marella cruise reviews explorer

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Marella Explorer Review: Everything You Need to Know

• Europe , Reviews
• Last Updated 27 August 2024

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An in-depth review of the Marella Explorer cruise ship from TUI – including cabin reviews.

Lazing in a hammock on my balcony, watching the silky blue sea glide by. Dinner with the perfect view of the sun setting over the ocean. Unwinding in a sauna with huge windows, watching volcanic islands slip by as we sailed away from Santorini…

Just a few fleeting memories from a glorious week aboard the Marella Explorer – easily one of the most relaxing holidays I’ve had in a long time!

This was my first cruise with Marella Cruises . I’ve always been a fan of TUI so I was excited to see what their cruise company might be like – and they didn’t disappoint.

Relaxed | Affordable | Social

The vibe is just what you’d expect from TUI: relaxed, fun and social, with a big focus on entertainment. It’s also very affordable – the cruise packages include flights and transfers and are all-inclusive as standard (including drinks).

Compared with more luxurious cruise lines, the prices are pretty reasonable – as are the optional add-ons like premium drinks, spa treatments and excursions. Marella Cruises offers excellent value for money along with great service and a brilliant cruising experience.

I did the Aegean Shores itinerary: eight days cruising around Greece and Turkey, stopping at Corfu, Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi, Athens and Kefalonia.

Think hot, lazy days by the pool, hopping off the boat to explore picturesque Greek villages and Athens’ colourful city centre , coming back to cool off in the saltwater pool on the top deck or to relax in the gorgeous spa.

If that sounds like your idea of a dream holiday, read on for a full, detailed review of the Marella Explorer ship, with photos and a balcony cabin review.

Marella Explorer Review

The pros of booking a tui package, balcony cabin (large balcony), pools & sunbathing spaces, gym, sports and recreation facilities, other facilities, marella explorer entertainment review, all-inclusive restaurants, speciality restaurants (additional fee), other extras, marella explorer bars, marella explorer shore excursions review, marella explorer facilities for families, is the marella explorer good for solo cruisers, is there wifi on the marella explorer, what’s covered in marella’s all-inclusive package , is it worth upgrading to the premium all-inclusive package, final thoughts.

DISCLAIMER:  My trip was supported by Marella Cruises, but all words, photos, and opinions in this review are my own and are unbiased.

Before I crack on with my full review, here are a few facts about the Marella Explorer to introduce the ship:

• Guest Capacity:  1,924
• Number of Crew:  909
• Length:  262.5m (861 feet)
• Beam (Width):  32.2m (105 feet)
• Tonnage:  76,998 GRT
• Number of Decks:  13

The thing I liked best about my Marella Cruise was that it was a package holiday . This meant everything was booked together: flights, transfers, port fees, the all-inclusive cruise – even tips, which are included in the cruise fee. The price you see advertised is the total you pay – SO EASY!

I flew with TUI from Bournemouth to Corfu, where Marella Cruises staff were waiting right outside baggage claim and again outside the exit to direct me to the transfer. A coach took us to the cruise port, where we were met by another TUI rep who explained the boarding process. Meanwhile, I left my suitcase on the bus and it was taken directly to my cabin for me.

The whole experience was super smooth – and I particularly loved the welcome letter waiting on the transfer coach, which outlined a few key aspects of what to expect. Perfect for your first time cruising.

Top tip: make sure you add luggage tags or leave the airline baggage labels on your suitcases so they are taken straight to your room for you onboard.

The package element really paid off on the way home. My flight home was one of those hit by the crazy CrowdStrike/Microsoft IT outage – but because it was a TUI flight, the cruise coordinated with the airport and kept us all onboard the ship for a few extra hours until things were settled. Much better waiting in the ship’s A/C, enjoying a few more free drinks, than hanging around outside the airport in 38-degree heat. Thank you, Marella!

Marella Explorer Cabin Reviews

There are 962 cabins onboard the Marella Explorer,  including a few set aside specifically for solo travellers. These are the different kinds of cabins available:

• Inside Cabin: 16m2. These are the most affordable cabins; they’re on the interior and have no windows.
• Outside Cabin: 17m 2 . These come with a porthole or picture window.
• Family Inside Cabin: 19m2. These cabins sleep up to five and feature a sliding door partition.
• Balcony Cabin: 17m2. Includes a queen bed and a sofa bed – plus a furnished private balcony.
• Balcony Cabin (Large Balcony): 16m2. Same as above – with a slightly bigger balcony.
• Family Balcony Cabin with Suite Service*: 20m2. Includes a double bed, a sofa bed and a fold-down bed (and a few additional perks).
• Balcony Junior Suite Cabin with Suite Service*: 22m2. Sleeps three with a queen bed and a sofa bed.
• Executive Suite Cabin with Suite Service*: 49m2. Sleeps four, with a sofa bed and a fixed queen-size bed – plus a furnished balcony.
• Single Outside or Inside Cabin: these are exactly the same as the regular cabins, but have been set aside specifically for solo cruisers.

*Suite Service: cabins feature a coffee machine, slippers, a dressing gown, upgraded toiletries and a pillow menu. You also get one continental breakfast in bed per person per week, and a free pressing service for up to three items.

I stayed in one of the Large Balcony Cabins on Deck 9. It was a surprisingly big room and was really well designed to maximise the space, with loads of storage – including space under the bed for my suitcase.

The main highlight of the room is, of course, the balcony.  These larger balconies are great if you want lots of quiet chill time. They come with a small table and chairs, a sun lounger, and a hammock: the perfect spot for lazing about watching the world go by!  

There was plenty of storage, including two wardrobes and a tall cupboard with shelves, drawer space, and a small safe. There’s also a mini fridge, a desk with drawers, and two bedside tables with drawers. Above the fridge, you get a kettle with tea and coffee supplies topped up daily.

The en-suite bathroom, while very compact, didn’t feel too small. Ship shower cubicles are usually pretty narrow and the Marella is no exception, so that’s the only downside. There were shelves, cupboard space, and a large countertop around the sink – plenty of room for the excessive amounts of toiletries I always seem to pack!

One thing to note is that the bed is more like a foldaway bed, so the mattress was quite firm and wasn’t the comfiest in the world. It wasn’t uncomfortable, either: just OK.

The decor was simple and neutral: cream walls, brown carpets, and lots of light-coloured wood. If I’m being honest, it felt a teensy bit dull – but the view from the big balcony doors more than made up for it. The cabin was practical, comfortable and spacious – it didn’t need to be fancy (especially since I was hardly in it!).

VIDEO: Click here to watch my cabin tour on Instagram

Activities and Facilities

There are SO many activities and facilities to enjoy onboard the Marella Explorer. Plus, there’s entertainment on throughout most of the day and night, so you’ll never find time to be bored!

Deck 11 is the pool deck: a pretty big space with loads of sun loungers over two levels, surrounding a reasonably sized pool at the centre.

Although it’s officially one swimming pool, it’s more like two smaller pools next to each other. They’re both pretty deep and have a roomy, ankle-deep shallow area running around the edge so you can sit with your legs in the water. They’re filled with cold saltwater – which was delicious in the 35°C+ Greek heat!

Next to the pool are three hot tubs. These are raised up a little so you get some privacy while you’re in them. It was too hot for me to want to use them most days, but would be great if you were cruising in a cooler climate.

Be warned, the main pool area get pretty busy, especially on days when you’re at sea and in the afternoons (when people start returning from their shore excursions). I found mornings and late afternoons (after 5pm) to be the best times for swimming.

There’s also plenty of sunbathing space away from the pool – several of the decks had outside space with sunloungers along the sides or rear (aft) of the ship. And up on the very top deck, Deck 14, you have The Veranda: a peaceful, adults-only Sun Deck with plush padded sun loungers… PERFECT if you want to get away from the crowded chaos of the pool.

Sports and recreation facilities onboard are limited (perhaps because the Marella Explorer is aimed towards adults rather than families). But there’s an excellent gym, and a few fun sports options (see the list below). Despite actually packing my gym gear for a change, I only made it into the gym long enough to take the above photo – but it looked good!

• Fully equipped gym with floor-to-ceiling windows for a workout with a view.
• Jogging track – a circuit around Deck 12 (go early, before they put the deck chairs out as these get in the way). 11 laps = 1 mile.
• Sports Court – for basketball or mini-football.
• Minigolf – a seven-hole putting course overlooking the ocean.
• Table tennis – on the Family Deck on Deck 12.

Hands down my FAVOURITE part of the Marella Explorer was the Ocean Spa. This is a huge spa area with two saunas, three steam rooms, heated relaxation beds, foot baths, an ice-bucket shower, and more.

The best part? The massive sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea. This was especially great during the evening, when we sailed away from port each day. There’s nothing quite like relaxing in a sauna whilst enjoying a front-row view of Greek islands gliding past!

I thought the price of the spa was very reasonable: I paid £99 for 7 days of unlimited access. The spa is open 8am-10pm so you can get a lot of use out of that! And you can get an even better deal when booked with a treatment.

There’s a great treatment menu with a huge range of beauty and wellness options. Again, the prices were surprisingly reasonable, especially if you book one of their special offers. I treated myself to a foot package which included a scrub, mask, foot massage and scalp massage for £59. I also had a 75-minute hot stone massage which I HIGHLY recommend – perfect after a long day exploring.

Indigo Casino –  a small casino with slot machines and card tables, tucked behind Indigo Bar. I’m not a gambler, so I steered clear, but it looked like it had a fun atmosphere.

Broad Street shops –  There’s a surprisingly large range of shops onboard the Marella Explorer where you can make the most of duty-free shopping at sea. Expect handbags, sunglasses, jewellery, watches, and perfume – as well as a few high-street brands. There’s also a small shop selling essentials like shampoo, perfect if you’ve forgotten something.

Cinema – I never watched a movie here, as I always watched the live entertainment during the evening. It was a decent-sized cinema and there were usually two showings a day, with a family-friendly option in the daytime (great if you need to get the kids out of the sun for a couple of hours).

Photo Studio & Kiosks – There were photographers at various spots throughout the ship ready to snap your pic if you wanted. But there’s also a studio on Deck 6 where you can get a professional photoshoot. Not my cup of tea – but would be great for a honeymoon. I did , however, pose for a photo with Captain Alan – which ended up looking like an engagement photo! I loved that TUI’s Navigate app used AI face recognition to automatically find any photos of me – making it easy to view them.

Broadway Show Lounge: A full-sized theatre with a different production every night – from musicals to comedians. The shows and performers were incredible – I was blown away by the two I watched. Make sure you catch Full Swing if it’s on during your cruise – pure 1930s fabulousness.

Movies by Moonlight: Alfresco films on the pool deck after dark, with hot chocolate and popcorn on hand. Perfect if you want a more chilled evening.

Live Music: There were also live musicians at several venues across the ship each night. Again, these performers are so talented – and there’s a fantastic mix to suit all tastes. The Lounge and Indigo Bar are the best places to head for this.

Pub Fun: After dark, there were also game shows and pub quizzes at the onboard pub, the Squid and Anchor. These were just the right blend of challenging and holiday-park-cheesy fun – I had a blast losing spectacularly at the quiz night!

Other Entertainment: During the day, there was regular poolside entertainment (think trivia games, aqua aerobics and pool parties). In fact, it was so frequent it was almost a little annoying – but most of the other guests seemed to love it so it’s possible I’m just a grump!!

Marella Explorer Food Review

When it comes to dining on the Marella Explorer, you’re spoilt for choice. There are tons of different options and most of them are included in your all-inclusive package – including some that you might expect to pay extra for.

Latitude 53: the main dining room

This is the main dining room on the Marella Explorer , spread across two floors at the back (aft) of the ship with glorious ocean views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. This is particularly special around sunset!

The dress code is smart, but unlike other cruise lines, it’s not overly strict – think shirts, dresses, and no flip-flops.

Service was excellent, and the house wines (those included with the all-inclusive) were all great. The food was usually pretty good, although I have to confess that some of the mains were a tiny bit bland – I think they’re going for mass appeal rather than bold flavours. Still, I certainly never had a bad meal in this restaurant and I loved the vibe.

Vista: Italian cuisine

Vista is actually a section within the Latitude 53 dining room – so you get the same decor and gorgeous sea views. But the menu focuses on Italian cuisine, so it’s great if you fancy something a little different.

I found the food at Vista to be better than in Latitude 53 – although that may simply be my personal preference. Don’t miss the trio of mini tiramisus for dessert if it’s on the menu!

The Market Place: buffet restaurant

A fairly bog-standard cruise ship buffet – open all day for breakfast, lunch, “afternoon tea” (cakes and snacks) and dinner. Ideal if you need something quick & easy or don’t fancy dressing for dinner (the dress code is casual).

I wasn’t blown away by the food here, but it was decent and there was a great selection, especially at breakfast. I loved the fresh omelette station!

Snack Shack: poolside takeaway

Up on the pool deck, there’s a small takeaway joint serving up hot snacks like hot dogs, burgers and chicken wings. It’s great for a casual lunch if you don’t feel like changing out of your swimwear – and the food is all fresh, hot, and very tasty!

The Mediterranean: Pizza, pasta and tapas

Behind the buffet restaurant, at the aft of the ship, is The Meditteranean – with seating both inside and outdoors. One half is Spanish tapas, the other half is Italian pizza and pasta.

Dinner is a la cart e, with either tapas or Italian food depending on which section you head to. You can also pay an extra supplement for “espetadas” (Portuguese-style meat skewers. During the day, The Mediterranean also serves self-service lunches – and there’s a fantastic bar with some unique cocktails.

