Marella Cruises retires ship but plans to resume sailings in July

Marella Cruises has pledged to provide refunds as well as refund credits due to major adjustments to its sailing programme.

Older ship Marella Celebration is being retired early from the fleet after 15 years’ service with the Tui-owned line.

Marella Discovery 2 will no longer run sailings from Naples this summer or Marella Dream from Palma with a resumption planned for summer 2021.

While cruises are cancelled until June 30, the company hopes to start sailing from July with three of its five ships “should it be safe to sail”.

Marella Explorer will operate from Corfu, Marella Explorer 2 from the UK and Marella Discovery from Palma, all as originally planned.

But Marella Discovery 2 will no longer operate from Naples this summer and will recommence sailings from Cyprus in place of Marella Celebration from March 24 next year.

Marella Dream will no longer sail from Palma this season and will resume sailing in summer 2021.

The line is dropping its Asia and Middle-East itineraries.

Marella Discovery departures from Jamaica will no longer operate in December and January. Instead, the vessel will run a repositioning cruise from Malaga to Jamaica on February 3 before starting its Caribbean programme on February 16.

Marella Explorer 2 will still homeport in Barbados and Marella Explorer will be based in the Canary Islands for the winter as planned.

Marella Explorer 2 will replace Marella Celebration’s itineraries from Dubrovnik in summer 2021 following the company’s withdrawal from Naples.

Marella Explorer, Marella Dream, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 will all sail their itineraries as planned next summer, including the line’s first US itineraries.

The company said: “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.”

Cruise managing director 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.”

BREAKDOWN OF ITINERAY CHANGES