Marella Cruises turns 30 with fleet wide celebrations across Ajaccio, Dubrovnik and the Mediterranean

May 12, 2026

Marella Cruises

Marella Cruises, TUI’s UK cruise line, marked its 30th birthday with celebrations across its fleet in Ajaccio featuring Marella Discovery 2 and Marella Explorer, a shoreside event in Dubrovnik with Marella Explorer 2 and Marella Voyager and onboard celebrations at sea with Marella Discovery.

In Dubrovnik, guests enjoyed traditional wine and brandy tastings, live performances from local musicians Trio Laus and a standout appearance by Klapa Kase dancers. Meanwhile, Ajaccio hosted a vibrant Corsican‑inspired celebration with beer tastings, live music from Les Zinzins and a colourful Napoleonic Army parade.

Across the fleet, an all star line up brought the party to sea with Aston Merrygold from JLS performing on Marella Discovery featuring a live Q&A with Anthea Turner, while Marella Discovery 2 welcomed Fleur East and Olympic icon Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards in Palma. Marella Explorer hosted BoyzLife stars Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden performing Boyzone and Westlife favourites, and Marella Voyager featured a show‑stopping performance from Strictly Come Dancing and Drag Race favourite La Voix and a live Q&A with Michaela Strachan.

The seven night 30th Birthday Celebration cruises across the fleet also featured bespoke onboard programming, including Birthday Gala events, Party Like It’s 1996 themed nights, 90s trivia quizzes and classic TV box sets from the decade.

Chris Hackney, CEO at Marella Cruises: “Celebrating 30 years of Marella Cruises in the UK has been a truly defining milestone for us, especially as it follows our most successful year to date. It’s a testament to the strength of our product, the loyalty of our customers and the dedication of our teams across the business.

Inspired by 1996, the anniversary programme brought together music, culture and moments of nostalgia, creating something truly special for our customers. These sailings were designed to celebrate three decades at sea in style and it’s been fantastic to share this milestone moment with both new and returning guests as we look ahead to the future of Marella Cruises.”

Marella Cruises offers its customers all-inclusive as standard with all tips and service charges included in the price so customers can enjoy an unrivalled level of service.

Marella Cruises is part of TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. As of 1 June 2023, there are five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2 and the newest ship to the fleet, Marella Voyager.Marella Cruises offers its customers all-inclusive as standard with all tips and service charges included, customers enjoy an unrivalled level of service and award-winning entertainment. Marella Cruises has also received accolades in Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended for onboard service since 2019.

May 12, 2026