Marella Cruises launches UK summer sailings for 2021

The TUI owned cruise line, Marella Cruises^*, is set to launch a brand new selection of UK centric itineraries for summer 2021.

Marella Explorer sailing the British Isles from summer 2021 - photo courtesy of Marella Cruises

Two of its ships, Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2, will sail from Southampton^* from 25 June 2021 and Newcastle^* from 10 July 2021 respectively.

While details of the adults-only Marella Explorer 2's cruises will be released in due course, Marella Explorer's seven routes from Southampton will be available to book from 16 June 2021.

Among these are the three-night trip entitled Sail the South Coast^*, calling at Dover for Canterbury Cathedral, among other stops. Then there's Sail the Irish Sea^*, which will visit Liverpool, Dublin and Cobh in the Republic of Ireland.

Heading further north still, British Sights and Seas^* will feature ports including Invergordon, Kirkwall on Orkney, Edinburgh and Newcastle before returning to Southampton.

To ensure the cruises are safe for all, there are some requirements for anyone planning to book a berth aboard a Marella UK cruise this summer:

they are open only to UK residents with a permanent address
they are only for UK residents with a valid passport
all passengers must have proof of either vaccinations or a negative lateral flow test before boarding

Speaking of the new UK sailings, Chris Hackney, managing director of Cruise TUI UK and Ireland, said: "After pausing our operations for more than a year, we are delighted to announce our UK summer programme and welcome our wonderful customers back onboard our ships. "

"The safety and well-being of both our crew and passengers remain our priority, which is why we have vaccination and testing protocols for all sailings from UK ports this summer."

As Marella Explorer^* and Marella Explorer 2^* will now be used to sail the waters around the UK, their original international summer itineraries have been cancelled. Anyone booked to sail on either of these ships will be offered the chance to rebook a UK sailing with some sort of incentive or a full refund.

Ready to book your berth? Check out the latest deals on UK crusies with Marella^* and secure your spot today.

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