Marella…Ella…Ella

Marella being the new name for Thomson cruises was always going to be a gamble I thought.

I worked for Thomson for over 15 years and I thought oh oh this does not sound good, I have totally changed my mind on that and it seems to have gone down really well with past passengers from what I can see. It is still under the Tui (Thomson umbrella) hence the title name and totally reliable.

So what is in the pipeline for Marella cruises? well there are some really interesting things that are in the process stages right now and one of those things is they are thinking of making the fleet all inclusive, this is brilliant as there will be no worries about the dreaded bill appearing under your door, I hate that even when I know I have not spent a fortune.

They will be offering 11 new itineraries and seven new ports of call from next summer, that is great if you are running out of places to go to that you have not seen before, I wish I had a pound for every time someone said to me, I’ve been there and there and there.

More news is that there is another ship on the horizon which again will be all inclusive but it will also be an exclusively adult only ship, great for those who want to get away from those little angels, kids love cruises and get so excited making new friends and that’s when they annoy regular customers who travel without kids, kids love the water so why wouldn’t they want to jump and splash, it’s what they do best.
This way everyone is happy.

The newest arrival will be called Explorer 2 and some of those eagle eyes may recognise her as she was a Celebrity Century class ship, she will be having a massive refit.

This is what we know

Marella Explorer 2 will feature new cabin types, including the 102 metres squared Royal Suite where occupants will be able to use a separate bedroom, dressing room, dining area and a whirlpool bath.

Forty per cent of the 907 cabins will have balconies.

Marella said popularity of adult-only sailings from Dubrovnik and the Asia itineraries for winter 2018 prompted the decision to offer an adult-only ship.

Marella Explorer 2 will be the first ship to be exclusively for adults in the fleet.

The ship will be tailored to meet the needs of couples and groups by doubling the size of its sunbathing area, called The Veranda, featured on the Marella Explorer.

The Veranda on Marella Explorer 2 will feature new facilities, the line said.

Marella Cruises will also offer 11 new itineraries, such as Cities and Ice, Idyllic Italia and Secrets of the Mediterranean, and seven new ports of call next summer across its fleet.

Skagen in Denmark, Castellon in Spain, Alta in Norway and and Santa Margherita in Italy will all be included in Marella itineraries for the first time.

I don’t know about you but I am liking the sound of all this and it is nice to see the company moving with the times, they win lots of awards for service, entertainment and food and I expect there to be more that they win moving forward.

Summer 2019 is due to go on sale the first week in April so what are you waiting for, register your interest and get in quickly as I predict a bumper year for Marella cruises.