Photo: Bahnfrend — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Formerly: Later Mein Schiff 1 (TUI Cruises)
Celebrity Galaxy was the second ship of Celebrity Cruises' Century class, built by Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany, in 1996 at a cost of about US$320 million and originally named simply Galaxy. Carrying around 1,800 guests, she shared the refined premium character of her class lead, combining elegant interiors with the strong dining and service that defined Celebrity in the 1990s. Meyer Werft's precise German engineering gave the Century ships a solid, well-finished reputation that helped them endure long careers under multiple owners.
After years of service with Celebrity, Galaxy embarked on a second life with TUI. In 2009 she was transferred to the German travel giant and entered service with its Mein Schiff brand, sailing as Mein Schiff and later Mein Schiff 1 as TUI built up its own cruise fleet for the German-speaking market.
Her career continued to evolve within the TUI group. Since 2018 she has operated for the British-oriented Marella Cruises line, TUI's other cruise brand, under the name Marella Explorer.
The successive moves and renamings, from Galaxy to Mein Schiff to Marella Explorer, traced the growth of TUI's cruise ambitions across two distinct national markets over a decade and a half. Celebrity Galaxy no longer sails for Celebrity Cruises. Registered during her Celebrity years at Valletta, Malta, she currently cruises the West Mediterranean as Marella Explorer, remaining in active service and demonstrating the longevity that the well-built Century class has enjoyed across a succession of European operators.
Specifications
| Status | Transferred |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 1996 |
| Retired | 2009 |
| Cruise line | Celebrity Cruises |
| Class | Century class |
| Gross tonnage | 77,713 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 1,870 |
| Length | 264 m (866 ft) |
| Beam | 32 m (105 ft) moulded |
| Shipyard | Meyer Werft (Papenburg, Germany) |
| Build cost | ≈ US$320 million |
| Port of registry | Valletta, Malta |
| IMO number | 9106297 |
| Call sign | 9HJH9 |
| Home port | Palma de Mallorca |
| Region | West Mediterranean |
About the Century class class
Retired 1990s mid-size ships; two were transferred to TUI Cruises as the first Mein Schiff vessels.
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).
Sister brands: Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Loyalty status match - members keep an equivalent tier across the group's brands:
- Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Captain's Club (Celebrity Cruises)
One-for-one tier status match across Royal Caribbean Group brands: Gold <-> Classic, Platinum/Emerald <-> Select, Diamond <-> Elite, Diamond Plus <-> Elite Plus, Pinnacle Club <-> Zenith. - Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Venetian Society (Silversea Cruises)
One-for-one status match with Silversea Venetian Society: Gold <-> 1 day, Platinum/Emerald <-> 100 days, Diamond <-> 250 days, Diamond Plus <-> 350 days, Pinnacle Club <-> 500 days.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Photograph by Bahnfrend (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons - Primary ship photograph