British cruise line Marella to enter US market, will set sail from Port Canaveral in 2021
The British cruise line Marella Cruises will begin sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, offering four itineraries with a total of 11 port-of-call options, beginning in 2021.
This is Marella’s first entry into the U.S. market and also marks the first time an international cruise company will have a ship based at Port Canaveral, according to port officials.
Marella announced Friday that the Marella Discovery will offer 26 voyages out of Port Canaveral from May 2, 2021, through Oct. 24, 2021, reports Florida Today, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
“We’re excited that Marella Cruises has selected Port Canaveral as the home port for its first-ever cruises from the United States,” Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray said in a statement. “Today’s announcement is another endorsement that our ongoing investments in state-of-the-art terminals and commitment to excellence in cruise operations continues to earn the confidence of some of the world’s most successful cruise brands.”
The 867-foot-long Marella Discovery — which has a guest capacity of 1,830, based on double-occupancy — will sail from Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 5.
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“We’re really excited to be setting sail from the USA,” Marella Cruises Managing Director Chris Hackney said.
The cruise line said it will offer a variety of itineraries from Port Canaveral. Among the ports-of-call the Marella Discovery will stop at are Charleston, South Carolina; New York City; Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Norfolk, Virginia; Key West, Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; and New Orleans.
Customers sailing on Marella’s “American Dream” and “Big Apple Adventure” itineraries will have an overnight stop in New York City.
The Discovery will visit Miami and Turks and Caicos on its “Sunshine States and Sands” itinerary.
Customers also can select seven- or 14-night options with an overnight stay in Tampa on the ship’s “Floridian Favorites” itinerary.
Passengers choosing one of the four itineraries also have the flexibility to extend their cruise ashore with “cruise-and-stay” packages in Orlando, with visits to the Orlando-area theme parks.
Passengers on the Marella Discovery cruises out of Port Canaveral are expected to be a mix of Americans and residents of the United Kingdom.
Marella said it has designed the itineraries and is targeting cruise travelers from the United Kingdom. It is offering packaged flights from five regional airports in the United Kingdom to Orlando Sanford International Airport, with transportation to Port Canaveral included.
“Expanding our program provides an opportunity for cruisers to sample the American Dream, and we’ve ensured there really is something for everyone, whether that’s a visit to Walt Disney World in Florida, an evening in New York, authentic jazz music in New Orleans or a roller coaster in Busch Gardens,” Hackney said. “Offering our customers more choice and flexibility is at the heart of what we do.”
Cruise bookings go on sale Nov. 7.
Port Canaveral is the world’s second-busiest cruise port, based on passenger counts. Cruise lines with ships based at Port Canaveral include Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
Marella is the third-largest cruise line in the United Kingdom, with a fleet of six ships. It is a division of TUI U.K. and Ireland and TUI World Group/World of TUI.
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