Marella Explorer 2 deck plans

Marella Explorer 2 (1995-built as "Celebrity Century", last refurbished in November 2023) was originally the oldest vessel in the Celebrity Cruises fleet. She is now operated by Marella Cruises (TUI’s UK brand) and belongs to the Century class, with sisterships Marella Explorer (built as "Celebrity Galaxy", formerly "Mein Schiff 1") and Marella Voyager (built as "Celebrity Mercury", formerly "Mein Schiff 2" and "Mein Schiff Herz"). In 2015, Royal Caribbean (RCCL, shipowner) formed a joint venture in China with Ctrip International Ltd under the brand SkySea Cruise Line. The company launched operations with the newly refurbished Celebrity Century, renamed "SkySea Golden Era", which sailed in China until 2018.

The Marella Explorer 2 deck plan shows a total of 907 staterooms for 1,814 passengers (maximum capacity 2,177), served by 860 crew. The vessel has 13 decks (10 accessible to passengers, 6 with cabins), 6 restaurants (including 1 specialty venue), 15 lounges and bars, 2 swimming pools, 4 outdoor whirlpools, and 10 elevators.

Marella Explorer 2 2019 refurbishment review

The drydock conversion of SkySea Golden Era into Marella Explorer 2 was completed at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz, Spain) between January 28 and March 27, 2019. Before that, she underwent general maintenance at COSCO Shipyard (Zhoushan, China) before repositioning via the Suez Canal to Europe (Mediterranean).

The eight-week drydock involved approximately 1,520 workers (contractors, partners, Marella’s crew, and around 300 Trimline specialists) and more than 190,000 man-hours. Works included new carpeting throughout the ship (~43,000 m² / 16 mi² of carpet laid), installation of ~70 km (43.5 mi) of network cabling, 640 Wi-Fi access points, and complete hull and superstructure repainting. The ship was also loaded with 9.5 tons of Marella-branded merchandise, around 1,000 crew uniforms, and new costumes for onboard entertainment shows.

New venues added during the refit included the Clubhouse Bar, 19th Hole (with two golf simulators, buggy-style seating, craft beers, and golf-themed cocktails), Flutes (wine and champagne bar), Nonna’s (Italian trattoria serving pizza and pasta), and The Beach Cove (BBQ restaurant). The Topdeck Veranda (VIP sunbathing area) was doubled in size compared to sistership Marella Explorer. A new cabin category, the Royal Suite (102 m² / 1,100 ft²), was also introduced.

The project, managed by Trimline Ltd (UK-based marine interior refurbishment specialists), included redesign and upgrades of most onboard venues and public spaces such as the Lido Marketplace (buffet restaurant), Indigo Club, both Coffee Ports (now featuring USB charging points), Squid & Anchor Pub, Broadway Show Lounge, Latitude 53 (main restaurant), and Vista Dining Room.

SkySea Golden Era 2017 refurbishment review

On November 16, 2017, SkySea Cruises announced the completion of a drydock renovation (October 25–November 11) at COSCO Shipyard (Zhoushan, China). The project was completed in partnership with CSSC (China State Shipbuilding Corporation) and G-Art (interior design and refurbishment specialists).

• The drydock included routine maintenance and the addition of two new conference halls on decks 7 and 12.
• "SkySea Board Room" (Deck 7) with 50 seats.
• "SkySea Conference Room" (Deck 12) with 100 seats.
• The Grand Restaurant was redesigned with a new Chinese theme.
• A new beauty salon was opened in partnership with PhiSkin. Retail areas were expanded, and a pharmacy was added among the onboard shops.