MV Marella Explorer
ex Mein Schiff I, Mein Schiff, Celebrity Galaxy, Galaxy
Marella Explorer © Gena Anfimov (Klaipeda, 30/07/2019)
Steel twin screw “Century Class” motor vessel built in 1996 by Jos L Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany (Yard No 638) as a Passenger (Cruise) Ship for Celebrity Cruises
- Original Cost: $320 million
- Length on deck: 262.90 m (overall)
- Breadth of hull: 32.23m
- Depth: 10.50m
- Draught: 8.50m (Summer)
- Tonnage: 76998 gross/6,500 deadweight
- Engines: Two 9L48/60 9-cylinder and two 6L48/60 6-cylinder, MAN B&W diesels
- Propulsion/Propellers: 37130 KW/2
- Speed: 21.5 knots (Max)
- Capacity: 1896 passengers/2114
- Crew: 909, 780, 838
- Passenger Decks: 10
- Call Sign: ELTJ7, C6FU6, 9HJH9
- MMSI Number: 249051000
- IMO Number: 9106297
- Registry: Monrovia/Liberia 🇱🇷, Panama City/Panama 🇵🇦, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Valletta/Malta 🇲🇹
- Sister Ship: Marella Explorer 2
Current AIS Location
Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.
History
May 25th 1995: Keel struck.
May 1996: Launched.
October 10th 1996: Completed.
October 26th 1996: First sea trials.
Galaxy © Simonwp (Hamburg 01/11/1996)
1996: Delivered to Celebrity Cruises Inc, Monrovia, Liberia (Esker Marine Shipping).
December 21st 1996: Maiden cruise from Port Everglades.
1997: (Summer months) Cruising from Vancouver to Alaska.
2001: (Summer months) European cruises.
June 2nd 2001: Ran aground outside Ijmuiden. Damaged her propeller and went to Blohm + Voss, Hamburg for repairs.
June 16th 2001: Back in service.
Galaxy © Aleksi Lindström (25/06/2007)
February 2008: Renamed CELEBRITY GALAXY.
Celebrity Galaxy © Cees Bustraan (Willemstad, 17/01/2008)
Celebrity Galaxy © Manuel Hernández Lafuente (Entering to Valencia Port, 15/05/2008)
April 2009: Sold to Mein Schiff Ltd, Valletta, Malta (TUI Cruises GmbH). Rebuilt at Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Mein Schiff © Simonwp (Kiel, 01/05/2009)
May 15th 2009: Renamed MEIN SCHIFF.
Mein Schiff © Wolfgang Fricke (Kiel, 27/06/2009)
May 23rd 2009: Maiden cruise from Kiel to the Baltic Sea.
Mein Schiff © John Mavin (Dover, 02/05/2010)
November 2010: Renamed MEIN SCHIFF 1 .
Mein Schiff 1 © Gerolf Drebes (Trondheim, 26/07/2016)
April 16th 2018: Arrived at Cadiz Shipyard, Spain for 4-week, multi-million-pound makeover.
May 2018: Renamed MARELLA EXPLORER .
May 2018: Commenced cruising for Marella Cruises'(Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd) (TUI UK).
Marella Explorer © Gena Anfimov (Klaipeda, 30/07/2019)
July 2020: Anchored in Weymouth Bay, UK owing to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
April 16th 2021: Announcement from the Port Of Dover:
“The Marella Explorer will call at Dover as part of its new domestic cruises, which are “perfect for those looking to explore via sea the history and culture of some amazing British cities and towns.”
“The Marella Explorer will sail seven new UK itineraries during the summer 2021 season.”
Source: Port of Dover
June 26th 2021: Called at Dover.
Marella Explorer (Dover, 26/06/2021) © Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping)
June 29th 2021: Called at Dover.
Marella Explorer (Dover, 29/06/2021) © Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping)
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Gena Anfimov, Cees Bustraan, Gerolf Drebes, Wolfgang Fricke, Manuel Hernández Lafuente, Aleksi Lindström, John Mavin, Nigel Scutt (Dover Strait Shipping) and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
