Tourism

What is the Marella Discovery cruise ship and when does it visit Gibraltar?

The cruise ship Marella Discovery
Photo: Master0Garfield via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Short answer

Marella Discovery is an all-inclusive ship of about 1,800 passengers run by Marella Cruises, the cruise arm of TUI UK. Its upcoming visits to Gibraltar, with times and expected passengers, are listed on this page.

Upcoming visits to Gibraltar

  • Friday 13 November 2026, in port 07:00–19:00, about 1,804 passengers expected

    Also in port: Island Princess.

  • Sunday 21 March 2027, in port 07:00–19:00, about 1,804 passengers expected

  • Wednesday 17 November 2027, in port 08:00–18:00, about 1,804 passengers expected

    Also in port: Star Legend. Combined: about 2,016 passengers where known.

From the Port of Gibraltar schedule, last checked 15 October 2026.

Detailed answer

Marella Discovery was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire in France and entered service in 1996 as Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. It was refitted and renamed TUI Discovery in 2016, and has sailed as Marella Discovery since 2017. It has a gross tonnage of 69,130, a length of 264 metres and a crew of about 720. Marella sells it to British holidaymakers with drinks, tips and service charges included in the fare. On board are an outdoor cinema, a climbing wall, mini golf, a five-storey atrium and an 800-seat show lounge. Marella ran it as an adults-only ship for summer 2026 in Cyprus. It is a different ship from Marella Discovery 2, which becomes permanently adults-only from winter 2027.

How busy will town be?

The upcoming visits listed on this page show the passengers expected on each call and any other ships in port the same day. Town is busiest when several ships are in at once or a large ship arrives at a weekend. A ship carrying a few hundred passengers makes little difference on its own.

Can you sail on it from nearby?

Yes. Marella Discovery is listed sailing from Malaga to La Romana in the Dominican Republic from Thursday 12 November 2026, spending the winter in the Caribbean. It crosses back from La Romana to Palma from Tuesday 9 March 2027 and then runs weekly round trips from Palma from late March to October 2027. On Saturday 30 October 2027 it sails from Palma to Malaga, ahead of another transatlantic voyage from Malaga in November 2027.