Marella Cruises, the UK focused cruise unit in TUI AG group, said it has a road map to gradually resume operations from July should conditions allow and that one ship would leave the fleet.
“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,” the company said.
However, the 1984 built Marella Celebration would not re-enter service with the company. At just under 34,000 gross tons, it is the smallest unit in its fleet.
In the summer of this year, 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.
In the winter 2020-21, 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,” the company said.
Marella Discovery will no longer sail its 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,” Marella cruises said.
In the 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.
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.
