Marella Cruises Confirms Future Itinerary Changes
Today the UK’s third largest cruise line, Marella Cruises, announces changes to its itinerary programme across the next three seasons. The news follows the announcement that it was cancelling all cruises up to 30 June 2020 and that after 15 years, its much-loved ship Marella Celebration, is to retire the fleet early and will not sail any further itineraries with Marella.
Summer 2020
The cruise line will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and has adjusted its itineraries accordingly. Should it be safe to set sail, Marella Cruises will commence its summer 2020 programme in July 2020, with three of its five ships sailing.
Marella Explorer will set sail from Corfu, Marella Explorer 2 from the UK and Marella Discovery from Palma all as originally planned.
Marella Discovery 2 will recommence sailings in winter 2020 and will no longer operate from Naples for the summer 2020 season. Marella Dream will no longer sail from Palma this season as she will resume sailing in summer 2021.
Winter 2020
Marella Discovery 2 will homeport in Cyprus, setting sail from 24 March 2021 replacing the itineraries that Marella Celebration was due to sail. This itinerary change means that the cruise line will no longer offer its Asia and the Middle-East sailings. Customers that were due to sail from Cyprus on Marella Celebration during March and April will be automatically upgraded to Marella Discovery 2 at no additional cost.
Marella Discovery will no longer sail her December and January sailings from Jamaica and will officially set sail on 3 February 2021 with a repositioning cruise from Malaga to Jamaica before continuing her Caribbean programme from Jamaica as planned on 16 February 2021.
There will be no changes to Marella Explorer 2 and Marella Explorer. Marella Explorer 2 will still homeport in Barbados and Marella Explorer will still homeport in the Canaries, offering customers their cruises as planned.
Summer 2021
Marella Explorer 2 will no longer homeport in Naples for summer 2021 as the cruise line will no longer operate sailings from Naples, this means Marella Explorer 2 will replace Marella Celebration’s itineraries from Dubrovnik. Customers that were due to sail on Celebration from Dubrovnik will be automatically upgraded to the cruise lines newest and first adult only member of the fleet, Marella Explorer 2 at no additional cost. *
Marella Explorer, Marella Dream, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 will all sail their itineraries as planned. Including the cruise lines eagerly anticipated USA itineraries on Marella Discovery.
Flexible options for customers
Marella Cruises fully appreciates the impact this unprecedented situation and the subsequent itinerary adjustments will have on its customers. It would like to reassure them that they will all be proactively contacted and offered flexible options, including a refund credit and up to 20% booking incentive or a full refund.
*Any customers whose bookings include children will receive refund credit and the up to 20% booking incentive detailed above.
Managing Director of Cruise, Chris Hackney said
“I hope that everyone is keeping well during these truly unprecedented times and I’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we’ve been working behind the scenes to adjust our itineraries.
“We’re looking forward to when we can set sail again but only when the time is right. As always, the safety of our customers and crew remains our priority.”
MARELLA CRUISES
Marella Cruises is part of TUI UK and Ireland and TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. There are currently five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Dream, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2.
(Marella Cruises)