In addition to all the restaurants mentioned above, there are also four speciality restaurants. These aren’t included in the all-inclusive package so you have to pay a little extra to dine in one – and it’s highly recommended to book in advance as they can be hugely popular.

I found these restaurants to be incredibly reasonably priced considering how special the food is. For example, Surf & Turf costs £31.95pp for three courses (and house wine by the glass is still all-inclusive) while Kora La is £26.95pp.

Surf & Turf Steakhouse: Steak and seafood. This is the only one of the speciality restaurants I personally ate in, and it was definitely the best meal I had onboard so I’d highly recommend it. Perfect for a special occasion, date night, or just an indulgent treat.

Kora La: Pan-Asian cuisine spanning noodle dishes, curries, and more.

Umi Sushi: An upscale sushi bar near the back of the ship, serving traditional sushi and non-fish options.

The Dining Club: Super high-end fine dining for something truly special.

Scoops – A small ice cream parlour on the pool deck – perfect on a hot day! One scoop costs £1.50 and they’re generous scoops, so again, it’s very affordable.

The Coffee Port – The onboard coffee shop is included in the Premium Drinks Package or you can pay as you go. You can get free tea and coffee in the restaurants and buffet – but for speciality coffees (latte etc) you need the Coffee Port. They also do some very tasty cakes and pastries.

A quick run-down of all the bars onboard the Marella Explorer – there are nine to choose from!

• The Lounge – a funky venue with daily live music, a colour-changing bar, hot pink piano, and cool-looking ring seats.
• 53 – intimate bar area right next to Latitude 53. Ideal for pre-dinner drinks.
• Pool Bar – poolside drinks, including frozen cocktails.
• The Shack – colourful poolside bar right above the Snack Shack.
• Bar @ The Mediterranean – wrapped around the Mediterranean restaurant with gorgeous sea views from the outdoor terrace.
• Indigo Bar – the place to come for fancy cocktails – including margaritas served in a box of smoke. Chilled in the day, with panoramic sea views, and vibing after dark with live music and late-night discos at the club (see below).
• Indigo Club – a small nightclub behind Indigo Bar, with regular silent discos!
• Aperitif – this fancy bar is right outside two of the most popular speciality restaurants, so it’s great for pre-dinner drinks.
• Squid & Anchor – Marella’s beloved pub at sea hosts quiz nights, gameshows and live music.

During my Aegean Shores cruise with Marella , I did two of their shore excursions: a wine-tasting and sightseeing tour in Crete, and a boat ride and volcano tour in Santorini ( click here to watch a video of that one ).

I found all the excursions to be very reasonably priced. Many of the full-day activities were around the £30-40 mark, and some of the more basic ones were £12-20. I also liked that there was no pushy sales rhetoric trying to convince me to book tours – if you prefer to stay on the ship, or explore on your own, it’s completely up to you.

Both the tours I did were really well organised. The day before, I received a ticket in my cabin with the meeting place and time. On arrival, staff were on hand to send me to the relevant bus or boat.

We had expert local guides for both who were able to share a bit of local history and – in the case of Santorini’s volcano – geography.

In particular, I’d highly recommend the Santorini Volcano tour. This involved a boat ride in a wooden tall ship across to the volcanic island, a short hike up for a view of the caldera, and a quick pit stop to swim in the nearby hot springs. It was a fantastic day out and felt like a mini adventure!

Top tip: A bonus of booking an excursion is that the ship will wait for any delayed excursions. If you’re exploring on your own and you’re late back for any reason, the ship will sail without you!

Obviously, as a solo traveller, I didn’t need to use the Marella Explorer’s family facilities – but I took note of what was available!

Although there were a number of families onboard, I’d say the Explorer was definitely targeted more towards adults.

The Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 have much more on offer for families – including a climbing wall – so they might be worth a look if you’re travelling with kids. That said, there was still plenty onboard the Explorer for families:

• Babytainment classes  – for kids under 3 (with parental supervision).
• M Club – a kids’ club for ages 3-11 with a range of acitivies.
• Cinema – there were quite a few kid’s films showing while I was on my cruise, usually during the day. Plus Movies by Moonlight on the pool deck, with popcorn and hot chocolate from the bar.
• Kid’s Pool – there’s a small, shallow kid’s pool with a mini slide at the rear (aft) of the ship. Whenever I walked past it was always much quieter than the main pool and there are several sun loungers and tables on the nearby deck.
• Family deck – where you’ll find the mini golf and sports court.

Good to Know: The pools on the Marella Explorer are pretty deep, but they do have ankle-deep shallow areas around the edges. If you have small kids I recommend bringing floatation devices and supervising them in the pool.

Although I’m a seasoned solo traveller, this was my first time taking a cruise on my own . I wasn’t sure what to expect – and I was a little apprehensive, especially as I’d heard about travellers on other cruise lines being forced to sit at a communal dining table every night whether they wanted to or not.

But Marella Cruises does a great job at looking after solo travellers. On arrival, I had a special solo cruiser welcome letter in my cabin, inviting me to a special lunch meet-up on the first full day.

READ MORE: Is Marella Cruises Good for Solo Travellers

After that, there was a meetup every evening before dinner – and anyone who wanted to could go for dinner together afterwards. So you didn’t have to dine alone (but you could if you wanted to). I ended up dining with the solo group every night except one, when I took myself for a solo “date night” to the upgraded Surf & Turf restaurant.

Of course, the group of solo travellers onboard will always be a mixed bag. On my cruise, it was mostly women, and I was the youngest by about two decades (everyone else was 60+). But we still had a great time and I loved getting to know the group over the course of the week.

On top of that, there were loads of other ways to meet fellow cruisers through the daily activities and excursions. I’ve written a separate post with more detail about what it was like cruising solo with Marella – click here to check it out.

READ MORE: 7 Reasons to Take a Cruise on Your Own

More Info and FAQ

Unfortunately, there’s no free WiFi onboard the Marella Explorer. You can purchase an internet package once you get on board – these start from £8 for an hour and go up to £90 for 15 days. For a one-week cruise, the £49 8-day 1.6GB package is probably the most cost-effective.

In my experience, the WiFi was pretty decent. The signal wasn’t always super strong, especially at sea, but it was surprisingly good most of the time. I was able to post Instagram Stories (including videos) throughout the trip, stream podcasts/music, and keep on top of my emails – but I never tried it for streaming videos or downloading large files.

Top Tip: If you prefer not to pay, you can usually find free WiFi at bars and coffee shops while you’re in port – handy for saying in touch with people at home.

OK – this is the great thing about Marella Cruises. All their ships are All-inclusive as standard, which includes all the restaurants I listed above.

Unlike many cruise lines, which sell separate drinks packages (some costing £100 a day!!) the all-inclusive package covers a huge number of soft and alcoholic drinks as standard. This includes wine, beer, some spirits, and a surprisingly decent cocktail list (these vary from bar to bar). It’s always super clear when a drink isn’t included and the waiter or bartender will tell you if something incurs an extra charge.

