Marella Cruises, a UK cruise line and part of TUI, has launched its summer 2019 programme, including a new ship exclusively for adults, a new homeport, new itineraries and all ships offering All Inclusive as standard, effective from May 2019.
The new adults-only ship – Marella Explorer 2 – will join the fleet in 2019, offering customers more choice and flexibility. Starting May 2019, Marella Explorer 2 will sail from a new homeport Naples, Italy to some of the most beautiful European cities including Venice, Rome and Dubrovnik.
The cruise line will also be offering a choice of new destinations for cruisers with 11 new itineraries and seven new ports of call for next summer. Marella Explorer 2 will add four new itineraries offering cruisers a chance to explore cultural cities such as Italy’s Livorno, Florence and Pisa to Piraeus for Athens and Split in Croatia.
In addition to four new sailings in the Naples programme, Marella Cruises will also introduce new itineraries such as Cities and Ice, Idyllic Italia and Secrets of the Mediterranean. Highlights would include Skagen in Denmark, Castellon in Spain, Norway’s Alta and Santa Margherita in Italy, allowing cruisers to explore the beautiful town of Portofino. The summer 2019 programme will be on sale from April 5, 2018.
Commenting on the programme, Managing Director of Marella Cruises Chris Hackney said: ‘We are really pleased to announce Marella Explorer 2 as an adults-only ship from next summer, sailing from our brand new home port of Naples, offering customers yet more choice and flexibility. Our summer 2019 programme offers guests an array of exciting destinations and itineraries and All Inclusive as standard on all of our ships. We continue to look at ways to offer something different to our current customers who have come to enjoy our ships and friendly service onboard and those who may be thinking about booking a cruise for the first time.
‘We have a fantastic diverse range of destinations on offer, with a real focus on the best hidden secrets of the Mediterranean and Scandinavia. We expect our Cruise & Stay offering to continue to prove popular especially for the new to cruise market. We’re delighted that our customers have enjoyed sailing on our Discovery ships and look forward to hearing about their experiences on the latest addition to our fleet Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2.’
Featuring a range of dining and bar options similar to its sister ship Marella Explorer set to launch in May this year, Marella Explorer 2 will offer highlights such as Kora La, Snack Shack and Surf and Turf. The new ship will also feature recognised bars including Aperitif, and Squid and Anchor. Similar to Marella Explorer, the new ship will offer an entertainment programme onboard through entertainment provider ‘ted’.
Marella Explorer 2 will also feature Champneys Spa which will launch first on Marella Explorer this year. New cabin types on Marella Explorer 2 include the 102 sq. meters Royal Suite featuring a separate bedroom, dressing room, dining area and whirlpool bath. The new ship also features deluxe balcony cabins.
Marella Cruises will offer All Inclusive cruises for everyone from May next year, including transfers and tips. Marella Dream and Marella Celebration will join the rest of the fleet in becoming All Inclusive as standard, TUI said.
