huge upgrade to Marella’s cruise offering.
Explorer 2 for example has 907 cabins, nearly 40% with balconies, and spans 14 decks, with nine dining options and ten bars. Marella Cruises has confirmed that its two oldest cruise ships Marella Dream and Marella Celebration, will be retired from the fleet in the coming five years as the cruise line revamps its cruise offering.
Marella Explorer 2 is cruising in the Mediterranean until November 17th, 2019 when she will reposition to Barbados and cruise roundtrip in the Caribbean until May, 2020 when she will head to the UK sailing out of Newcastle Upon Tyne and Southampton.
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