Marella Cruises to add fifth ship, Marella Voyager, in 2023 – the year it will finally achieve its dream of sailing from the US

Marella Cruises is to add a fifth ship to its fleet in 2023, it was announced last night.

Marella Voyager will be converted from the existing Mein Schiff Herz, a Century-class ship originally built for Celebrity Cruises that’s a sister to Marella Explorer.

The cruise line will also achieve its dream of sailing from the US in 2023, a media dinner in London was told by Chris Hackney, the MD of Cruise for TUI UK and Ireland.

Voyager, which will begin sailing from Palma de Mallorca on June 3, 2023, will feature two new venues for Marella – a Mexican diner and a Secret Speakeasy bar – while keeping favourites such as Surf and Turf, Nonna’s and Snack Shack.

With 952 cabins, it will be able to carry 1,904 passengers, fewer than the current 1,912 on Mein Schiff Herz.

The new addition to the Marella fleet was built in 1997 as Mercury, then Celebrity Mercury, before being transferred to TUI Cruises as Mein Schiff 2. It became Mein Schiff Herz in 2019.

Sister ship, Celebrity Galaxy – star of The Cruise series on the BBC that brought singer Jane McDonald to fame – became Mein Schiff, then Marella Explorer in 2018. Explorer 2 is another former Century-class ship.

Itineraries for family-friendly Marella Voyager, including Barcelona and the south of France, will go on sale on November 4 this year.

Marella Discovery will sail US itineraries from Port Canaveral in the summer of 2023, Mr Hackney said, including overnight stays in New York and Tampa. Other destinations will include Miami and Key West, with a chance to add on stays at a choice of 18 hotels, including Disney ones in Orlando. A longer sailing from Barbados will include three days in New Orleans (see sample itineraries below). TUI airways will operate direct flights to Melbourne Florida international airport.

Plans announced in 2019 for Marella to begin US cruises this year were scuppered by Covid.

Mr Hackney said: ‘After a challenging year for the industry we couldn’t be more thrilled to finally announce we’ll be welcoming Marella Voyager, the fifth ship in our fleet, in spring 2023 with her first sailing taking place in June. This ship builds on our already popular fleet and offers loyal customers and new customers more choice. We know what our customers like and so we want to ensure we keep some Marella Cruises favourites but also adding a different flavour to Marella Voyager too.  

‘Being able to set sail into the USA is another milestone for us. Expanding our programme allows our customers to experience once-in-a-lifetime adventures and we’ve made sure there really is something for everyone. The excitement for cruising is well and truly back and we’re delighted to be able to continue to offer new experiences for our customers.’

Sample Marella Discovery itineraries in 2023

Itinerary	Day	Port
Sunshine and Jazz	1	Bridgetown, Barbados
	2	At Sea
	3	Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands
	4	San Juan, Puerto Rico
	5	At Sea
	6	At Sea
	7	At Sea
	8	At Sea
	9	New Orleans, Louisiana
	10	New Orleans, Louisiana
	11	New Orleans, Louisiana
	12	At Sea
	13	Tampa, Florida
	14	At Sea
	15	Key West, Florida
	16	Miami, Florida
	17	Port Canaveral, Florida
	18	Port Canaveral, Florida
Sunshine State and Sands	1	Port Canaveral, Florida
	2	At Sea
	3	Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
	4	Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands
	5	At Sea
	6	Key West, Florida
	7	Miami, Florida
	8	Port Canaveral, Florida
Floridian Favourites	1	Port Canaveral, Florida
	2	At Sea
	3	Tampa, Florida
	4	Tampa, Florida
	5	At Sea
	6	Nassau, Bahamas
	7	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
	8	Port Canaveral, Florida
American Dream	1	Port Canaveral, Florida
	2	Charleston, South Carolina
	3	At Sea
	4	New York, New York
	5	New York, New York
	6	At Sea
	7	Freeport, Bahamas
	8	Port Canaveral, Florida