Though making its first crusing from the U.S. underneath its present identify, Marella Discovery is not any stranger to U.S. waters.[Photo: Canaveral Port Authority]
Marella Cruises’ Marella Discovery sailed from Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 5 right this moment, kicking off a slate of 26 weekly sailings between now and November.
“We are excited to extend a warm welcome Marella Cruises’ Discovery and honored that they’ve chosen to base their first homeport in the United States at Port Canaveral,” mentioned Capt. John Murray, port CEO on the ship’s arrival. “Their decision to join us is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and only adds to our reputation as the world’s busiest port. We are proud to be associated with a high-quality brand as Marella and look forward to providing an exceptional customer experience for their guests.”
The ship was escorted as she departed Port Canaveral out to sea with a standard water gun salute led by Canaveral Fire Rescue’s Fireboat 2 and two tugboats supplied by Seabulk and E.N. Bisso.
While right this moment’s crusing was Marella Discovery’s first from the U.S. underneath its current identify, the ship is not any stranger to U.S. waters. Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, it was delivered to Royal Caribbean because the Splendour of the Seas in 1996. In 2012 it obtained substantial upgrades that included a number of inside upgrades and the addition of 124 new balconies. Royal Caribbean offered the ship to TUI Group in 2015 and it then sailed as TUI Discovery, till being put underneath the Marella Brand.
Marella is a division of TUI United Kingdom and Ireland and TUI World group and 5 flights will arrive weekly at Melbourne Orlando International Airport from the U.Ok. bringing roughly 1,500 passengers from Britain to sail on every cruise.
With a size of 264 meters and beam of 32 meters, the 11-deck Marella Discovery has 915 cabins, can carry 1,830 passengers and has a crew and workers of 753 folks. Its facilities embrace an 800-seat Broadway Show Lounge, outside movie show, five-story atrium, mini-golf course, rock-climbing wall. seven eating places and 7 bars and an indoor and outside pool.
The Discovery could have various itineraries on its “American Dream, Floridian Favourites and Sunshine State and Sands” applications that it presents with port-of-call visits set for the Ports of Charleston, S.C., New York City, Norfolk, Va., New Orleans, Key West, Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.
Marella is now the sixth cruise line with a minimum of one ship homeported at Port Canaveral, becoming a member of an inventory of cruise strains that features Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
