Marella Cruises Cancels Sailings to Stay Clear of Red Sea

As the Red Sea crisis nears its six-month mark, many cruise lines have already made the difficult decision to cancel sailings and change itineraries for the safety of their guests and crew members.

Marella Cruises is the latest cruise line to alter course, with the company notifying guests that all sailings onboard Marella Discovery 2 in April of 2024 have been cancelled. 

Marella Cruises Scraps April Sailings Due To Safety Concerns 

On Thursday, March 7, 2024, soon-to-be guests of Marella Discovery 2 may have received a disappointing email in their inboxes informing them that their upcoming vacations have been cancelled. 

Because of the continued unrest in the Red Sea, Marella opted to cancel a series of cruises onboard their 1,832-passenger ship, putting the welfare of guests and crew members first. 

The dropped itineraries were scheduled to embark between April 4, 2024, and May 1, 2024, beginning in Singapore and ending in Palma by the beginning of May. 

“Due to on-going conflict in the Red Sea area, we have been looking at alternative routes for sailing from Singapore to Palma. Sadly, we have made the difficult, but necessary, decision to cancel your cruise,” read the email. “The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority.”

But the British cruise line, which is owned by TUI Cruises, had a couple of options available to soften the blow. Guests can either opt to receive a full refund to their original payment method or take 10% off a new cruise if they rebook by March 16, 2024.

“We know how much you look forward to your holiday, so we very much hope to see you onboard in the future. With that in mind, we do have some options available to you, including up to 10% off a new cruise if you book by 16th March 2024,” wrote the cruise line.

Marella Cruises also said that excursions booked through the cruise line would be cancelled and refunded automatically – and promised that team members would be contacting all impacted guests to discuss their options and answer questions within a few days. 

Which Marella Sailings Are Impacted By Red Sea Cancellations?

By avoiding the Red Sea region, Marella Cruises joins the ranks of other British cruise lines that have already made the same call. 

P&O Cruises changed the itinerary for its world cruise onboard Arcadia at the end of January, nixing the portion of the voyage that was meant to sail through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

At the beginning of February 2024, Cunard Line altered its world cruise itinerary, which is currently underway onboard Queen Mary 2. Instead of visiting the Red Sea region, the ship will now sail up the west coast of Africa, effectively altering a month of the cruise’s expected route.

Likewise, Marella Cruise’s decision impacts a month of cruises onboard Marella Discovery 2, the lead ship of the cruise line’s Vision-class. 

The impacted itineraries were slated to sail to destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Jordan, Oman, Turkey, Cyprus, and the Suez Canal throughout the month of April. The vacations were titled ‘Eastern Flavours 1 and 2,’ ‘Arabian Sunrise 1 and 2’, ‘Red Sea Sights 1 and 2’, ‘Ancient Discovery 1 and 2’ and ‘Ancient Escape.’

Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Really Need to Know

On a more positive note, Marella Discovery 2’s March 2024 cruises, which include a series of ‘Eastern Experience’ cruises throughout Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, are still expected to continue as planned. 

When the 69,472 gross-ton ship resumes cruising in May, it will begin its Mediterranean season, starting with a 14-night sailing from Palma De Mallorca, Spain on May 7, 2024. 

The four other ships in Marella’s fleet – Marella Voyager, Marella Discovery, Marella Explorer, and Marella Explorer 2 – are also still scheduled to sail as normal throughout the month of April.