Marella Discovery 2 Goes Adults-Only With Four New Venues
Marella Discovery 2’s children’s spaces will be converted into four adult venues, including a speakeasy and escape room, though final designs have not been released.
Marella Cruises will open bookings on July 2, 2026, for a winter 2027 program that deploys all five ships from six homeports across Europe and the Caribbean. The schedule also makes Marella Discovery 2 a permanent adults-only ship, with four new venues replacing children’s spaces onboard.
The conversion will make Discovery 2 the line’s second adults-only vessel, alongside Marella Explorer 2, after the ship returns in that role for a second consecutive winter season. The broader program covers Canary Islands, Caribbean and Mediterranean homeporting from November 2027 through April 2028, with new itineraries, festive overnight stays, repositioning cruises and transatlantic crossings.
“With demand for adults-only cruising continuing to grow, we’re investing in four new onboard concepts,” said Chris Hackney, Marella Cruises CEO.
Discovery 2 shifts children’s areas to adult venues
The planned changes on Marella Discovery 2 will convert kids-only areas into a speakeasy, an escape room, a karaoke room and an arts and crafts space. The ship, built in 1995 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, previously sailed for Royal Caribbean as Legend of the Seas before joining Marella in 2017.
Discovery 2 completed its most recent refurbishment in 2024. Marella has not released final design details for the four new venues or identified an installation window for the work.
Fleet deployment spans Canary Islands, Caribbean and Mediterranean ports
Marella Discovery 2 will homeport from Tenerife and Gran Canaria from November 2027 through March 2028, then shift to Malaga from March through April 2028. Marella Discovery will sail from La Romana, Dominican Republic, from November 2027 to March 2028 before moving to Palma, Majorca, for March and April 2028.
Marella Explorer will alternate between Tenerife and Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, for Canarian itineraries. Marella Voyager and Marella Explorer 2 will operate Caribbean itineraries from Barbados throughout the season.
The new seven-night Atlantic Fusion itinerary on Marella Discovery 2 includes Agadir, Morocco, along with calls at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, Arrecife in Lanzarote and Santa Cruz de La Palma, bookended by Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Repositioning and transatlantic cruises add longer options
Marella Explorer’s A Canarian Christmas itinerary includes a Funchal, Madeira, stay on Dec. 23, 2027. The winter program also includes five- to eight-night repositioning cruises, including Canarian Collection 2 from Malaga to Gibraltar, Funchal for an overnight stop, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Arrecife, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Marella Discovery will operate 13- and 14-night transatlantic cruises. Its Voyage to the Tropics itinerary sails from Malaga to La Romana with a call at Gibraltar, eight sea days and Caribbean calls at St John’s, Antigua; Basseterre, St Kitts; Philipsburg, St Maarten; and Road Town in the British Virgin Islands.
Marella is also expanding its Cruise & Stay program with 39 additional hotels and flights from 12 regional UK airports. Hackney said the winter program gives customers “more ways to cruise with Marella Cruises.”
