Marella Cruises cancels more sailings and further shrinks its 2020 fleet
TUI has cancelled all cruises on Marella Dream for the rest of year, confirming today that the ship won’t sail again until summer 2021, and Marella Discovery 2 won’t recommence sailings until the winter.
The announcement comes a week after TUI announced that it had decided to bring forwarded the retirement of Marella Celebration.
Today’s news confirms that TUI will operate with a reduced fleet of just three ships from July, or once the lockdown lifts and the Foreign Office ends its advice against all non-essential travel.
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, said the cruise line. The ship will then homeport in Cyprus from next March, 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 sail on 3 February 2021 with a repositioning cruise from Malaga to Jamaica before continuing her Caribbean programme from Jamaica as planned on February 16.
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, said TUI.
Marella Explorer 2 will no longer operate sailings from Naples, instead replacing Marella Celebration’s itineraries from Dubrovnik.
Customers who were due to sail on Celebration from Dubrovnik will be automatically upgraded to the cruise lines newest and first adult-only ship, Marella Explorer 2, at no additional cost. Families will receive a refund credit and up to 20% booking incentive, said TUI.
In summer 2021, Marella Explorer, Marella Dream, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 will all sail their itineraries as planned. Including the cruise line’s US itineraries on Marella Discovery.
"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," it said in a statement.
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."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11