50 Marella Voyager called at Livorno, Italy, during its ‘Highlights of the Mediterranean’ itinerary, providing guests with the chance to explore Florence and Pisa Photo: iStock/SerrNovik PLANNER PERSPECTIVE Striking the right balance Jacqui Nobile from Marella Cruises tells Alice Chambers why Marella Voyager’s maiden season is providing guests with a new reason to visit their favourite destinations When new ships are brought into a fleet, it’s essential for cruise lines to introduce an exciting and successful shore excursion programme. So ahead of Marella Cruises’ Marella Voyager debut in May 2023, Jacqui Nobile, senior destination services operations manager at Marella Cruises, was busy preparing the perfect itinerary to entice guests onboard. “It’s all about striking a balance between the unknown and the known,” she says. “Showing people the unexpected side of a destination alongside the bucket list sites they want to tick off is an important part of my job alongside showcasing local beauty, culture, food, wine and people. Guests want to see things they don’t see every day and exploring new destinations offers a chance to step out of the ordinary. “As you often see when we introduce a new ship to the Marella fleet, we also choose the firm customer favourites. In this case, we selected Palma and Barbados to give our most loyal customers a new reason to return to their favourite destinations.” Marella Voyager debuted on 31 May 2023 in Malaga, Spain, and was named by Nobile herself, alongside co-godmother and Marella’s chief purser Tatyana Olkhovska. The ship has been homeporting in Palma, Majorca, since its launch and sailing on Marella’s ‘Magic of Spain’, ‘Cosmopolitan Classics’ and ‘Highlights of the Mediterranean’ itineraries. Some of the Spanish destinations it has called at to date “ It’s all about striking a balance between the unknown and the known”
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