Meet Brand New Ship Marella Voyager - Highlights
Marella Voyager
All you need to know
Save the date! 3 June 2023. This is the day that new ship Marella Voyager joins the Marella Cruises fleet.
New for 2023, Marella Cruises is welcoming their fifth addition to the fleet. The new ship is to be named Marella Voyager, and she will be making her debut in June 2023. Whilst Voyager is new to the brand, she is not, in fact, a new build. So what do we know about the new kid on the Marella block?
Note: At time of writing, Marella Voyager has yet to go into dry dock for her glow up so images are representative only. I will add new photos once available.
What was Marella Voyager Previously? A Potted History
Is Marella Voyager a New Ship? What was Marella Voyager called before? Let me give you a brief history of Marella’s new ship. The ship was originally built in 1997 for Celebrity Cruises as ‘MV Mercury’ and later renamed ‘Celebrity Mercury’ in 2008. In 2011 she joined the TUI Cruises fleet in a joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises, when she was renamed Mein Schiff 2. In January 2019 the ship was renamed and operated as Mein Schiff Herz. The ship will continue to sail as Mein Schiff Herz until 6 April 2023, when she will be transferred to Marella Cruises and enters dry dock before commencing service with Marella on 3 June 2023.
What do we Know About Marella Voyager?
‘Good things come in small packages’ so the old adage goes, and Marella Voyager is proof of this. Whilst not the biggest cruise ship on the high seas, Marella Voyager knows how to pack a lot in. With an unbelievable sixteen restaurants, ten bars, a theatre, a cinema, kids clubs and much, much more, Marella Voyager is a cruise force to be reckoned with. Oh and did I mention? Marella Cruises (and therefore Marella Voyager) are all-inclusive!
Fast Facts
Built: 1997 (Refitted 2023)
Shipbuilder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg
Class: Century Class
Sister Ship: Marella Explorer (formerly Celebrity Galaxy)
Number of decks: 13 Decks (six accommodation decks)
Number of cabins: 952
Passengers: 1912-2669 guests
Crew: 909
Gross Tonnage: 77302 gt
Length: 264 m/866 ft
Beam width): 32 m/105 ft
Restaurants: 16
Bars: 10
Lifts: 10
Marella Voyager Deck Plans
You can view Marella Voyager deck plans in my related post. Interactive deck plans are available on the Marella Cruises site.
Marella Voyager Cabins
Example of an outside cabin on Marella Voyager (for illustration only) Image: Marella Cruises
Example of a family inside cabin on Marella Voyager (for illustration only) Image: Marella Cruises
There are 952 cabins on Marella Voyager including a mix of Solo Cabins, Inside Cabins, Outside Cabins, Balcony Cabins, and Suites.
Each cabin on Marella Voyager has the following amenities: Air-conditioning, hairdryer, flatscreen TV, Wardrobe space,Tea and coffee-making facilities and a safe.
Suites also benefit from Premier Service which includes some or all of these perks:
Priority check-in
Continental Breakfast in bed (one per person, per week),
Complimentary pressing (only during the first 24 hours on the ship, 3 items per person limit),
Concierge service for dining/tours reservations. (Suite Guests).
For more detail see my Marella Voyager Cabin and Deck Plans posts
What is Included on Marella Voyager?
A Marella Cruise represents such great value with so much included in the price. All Marella Cruises are all-inclusive and so include the following as standard within their cruise fare:
Flights to/from embarkation point
24-hour food and snacks on the ship
100+ brand beverages and cocktails (excepting premium brand liquors)
supervised facilities and themed entertainment for children and teens
complimentary Gym and wellness courses
onboard entertainment (shows, concerts, theatrical and musical performances)
gratuities (all onboard tips).