• Drinks – fountain soft drinks (unbranded), mocktails, and basic teas and coffees.
• Alcoholic drinks
• All crew tips

I’ve included some example menus below to show how many of the cocktails are included in the all-inclusive. As you can see, the premium drinks aren’t too pricey either:

Honestly, I’m not really sure it is. The Premium All-Inclusive package includes almost all the drinks onboard (see below), including speciality coffees at the Coffee Port. But I thought the standard wines and beers were great, and there was a great range of cocktails included. So you really don’t need to upgrade unless you want the extra freedom and choice.

• Most drinks from The Coffee Port
• Cans of soft drinks (brand name ones)
• Upgraded wine list
• Upgraded cocktails list
• Premium spirits like Bombay Sapphire, Jack Daniels and Absolut Vodka.
• More choice of whiskies, brandies and Cognacs.

To sum up, I LOVED my week aboard the Marella Explorer. This ship is at the more affordable, less luxurious, end of the scale – but it’s comfortable, well-equipped, and packed with facilities. These are, in my opinion, the main selling points:

Friendly but unfussy service, chilled-out vibes, loads of space for sunbathing, plenty of bars, an AMAZING spa, and fairly relaxed dress codes in the dining areas (compared with some of the high-end cruise lines).

Loads of activities throughout the day, meet-ups for solo travellers, and plenty of ways to meet people.

Good package deals, tons of drinks and dining options covered in the all-inclusive package, reasonable prices for the speciality restaurants and the spa, and very reasonably priced excursions. But all the extras are optional and by no means necessary to have a good time – so you could easily spend a week aboard without spending a penny more than your cruise fee.

The thing I like best about Marella Cruises is that they let you have  exactly the kind of cruise you want.  None of the activities felt “forced” or mandatory. If you wanted to lounge by the pool all day drinking cocktails, that was totally allowed. But if you wanted to fill your days with aqua aerobics and trivia quizzes, there was always something happening. There really is something for everyone onboard.

So, there’s my review of the Marella Explorer. Hopefully, I’ve covered pretty much everything you could possibly want to know about the ship, but feel free to comment below if you have a question!

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2 thoughts on “Marella Explorer Review: Everything You Need to Know”

Great review and thank you for all of the information! We are booked on the Marella Explorer for the same cruise in October then staying in Corfu for an additional week. We are really looking forward to a full holiday – will be my Husband’s first cruise, my third, one on Celebrity and the other on Princess. We’ve upgraded to a balcony and have booked 2 additional dinners, Surf & Turf and Kora La. Your review answered lots of our questions, thanks again and happy cruising!

Hi Linda! So glad you found this review helpful, I tried to cover every single detail. The balcony cabins are well worth it – nothing beats waking up to that sea view. Maybe treat yourselves to a room service breakfast one day!!

Have an amazing trip :)

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• CruiseMapper
• Marella Cruises

Marella Explorer

Former names: tui explorer, tui mein schiff 1, celebrity galaxy, mv galaxy.

Cruise line Marella Cruises

• Corfu Island (Kerkyra, Greece)
• Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands)
• Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Marella Explorer current position

Marella Explorer current location is at Adriatic Sea (coordinates 45.44758 N / 13.24420 E) cruising at speed of 15.9 kn (29 km/h | 18 mph) en route to Koper. The AIS position was reported 1 minute ago.

Current itinerary of Marella Explorer

Marella Explorer current cruise is 7 days, round-trip Adriatic Explorer . Prices start from USD 2186 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 20 Sep, 2024 and ends on 27 Sep, 2024 .

Specifications of Marella Explorer

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Marella Explorer Itineraries

Marella explorer review, review of marella explorer.

The 1996-built (as "Celebrity Galaxy") cruise ship Marella Explorer 1 was previously operated as "Mein Schiff 1" by TUI Cruises . Schiff 1 was TUI fleet's oldest liner, with sisterships the current fleetmates Marella Voyager (fka Mein Schiff Herz/between 2018-2023) and Marella Explorer 2 (fka Celebrity Century ) . The vessel entered Thomson's/Marella's fleet in 2017 under the name "TUI Explorer", but in October was renamed "Marella Explorer". In 2018, the newbuild TUI Mein Schiff 1 took the name "Schiff 1".

The vessel (IMO number 9106297) is currently Malta- flagged  (MMSI 249051000) and registered in  Valletta .

History - construction and ownership

Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises UK) is a British passenger shipping company and trademarked travel brand owned by TUI Group. The company entered the cruise market in 1973 via Thomson Holidays (now TUI UK), but due to rising fuel costs, this service was terminated in 1976. Thomson Cruises restarted passenger shipping operations in 1995. The Thomson brand was renamed to "Marella Cruises" in 2018. Marella's parent company (TUI Group) owns hotels, the sister-companies TUI Cruises, Marella Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the travel brands International Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions, also aircraft and the airlines Corsair International (France), TUI Airways (UK), TUI fly Nordic (Sweden), TUI fly Belgium, TUI fly Deutschland, TUI fly the Netherlands.

The 1900-passenger ship was built for the Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises company, renamed to "Celebrity Galaxy" in 2008 and joined TUI fleet in 2009 after an extensive drydock refit . The vessel entered Marella's  fleet in 2017. Mein Schiff 1 was one of TUI's two oldest Century-class vessels - followed by Mein Schiff 2 (former "Celebrity Mercury", in 2018 renamed "Mein Schiff Herz") and Celebrity Century (now Marella Explorer 2 ).

The Explorer joined Marella Cruises fleet as the 3rd vessel transferred from other RCCL-owned fleets. It was preceded by Marella Discovery (2015, former Splendour of the Seas) and Marella Discovery 2 (2017, former Legend of the Seas) and followed by TUI Explorer 2 (2018, the old Mein Schiff 2).

Marella Explorer features a new-for-the-fleet kids pool, an innovative entertainment program, 10 dining venues. Another first for Marella Cruises is the tasting menu-type restaurant in one of the brand new yet-unnamed venues, described as "an intimate space, suited for couples or friends".

The Indigo flagship bar is the ship's focal point. A new high-end London-style drinking venue named Aperitif links Kora La and Surf & Turf restaurants. Other features include The Scoops ice-cream parlor with bicycle-themed quirky seating; The Lounge - another new venue with a color-changing bar and brightly-colored piano; Umi Sushi counter; The Mediterranean dining venue with a glass roof inspired by local tavernas, housing two inclusive restaurants (pizzeria and tapas) and for-fee Hot Stone Grill.

