MS Marella Celebration

Marella Celebration docked in Argostoli, Kefalonia
History
Name:
  • 1984–2005: Noordam
  • 2005-2017: Thomson Celebration
  • 2017-present: Marella Celebration
Owner: 1984–present: Holland America Line
Operator:
Port of registry:
Builder: Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Yard number: X27[1]
Launched: 21 May 1983[1]
Christened: by Mrs Beatrijs van De Wallbake[4]
In service: 8 Apr 1984 – present
Identification:
Status: in service
General characteristics
Type: Cruise ship
Tonnage:
Length: 214.66 m (704.27 ft)[3]
Beam: 27.26 m (89.44 ft)[3]
Draught: 7.50 m (24.61 ft)[1]
Decks: 9
Installed power:
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[3] (other sources claim 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph))[1]
Capacity: 1,254 passengers[3] (1,350 maximum)[6]
Crew: 520 crew[3]

MS Marella Celebration is a cruise ship owned by Holland America Line, under long-term charter to the United Kingdom-based Marella Cruises. She was built in 1984 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France for Holland America Line as MS Noordam.

Following the announcement on the 9th October 2017, that Thomson Cruises would be renamed Marella Cruises, TUI Group also announced that Thomson Celebration would adopt the name Marella Celebration at the end of October 2017.

History

Thomson Celebration as Noordam.

The Marella Celebration was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 1984 for Holland America Line as MS Noordam at a cost of $160million, and the third Holland America Line vessel to bear the name.[7] Her sister ship, the Thomson Spirit, was originally the Holland America ship MS Nieuw Amsterdam (1983). In 2005, a replacement, the fourth Noordam, was ordered from Fincantieri shipyards in Italy. After its last sailing with Holland America Line, the ship was taken out of service, chartered to Thomson Cruises and rechristened as the Thomson Celebration.[1] She was originally furnished with a $1million art collection, some of which, including a 17th-century Oriental screen at the entrance to the Horizons bar on Deck 9, can still be found on board.[7]

Marella Celebration received a refurbishment in December 2013 (including 20 cabins with balconies on Deck 9, and the installation of The Coffee Port and Explorers' Lounge on Deck 5) carried out by Blohm + Voss and was introduced into the new Platinum collection of cruises.[8]

Media attention

On 29 January 2014, an elderly couple travelling on Thomson Celebration claimed they had been attacked and injured by a fellow passenger who accused them of "snubbing him" at dinner,[9] leaving the woman with a fractured spine and shoulder injury and her husband with serious facial injuries.[10] At his trial in April 2015 gas worker Graeme Finlay (aged 53), from Glasgow denied the charges, stating he had acted in self-defence after being struck with a sharp object following an altercation with the couple.[11][12] He was cleared of all charges by a jury on 23 April 2015.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fakta om Fartyg: MS Noordam (1984) (in Swedish), retrieved December 8, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Faergelejet – Noordam (in Danish), retrieved May 20, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomson Cruises – Vital statistics for Thomson Celebration, retrieved May 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ Ward, Douglas (1995). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Oxford: Berlitz. ISBN 2-8315-1327-8.
  5. ↑ fleet online, GL-Reg-No : 142168 - IMO-No : 8027298
  6. ↑ Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 615–616. ISBN 981-246-739-4.
  7. 1 2 'Life Onboard' brochure - published by Thomson Cruises - pg 10
  8. ↑ 'Multi-million pound investment sees Thomson Cruises go platinum' - Travel Weekly - accessed 4 April 2012
  9. ↑ Elderly couple 'battered unconscious on luxury cruise after snubbing man at dinner' Daily Mirror 21 April 2015
  10. ↑ 'Elderly Teesside couple seriously injured after brutal attack on luxury cruise' - Gazette Live - 13 February 2014
  11. ↑ 'Man accused of assault on luxury cruise liner' - The Northern Echo - 4 February 2015
  12. ↑ 'Scot denies attacking elderly couple on board luxury cruise ship' - Daily Record - 4 February 2015
  13. ↑ 'Man cleared of attacking pensioners on cruise ship' - Southern Daily Echo 23 April 2015
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