Marella Voyager Restaurants
Cruise dining is having a revamp on Marella Voyager, with some brand new options for you to enjoy, as well as established favourites. There are in fact a whopping 16 restaurants on Marella Voyager, catering for all tastes and appetites. These include:
NEW! Abuela's (Authentic Mexican - Deck 11)
NEW! Platter (Deli Grazing Boards - Deck 7)
NEW! The Kitchens (Food Court with various outlets - Deck 11
Snack Shack (Pool Snacks and Grab & Go - Deck 11)
Vista’s (Italian Restaurant - Evenings only Deck 5)
Surf & Turf (Steak & Seafood Grill - Deck 7)
Latitude 53 (Main Dining Room - Decks 5 & 6)
Nonna’s (Pizza - Deck 11)
Silver Fork (Speciality Restaurant Contemporary British - Deck 5)
Kora La (Pan-Asian Restaurant - Deck 7)
For full details see my related post: Restaurants on Marella Voyager
Marella Voyager Bars
With ten bars onboard Marella Voyager, you aren’t going to go thirsty. If you want to plan a bar crawl, here are your options:
Squid & Anchor (Deck 7)
NEW! The Exchange (Deck 8)
Flutes (Deck 5)
The Shack (Deck 12)
Electric Rooms Bar (Deck 12)
NEW! The Arts House (Deck 6)
Broadway Show Lounge (Decks 6 & 7)
Aperitif (Deck 7)
Atrium Bar
NEW! The Summer House (Deck 11)
Marella Voyager Entertainment
A question I am often asked is “Won’t I be bored on a cruise?” Well the answer is a resounding NO, and especially not on Marella Voyager. With sixteen restaurants and ten bars, including a traditional British pub hosting quizzes and games, a cinema, a theatre with big production shows with two shows per night, not to mention the casino, there is absolutely no time to get bored; in fact you will wonder how you will manage to fit it all in.
What Other Facilities are Onboard Marella Voyager?
Apart from the dining, bars and entertainment discussed above, what other ship facilities can you expect onboard Marella Voyager? Well for a touch of adult-only indulgence, there is The Verandah sunbathing area offering luxurious sunbeds and (for a fee) cabanas, or why not visit the Spa & Beauty Salon? For the more active, there is mini golf, a jogging track or you could work off those meals in the Gym. Of course no cruise would be complete without a swimming pool and whirlpools. Travelling with children? Then you will definitely want to explore the kids pool plus M Club and Mini M Club which are the onboard kids clubs. In fact there is so much to do onboard, that you may even decide to cut down your time ashore.
What is the Dress Code on Marella Voyager?
Daytime is beach casual (although no barefeet, bare chests or swimwear in the restaurants. Evenings is smart casual, so smart trousers or jeans, open neck shirts/polo shirts or T Shirts, dresses, jumpsuits or separates. On “Dress to Impress” night, as the name suggests, the dress code is more formal (smart trousers, jackets, suits, cocktail or smart dresses, evening chic separates etc,). However feel free to dress up to the nines in Dinner Suits and long dresses if you fancy (although this is of course optional).
Marella Voyager’s Itineraries
Where will Marella Voyager home port and what itineraries will she sail? From June - September 2023 Marella Voyager will be berthed in Palma, Majorca. From Palma she will be sailing a 7 night “Mediterranean Secrets” itinerary alternating with a 7 night “Highlights of the Mediterranean” voyage, 7 night “Magin of Spain” and 7 night “Cosmopolitan Classics” itineraries. In November Marella Voyager heads to the sun in the Caribbean for a mix of 7 and 10 night tropical itineraries including “Paradise Islands”, “Tropical Delights” and “A Taste of the Tropics”, before returning to the Med in April 2024.
Where is Marella Voyager now?
Currently at time of writing (January 2023) the position shows Marella Voyager’s alter Ego, Mein Schiff Herz. However, it does mean you can follow her progress until she finally debuts as Marella Voyager in June 2023: Current Position
Visit my Marella Cruises page to keep up to date with all the news
Check out my guides to Marella Voyager Restaurants and Marella Voyager Cabins