Decks and Cabins

Of all Marella Explorer staterooms (962 total), ~40% have private steop-out balconies. All cabins are with individual air-conditioning, wardrobes, smart HDTV, hairdryer, tea-coffee-making facilities, en-suite bathrooms. Accommodation types include:

• Indoor (16 m2, fleet's largest), Outdoor (17 m2), Single Indoor / Outdoor cabins (Decks 4, 5, 8, 9)
• Balcony cabins (17 m2), 14x Family Balcony (20 m2; decks 9, 10, 12, each with 2 twin beds)
• Suites - Balcony Junior Suite (22 m2) and Executive Suite (49 m2)

The boat has 13 decks , of which 10 are passenger-accessible and 6 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Marella Explorer has a total of 10 dining venues, including Surf & Turf, Kora La, Snack Shack, Umi Sushi and open-air Mediterranean Restaurant with Pizza and Tapas areas. The Kora La features Oriental-style lanterns and paintings paired with a pan-Asian menu of noodle dishes and curries. This is a fine dining addition and there is a small premium to eat here.

Ship's dining venues are located on decks 5, 6, 7 and 11. Follows the complete list of Marella Explorer restaurants and food bars.

• Latitude 53 (situated aft on decks 5 and 6) is the main waiter service restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows and gold-and-grey color scheme.
• Vista Restaurant (Deck 5, situated in Latitude 53) in the evening transforms into an Italian restaurant for regional favorites prepared with authentic ingredients.
• The Dining Club on Deck 5 is a fine dining restaurant that serves experimental cuisine. There is a charge to dine here.
• Umi Sushi on Deck 7 serves sushi, sashimi, nigiri rolls that are prepared in front of the guests of the eatery. Umi Sushi is open for dinner only, and costs extra.
• Kora La on Deck 7 has oriental-style lanterns and paintings paired with a pan-Asian menu. Passengers pay a cover charge to eat here.
• Surf & Turf Steakhouse on Deck 7 specializes in all things meat. Its menu includes mains like lobster, grilled chicken, and pork chops, but the highlight is the 28-day-aged steaks. There is a chopping board artwork as well as leather booth seating. Cover charge is applied for dining here.
• Snack Shack (Deck 11) is a laidback eatery featuring food stalls, oversized deckchairs, and beach huts. It offers grab‘n’go snacks and lunches along with a drinks station.
• The Market Place on Deck 11 is a buffet restaurant where guests can watch the chefs prepare dishes from around the world. It is made up of different food stalls.
• Tapas @ The Mediterranean on Deck 11 is specialized in tapas dishes for both lunch and dinner.
• Italian @ The Mediterranean pizzeria on Deck 11, with wood-fired oven and salad bar.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

A couple of the largest new features aboard the 13-deck Marella Explorer include the flagship bar, club and casino Indigo (situated at the top deck), and the first at sea Champneys Spa. Indigo is home to the longest bar onboard the ship and features the Broadway show lounge able to accommodate 1,000 guests. The Broadway street lounge is on Decks 6 and 7, which also houses other entertainment facilities. The venue hosts cocktail-making sessions and demos. Entertainment facilities include Indigo Club with a DJ booth and dance floor, and the Indigo Casino Lounge with card tables and slot machines.

A pool is situated on deck 11, which also homes the Oceans gym and spa. The spa offers a Finnish Sauna with floor-ceiling windows, full-service thermal suite and treatment suites with showers and mini saunas, spa cabanas on ship's adults-only Veranda Deck.

Follows the complete list of Marella Explorer lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Lounge (Deck 6) has a color-changing feature bar, ring-shaped seats, and hot-pink piano.
• Bar 53 (Deck 5) is an indoor bar lounge (adjacent to Latitude 53), perfectly placed for pre-dinner drinks.
• The Shack on Deck 12 offers cool-down drinks between sunbathing. It is above Snack Shack and overlooks the pool.
• Bar@The Mediterranean on Deck 11 wraps around The Mediterranean and runs from the inside to the outside. It serves Mediterranean specialties, the usual drinks, and frozen cocktails.
• Indigo Bar on Deck 12 boasts the longest bar in the fleet. Cocktail-making sessions and flare demonstrations take place here.
• Broadway Show Lounge is situated on two Decks, 6 and 7, and has a capacity of 1,000 people. It offers waiter service and brand-new shows.
• Indigo Casino on Deck 12 is the spot to try out the card tables and slot machines. Indigo Club is in the middle of Indigo.
• Aperitif on Deck 7 is a stylish bar with Champagne and Prosecco on the menu. It is a great spot to head for a drink before or after meals at one of the specialty restaurants.
• Squid & Anchor on Deck 7 is the first pub of Marella Cruises at sea. There are 2 bars to pick from, one of which deals in premium whiskies and gins, that are chargeable. The spot is home to quiz nights and a live band.
• Scoops is a vintage-looking parlor that serves up gelato. The seating is quirky and includes a collection of bike seats sit that face out to sea. A charge is applied here.
• The Coffee Port serves Lavazza and sweet treats. It overlooks the atrium and features live piano music. A charge is applied here.
• Movies by Moonlight offers family-friendly movies, plus extra screenings during the high season.
• M Club is the onboard Kids’ Club, with games from M Crew - characters exclusive to the ship.
• The Attic is a quiet, noise-free zone.
• Gamer Zone is for everyone onboard, fully stocked with machines.
• The Hideout (aft-starboard) is an exclusive room/club lounge for older children and teens. The exclusive venue is fitted with gaming consoles and comfy chairs. In the high season, The Hideout hosts organized and supervised games and themed events.
• Broad Street Shops are the onboard boutiques stocked with everyday essentials, duty-free products, perfumes, jewelry, and souvenirs.
• Photo Studio & Kiosks on Deck 6 provides professional photoshoot. There are also kiosks, where passengers can view and buy the photos captured by the onboard photography team.
• Outdoor swimming pool on Deck 11 is split in two by a stage, where the entertainment team run daily activities. The Pool bar sits next to the pool and is great for frozen cocktails. A trio of whirlpools sits next to the main pool.
• The Attic (Library/reading corner)
• The Veranda is adults-only and has Balinese beds and cocoon chairs.
• Sports Court provides basketball and mini-football.
• Minigolf and Table tennis is at the top of the ship, on the Sports & Family Deck.

Champneys: Marella Cruises partnered with Champneys to bring such a state-of-the-art spa. Guests can book in for treatments (facials, body wraps, massages), plus there is a beauty salon. The spa is the largest in the fleet and also includes a relaxation room, treatment cabins with hot tubs, made-for-two suites. The adults-only sauna has floor-to-ceiling windows and a steam room. Alternatively, passengers can work out at the Gym.

Since November 2022, Marella UK (via partnership with OneSpaWorld Holdings/health and wellness company) provides ocean-inspired wellness products and services on all its ships. The range of OneSpaWorld's services includes Ocean Body Treatments (massages and polishes), Ocean Facial, Ocean Salon Services. On Marella ships, OneSpaWorld uses premium beauty brands like Elemis, L'Oreal, Kerastase. The brands owned by OneSpaWorld include Mandara Spa, Bliss Spa, Chavana Spa, Glow Spa.

