Thomson Cruises rebrand gets lukewarm response

Thursday, 10 Oct, 2017 0

Thomson Cruises has received a lukewarm response from the travel trade to its plans to rebrand as Marella Cruises later this month.

The cruise line announced the rebrand last night at this year’s ABTA Convention in the Azores, when it also announced plans to add new destinations – to the Middle East, Far East and India – for winter 2018/19.

The move comes at the same time as Thomson changes to TUI later this month, and agents were quick to question why the cruise division didn’t stick to the TUI brand.

Posting their views on the Facebook forum Travel Gossip, agents said it seemed a ‘random’ choice.

One agent said it was a ‘complete exercise in futility, wasting money and resourses on what could be spent…erm I dont know…improving their product’.

Another said: "Tui cruises would have made more sense! Who comes up with these ideas!" and another commented: "What a weird name. Why not Tui Cruises??"

Thomson had already started attaching the TUI name to its cruise ships, starting with the launch of TUI Discovery last year.

Marella is also the name of a women’s clothing line, launched in 1976 and part of the Max Mara Group.

Thomson said the word Marella, which means ‘shining sea’ in Celtic, was chosen by customers and reflected its ‘spirit of exploration and discovery’.

The rebranded line will have new additions to the fleet, such as Marella Explorer, which joins next year.

Distribution and cruise director Helen Caron said: "Moving forward as Marella we’ve got brand new, modern additions to our fleet and more destinations, choice and experiences than ever before."

To celebrate the launch of Marella Cruises, the company has unveiled new itineraries across Asia as part of its winter 2018 programme.

The newly-renamed Marella Discovery will sail to 18 new ports of call on 14 new adult-only itineraries, including Colours of the Far East, departing from Bangkok and Enchanting Far East, setting sail from Langkawi in Malaysia.

Marella Discovery’s South East Asian adventure will visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Kuala Lumpur, while it will also sail to India, calling at ports including Mumbai, Mangalore, Mormugao (Goa), Cochin (Kerala) and Colombo (Sri Lanka), and to the Middle East, with highlights including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat.

For the first time in the company’s history, two ships will be based in Barbados for winter 2018.

Marella Explorer will sail its first-ever winter season from the island and will be joined by Marella Celebration.

Lisa

Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.

Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisors. We...

AXA Assistance specializes in best-in-class cost containment, health and travel services. Over 60 years of experience combined with a US and...

Discover Sarawak Revealing a side of Asia unlike anywhere else, Sarawak offers an alternative for those seeking humble authenticity far...

The State of Michigan is blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the nation’s longest freshwater coastline, lakes that feel like...

Family-owned Olympic Holidays has been arranging holidays to Greece, the Greek islands and Cyprus for more than half century. The company is unrivalled...

This is Jersey. An island shaped by the sea where some of the most astonishing tides in the world circle...

River cruising is a treat for the senses, allowing you to see, touch, feel and experience the world like never...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...

For over 18 years and over 106 completed events, the Travel & Adventure Show has connected over 2.5 million travel...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

If you’re thinking of cruising, there’s a very good chance you’re considering a Carnival cruise. Growing since our founding in...

The superpower in bed banks for 30 years We are an award-winning and trusted accommodation wholesaler since 1991. We are...

Discover Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, also known as the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast. This natural wonderland is nestled in the...

At Wilderness Safaris we believe in creating life-changing journeys and have been doing so for over 39 years. Our purpose...

Queensland – where it’s rude not to stare Here in Queensland, there’s plenty to do. But there’s even more to...

Home to America’s Best Beaches, a vibrant arts community and amazing outdoor experiences, St. Pete/Clearwater is a sunny destination that...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...