MS Marella Dream — BrandWiki

MS Marella Dream

Overview

*1986–1988: Homeric *1988–2002: Westerdam *2002–2010: Costa Europa *2010–2017: Thomson Dream *2017–2021: Marella Dream *2021–2022: Ella

owner	1986–1988: Home Lines 1988–2002: Holland America Line 2002–2010: Costa Crociere‡R1R‡‡R2R‡ 2010–2020: TUI UK Ltd.‡R3R‡ *2020–2022: Rota Shipping, Turkey
operator	1986–1988: Home Lines 1988–2002: Holland America Line 2002–2010: Costa Crociere‡R1R‡ 2010–2017: Thomson Cruises *2017–2020: Marella Cruises
registry	1986–1988: Panama, 🇵🇦 Panama 1988–1996: Nassau, 🇧🇸 Bahamas 1996–2002: Rotterdam, 🇳🇱 Netherlands 2002–2010: Genoa, 🇮🇹 Italy‡R1R‡ 2010–2020: Valletta, 🇲🇹 Malta 2020–2022: Moroni, 🇰🇲 Comoros
builder	Meyer Werft, Papenburg, West Germany
original cost	$150 million‡R4R‡
yard number	610‡R1R‡
launched	28 September 1985‡R1R‡

MS Marella Dream was a cruise ship built in 1986 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, West Germany as Homeric for Home Lines, and their last newbuild to remain in active service. In 1988 she was sold to Holland America Line, renamed Westerdam, and in 1990 lengthened by 36.9 m at Meyer Werft. In 2002 she was transferred to the fleet of Costa Cruises and renamed Costa Europa.[1][8] In April 2010 she was taken on a ten-year charter by Thomson Cruises, under the name Thomson Dream.

Following the 2017 renaming of Thomson Cruises to Marella Cruises, TUI Group also changed the ship's name to Marella Dream. She was retired from Marella Cruises in November 2020 and was sold,[9]

Design

Exterior design

The Homeric was built with a terraced forward and rear superstructure, with lifeboats placed fairly high. She had a relatively large funnel, with a large arch behind it to deflect some soot away from the rear decks. In original Home Lines livery she had a white hull and superstructure, with a blue decorative riband separating them. Her funnel and radar mast, the structures immediately below them and the cranes on her forward deck were painted yellow. The ship's name was painted in tall letters on the side of the superstructure below the radar mast.<[1]<[8]

On entering service with Holland America Line, the Westerdam received HAL's dark blue hull colours, with her funnel and radar mast painted white. The 1989–90 lengthening altered her exterior appearance somewhat. The windows of the added section are larger than those forward and aft.<[4]

As Costa Europa, the ship was painted all-white, with a yellow funnel and a small flag of the EU painted on the side of the superstructure.

As Thomson Dream the ship retains an all-white livery, but with a blue funnel bearing the TUI/Thomson group logo.

Interior design

Unusually for a cruise ship of her time, the Homeric was built with a somewhat ocean liner-like layout, with her dining room in particular reflecting liner-like design, being located on a lower deck.<[8] She was also built with a sizeable promenade deck and a one-deck-high theatre. She was built with two swimming pools, one to the rear of the ship and another amidship which was covered with a magrodome.<[4]<[8]

During the 1989–90 refit, two lounges in the forward section of the ship were combined to create a large two-level theatre, with the original theatre retained as a cinema.<[8] In HAL service, she was decorated with artworks drawing on the history of the Dutch Empire.<[11] On entering service with Costa Cruises, the ship was refurbished, with some of the interior decorations changed to brighter and more southern / Pan-European style.<[4]

Decks and facilities

1) Tank Top – Laundry, engine room
2) C – Crew cabins, engine room, stores
3) B – Crew cabins, hospital, tender embarkation area, engine room, garbage area, stores
4) Orion deck – Orion restaurant (main dining room), inside and outside cabins, main galley, crew messrooms
5) Pegasus deck – Inside and outside cabins
6) Perseus deck – Inside and outside cabins
7) Auriga deck – Suites, inside and outside cabins
8) Hercules deck – Theatre (lower level), Medusa ballroom, Ocean bar, Argo lounge, lecture room, card room, library, shops, games arcade, beauty salon, casino, discothèque, Kidzone
9) Andromeda deck – Theatre (upper level), buffet restaurant, outside cabins, sun deck, swimming pool. The two muster stations (A and B) are located on this deck.
10) Cassiopea deck – Bridge, fitness center, outside cabins, officers' cabins, sun deck
11) Sirens deck – A la carte and buffet restaurants, sun deck, magrodome covered swimming pool, suites
12) Centaurus deck –