One of the best-loved cruise brands aimed at British guests has revealed that it is considering adding two more ships to the fleet – but with a huge twist.
For the first time ever, the cruise line may build brand-new ships, rather than purchasing older ships and refurbishing them.
Marella Cruises offers All Inclusive cruise experiences as part of the TUI Group. There are currently five ships in the fleet, although all have been purchased from other cruise lines before being given a considerate renovation.
Despite the amazing work that Marella does with these ship refurbishments, the CEO of TUI Group has admitted that they are in discussions to potentially add two new builds to the fleet.
Speaking at TUI’s Capital Markets Day 2025, Sebastian Ebel highlighted how well Marella Cruises is doing and how there is definitely a market for expanding the fleet.
“We are in discussions with shipyards, and we are currently considering ordering two vessels based on a design customised for the UK market.
“New-build slots are tentatively available from FY31 onwards. We may secure a slot for two new ships, which would be a great step forward if we do it alone or if we do it as a joint venture, which is also something we are in discussion about.
“It may or may not happen, it is not a done deal but we are confident it is good to talk about it,”
Sebastian Ebel, TUI Group CEO
The current fleet
There are currently five ships in the Marella fleet, all of which have sailed previously for other cruise lines.
Several of Marella’s ships originally belonged to Celebrity Cruises, a premium brand under the Royal Caribbean Group.
Marella Voyager began life as Celebrity Mercury before transitioning to the German brand TUI Cruises, where she was renamed Mein Schiff 2 and later Mein Schiff Herz.
Similarly, Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2 started as Celebrity Galaxy and Celebrity Century, respectively, before being handed over to TUI Cruises and SkySea Cruise Line.
Marella’s fleet also includes two ships that originally sailed for Royal Caribbean International. Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 were previously known as Splendour of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.
These ships were built in the mid-1990s and were part of Royal Caribbean’s expansion at the time.
They introduced ground-breaking features like glass-walled atriums and rock climbing walls, which Marella retained when they joined the fleet.
What sets Marella Cruises apart is its commitment to providing an All Inclusive experience for all guests. This means that dining, drinks, and even flights are all included in the price of the ticket, offering great value without the unexpected expenses often associated with cruising.
From relaxed dining options to cocktails by the pool, guests can enjoy a stress-free experience, knowing that they won’t have to worry about additional charges while onboard.
And if the cruise line does press ahead with the option to build two brand-new ships, it would represent a huge shift from tradition – and be extremely exciting for British travellers.
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Wow, 2 new ships for Marella? I now wonder if the Marella product will still be aimed at the British market which traditionally prefers smaller, friendlier ships, or will oversized cabin-bound behemoths be fostered onto the Marella brand by its parent company TUi
who have a recent history of building ugly floating blocks of flats