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Marella Cruises is 30

It was our 30th birthday on the 7th of May 2026, and to celebrate, we sailed five special itineraries – each one featuring star-studded shows and surprises. Here’s a recap of what went on…

The line-up

Find out who took to the stage on our 30th birthday cruises.

Fleur East

Best known as the host of Hits Radio Breakfast and co-host of Strictly Come Dancing spin-off, Strictly: It Takes Two, Fleur East is a talented singer, presenter and actress. She joined us onboard Marella Discovery 2 for an exclusive performance.

La Voix

The UK’s funniest redhead and queen of live vocals, La Voix, put on a special performance onboard Marella Voyager as part of our birthday celebrations. A powerhouse of charisma, comedy and cabaret, she left the audience utterly spellbound.

Boyzlife

Boyzlife is a supergroup made up of Keith Duffy of Boyzone and Brian McFadden of Westlife. Between them, the two bands sold over 55 million records and racked up 17 UK Number One singles. They jumped onboard Marella Explorer to perform some of both bands’ biggest hits.

Aston Merrygold

Aston Merrygold has been a familiar face in British entertainment ever since he shot to fame with boyband JLS over 20 years ago. Whether he’s on stage or on TV, Aston brings his trademark energy and warmth to everything he does. He helped us celebrate our 30th birthday onboard Marella Discovery.

Lemar

Double Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter, Lemar, has a career that spans over two decades. As well as collaborating with icons like Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, he's picked up acting roles in theatre and on TV. He took to the stage on Marella Explorer 2 for our birthday celebrations.

Anthea Turner

Influencer, business founder, author and presenter Anthea Turner has earned national treasure status. Her presenting career has spanned everything from Blue Peter to GMTV. She joined us onboard Marella Discovery for a special Q&A.

Eddie the Eagle

Eddie went from a boy who dreamed big against all odds to one of Britain’s most loved and recognisable sporting legends. With trademark warmth, self-deprecating humour and total honesty, he took us behind the scenes of his remarkable journey with a special Q&A onboard Marella Explorer and Marella Discovery 2.

Our 30th birthday highlights

Watch our video to relive our 30th birthday celebrations.

How we celebrated 30 years of Marella Cruises

Quayside celebrations

In Ajaccio, in France, and Dubrovnik, in Croatia, we put on quayside celebrations showcasing local food, music and culture, plus speeches from our captains. Guests onboard Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2, Marella Discovery 2 and Marella Voyager all joined in the fun.

Marella Discovery’s celebrations

On Marella Discovery, our CEO Chris Hackney came onboard for a special Q&A while the ship was celebrating at sea.

Birthday Gala

Guests got glammed up for our Birthday Gala. There was a birthday countdown, footage from across the decades, live music, special cast performances and loads of photo opportunities, plus sets from celebrity acts.

Party like it’s 1996

Karaoke and cocktails took centre stage at this event, with a track list from ’96 featuring the likes of George Michael and Peter Andre.

90s trivia and TV

We screened classic 90s box sets including Friends, Only Fools and Horses and One Foot in the Grave. Plus, guests put their knowledge to the test with a game of trivia.

Our 30th birthday in photos

Two cruise guests wearing Marella party hats and waving at a ship.
Our guests got into the birthday spirit with Marella party hats
Circlular cards showing happy birthday messages from cruise guests.
We received lots of lovely birthday messages from those onboard
Guests dancing at a 90s themed party.
Our 90s-themed celebrations were a hit with our guests
Comedian Jon Clegg performing on stage.
British comedian Jon Clegg took to the stage as part of our celebrations
A close-up of a hand holding a 30th birthday card in front of a Marella ship.
Celebrations continued quayside when some of our ships were docked
Chefs showing off a 30 year birthday cake.
Our talented chefs made a 30th birthday cake
Ship captains posing for a photo in front of a Marella ship.
Captains Chris and Richard posed for a photo during our celebrations
A Whitney Houston tribute act performing on a cruise ship.
Simply Whitney put on a stellar performance for our guests
The Napoleonic Army Parade performing a historic re-enactment.
The Napoleonic Army Parade performed a historic re-enactment in Ajaccio

Discover more with Marella Cruises

Meet the Marella Cruises fleet . Get the inside scoop on the ships in our fleet. There are five to choose from, including one that offers adults-only sailings all year round.Find out more about our fleet.

Meet the Marella Cruises fleet

Get the inside scoop on the ships in our fleet. There are five to choose from, including one that offers adults-only sailings all year round.

Find out more about our fleet.

Which destinations do Marella Cruises sail to?. Including our destinations in the Canary Islands, Marella Cruises drop anchor in more than 100 destinations around the world.Check out where you can sail to.

Which destinations do Marella Cruises sail to?

Including our destinations in the Canary Islands, Marella Cruises drop anchor in more than 100 destinations around the world.

Check out where you can sail to.

What to pack for a cruise?. Find out what dress code to expect while you’re onboard and check out our top tips for first-time cruisers.Find out what to pack.

What to pack for a cruise?

Find out what dress code to expect while you’re onboard and check out our top tips for first-time cruisers.

Find out what to pack.

Here’s what our customers had to say…

“The extra details on the 30th birthday cruise were lovely. I have done quite a lot of Marella Cruises and loved them all – this was one of the best.” Paula, Marella Discovery

“We really enjoyed the Marella 30th anniversary celebrations on Marella Discovery 2. Fleur East, Eddie the Eagle, great food, great entertainment and great destinations meant we had a ball!” Margaret and Nick, Marella Discovery 2

“I thoroughly enjoyed the 30th birthday celebrations and the two cruise ships sailing out of Ajaccio together will be a memory I will never forget.” Josephine and Patrick, Marella Explorer

“The nineties party on the first night was great fun and we loved the gifts to celebrate the 30th anniversary. Overall, it was a great cruise.” Jacqui, Marella Explorer 2

“To be involved in the 30th anniversary was just fantastic. Great parties, great atmosphere – we would love to do it again.” Lee, Marella Voyager

FAQs

What was Marella Cruises’ 30th birthday celebration?

We celebrated 30 years of sailing in 2026 with special performances and guest appearances onboard our ships, plus quayside events.

Which celebrities appeared on Marella’s 30th anniversary cruises?

The line-up included Fleur East, La Voix, BoyzLife, Aston Merrygold, Lemar, Anthea Turner and Eddie the Eagle.

Which ships were involved in Marella Cruises’ 30th birthday celebrations?

All five of our ships were involved in the celebrations.

What events took place during Marella’s 30th birthday cruises?

We marked the occasion with live performances, Q&As, a birthday gala, a 1996-themed party and more.