Note: This post is sponsored by Marella Cruises, all thoughts and opinions are my own and this post is based on my own cruises sailing on each ship.
The British cruise line Marella has a fleet of five ships that previously sailed for other, larger cruise lines.
When Marella took on these ships, they made some alterations to the layout to make them better suited to the British cruising public.
In this article, we look at the changes they made, and why they needed to make them.
Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 – Previously Royal Caribbean Ships
- Marella Discovery was built in 1996 as Splendour of the Seas
- Marella Discovery 2 was built in 1995 as Legend of the Seas.
When Marella bought these two ships they were given a modern new look and feel, both sporting the distinctive Marella Cruises blue and white wave design on their hulls.
New features were added, including speciality restaurants, several new bars and they also redesigned some public spaces.
The cabin decor was updated, and the overall feel of the ships are bright modern, clean and comfortable.
Main Changes Made on Both Ships
Both ships had the conference center on Deck 3 removed, replaced by something far more fun!
Marella Discovery 2 has an immersive gaming room , while Marella Discovery has an escape room.
Gamer Zone can be found on Deck 10 – next to the Hideout – or on Deck 8 on Marella Explorer.
They also both have photography studios, where passengers can work with the Ships Photographer to get photographs to commemorate their trip.
The casinos on both ships were made far smaller. Casinos were more popular with American passengers, so the space could be used far more effectively for British guests.
By refurbishing the large, dark casinos, they made room for their Live Room and Live Casino where you can listen to live music in a stylish space – they have a bright-yellow piano and the bar is colour-changing!
The Top Hat lounges which were cabaret-style venues on Royal Caribbean have become traditional British pubs. The pubs on Marella ships are all called the “Squid & Anchor.”
The ships used to have large photo galleries and a small cafe. This space has been combined to create a larger area which now holds The Coffee Port, a café which spans the entire width of each ship.
The sports court on Deck 9 has been replaced by The Veranda – a quiet seating area.
Marella has added their “Snack Shack” venue with distinctive eating areas around the pools.
Where Royal Caribbean had their speciality restaurants on Deck 11, these have been changed to Marella’s own speciality restaurants – Surf & Turf Steakhouse and Kora La – as well as a bar area, Bar Eleven.
Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2 – Previously Celebrity Cruises Ships
- Marella Explorer was built in 1996 as Celebrity Galaxy for Celebrity Cruises.
- Marella Explorer 2 was built in 1995 as Celebrity Century for Celebrity Cruises.
The Ex-Celebrity ships Celebrity Century and Celebrity Galaxy received similar design changes as the Ex-Royal Caribbean ships.
Both now have the distinctive Marella Cruises blue and white wave design on their hulls, and they were refurbished to a high standard.
Again, new features were added to the ships. Marella’s speciality restaurants were included, new bars were added, and some public spaces were redesigned.
Marella Explorer 2
Main Changes on Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2
The “Michaels Club” areas – bars exclusive for suite passengers on older Celebrity ships – were replaced.
On Marella Explorer, this area became The Coffee Port. On Marella Explorer 2 the area became a Golf-themed bar known as The 19th Hole. It has golf simulators and even golf buggy seating!
They serve a range of cocktails in The 19th Hole at a small additional charge to those not on the Premium All Inclusive package.
On Deck 7 of Marella Explorer they have replaced the large casino and art gallery area with speciality dining restaurants, Umi Sushi, Kora La and Surf & Turf Steakhouse.
On Deck 7 of Marella Explorer 2 the large casino has been replaced with The Coffee Port – a large café area.
On deck 8 of Marella Explorer, they have added in the Gamer Zone, where a shop once was. And on both ships, the pool area has had their signature Snack Shack venue added – with distinctive “beach hut”-inspired eating areas.
On Deck 7 Marella’s traditional pub, the Squid & Anchor ,replaces the Crystal Room lounge on Celebrity Century and The Savoy nightclub on Celebrity Mercury.
On Marella Explorer 2 , The Veranda Cabanas have been added which can be hired at an extra cost.
Marella Voyager – Previously Celebrity Cruises MV Mercury & Mein Schiff 2 for TUI Cruises.
- Marella Voyager was built in 1997 for Celebrity Cruises as MV Mercury – later becoming Mein Schiff 2 for TUI Cruises.
Marella made very similar design choices when they added Marella Voyager to the fleet in 2023. Clearly, their design plans had worked well on the previous four ships.
Mein Schiff 2 became Marella Voyager Marella Voyager – Image Marella Cruises
What was an outdated “Internet station” on Deck 5 is now the Silver Fork speciality restaurant.
The conference center has become the Gamer Zone and The Coffee Port has replaced a smaller cafe and photo gallery.
On Deck 7 Fortunes Casino has been replaced by speciality restaurants Kora La, and Surf & Turf Steakhouse as well as Aperitif bar.
Further back on Deck 7 the traditional Marella pub, the Squid & Anchor has replaced what used to be The Pavilion nightclub.
The Squid & Anchor pub is a very popular choice for those on a Marella cruise
Michael’s Club (the Celebrity bar for suite guests) and a card room around the Atrium area have become The Exchange. This is a new exciting, Speakeasy-themed bar – with a twist.
The Exchange is an adults-only venue which is entered through a pair of classic English red telephone boxes. Once inside the phone boxes you have to dial a specific number, you are then asked some very strange questions and then you must give a secret password to get in. All the details you need are delivered to your cabin just a couple of hours before your visit to the Exchange!
Paul And Carole Love To Travel
At the back of Deck 11 on Marella Voyager there are some more restaurants, such as Nonna’s (Pizza and Pasta) and Abuela’s (Mexican) which you can visit at no extra charge. This used to be the Palm Springs cafe, the buffet area on the Celebrity ship.
A small casino, bar and club is now on Deck 12. This area used to be The Navigators Club bar when the ship sailed for Celebrity.
Why Have Marella Made These Changes?
It would seem clear that as the majority of passengers sailing with Marella are British, the cruise ship has been designed to suit British tastes.
Although casinos are very popular with an American cruise audience, British people seem less likely to spend their time in them. It therefore makes sense to make casinos onboard Marella’s ships smaller, and use the area for something more suited to the customer .
A much smaller Casino area was created on Marella Explorer 2.
Clearly, a British cruiser appreciates a traditional British pub – hence why the Squid & Anchor is available on all Marella ships.
It is also interesting to note that British cruisers spend more time in a cafe, drinking tea and coffee and eating cakes and cookies. The Coffee Port venue across the Marella Cruises fleet are far larger than the original cafe areas on the ship.
Conference centers have been done away with, often replaced by more fun features like an escape room, an immersive game room and the Gamer Zone.
The Running Track on Marella Explorer 2 has been moved to make way for an area where you can hire a Cabana and enjoy the sunshine. This is a good use of space for the cruise line, providing guests with a quiet space to themselves.
I have loved all of my cruises on Marella ships, they suit me very well. Marella has clearly researched and know exactly who their target audience are!
Their cruise fares include flights, transfers and drinks, making a Marella cruise a truly inclusive experience. There is no need to worry about tips or service charges – that is also included in the cruise fare!
Before You Go
Compare the size, and age of Marella’s fleet in the article below:
Marella Cruises, Ships by Size – Photo Guide and Reviews
Learn the top 7 reasons to take a cruise with Marella here: