Marella Explorer, the latest addition to the Marella Cruises fleet, is now on the blocks in Cadiz, Spain as the refurbishment process begins.
The ship is due to depart from Cadiz on May 13th before embarking on her first customer sailing around the Mediterranean, leaving from Palma, Majorca on May 19th.
With just a four-week stint in dry dock before she takes to the seas, around 1,600 people, from partners, contractors and the Marella Cruises team, will provide over 200,000-man hours to deliver a dramatic multi-million-pound makeover.
A total of 45 square kilometres of carpet will be laid, along with over 60 kilometres of data cabling and 650 Wi-Fi access points.
Some ten tonnes of Marella-branded items, including uniform and 1,000 show team costumes are already en-route to Spain.
Not to mention the tens of thousands of litres of paint, three kilometres of bathroom trims and mile-upon-mile of fabric that go into giving a 76,988 GRT ship a facelift.
At 265.5 meters long and 32.2 meters wide Marella Explorer is the biggest ship to be welcomed into the Marella Cruises fleet.
The 1,924-capacity ship (double occupancy) boasts 962 cabins, nearly 40 per cent with balconies, and spans 13 decks.
Entering the fleet as Marella Cruises’ biggest ship yet, Marella Explorer is getting the full top-to-bottom treatment.
Marella Cruises have also announced their chosen godmothers today, recognising two outstanding employees who have contributed significantly to Marella Cruises.
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.
It’s tradition for Marella Cruises to invite team members to become godmothers, which illustrates how integral their staff and crew are to the service excellence they continue to demonstrate.