October 2, 2026 — Marella Cruises, the UK cruise line owned by TUI, has unveiled its summer 2028 program with a new Greek port, Patras, and six new itineraries. It goes on sale October 15, 2026.
Patras features on a new “Grecian Gems” itinerary aboard Marella Explorer from Corfu, starting in July 2028. A second new week-long itinerary, “Spanish Shores,” sails round trip from Malaga on Marella Explorer 2 from June 2028, calling at Gibraltar, Ibiza, Mahón, Palma and Cartagena. Chief executive Chris Hackney called Patras “an exciting addition.” Exact sailing dates are TBA.
| Ship | Summer 2028 homeport | April 2028 repositioning cruise |
|---|---|---|
| Marella Explorer | Corfu | 10 nights Las Palmas to Corfu, or 11 nights Tenerife to Corfu |
| Marella Explorer 2 | Malaga | 13 nights Barbados to Malaga |
| Marella Discovery 2 | Dubrovnik | 5 nights Palma to Dubrovnik |
| Marella Voyager | Palma | 13 nights Barbados to Palma |
| Marella Discovery | Palma | None announced |
What it means for airline travelers
- Marella sells mainly through TUI in the UK with flights from UK and Irish airports bundled in. If you plan to book cruise-only and fly yourself, confirm that option is available for your sailing.
- Homeport airports: Corfu (CFU), Malaga (AGP), Palma de Mallorca (PMI) and Dubrovnik (DBV). In summer these are served largely by leisure and charter flights that run full, so standby is difficult; arrive at least a day early.
- Repositioning cruises are one-way, including transatlantic crossings from Barbados (BGI) to Spain. Plan separate flights for each end.
- Interline rates: the announcement does not mention travel-industry rates.
Sources
- Cruise Industry News: Marella Cruises’ Summer 2028: New Greek Port, Six New Itineraries
- Seatrade Cruise News: Marella adds Patras, Greece to 2028 summer programme
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