Assisted travel by Marella

Find out how we can assist you ahead of your next Marella Cruise. 

View our Detailed Access Guides

Cruising with no barriers

Here at Marella Cruises, we want to make travelling as easy as possible. That’s whether you – or someone you’re sailing with – has access needs, reduced mobility or a disability, including non-visible ones and neurodiversity.

We know holiday planning can be stressful when you’re reliant on the ship’s accessibility features being available before booking, which is why we’ve partnered with AccessAble to bring you Detailed Access Guides for our cruise ships, so you can check if they meet your individual needs.

How we can help

Accessible transfers. . Coach transfers are included as standard as part of our cruise packages that include flights. If you’re unable to travel by coach, please reach out to our Assisted Travel Team who’ll be able to arrange an alternative method of transport for you.

Accessible transfers

Coach transfers are included as standard as part of our cruise packages that include flights. If you’re unable to travel by coach, please reach out to our Assisted Travel Team who’ll be able to arrange an alternative method of transport for you.

Airport assistance. . If you need assistance at the airport, our Assisted Travel Team can arrange this for you – give them a call when you book, or no later than 48 hours before you fly. Once you get to the designated meeting point at the airport, the team there will be informed and will come to meet you.

Airport assistance

If you need assistance at the airport, our Assisted Travel Team can arrange this for you – give them a call when you book, or no later than 48 hours before you fly. Once you get to the designated meeting point at the airport, the team there will be informed and will come to meet you.

Accessibility onboard our ship. . Most parts of our ships are accessible and we’ll do everything we can to cater for your needs onboard. Give our Assisted Travel Team a call on 0800 145 6920 before you book – they’ll be able to advise you further. If you’ve already booked your cruise, you’ll still need to call us so we can check this information for you.

Accessibility onboard our ship

Most parts of our ships are accessible and we’ll do everything we can to cater for your needs onboard. Give our Assisted Travel Team a call on 0800 145 6920 before you book – they’ll be able to advise you further. If you’ve already booked your cruise, you’ll still need to call us so we can check this information for you.

Adapted cabins. . We’ve got a limited number of adapted cabins onboard all of our ships. To book one, at no extra cost, please call our Assisted Travel Team. Just so you know, if you’re bringing a wheelchair onboard but don’t require an adapted cabin, you’ll still need to let us know, as there’s a limit to the number of wheelchairs we can have onboard.Image shown is an adapted junior suite.

Adapted cabins

We’ve got a limited number of adapted cabins onboard all of our ships. To book one, at no extra cost, please call our Assisted Travel Team. Just so you know, if you’re bringing a wheelchair onboard but don’t require an adapted cabin, you’ll still need to let us know, as there’s a limit to the number of wheelchairs we can have onboard.

Image shown is an adapted junior suite.

Dietary requirements

We’ll always try to cater for specific dietary needs, and we provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and milk alternatives as standard. Once you’re onboard, please let the Restaurant Manager know about any dietary requirements you may have. If you need to bring your own food for medical reasons, please let us know in advance.

Shore excursions

Some shore excursions use minibuses, so you’ll need to be able to get in and out of one without assistance. To help you pick the shore excursion suitable for you, we’ve sorted them into four categories, from energetic to easy. If you’re unsure about whether a shore excursion will be suitable for you, call us on 0203 451 2688* or speak to the team once you’re onboard.

Tender ports. . Sometimes it’s not possible to bring the ship to a dock, so we anchor a little way out and use tender boats to get you to shore. These are called tender ports. You’ll need to be mobile enough to step in and out of the tender boat with minimal assistance. Unfortunately, our crew aren’t allowed to lift you.

Tender ports

Sometimes it’s not possible to bring the ship to a dock, so we anchor a little way out and use tender boats to get you to shore. These are called tender ports. You’ll need to be mobile enough to step in and out of the tender boat with minimal assistance. Unfortunately, our crew aren’t allowed to lift you.

Getting on and off the ship

In many instances, passengers using mobility aids will be able to move on and off our ships when we dock. But it’s good to note that when the gangways are not flat, it’s not always guaranteed. A few factors come into play here, and they’re often things outside of Marella Cruises’ control, such as sea level, weather conditions and distance from the port.

Guide to Assisted Travel

Check out our Guide to Assisted Travel to watch our Travel Experts give you all the details on assisted travel at the airport, and on board our flights. They’ve got all the hot topics covered – from fit to fly certificates to travelling with medical equipment. Hit play for more.

