{{short description|British cruise line}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox company | name = Marella Cruises | logo = Marella Cruises logo.png | logo_size = 150px | former_name = Thomson Cruises | type = Private Limited Company | foundation = 1973 | location = | key_people = Christopher Hackney <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/291204/tui-announces-new-managing-director-of-marella-cruises |title=TUI announces new managing director of Marella Cruises. |publisher=Travelweekly.co.uk |date= |access-date=2019-08-26}}</ref><br><small>(Managing Director)</small> | num_employees = | industry = Transport | products = Cruises | revenue = | homepage = {{url|tui.co.uk/cruise.html}} | parent = TUI Group }}
'''Marella Cruises''' (formerly '''Thomson Cruises''') is a British cruise line operated by TUI UK (formerly Thomson), offering cruise holidays around Europe and the Caribbean.
==History== Thomson had initially entered the cruise market in 1973, but due to rising fuel costs the venture was terminated in 1976. In 1995, Thomson restarted their cruise line after their competitor Airtours had made a successful entry in the cruise business under their Sun Cruises brand.
On 9 October 2017, TUI Group announced that Thomson Cruises would be rebranded in late October 2017 as Marella Cruises, with all of the existing Thomson fleet adopting the name change either from Thomson or TUI to Marella (except Thomson Spirit which was renamed ''Spirit'' and Thomson Majesty which will be transferred to Celestyal Cruises). The line also announced that it would base TUI Discovery in Asia for the Winter season of 2018, with the ship being based out of Malaysia, the first in the line's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8127|title=Thomson Cruises to Rebrand as Marella Cruises and Base Ship in Asia|website=www.cruisecritic.com}}</ref>
The name "Marella" means "shining sea" in Celtic, with the name being adopted to keep the line distinct from TUI Cruises, TUI's joint venture with Royal Caribbean.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tui.co.uk/press/marella-cruises/|title=All Aboard Marella Cruises As Thomson Cruises Sets Sail For The First Time Under A New Name|website=TUI UK|date=2017-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/new-boss-of-tuis-marella-cruises-explains-why-rebrand-had-to-happen|title=New boss of Tui’s Marella Cruises explains why rebrand had to happen|author=Harry Kemble|date=2017-12-01|website=Travel Weekly}}</ref>
In 2012, Marella Cruises held approximately a 1% market share of the worldwide cruise industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/blog1/market-share/|title=2012 World Wide Market Share|date=2011-11-20 |publisher=Cruise Market Watch}}</ref>
In May 2021, with the cruise sector planning for revival following the COVID-19 pandemic, TUI were reported to be planning to merge Marella Cruises with their TUI Cruises joint venture with Royal Caribbean, as they had already done with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kutowski |first1=Timo |title=TUI beginnt mit Verkauf von Hotels ("TUI starts selling hotels") |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/wegen-corona-schulden-tui-beginnt-verkauf-von-hotels-17363573.html |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung |date=28 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531014416/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/wegen-corona-schulden-tui-beginnt-verkauf-von-hotels-17363573.html |archive-date=31 May 2021 |language=German}}</ref>
==Fleet== MS ''Island Escape'' was added to the Thomson fleet in April 2009, as a result of parent company TUI's acquisition of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s share in Island Cruises that took place in 2008.<ref name="RCL">{{cite web |last= |first= |date=2008-10-06 |title=Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to Sell Its Interest in Island Cruises to First Choice Holidays Ltd. |url=http://www.rclinvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=103045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1206019&highlight= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908012928/http://www.rclinvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=103045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1206019&highlight= |archive-date=2012-09-08 |access-date=2008-10-07 |publisher=Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd}}</ref> As of March 2013, Thomson operates the ''Island Escape'' under its all-inclusive ''Island Cruises'' brand.
