Marella Cruises Adds 70 Caribbean Excursions as Zip Line Sells Out Fast

Marella Cruises has put 70 new shore excursions on sale for its Caribbean winter 2026 program, and one headline product is already moving: more than 60 percent of places on the Flying Dutchman zip line in St Maarten have sold, according to the TUI-owned operator.

That's a measured result, not a projection, and it's the number that matters for agents. Shore excursions are high-margin ancillary revenue on top of the cruise fare, so early sell-through on a premium activity is a useful signal of booking appetite for the whole program.

CEO Chris Hackney framed the expansion around port-time efficiency. "Our itineraries are designed to make the most of time in port so customers can really get under the skin of each destination on each sailing," he said.

He also confirmed demand is front-loaded: "We're already seeing strong early demand for these new experiences, with the Flying Dutchman zip line in St Maarten proving particularly popular and over 60 percent of places already sold."

Where do the new excursions operate?

The excursions run across three ships and two embarkation ports:

• Marella Discovery, sailing from La Romana, Dominican Republic
• Marella Explorer 2, from Bridgetown, Barbados
• Marella Voyager, also from Bridgetown

What are the headline products?

Five experiences anchor the launch:

• Flying Dutchman, St Maarten. Guests ride the Sky Explorer chairlift to Sentry Hill, the island's highest point, then descend one of the world's steepest zip lines at up to 56mph.
• Sugar City Trolley Train, St Kitts. A guided trolley run through Basseterre covering the island's history and culture.
• Sounds of Ponce and Salsa Experience, Puerto Rico. A scenic drive through Ponce followed by a beginner-friendly music and dance workshop.
• The Home of Steelpan, Tobago. In Scarborough, players demonstrate how pans are crafted and tuned, ending with a live band performance and a stop at Fort King George.
• Expedition to the Window Cave, Puerto Rico. A guided cave tour from San Juan featuring ancient rock carvings and pre-Columbian heritage.

A wind-powered land yacht sail in Bonaire also features in the wider 70-excursion batch.

How does this fit the fly-cruise package?

Marella is selling the excursions as bolt-ons to its all-inclusive fly-cruise product. Hackney's pitch: "These additions give customers even more ways to try something new ashore, while still enjoying the ease and value of our all-inclusive fly cruise holidays."

The core inventory is a seven-night Tropical Isles round-trip on the Marella Discovery, all-inclusive, with TUI Airways flights from London Gatwick to La Romana. That vertical integration, TUI's own airline feeding TUI's own ship, keeps distribution in-house and gives agents a single packaged price to sell.

For sellers of travel, the practical takeaway is simple. Bookings are open now, the strongest early demand sits on the St Maarten zip line, and clients who want that specific excursion should probably not wait until the pier.

Marella hasn't disclosed pricing or total capacity for the new excursions, so sell-through percentages remain the only hard performance data on the table. Expect that picture to sharpen once winter 2026 sailing dates approach.