Customer feedback

“As a traveller with mobility issues, I would highly recommend this ship. We had a great time.”

Marella Discovery 2

23/11/2024

“My husband’s in a mobility scooter and the staff were so helpful. We would definitely cruise again with Marella.”

Marella Discovery 2

20/12/2024

“My husband is disabled, and TUI offered a taxi service from the ship to the airport. Thank you, this was super helpful.”

Marella Discovery 2

09/01/2025

“We’ve had the best time. My wife is disabled and the help we received all over the ship was fantastic.”

Marella Explorer

26/01/2025

“I am disabled and received excellent support. Would highly recommend this cruise and this ship.”

Marella Voyager

03/02/2025

“We were well looked after with our mobility needs, catered for at the airport, on land, at sea and in the air.”

Marella Discovery 2

04/02/2025

“We loved every moment of our holiday. All the staff were fantastic and so helpful, particularly to support my husband who uses a mobility scooter.”

Marella Explorer

10/02/2025

Marella Cruise destinations

Caribbean. . Tick off islands like Barbados, Antigua, St Kitts and the Dominican Republic on a Caribbean cruise.Take a look at our Caribbean cruises.

Caribbean

Tick off islands like Barbados, Antigua, St Kitts and the Dominican Republic on a Caribbean cruise.

Take a look at our Caribbean cruises.

Western Mediterranean. . Spain, Italy and France are all on the itinerary with a Western Mediterranean cruise. Take a look at our Western Mediterranean cruises.

Western Mediterranean

Spain, Italy and France are all on the itinerary with a Western Mediterranean cruise. 

Take a look at our Western Mediterranean cruises.

Eastern Mediterranean. . Hop around the Greek isles, pop to Turkey or explore the Italian Riviera on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise.Take a look at our Eastern Mediterranean cruises.

Eastern Mediterranean

Hop around the Greek isles, pop to Turkey or explore the Italian Riviera on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise.

Take a look at our Eastern Mediterranean cruises.

Canary Islands and Atlantic. . Drop anchor around the Atlantic Ocean and Canaries – from Tenerife and Lanzarote to La Gomera and Madeira – on a Canary Islands and Atlantic cruise.Take a look at our Canary Islands and Atlantic cruises.

Canary Islands and Atlantic

Drop anchor around the Atlantic Ocean and Canaries – from Tenerife and Lanzarote to La Gomera and Madeira – on a Canary Islands and Atlantic cruise.

Take a look at our Canary Islands and Atlantic cruises.

How to book

Get the details. . See our assisted travel with TUI page to find out more.

Get the details

See our assisted travel with TUI page to find out more.

Find your holiday. . Browse and book from a selection of our holidays online, or pop into one of our TUI Stores.

Find your holiday

Browse and book from a selection of our holidays online, or pop into one of our TUI Stores.

Get set for travel. . The Assisted Travel team will be able to advise on and book the assistance that you need.

Get set for travel

The Assisted Travel team will be able to advise on and book the assistance that you need.

FAQs

If you’ve not found what you’re looking for, take a look at Marella Cruises’ assisted travel FAQs. 

Do Marella Cruises have accessible cabins?

Yes, we’ve got a limited number of adapted cabins onboard all of our ships, with things like wider doors and accessible wet rooms. The majority of our adapted cabins are inside or outside cabins. However, depending on the ship, we also have a handful of adapted balcony cabins or adapted junior suites.

If you want to book one, at no extra cost, please call our Assisted Travel Team on 0203 451 2880. 

How do I contact the Assisted Travel team?

You can give the team a call on 0203 451 2880. If you’re a British Sign Language user, you can use SignLive to connect with us via an interpreter. To use this service, just download the SignLive app from the App Store or the Google Play Store, sign up and search for TUI in the community directory. If you’re unable to download the app, you can visit www.signlive.co.uk/login on your web browser and sign up there.

If this is your first time using the service, you’ll need to complete a one-time registration. This is just to keep your account secure, and allow SignLive to call you back if needed. Once logged in, you can contact TUI’s Assisted Travel Team, for free, through the Community Directory by tapping on TUI and then ‘Call’.

For all the info head to www.signlive.co.uk/faq. If you’re having trouble signing in, just email hello@signlive.co.uk and somebody from the SignLive team will get back to you as soon as possible.