Marella Cruises will be the first British cruise line to restart fly-cruises, with its first sailing from Corfu on Sept. 3 taking guests to Greek destinations including Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Crete. This is according to the cruise line’s press release.
Marella added that it has some great savings to celebrate the positive news that international cruising can resume in the UK and help cruisers get back onboard. Customers can save up to £900 per couple on seven-night fly cruises departing between Sept. 3 and Oct. 24, 2021, according to the press release.
“The decision to lift the ban on international cruising is great news for the industry, following the safe and successful launch of domestic cruising it’s exciting to know cruise ships can begin to sail internationally very soon. Our domestic cruises have received some fantastic customer feedback and we will continue to operate these from Southampton and Newcastle in August before we return to international cruises in September from our homeports in the UK and Corfu. We’re looking forward to welcoming more of our guests back onboard and sailing to some incredible international destinations,” Managing Director of TUI UK and Irelands Chris Hackney said.
To ensure the safety of both customers and crew, Marella will have vaccination and testing requirements in place. Anyone aged 18 years and older will be required to have had both COVID-19 jabs at least 14 days before traveling. All under 18-year-olds, excluding infants under the age of two who will not be able to sail as they are exempt from testing, will be asked to have a lateral flow test. All guests will need to check in for their cruise and complete their cruise health declaration online pre-departure to release their cruise boarding pass.
Some of the highlights of Marella Cruises’ offers include a seven-night Iconic Islands cruise on the Marella Discovery from £986 per person when booked online, departing from Corfu Town, Corfu and visiting Thira, Santorini; Rhodes Town, Rhodes; Mykonos Town, Mykonos; Souda (for Chania), Crete and Katakolon (for Olympia), Greece.
The cruise departs on Sept. 3, 2021, from London Gatwick, and price includes return flights, transfers, port taxes, tips and service charges.
Other cruises include a seven-night Cosmopolitan Classics cruise on the Marella Explorer departing from Palma, Majorca (with a flight from Bournemouth included in the price) and visiting Palermo, Sicily; Naples (For Pompeii & Capri), Italy; Piombino (for Siena and Pisa), Italy; Villefranche (for Monaco and Nice), France and Palamos, Spain; as well as a seven-night Continental Coasts cruise on the Marella Explorer 2 departs from Malaga, Costa Del Sol (with a flight from Doncaster included in the price) and visiting Palamos, Spain; Barcelona, Spain; Palma, Majorca; Alicante, Spain and Almeria, Spain.
Marella said that guests can save up to £900 per couple on fly-cruise sailings, with the offer valid on departures including flights between Sept. 2021 and Oct. 24, 2021. Departures are onboard the Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2 or Marella Discovery based on two sharing an inside cabin. The calculated savings are based on seven-night cruise durations, Marella said, and additional supplements may apply.