Meet the couple who found love and now live and work together onboard Marella Cruises' ships

Married couple, Daniel and Thomas Schlordt, both work as performers onboard Marella Explorer – which, in a former life as a Celebrity Cruises’ ship, played a role in The Cruise, the hit 1998 BBC show that propelled singer Jane McDonald to stardom.

Marella Explorer joined the cruising arm of the TUI Holidays giant in 2018 with the Schlordts embarking four years later.

The couple, who met while studying Musical Theatre, discovered their love of cruising in 2017 while celebrating their honeymoon on a sailing with Marella Cruises in the Cayman Islands.

However it wasn't until early 2022, while on holiday in Hawaii, that the pair – who performed their own songs on social media throughout the pandemic, capturing the attention of Britain’s Got Talent producers who invited them to audition for a future series of the hit ITV show – had an epiphany: they should combine their passion for performing and their love of travel by working for Marella Cruises.

Fast forward to today and the Schlordts now live in the same cabin and work together for Marella Cruises seven days a week.

When asked for the secret to successfully living together onboard, Thomas said: “Through mutual respect for one another and keeping our cabin clean!"

Daniel added: “Sharing our wash load by taking it in turns and keeping our cabin space a place of solace on board the ship, is important to when working and living together.”

A highlight of their career to date with Marella Cruises? Performing the cruise line's first- ever same-sex couple show, Somebody to Love. Inspired by the back catalogue of rock greats, Queen, the show told the tale of a same-sex couple and their struggle to openly showcase their relationship to the world.

“We thought we’d never be able to perform openly together, but we were able to do it on stage aboard Marella Explorer with Marella Cruises," shared Thomas who counts Kotor – Montenegro's Unesco-listed medieval town with its honey-coloured houses, historic churches and picturesque piazzas – as one of the couple's favourite ports.

“Getting to perform, is a sense of freedom, and being able to do it together with my husband, is that bit more special,” added Daniel.

Looking ahead, their joint ambition is to become cruise director and assistant cruise director onboard a Marella Cruises' ship. Watch this space...