Itineraries

Marella Explorer 1 itinerary program was initially based on Western Mediterranean 7-night roundtrips from Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Spain) . Among the call ports were popular French Riviera ports . The itineraries were themed as:

• "Cosmopolitan Classics" (Palermo Sicily, Livorno-Florence, Villefranche-Nice, Palamos Spain)
• "Highlights Of The Mediterranean" (Ajaccio Corsica, Civitavecchia-Rome, Marina di Carrara Italy, Saint Raphael France, Barcelona)
• "Magic Of Spain" (Cadiz, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malaga, Cartagena)
• "Mediterranean Secrets" (Porto Torres Sardinia, La Spezia, Calvi Corsica, Sete France, Tarragona Spain)

Following the Coronavirus crisis, in 2021 Marella Explorer 1 restarted operations on June 25, with UK itineraries and homeporting in Southampton England . Winter 2021-2022 program was scheduled for the Canaries with roundtrips from Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria .

Summer 2022 program was for Adriatic and Greece itineraries leaving roundtrip from Corfu Greece .

Photos of Marella Explorer

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Other Marella Cruises cruise ships

• Marella Discovery
• Marella Discovery 2
• Marella Explorer 2
• Marella Voyager

Marella Explorer Wiki

The ship's powerplant is based on MAN B&W marine diesel engines (model 9L48/60) with combined power output 31,5 MW (42240 hp).

The vessel has Meyer Werft Papenburg yard/hull number 638, volume 76998 GT-tons, DWT-deadweight tonnage 6500 tons, max draught 8,3 m.

During its pre-Marella service (May 15, 2009, through April 11, 2018), the liner served its previous operators for 8 years and 11 months, or a total of 3254 days.

TUI Mein Schiff 1 was built in Papenburg Germany for Celebrity Cruises (another RCCL brand) as MV Galaxy (later "Celebrity Galaxy"). In May 2009 the vessel was transferred to the fleet of the Royal Caribbean's TUI subsidiary. The vessel was renamed in Hamburg, Germany , to "Mein Schiff" (meaning "my ship") on 15 May 2009. The godmother of the newly refurbished (EUR 50-million) vessel became Ina Muller - a renowned German artist and TV personality. Of the same class is also Celebrity Mercury ( Schiff Herz / Marella Voyager ).

Fun fact is, that when operated as "Galaxy", the ship hosted the BBC TV's docu-soap titled "The Cruise".

Marella Explorer refurbishment 2021 review

The boat's 4-week drydock refurbishment in December 2021 (at Navantia's Puerto Real shipyard in Cadiz Spain ) was conducted by Trimline Ltd. The project involved 80 specialists, including upholsterers, floor layers, decorators, tilers, polishers, joiners, welders, electricians.

Works included renovations of the two dining rooms (Latitude and Vista restaurants), Indigo Bar & Casino (interactive LED dancefloor), The Mediterranean Bar (all seats and sofas), The Attic (Library), The Hideout (teens venue), Broadway Show Lounge, Cinema, Squid & Anchor (pub), Umi Sushi (food bar), The Lounge, Bar 53, Coffee Port (bar), Snack Shack (fast-food bar), Cruise Holiday Store, Destination Services (lobby area).

The Pool Deck was also renovated.

A total of 60 staterooms were recarpeted.

The ship's entire lighting system was updated/replaced with a new, ultra-high efficiency one that is ~15% more efficient than the LED standard.

Marella Explorer refurbishment 2019 review

In 2019 (October 11 through November 6) the ship was drydocked at DAMEN Shiprepair Brest France ).

The USD 25 million drydocking project was managed/supervised by CCS (COLUMBIA Cruise Services Ltd) and included mainly technical maintenance works, machinery upgrades and updates to interior spaces. Hideout (teen lounge on Deck 14) received AstroTurf (artificial grass surface and titled flooring outside) and new furniture (loungers, deckchairs, bar stools).

Marella Explorer refurbishment 2018 review

In 2018, the liner entered drydock in Cadiz Spain (April 20 through May 13) at Navantia shipyard. The 4-week drydocking project was managed by Trimline Ltd / Southampton-based cruise ship interior outfitting company).

During the refit, the vessel received new carpeting (45 km2 / 17 mi), new data cables (over 60 km / 37 mi), 650 wi-fi access points.

A total of 35 venues and public areas were reconstructed and refurbished. Among the new venues installed during the reconstruction were the Flagship Bar, Disco Club, Indigo (entertainment complex), Champneys Spa (first at sea). The new spa has a Finnish sauna with floor-ceiling windows, full-service thermal suite, treatment suites (with showers and their own saunas). Spa cabanas were added to the adults-only The Veranda (Deck 14).

Marella Explorer's christening ceremony was on May 18, 2018 (held in Palma de Mallorca), with two appointed godmothers - Sue Stewart (Marella Cruises' hotel operations manager) and Mandy Galloway (TUI Cruises' retail agent). The inaugural cruise from Palma departed on May 19.

The Apollo Group company was contracted for providing all Marella ships with the entire onboard hotel product and services. This includes administration, food staff (preparation and serving), housekeeping staff, also the vessel's provisioning and crewing. Other luxury cruise lines served by Apollo are Oceania (6 ships fleet) and RSSC-Regent (4 ships fleet).

Like the other fleetmates, Marella Explorer offers an all-inclusive product designed specifically for the UK source market. The ship has a total of 10 dining venues, among which company's signature Surf & Turf, Kora La, Snack Shack, Umi Sushi. The new top-deck bar (Indigo) has panoramic ocean views. In the evenings, Indigo Bar doubles as ship's Casino and disco-nightclub. Another new bar (Aperitif) offers pre- and post-dinner cocktails.

Maiden Voyage 2018

The ship's homeport is Palma de Mallorca (Majorca Island, Spain) . The ship is also operated with "UK to Mediterranean" fly-cruise program.

Next table shows the "Inaugural Cruise" (maiden voyage) scheduled for May 19, 2018.

7 nights / 8 days (themed "Cosmopolitan Classics") - prices starting from USD 1000 pp (GBP 1130 pp) double occupancy Inside Cabin rates. The itinerary shows all ports of call in the ship's Mediterranean roundtrip program.

(OLD / alte) TUI Mein Schiff 1 cruise ship

The TUI ship's itinerary program was based on Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises leaving from Barbados and Dominican Republic. Other operational regions included Europe (Mediterranean departures out of Palma de Mallorca , and Baltic Sea from Hamburg ) and Asia (leaving roundtrip from Singapore ).

The old Mein Schiff 1 had a total of 962 staterooms, including suites, junior suites, balconied family cabins, balcony rooms, oceanview and inside. In addition, there were barrier-free staterooms. All cabins as amenities offered safe, air-conditioning, bathroom (WC / shower), minibar, phone, flat TV. Family cabins with veranda were sized 20 m2 with capacity up to 5 passengers.

The ship's main dining room was the aft-located, 2-deck Atlantic Restaurant (capacity 950 seats). The other main dining option was the complimentary Anckelmannsplatz Buffet. Room service was available 24 hours.

Follows the complete list of Mein Schiff 1 restaurants and food bars.

• "Atlantic Classic" (950-seat, complimentary main dining room (of all three) for buffet-style Breakfast and waiter-served Lunch and Dinner. Some menu inclusions are at extra charge
• "Richards Fine Dining (70-seat dinner restaurant, reservations required, at surcharge PP)
• Surf & Turf (specialty seafood and steakhouse restaurant)
• Blaue Welt Bar (45-seat sushi bar at surcharge, dinner-only 6:30 - 11:00 p.m.)
• Anckelmannsplatz buffet restaurant (412-seat, with a partially covered outdoor area for al-fresco dining; complimentary, self-service, with various food stations)
• GOSCH Sylt (80-seat complimentary seafood restaurant, a la carte menu; with outdoor seating area)
• Cliff 24 (24-hour, 40-seat complimentary Grill Bar, serving the pool deck area)
• La Vela (66-seat complementary bistro)
• Aussenalster Bar (91-seat complimentary al fresco dining and sports bar).

The primary shipboard entertainment was in the 927-seat Theater (ship's main show lounge) with 2 nightly shows. A 200-seat cinema doubled as a lecture room. Fortunes Casino's gambling options included roulette and blackjack tables and slot machines. The ship's duty-free shops had liquor, tobaccos, jewelry, perfumes, travel essentials, and convenience goods.

The ship had several bars, clubs, and discos, including the Nightclub, the Lounge, Rendezvous Lounge, the cigar bar. Among the onboard activities were computer classes, bingo, trivia games, dancing classes.

Of all 3 swimming pools, 2 were saltwater (with 5 large whirlpools / hot-tubs), and 1 was freshwater (located under the greenhouse-like roof). The Steiner AquaSpa (Japanese-styled) had its own rock garden and offered many personal services, massages, and thalassotherapy. The ship had an extensive art collection on display. Follows the complete list of Mein Schiff 1 lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for adults, kids, and teens.

• Theater (main show lounge for grand-style show productions; with a revolving stage and eight dynamic LED screens)
• Internet computers room
• Wii-Corner (kids/teens gaming arcade)
• Sturmfrei (Teens Lounge featuring video gaming consoles, dance floor, foosball table, activities like karaoke, cooking classes, teen parties, movies, etc.)
• Atelier (Workshop/art studio for painters); Walentowski Art Gallery; Fotogalerie (Photo Gallery); Library/Bibliothek
• Wein & Wahrheit Vinothek (15-seat fine wine shop)
• Aussicht Bar (25-seat night cocktail bar)
• The Neuer Wall shopping arcades
• Blaue Welt Bar & Lounge; Nasch Bar (40-seat); TUI Bar; Abtanz Bar (100-seat disco nightclub); Uberschau Bar (25-seat wellness bar with a "healthy drinks" menu)
• Casino (170-seat; open only during sea days)
• Himmel & Meer Lounge (Suite Guests only); X-Lounge (Suite-guests only lounge)
• SPA & Meer (SPA & Sea complex with a Finnish Sauna, Oriental steam bath, relaxation area, Spa Suites, La Vida Bar, SPA Shop, Beauty Salon)
• Sport & Gesunheit (Sport & Health Fitness Centre; Fitness classes/personal trainers provided at a surcharge)
• Aussenpool (outdoor pool area with a 25 m long swimming pool, extensive sunbathing area, Aussenalster Bar & Grill)
• Insel der Seerauber (Pirates' Island Kids Club complimentary lounge)
• Sun deck area (11,990 m2; the forward section features Entspannungsinseln/Relaxation Islands with mini-balconies, available for rent)
• Outdoor sports area (with a full-size sports court for basketball, volleyball, golf simulator)
• Grune Oase (Green Oasis - outdoor sports area for open-air classes - stretching, relaxation, Yoga, Pilates); Power Walking / Jogging Track
• Lounges & Bars: Ausenalster, Abtanz, Aussicht, Blaue Welt, Nasch, TUI, Unverzicht, Uberschau, La Vida Sana Bar, Himmel & Meer, Casino Lounge, Wein & Wahrheit, X-Lounge.
• Spa, Fitness Center (aerobic classes), jogging track, 3 jacuzzis, 2 outdoor swimming pools (1 with salt water, 1 freshwater /covered), duty-free shops, shop, 927-seat Theater, Casino, Kids Club.

Marella Explorer (1 and 2) – Cabins Honest Reviews and Cabins to Avoid

In this post, we will look at all cabin grades available onboard the Marella Explorer and sharing a review of the inside cabin which I cruised in. The Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2 have almost identical cabins so this post is relevant to both.

I recently stayed in an inside cabin on the Marella Explorer during a 90s themed cruise. It was one of the nicest inside cabins I’ve ever had with an incredible amount of storage. The cabin had 16 drawers, 16!

In this post we explore:

• Inside Cabins

Outside Cabins

• Balcony Cabins
• Cabins with Premier Service (Suites)
• Solo Cabins

We will also look at cabins to avoid.

All cabins were refurbished when the ship was taken over by Marella in 2018. The Marella Explorer was previously Mein Schiff and before that was Celebrity Galaxy.

Inside cabins:

Sleeps up to: 4

We stayed in an inside cabin on deck 4. The inside cabins on decks 4/5  only sleep 2 but the inside cabins on 8/9 either sleep 2 or 4. If the cabin sleeps 4 these will be pull down beds from the ceiling.

It can be quite a squeeze to share a cabin with 2 or 3 other people but it is doable. They drop down beds are most commonly used for children although they do accommodate adults too. If you’re particularly tall your feet may hang off the end though! I have shared a cabin with 3 other adults before, it isn’t ideal but for a short cruise it isn’t a problem.

Size: 16m 2

The cabin was a good size. It is pretty standard size by cruise ship standards measuring around 16m2 but because of the number of mirrors and the light decor in the cabin, it felt much bigger. We only stayed in the cabin for 3 nights so didn’t have very much luggage, as a result, we only filled up about 4 of the 16 drawers!

What I loved:

• The light decor and mirrors
• The storage space
• The bed was comfy

What I didn’t love: 

• The cabin vibrated a lot when we pulled into port

In ALMOST all cabins the beds can either be arranged as a twin or as a double bed. If you arrive and the beds aren’t set up how you’d like, just let your cabin steward know and they’ll change these for you.

In addition to the 16 drawers, there were also TWO wardrobes/closets in the cabin. The cabin had more storage space than I’ve ever had in any cabin. The same goes for the bathroom, there was lots of room to clear away your toiletries.

Our cabin was 4187 which is right at the aft of the ship. We only had one cabin between us and the aft of the ship which did mean that we had a long walk from the other end. That wasn’t a problem for me though and a few extra steps on a cruise is usually for the best with all of the food available!

