Aitken Spence Maritime and Aitken Spence Travels boost tourism through Marella cruises

Marella cruises largest super luxury passenger vessel, Marella Discovery

Marella Discovery docked at the Colombo Harbour

Boosting the revival of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka, Aitken Spence Maritime facilitated Marella cruises sailing their largest super-luxury cruise ship, Marella Discovery of the Marella fleet, to the Port of Colombo. 

Marella Discovery commenced its voyage from the Persian Gulf and cruised past Cochin to reach Colombo and continued to cruise towards South-East destinations after visiting Sri Lanka. Marella is the third-largest cruise line in the UK, with a fleet of six ships. Marella cruises is a division of TUI UK and Ireland; TUI Group is the world’s leading integrated tourism group operating in more than 100 destinations worldwide. 

Marella Cruise line offers holidays around Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asian destinations. Marella Discovery is approximately 264 m in length and 32 m wide having 902 state rooms with a capacity for up to 2,074 passengers. 

The ship boasts many features such as an outdoor cinema, a rock-climbing wall, a mini-golf course, five-storey atrium and an indoor pool. Marella Cruises trademarks include a fantastic dining scene, a show lounge to rival the West End, and smart, contemporary interiors and a range of on board activities enabling a wonderful experience for passengers on board. 

Aitken Spence Travels was the shore excursion partner in Sri Lanka. The company offered excursions for over 800 passengers covering many locations close to Colombo, low grown tea estates, historical sites, Madhu Ganga river safaris and tours across the city of Galle. 

The excursions are designed to create memories in Sri Lanka through experiences with culture, cuisine, architecture, heritage and way of life. Aitken Spence Travels is the leading Destination Management Company (DMC) handling majority of the shore excursions of cruise ships that call over to Sri Lanka. The company is a joint venture between Aitken Spence PLC, a leading blue-chip conglomerate, and TUI. 

Aitken Spence Maritime is a pioneer in the industry and was the first Sri Lankan company to undertake port efficiency enhancement management overseas with its entry into the African continent and subsequently the South Pacific. The company handles all maritime services – from shipping and cargo handling services, to liner agency, cruise vessel, port management and development, chartering services and maritime education.