Marella Cruises, in partnership with hotel logistics services provider Apollo Group, is rolling out reusable coffee cups to all guests onboard its fleet of ships, after a successful trial on Marella Explorer, to support TUI’s commitment to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative.
During the three‑month trial, around 3,500 takeaway drinks were served each week at The Coffee Port, the ship’s Premium All Inclusive coffee shop, using reusable cups and lids onboard Marella Explorer.
Over the trial, this equated to a total saving of 180,000 single-use items including cups, plastic lids and cardboard sleeves.
The trial proved successful, with reusable alternatives significantly reducing reliance on single‑use items onboard, without compromising the flexibility of a takeaway offering.
The roll out will make reusable coffee cups available to all customers across the fleet of ships.
Based on the trial data, by rolling out reusable coffee cups across the fleet, they are set to eliminate more than 1.4 million single‑use plastic cups, lids and sleeves in 2026 alone, building on the 180,000 items already saved on one ship last year.
The reusable coffee cups will be placed in each cabin on arrival and can be used onboard and ashore.
Customers will be able to return their cup to The Coffee Port once used and a clean one will be provided for each drink.
At the end of each cruise, customers can leave their coffee cup in their cabin’s before disembarking the ship so they can be reused for future guests to use.
TUI Group is a signatory and Advisory Committee member of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, which brings together businesses, governments and other tourism stakeholders to stop plastic ending up as pollution and reduce the amount of new plastic that is produced in the first place.1
Olivia Wells, Sustainability Manager, Marella Cruises said: “Following a successful trial, this rollout represents an important step in reducing single-use waste across Marella Cruises’ fleet. By introducing practical, reusable alternatives, we are making it easier for both our customers and our operations to reduce plastic waste.”
Source: TUI Group PR & Comms
Images: © 2026 TUI AG
0 Comments