TUI to retire Marella Celebration as more cruise and beach holidays cancelled

Monday, 29 Apr, 2020 0

TUI has extended the cancellations of its beach holidays until June 11 and all cruises until June 30. It has also announced today that its smallest cruise ship Marella Celebration will be retired from the fleet.

It said all customers are being notified.

"Rolling cancelations have been put in place to ensure customer service teams can support those impacted by the cancelations in date order," said a spokeswoman.

In total TUI UK has now cancelled holidays for nearly 900,000 customers.

Marella Celebration has been retired at least a year earlier than planned. TUI said the ship, built in 1984, is ‘one of the longest standing and most loved ships in the Marella Cruises fleet’.

"She’s sailed with the cruise line for 15 years, carrying almost half a million passengers," it added. A spokesman said the company was still working through the detail of its sailings for the rest of 2020 and summer 2021.

Celebration was due to homeport in Dubrovnik in summer ’20 and summer ’21 and Cyprus and Dubai for the winter season.

TUI has also extended its flexible amends programme for all holdiays booked until July 11, so customers with bookings between June 12 and July 11 can amend to another date for free.

All TUI customers whose bookings are cancelled will receive a 20% booking incentive when accepting a refund credit to move to another date, or can request a cash refund, said TUI.

The operator said it is taking about 28 days for a cash refunds to be processed.

"We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding, especially given the scale of people we are trying to help," it added.

below social share icons

Linsey McNeill

Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk

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

Since 1932, P&O Cruises has offered Aussies and Kiwis the opportunity to take to the seas and have the holiday...

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...

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

SOUTH AUSTRALIA. FOR THOSE WHO WANT A LITTLE MORE. South Australia. It’s a beautiful place. A place for the restless,...

The Mexico Tourism Board serves as the driving force behind Mexico’s global appeal, orchestrating targeted marketing campaigns to showcase the...

The Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) is one of several dozen national tourism organisations operating in the...

Greater Fort Lauderdale’s assortment of adventures awaits you. Whether you want to relax on the beach as the sound of...

We’re the number one choice for travelers to the Greek Islands and Eastern Mediterranean – a fact we love to...

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

In 2019, Buffalo Tours and Olympus Tours joined the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) family and formed Discova. With the...

Arival advances the business of creating amazing in-destination experiences. We provide events, insights, and community for creators and sellers of...

Our Mission Ecommerce has transformative powers, and we believe everyone should be able to take part. But outdated solutions and...

IHG Hotels & Resorts: Redefining Hospitality Excellence IHG Hotels & Resorts is a globally renowned hospitality company that stands at...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...