The Tui-owned Marella Explorer 2 had to stay around longer than expected today. This was to allow two crew members who tested positive for Covid to disembark. Eugene Costello reports…
The jewel in the crown of Tui’s Marella Cruises’ fleet the Marella Explorer 2 had to stay around so that two crew members who had tested positive for Covid could disembark.
The 14-deck cruise ship departed Malaga on Sunday. It had been scheduled to stop at Valencia but there was a delay of up to two hours before the ship could depart to ensure passengers would not be contaminated.
“We can confirm two crew members disembarked from Marella Explorer today due to testing positive for COVID-19,” a TUI UK spokesperson confirmed to The Valencian. “As a result of this, Marella Explorer departed Valencia port slightly later than scheduled,” she said.
“There are no further cases among the crew and guests continue to enjoy their cruise as normal.”
She declined to disclose how many passengers are on board. But with 907 double or twin cabins it is potentially up to around 1,800 clients.
The next port of call will be Ibiza, followed by Cartagena, Gibraltar, Cadiz and finally returning to Malaga on Monday.
The tour, known as The Pride Of Iberia is so popular that you can’t get your hands on a ticket until at least April 2023. With 14 decks it is more akin to a floating small town. It is also at the luxury end of Tui’s cruise offering. Marella Explorer 2 is our newest ship in the fleet. The adults-only ship includes a Champneys spa, a chic bar-club-casino space and nine bars and nine restaurants onboard.
Be sure to keep up-to-date with all of news in and around Valencia on our news page.
