Cruise

What is the Marella Explorer 2 cruise ship and when does it visit Gibraltar?

Short answer

Marella Explorer 2 is a 1,814-passenger Marella Cruises ship, built in Germany in 1995, that spends summer 2027 sailing from Malaga. Its upcoming visits to Gibraltar, with times and expected passengers, are listed on this page.

Upcoming visits to Gibraltar

  • Tuesday 4 May 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 6 May 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 20 May 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Thursday 27 May 2027, in port 08:00–15:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Thursday 3 June 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Tuesday 22 June 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 1 July 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Tuesday 20 July 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 29 July 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Tuesday 10 August 2027, in port 12:00–19:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Britannia. Combined: about 6,138 passengers where known.

  • Thursday 12 August 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Norwegian Dawn. Combined: about 4,154 passengers where known.

  • Tuesday 31 August 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Tuesday 14 September 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Celebrity Apex. Combined: about 4,748 passengers where known.

  • Tuesday 21 September 2027, in port 12:00–19:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

    Also in port: Spirit of Adventure.

  • Thursday 23 September 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 7 October 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Thursday 21 October 2027, in port 09:00–18:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

  • Saturday 13 November 2027, in port 09:00–17:00, about 1,814 passengers expected

Plan your shore day in Gibraltar

From the Port of Gibraltar schedule, last checked 6 November 2026.

Detailed answer

Marella Explorer 2 was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and made its first voyage on Wednesday 20 December 1995 as Century for Celebrity Cruises. It later sailed as Celebrity Century and, in China, as SkySea Golden Era. After a refit in Cadiz it began sailing for Marella Cruises, the UK cruise brand of TUI, in April 2019. Wikipedia gives a gross tonnage of 71,545, a length of 248 metres, 1,814 passengers and a crew of 843. CruiseMapper lists 907 cabins and 13 decks. The Indigo bar is the ship's social hub, and dining options include the Surf and Turf restaurant and the Hot Stone Grill.

How busy will town be?

The upcoming visits listed on this page show the passengers expected on each call and any other ships in port the same day. Town is busiest when several ships are in at once or a large ship arrives at a weekend. A ship carrying a few hundred passengers makes little difference on its own.

Can you sail on it from nearby?

Yes, from Malaga. The ship arrives on a 13-night crossing from Barbados that leaves Bridgetown on Thursday 22 April 2027, calls at Gibraltar on Tuesday 4 May 2027 and ends in Malaga on Wednesday 5 May 2027. Through the summer it sails seven-night round trips from Malaga. The Iberian Treasures route calls at Gibraltar the morning after leaving Malaga, then Porto, Lisbon, Cadiz and Tangier. The Spanish Sights route calls at Palma, Palamos, Castellon and Cartagena and ends with an afternoon in Gibraltar, as on Tuesday 10 August 2027. The season ends with a 13-night crossing that leaves Malaga on Friday 12 November 2027, calls at Gibraltar the next day and reaches Barbados on Thursday 25 November 2027.

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