On a Marella Agadir call you get about seven usable hours ashore: Marella Discovery 2 typically docks at 09:00 and sails at 18:00, so pickup is possible from 09:30 and you need to be back at the terminal by 16:30. That comfortably fits a camel ride, a daytime ride with a Moroccan meal, or a quad, camel and sandboarding trip. It does not fit a sunset ride or the beach horse ride. Here is the detail, with worked examples.
Marella Discovery 2 in Agadir: the hours
Marella Cruises, the UK line formerly known as Thomson Cruises, calls at Agadir regularly through the winter with Marella Discovery 2. In our current calendar the typical pattern is 09:00 to 18:00.
Marella does not publish an all-aboard time in our data, so the site assumes all-aboard 30 minutes before departure. Here is how that works out:
| Marella Discovery 2 (09:00-18:00) | |
|---|---|
| Ship alongside | 09:00 |
| Earliest pickup at the gate | 09:30 |
| Assumed all-aboard | 17:30 |
| Back at the terminal by | 16:30 |
| Usable time | 7 hours |
The evening before, read the all-aboard time in your Marella daily programme. If it is earlier than 17:30, the latest starts drop out. Your call page on the cruise calendar always shows the rides that fit the times we hold for that date.
What fits a Marella Agadir day
Every ride we offer on a Marella day passes the same test: it starts after 09:30, and its full listed duration plus 30 minutes' drive back gets you to the terminal by 16:30.
- 2-Hour Camel Nature Ride, 18 €: 10:00 (back 12:30), 12:00 (back 14:30) or 14:00 (back 16:30, exactly). About an hour and a half on a camel through eucalyptus trails to the Souss River, with mint tea and photo stops. Suitable for children and first-time riders; a handler stays with you.
- Flamingo River Camel Ride with Mint Tea, 18 €: 10:00, back by 13:30. Coastal dunes and eucalyptus forest to the Oued Souss, past the village of Aghroud Bensergao, with mint tea and Moroccan pastries at the camp.
- Camel Ride with BBQ Dinner, 39 €: 10:05 or 12:05, as a daytime ride with the meal. You ride for about an hour through the forest towards the river, then sit down to a Moroccan barbecue or a traditional Moroccan menu with mint tea. Back by 13:35 or 15:35.
- Quad, Camel Ride and Sandboarding at Takate, 20 €: 10:00 (back 14:30) or 11:00 (back 15:30). About an hour and a half on a quad through argan country to the coast, then a short camel ride on the Takate beach dunes and a go at sandboarding. Drivers must be 16 or over; not for children under 16, pregnant women or anyone with back problems.
- Quad bike and camel ride with Moroccan tea, 19 €: 10:00 only.
What does not fit, and why
Three things guests often ask for do not work on a 09:00-18:00 call:
- Sunset rides and dinners. The Berber dinner starts at 16:00 and the Timlalin sunset trip at 15:00 or 16:00. Both run four hours. You would be back well after the ship's all-aboard.
- The Tamri beach horse ride. It starts at 15:00 and takes four hours. It only fits long calls such as AIDA and Mein Schiff.
- Crocoparc and the tree-climbing goats at 09:00. The ship is alongside at 09:00, and you cannot realistically be at the gate before 09:30. We will not sell a pickup you cannot make.
We hold to the 60-minute margin because the ship does not wait for independently booked tours. That margin is planning, not a guarantee, and late-afternoon traffic on the coast road is exactly what it is there to absorb.
Three ways to spend your Marella day
The easy option: 10:00 Flamingo River ride. Off the ship after breakfast, meet the driver at the gate at 10:00, ride through dunes and eucalyptus to the river, and have tea and pastries at the camp. You are back at the terminal by 13:30, with the afternoon free for the promenade or a quiet lunch on board. From November to April there is a chance of flamingos on the estuary, though it is never guaranteed.
The active option: 11:00 Takate quad, camel and sandboarding. A later start that still fits: you leave at 11:00 and are back by 15:30. It suits couples and groups of adults who want more than a gentle walk on a camel. Wear closed shoes and clothes you do not mind getting dusty.
The lunch option: 12:05 camel ride with BBQ. Have a slow morning, then go out at 12:05 for an hour's ride and a Moroccan meal, back by 15:35. Tell us about dietary needs when you book.
If you prefer to keep the afternoon free, the 10:00 camel nature ride is back by 12:30, which leaves time to see the Kasbah hill or the souk on your own.
A word on the 14:00 camel ride. It fits, but only just: you are back at 16:30, exactly 60 minutes before the assumed 17:30 all-aboard. If your daily programme shows all-aboard at 17:00, that start no longer fits and you should pick 10:00 or 12:00 instead. When in doubt, message us on WhatsApp with the all-aboard time from your programme and we will tell you straight which starts still work.
Marella excursions or booking independently?
Marella sells its own excursions in Agadir, and for some guests they are the right choice: the ship plans them around its own schedule, and you do not have to think about the clock. Booking independently means the ship does not wait for you if something goes wrong. Our honest comparison of ship excursions and independent tours sets out both sides.
What you get when you book with us is a ride already checked against Discovery 2's hours, small groups, pickup and drop-off at the cruise terminal included, and a 60-minute buffer before all-aboard on every start time. You pay per person, in euros, online. If Marella changes the times, message us on WhatsApp and we move your ride to a time that still fits, or refund you in full if none does. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the start time.
Money, phones and paperwork for UK travellers
- Paying for the ride. Tours are priced in euros and paid online by PayPal or card before the day. Your UK card works fine; check what your bank charges for euro payments.
- Dirhams. Morocco's currency is the dirham, and cards are not accepted everywhere in town. You do not need dirhams for the ride, but a little cash helps for tips, drinks, souvenirs and petit taxis.
- Mobile roaming. Morocco is outside the EU and is not covered by EU-style roaming rules. Many UK tariffs treat it differently from Europe, so check your plan before switching on data. Our team uses WhatsApp, which works over the ship's Wi-Fi or any café connection.
- Getting back into the port. Carry your cruise card and the photo ID that Marella asks for in the daily programme.
- Time. All our times are Agadir local time. In winter Agadir is usually an hour ahead of the Canary Islands; go by the time the ship announces.
For more on the gate, taxis and the shuttle, see our Agadir port guide. For what to pack, read our what to wear in Agadir guide.
Other useful reading
If your Marella cruise also calls at the Canary Islands, our Canary Islands and Morocco cruise guide explains how to use the Agadir day differently from the island stops. For a full hour-by-hour plan on a 09:00-18:00 call, read the port day time plan, and for prices and what happens on each camel ride, see camel ride prices from the cruise port.
Book your Marella day
Find Marella Discovery 2 and your date in the cruise calendar to see the rides that fit. For most Marella guests the best balance of time and value is the 2-hour camel nature ride at 10:00 or 12:00, at 18 € per person.