In March 2015, Royal Caribbean International announced that they had agreed to sell {{MS|Splendour of the Seas|3=2}} to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016, and that TUI would lease the ship to Thomson Cruises to replace the ''Island Escape''.<ref name="cinsplendour">{{cite web |date=2 March 2015 |title=Splendour of the Seas Sold to TUI for Thomson Cruises |url=http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12277-splendour-of-the-seas-sold-to-tui-for-thomson-cruises.html |work=cruiseindustrynews.com}}</ref>
In May 2015, TUI Group announced that as part of their modernization strategy, TUI Cruises' {{ship||Mein Schiff 1|2010|2}} and {{ship||Mein Schiff 2|2011|2}} would be transferred to Thomson Cruises over the next few years.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mathisen |first=Monty |date=13 May 2015 |title=TUI: Thomson to Get Mein Schiff 1 and 2 |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12586-tui-thomson-to-get-mein-schiff-1-and-2.html |website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com}}</ref>
In March 2018, it was announced that Royal Caribbean Cruises and Ctrip were to close the SkySea Cruise Line brand and that the line's sole ship ''SkySea Golden Era'' would join the Marella fleet in place of ''Mein Schiff 2'' which would stay with ''TUI Cruises.''<ref>{{cite web |last=Mathisen |first=Monty |date=20 March 2018 |title=Royal Caribbean and Ctrip to Kill SkySea Brand |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18737-royal-caribbean-and-ctrip-to-kill-skysea-brand.html |website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mathisen |first=Monty |date=20 March 2018 |title=SkySea Shutdown Sparks Ship Transfer Shuffle |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18738-skysea-shutdown-sparks-ship-transfer-shuffle.html |website=www.cruiseindustrynews.com}}</ref> The former ''Mein Schiff 2'' was renamed ''Mein Schiff Herz'' and joined the Marella fleet in 2023 as ''Marella Voyager''.
In April 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that ''Marella Celebration'' would be immediately retired from the fleet.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 April 2020 |title=Marella to Retire Celebration |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22850-marella-to-retire-celebration.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120154632/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22850-marella-to-retire-celebration.html |archive-date=20 January 2021 |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=Cruise Industry News}}</ref> The same was announced for ''Marella Dream'' in October 2020.<ref name="CIN-01102020">{{cite news |date=1 October 2020 |title=Marella to Retire Marella Dream |url=https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23587-marella-to-retire-marella-dream.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128055458/https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23587-marella-to-retire-marella-dream.html |archive-date=28 January 2021 |access-date=1 June 2021 |work=Cruise Industry News}}</ref> Both ships were scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey, in 2022.
In March 2025, Fincantieri agreed with TUI AG to build two new cruise ships for Marella Cruises in Italy, for delivery in 2030 and 2032.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Marella Moving Closer to Two Fincantieri Newbuilds |work=Cruise Industry News |url=https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2025/03/marella-moving-closer-to-two-fincantieri-newbuilds/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Fincantieri Confirms Marella Order for 2 Newbuilds |work=Cruise Industry News |url=https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2025/03/fincantieri-confirms-marella-order-for-2-newbuilds/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2025, however, it was announced that those ships would not be built. Instead, TUI Cruises would receive two ships, larger than those originally planned for Marella.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/aktien/tui-uebertragt-zwei-neubau-slots-von-marella-an-tui-cruises-1035227253|title=Tui überträgt zwei Neubau-Slots von Marella an Tui Cruises|accessdate=2025-09-29|language=german}}</ref>
=== Current fleet === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;" |- ! Ship || Built || Builder || Entered service<br>with Thomson/Marella Cruises || Gross tonnage || Flag || Notes || Image |- | ''Marella Discovery'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1996 || style="text-align:Center;"rowspan="2" | Chantiers de l'Atlantique || style="text-align:Center;"| 2016 || style="text-align:Center;"| 69,130 tons || {{flag|Malta|civil}} || Previously ''Splendour of the Seas'', ''TUI Discovery''. Sub-chartered from TUI Cruises. Renamed ''Marella Discovery'' in October 2017. || 200px |- | ''Marella Discovery 2'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1995 || style="text-align:Center;"| 2017 || style="text-align:Center;"| 69,130 tons || {{flag|Bahamas|civil}} || Previously ''Legend of the Seas'', ''TUI Discovery 2''. Renamed ''Marella Discovery 2'' in October 2017. || 200px |- | ''Marella Explorer'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1996 || style="text-align:Center;" rowspan="3" | Meyer Werft || style="text-align:Center;"| 2018 || style="text-align:Center;"| 76,522 tons || {{flag|Malta|civil}} ||Previously ''Celebrity Galaxy'', ''Mein Schiff 1'', sold to Marella in 2018.<br>originally planned to be named ''Mein Schiff''||200px |- | ''Marella Explorer 2'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1995 || style="text-align:Center;"| 2019 || style="text-align:Center;"| 71,545 tons || {{flag|Malta|civil}} || Previously ''Celebrity Century'', ''SkySea Golden Era'', sold to Marella in 2019. ||200px |-- | ''Marella Voyager''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lr.org/en/lrofships/|title=Lloyd's Register Vessel Search|accessdate=2023-05-31}}</ref> || style="text-align:Center;"| 1997 || style="text-align:Center;"| 2023 || style="text-align:Center;"| 77,303 tons || {{flag|Malta|civil}} || Commenced Service as ''Mercury''/''Celebrity Mercury'' originally planned to join the fleet in 1997 with the name ''Mein Schiff 2,'' later replaced by the ''Mein Schiff Herz''/''Marella Voyager''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mein-schiffsexperte.de/neuigkeiten/mein-schiff-herz-premierenfahrt-mit-spektakulaerem-programm|title=Mein Schiff Herz: Premierenfahrt mit spektakulärem Programm|website=Mein Schiffsexperte - TUI Cruises}}</ref>
