A cruise line sailed their first ever cruise from a U.S. port this week when one of their ships set sail from Port Canaveral.
Marella Cruises sailed their first cruise from the U.S. when their ship Discovery departed on the first of 26 week long sailings from Port Canaveral.
“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,” 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.
“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.”
Discovery will offer a variety of cruises on its “American Dream, Floridian Favourites and Sunshine State and Sands” programs. Port stops for the cruise ship include 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 at least one cruise ship homeported at Port Canaveral, joining Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean.