Marella Cruises New Ship

What’s in a name? Well when it comes to the travel giant Thomson, quite a lot. For as long as any of us can remember this trusted brand name in holidays was as comforting as a mug of Horlicks. But change happens and Thomson Cruises has changed its name to Marella Cruises now that the global company has become part of the travel giant that is TUI. Four ships’ names have also changed in accordance with the rebrand – Thomson Celebration is now Marella Celebration; Thomson Dream transforms into Marella Dream, Thomson Discovery will be known as Marella Discovery; and Thomson Discovery 2 has become Marella Discovery 2. Thomson Majesty has left the fleet and Thomson Spirit will be known as Marella Spirit, until her final voyage in October 2018.

Marella Cruises' newest ship, Marella Explorer, will launch in May. The ship - which is currently sailing as TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 1 for the German market - will split its time between summer sailings out of Palma de Mallorca and in the winter, Bridgetown, Barbados. When it launches it will become the largest in the fleet, carrying 1,924-passengers.

Prompted by the popularity of adult-only sailings from Dubrovnik and Asian itineraries over the winter, parent company TUI has just announced a new addition to the Marella Cruises fleet in May 2019 - the adults-only 1,814-passenger Marella Explorer 2. The ship will undergo extensive renovations before entering service and is expected to incorporate many of the features guests will find on sister-ship Marella Explorer, including a Champneys Spa, a range of new shows and popular dining venues including Kora-La, Shake Shack and Surf and Turf. Nearly 40 per cent of the 907 cabins will have balconies and there’ll be a Royal Suite featuring a separate bedroom, dressing room, dining area and whirlpool bath.

The company have also announced that from next May they will become an all-inclusive fleet in order to appeal to those new to cruise and also a younger market. This deal includes transfers and tips. Marella Dream and Marella Celebration will join the rest of the fleet in becoming all inclusive as standard. Marella Explorer 2 will sail from a new homeport of Naples, Italy, and will sail to Europe’s most exciting cities including Rome, Venice and Dubrovnik.

The cruise business is one of the key pillars of TUI Group’s growth strategy. Sebastian Ebel, member of TUI Group’s Executive Board in charge of cruises said, “We will continue to invest in our cruise portfolio and expand, modernize and rejuvenate our fleet. With these decisions we increase the offer at TUI Cruises and accelerate the expansion of this growth segment.” Although there’s a new name, the same friendly welcome can be relied upon. If you have any questions about what’s new at Marella Cruises and the exclusive deals we can offer, call our team on 0800 484 0370.