Exeter Airport to launch new direct fly-cruise route to Barbados

St Lucia is among the Caribbean islands included in the new Marella Cruises itinerary from Exeter Airport | Shutterstock / Nancy Pauwels

placeholder image — St Lucia is among the Caribbean islands included in the new Marella Cruises itinerary from Exeter Airport | Shutterstock / Nancy Pauwels

The new route, operated by TUI Airways and Marella Cruises, will fly from Exeter to Barbados on December 9, 2027, for a 14-night, adults-only, all-inclusive cruise.

Exeter Airport is to launch a new direct fly-cruise route to Barbados next winter, following the sell-out success of a similar route to the Dominican Republic earlier this year.

The service, operated with Marella Cruises, TUI's UK cruise line, will fly holidaymakers from Exeter to Bridgetown, Barbados, via TUI Airways on December 9, 2027, for a 14-night, adults-only, all-inclusive cruise.

The move comes after an Exeter fly-cruise to the Dominican Republic with TUI Airways and Marella Cruises sold out within weeks of going on sale earlier this summer, prompting the airport and cruise line to add the new Caribbean option.

The Marella Explorer 2, which will operate the new direct fly-cruise route from Exeter to Barbados from December 2027 | Exeter Airport

Sailing aboard the Marella Explorer 2, the cruise combines two separate itineraries, calling at islands including Guadeloupe, St Lucia, the Grenadines, Tobago, Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, St Maarten, St Kitts and Dominica. Customers wanting to extend their trip can also add a week-long hotel stay in Barbados before or after the cruise.

The adults-only Marella Explorer 2 has 14 decks and 907 cabins, along with an Oceans Spa, gym, 10 restaurants and nine bars. Onboard entertainment includes a West End-style theatre, the Indigo casino, minigolf and an outdoor pool. Flights, transfers, meals and drinks are all included as part of the all-inclusive package.

Stephen Wiltshire, managing director of Exeter Airport, said the speed at which the Dominican Republic fly-cruise sold out had shown strong demand for long-haul holidays from Exeter. He said the new departure gave customers another opportunity to start a Caribbean cruise close to home, with direct flights to Barbados removing the need to travel to a larger airport, calling it further evidence of TUI's confidence in Exeter.

Chris Hackney, chief executive of Marella Cruises, said the strong demand for the Dominican Republic departure had shown that customers valued starting their cruise closer to home, and that the airline was building on that success with the new route.

Prices for the 14-night cruise start from £1,929 per person sharing an inside cabin, based on the December 9, 2027 departure.