Replacement for the ''Marella Dream''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marella Cruises Debuts New Ship, US Itineraries in 2023|url=https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/6533/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=www.cruisecritic.com.au|language=en-au}}</ref> |200px |}
=== Former fleet === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;" |- ! Ship || Built || Builder || In service<br>with Marella || Gross Tonnage || Notes || Image |- | SS ''Ithaca'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1956 || style="text-align:Center;"| Deutsche Werft || style="text-align:Center;"| 1973– 1976 || style="text-align:Center;"| 8,977 tons || scrapped 2003 ||<!-- Deleted image removed: 200px --> |- | SS ''Calypso'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1955 || style="text-align:Center;"| Harland & Wolff || style="text-align:Center;"| 1975–1976 || style="text-align:Center;"| 20,204 tons || originally Southern Cross, scrapped 2004 || 200px |- | SS ''Island Breeze'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1962 || style="text-align:Center;"| John Brown & Co. || style="text-align:Center;"| 1997–2000 || style="text-align:Center;"| 26,632 tons || scrapped 2003 || 200px |- | MS ''Sapphire'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1967 || style="text-align:Center;"| Cantieri Navale Felszegi || style="text-align:Center;"| 1996–2002 || style="text-align:Center;"| 12,263 tons || scrapped 2012 || 200px |- | SS ''The Topaz'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1956 || style="text-align:Center;"| Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering || style="text-align:Center;"| 1997–2003 || style="text-align:Center;"| 25,516 tons || scrapped 2008 || 200px |- | SS ''The Emerald'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1958 || style="text-align:Center;"| Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock || style="text-align:Center;"| 1997–2008 || style="text-align:Center;"| 26,431 tons || scrapped 2012 || 200px |- | '' Marella Spirit'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1983 || style="text-align:Center;" rowspan="2" | Chantiers de l'Atlantique || style="text-align:Center;"| 2003–2018 || style="text-align:Center;"| 33,930 tons || scrapped 2018 || 200px |- | ''Marella Celebration'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1984 || style="text-align:Center;"| 2005–2020 || style="text-align:Center;"| 33,960 tons || scrapped 2022 || 200px |- | ''Thomson Destiny'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1982 || style="text-align:Center;"| Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard|| style="text-align:Center;"| 2005–2012 || style="text-align:Center;"| 37,584 tons || scrapped 2025 || 200px |- | ''The Calypso'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1967 || style="text-align:Center;"| Fincantieri || style="text-align:Center;"| 2006–2009 || style="text-align:Center;"| 11,162 tons || scrapped 2013 || 200px |- | ''Island Escape'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1982 || style="text-align:Center;"| Dubigeon-Normandie S.A || style="text-align:Center;"| 2009–2015 || style="text-align:Center;"| 40,132 tons || scrapped 2018 || 200px |- | ''Marella Dream'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1986 || style="text-align:Center;"| Meyer Werft || style="text-align:Center;"| 2010-2020 || style="text-align:Center;"| 54,763 tons || scrapped 2022 || 200px |- | ''Thomson Majesty'' || style="text-align:Center;"| 1992 || style="text-align:Center;"| Kvaerner Masa-Yards || style="text-align:Center;"| 2012-2015 || style="text-align:Center;"| 40,876 tons || Currently operating for Mano Maritime. || 200px |}
==Accidents and incidents== On 9 February 2013, five crewmen of {{ship|MS|Thomson Majesty||6}} were killed in Santa Cruz de La Palma whilst checking a lifeboat. The lifeboat ropes snapped and it plunged 65 ft from the upper deck into the sea. It overturned as it hit the water, trapping them underneath. Three crewmen were taken to hospital, but five others - three Indonesians, one Filipino and one Ghanaian - drowned as rescue attempts were made.<ref>{{Cite news |title=5 dead, 3 injured as lifeboat falls from cruise ship {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/390981/5-dead-3-injured-as-lifeboat-falls-from-cruise-ship/ |access-date=2025-10-27 |website=Global News |language=en-US |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:TUI Group Category:Cruise lines Category:British companies established in 1973 Category:Transport companies established in 1973 Category:Companies disestablished in 1976 Category:British companies established in 1995 Category:Transport companies established in 1995 Category:Re-established companies Category:1973 establishments in England
==External Links== {{Members of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.}} {{TUI}}