Tag Archives: Marella Cruises

Marella Launches Second Country Rhythms Themed Cruise

Posted on by
Reply

Marella Launches Second Country Rhythms Themed Cruise

Marella Cruises has announced the return of its adult-only country music-themed cruise, “Country Rhythms,” aboard the Marella Explorer in November 2027.

Chris Hackney, CEO at Marella Cruises, said:  “Following strong demand for our first Country Rhythms themed cruise in February 2026 and successful booking results in its first year, we’re excited to bring it back for a second season in winter 2027.”

“These impressive stats from our first country-themed cruise, alongside our market research, have shown that our new and existing customers are keen to explore new themed cruises involving beloved country music combined with our all-inclusive and end-to-end cruise offering,” added Hackney.

“We’re excited to announce more news in the future for Country Rhythms 2027, so stay tuned.”

The themed cruise will include a country music lineup of live singers and acts, which will be announced at a later date. The themed cruise will go on sale from July 2, 2026.

TUI’s UK cruise line said in a press release that the sailing will feature country-themed activities including a Barn Dance bash, production shows and line dancing classes.

There will be two sailings for customers to experience the cruises:

The first is a four-night sailing from Thursday, November 11, 2027, to Monday, November 15, 2027.

The cruise embarks from Malaga, Spain and sails through Gibraltar; day at sea; Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura and finishing in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

The second will be a five-night cruise from Thursday, November 11, 2027, to Tuesday, November 16, 2027.

The cruise sails from Malaga through Gibraltar; day at sea; Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura; Las Palmas, Gran Canaria and ending in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

All sailings will have TUI Airways flights across six regional airports including London Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Belfast.

Tui transfers shipbuilding slots from Marella Cruises to sister line in push for more UK passengers

Posted on by
Reply

Tui transfers shipbuilding slots from Marella Cruises to sister line in push for more UK passengers

Tui Cruises is a joint venture between Tui AG and Royal Caribbean Group (Credit: Tui Cruises)

The new-build slots were previously secured earlier this year for Marella Cruises for delivery in 2031 and 2033.

However, Tui AG said this “strategic decision” to move the slots across to Tui Cruises allows the brand to “build on the success of its Tui Cruises joint venture, which has a proven track record across various European markets and possesses the financial capacity for further expansion investments”.

It also stated that the decision was made to strengthen Tui Cruises’ long-term growth platform in Europe and the UK.

Tui Cruises is a joint venture between Tui AG and Royal Caribbean Group.

Marella Cruises’ down payment to Fincantieri will be reimbursed, and it will continue operations with its existing five-ship fleet.

A Tui spokesperson said: “We are pleased to order two further new-build vessels at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. This move strengthens Tui Cruises’ platform for long-term growth and enables us to gradually expand further into other markets, particularly in Northern Europe.

“We look forward to leveraging our solid financial position and proven market expertise to deliver outstanding experiences for our guests.”

The spokesperson added, “As the delivery of the new ships is scheduled for 2031 and 2033, there are currently no further details to share. Over the coming months, we will work on the next steps for this exciting project and will share updates as soon as they are available.”

Marella Cruises Launches All-Inclusive Cruise Calculator

Posted on by
Reply

Marella Cruises Launches All-Inclusive Cruise Calculator

marella tui ship

Marella Cruises has introduced the All-Inclusive Cruise Calculator, a free tool that reveals the cost of sailing with the company.

The company said in a press release that the tool demonstrates savings from booking an all-inclusive offering.

The tool highlights the all-inclusive offering, which includes flights, food and drink, transfers, entertainment, tips and service charges.

Chris Hackney, managing director at Marella Cruises, said: “The new All Inclusive Cruise Calculator allows customers to see the value for money we provide to our customers.”

“With all-inclusive at the heart of our cruise holidays, we provide an exceptional end-to-end service which includes flights, transfers, tips and accommodation rolled into one price, as well as entertainment, food and drink offerings and fantastic service,” added Hackney.

“We hope the tool helps new-to-cruise customers who are looking for alternative holidays consider a cruise holiday this summer and beyond.”

Research by Marella Cruises revealed that over 60 per cent of Brits plan to take a holiday this year, yet 20 per cent admit that the cost of living is stopping them from booking.

Twenty-two per cent see an all-inclusive cruise to be the best value; however, 46 per cent would be open to a cruise holiday if they could compare the costs more easily.

Chelsea Dickensen, a travel expert influencer, said: “All inclusive holidays are back in fashion with searches for stress-free escapes skyrocketing by 60 per cent year on year.”

“And it’s not just resorts seeing the love, with cruise holidays expecting to surpass pre-pandemic levels by reaching 37.1 million passengers in 2025. However, prices are on the rise too, with the average package holiday prices rising 4.2 per cent compared to 2024,” added Dickensen.

“For cruises, these hidden costs could include your flights, transfers, meals, drinks and tips, though companies such as Marella Cruises do include all of these as standard. Their All Inclusive Cruise Calculator is really helpful in sharing exactly what you’ll get, and how much you could save by having it as part of your package.”