In early May, it kicked off a slate of 26 weekly sailings between now and November. It was Marella’s first sailing from the United States.
The 866-foot-long Discovery has 915 cabins, an 800-seat Broadway Show Lounge, outdoor cinema, five-story atrium, mini-golf course, and rock-climbing wall to go along with seven restaurants and seven bars and an indoor and outdoor pool. Port-of-call visits include Ports of Charleston, S.C., New York City, Norfolk, Va., New Orleans, Key West, Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.
“We are excited to extend a warm welcome Marella Cruises’ Discoveryand honored that they’ve chosen to base their first homeport in the United States at Port Canaveral,” said Capt. John Murray, Port CEO. “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.”
Marella is a division of TUI United Kingdom and Ireland and TUI World group. Five flights will arrive weekly at Melbourne Orlando International Airport from the U.K. with roughly 1,500 British passengers weekly who will sail on each cruise.
In keeping with maritime tradition, Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner RADM Wayne Justice (USCG-Ret.) presented Marella Discovery Capt. Chris Douglass with a plaque welcoming the ship to Port Canaveral for the first time. The ship was escorted as she departed Port Canaveral out to sea with a traditional water gun salute led by Canaveral Fire Rescue’s “Fireboat 2,” and two tugboats provided by Seabulk and E.N. Bisso.
“It gives me a great amount of pride to welcome the Marella Discovery as Port Canaveral’s newest homeported vessel,” said Admiral Justice. “This exciting milestone marks a significant moment for our Port, and we look forward to welcoming passengers from around the world as they embark on unforgettable adventures from Florida’s Space Coast. We’re honored to have Marella Cruises as a valuable partner in our community.”
Marella is the sixth cruise line with at least one ship homeported at the Port, joining Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.
Marella Cruises Website: Marella Cruises
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