Trying to hit 10,000 steps a day is just one of the ways that I prevent weight gain when I cruise. If you’d like to find out how you can avoid cruise weight gain, while still treating yourself, start by reading this post:  Avoid Cruise Ship Weight Gain, 7 Easy Things You Can Do.

Do The Cabins on The Marella Explorer have TVs?

Yep. All cabins on the Marella Explorer come with TV’s. I have to admit I never turned mine on during my cruise on the Marella Explorer, it was SO busy.

Do The Cabins on The Marella Explorer have Kettles?

Yes. All cabins on the Marella explorer come with a kettle and some tea/coffee making facilities.

Do The Cabins on The Marella Explorer have Safes?

Yep, all cabins have safes. In our inside cabin, the safe was behind the mirror which was above the desk. It would be very easy to go the full cruise without knowing that it was there!

The outside cabins on the Marella Explorer are almost identical to the inside cabins. The style is the same but the size is slightly bigger.

Outside cabins come with either a porthole window or bigger square window like the one shown below. The size of the window depends on which deck you are on.

Standard Balcony Cabins

Sleeps up to: 3

What is in the Balcony cabins on board the Marella Explorer?

• Twin/Queen beds
• A desk with mirror + chair
• Sofabed/chair
• Bedside tables

The balcony cabins onboard are very similar in style to the inside and outside cabins. There is an extra chair/sofa and a desk on the far side of the room. The balcony cabins are actually the same size as the outside cabins, measuring in at 17m2.

The size of the balcony is pretty standard. It isn’t the biggest in the industry but isn’t the smallest by a long way.

The sofa pulls out as is a sofa bed for the 3rd passenger. This might not be suitable if you are a particularly tall adult but these are usually fine for children or smallish adults. Unusually the cabins don’t have room for a 4th guest but there are some family cabins available for those that need an extra bed.

Large Balcony Cabins

Cabin sleeps: 3

The large balcony is exactly the same as the regular balcony but the balcony itself is bigger. The large balcony is HUGE. It has room for two chairs, a table, and a hammock.

Premier Service

The following cabins come with ‘premier service’.

Premier service includes:

• Express check-in
• 3 Items of laundry pressed within the first 24 hours
• Free breakfast in bed, one per week

Family Balcony Cabin

The family balcony cabins are new additions and they are massive! It’s 20m2 and sleeps up to five. These are actually the biggest non-suite balconies that I’ve ever found on a cruise ship. The balcony has two chairs, a table, a hammock, and two loungers.

We had a family balcony cabin on deck 10 and it was fab! Didn’t feel any rolling or vibration any more than on the rest of the ship. And quiet too, despite being under the Mediterranean restaurant and bar. The cabins are a good size too with a sliding door to divide the room for privacy. – Gail

Junior Suite Balcony Cabin

The junior suite is a whopping 22m2! My favourite part about this cabin is the fact that the bed faces the window.

This probably doesn’t affect anybody apart from me but… It is worth noting that this means that you are sleeping sideways in the ship (similar to the inside cabins) if the weather is rough you’ll feel yourself going up and down the bed which I really don’t like, in standard balcony cabins you end up going side to side which is better for me.

I do get quite seasick though so if you are worried about seasickness at all check out this post: 13 Cruise Seasickness Tips – From Somebody Who Gets Seasick.

Executive Suite

Cabin sleeps: 4

The executive suite is the biggest cabin on the ship measuring in at 49m2. It sleeps 4, two people in a regular bed and two more on a sofa bed. The cabin has a separate living room with a dining table.

Absolutely fantastic room. Booked for a ‘big birthday’ and definitely made the experience unforgettable! Well positioned, not too close or far from lifts, only one flight of stairs to pool deck. A little noise from above when sun loungers were being put out or tidied away but nothing much at all.  – Erin

Does The Marella Explorer Have Solo Cabins?

Technically speaking no, there aren’t any cabins created specifically for solo use. That said Marella do have some inside and outside cabins set aside as ‘solo’ rooms. This means that if you cruised in one of these cabins you wouldn’t have to stay in a smaller cabin which is often what happens to solo cruisers.

If you are considering cruising Solo start by reading this post, it details my personal favourite cruise lines for solo cruising. Marella are on the list along with many others. Best Cruise Lines For Solo Cruisers (Tried and Tested Pros and Cons). 

Do The Cabins on The Marella Explorer have Hairdryers?

Yes. All cabins on the Marella Explorer have hairdryers, there is no need to bring your own. Interestingly some of the cabins still have an old-style hairdryer on the wall of the bathroom, they also have a newer style one in the main cabin.

What plug sockets are on the Marella Explorer?

In the inside cabins, there is one EU and one US plug socket on the desk. Under the TV there is another EU socket. I would recommend bringing some sort of plug which allows you to charge more than one thing at once.

Make sure you pack adapters! This is one of the most common things for first-time cruisers to forget. You can find my full list of cruise essentials on our resource page here: Resources & Discounts.

Do The Cabins on The Marella Explorer have Irons?

No. None of the cabins on the Marella Explorer have irons. There isn’t a self-service laundry so if you do need something ironed you would have to pay for this. An alternative is to buy a spray which drops the creases from clothes.

Visit Marella’s website here: https://tui-uk.7cnq.net/4jPQM

(affiliate link)

Marella Explorer – Cabins to Avoid

The following cabins to avoid were provided by guests who cruised on the ship. 

Marella Explorer, Cabins to Avoid – Deck 10

The following cabins towards the aft of deck 10 onboard Marella Explorer are directly below the buffet. Some cruisers staying in these cabins have reported noises of things like chairs being moved.

This shouldn’t be a big problem as the buffet isn’t open late into the night but it may be worth something to bear in mind.

Marella Explorer, Cabins to Avoid – Deck 8

The following cabins on board the Marella Discovery are under the Squid and Anchor. The Squid and Anchor is a very popular venue that has live music which often goes on into the night.

If you have young children/like to sleep early it may be worth avoiding these cabins as some guests have reported hearing music in these cabins.

Marella Explorer, Cabins to Avoid – Deck 5

The cabins at the front of deck 5 are belong the broadway theatre. Theatre shows usually end by 11pm but if you like to go to sleep earlier than this it may be worth avoiding these cabins.

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Cruise Review: Marella Explorer

Marella Cruises is on the move. It used to be Thomson Cruises until a recent name change but it’s still part of the TUI holiday giant, using all its experience to make cruises simple and great value.

Marella has just launched its biggest ship, 1,900-passenger Marella Explorer (Marella Explorer 2 is already lined up for spring 2019) with a boisterous on-deck party in Palma, Mallorca, featuring a live performance by hitmaker Craig David.

The result is a getaway that combines the reliability and ease of a package holiday with the style of a very decent cruise, something comforting for first-timers yet attractive to regulars. And prices are keen – and all-inclusive, so no surprise bills at the end.

Marella Explorer – the ship

Not new by any means, but in a good way. Marella Explorer has been cruising the world for 20 years but a major makeover has taken traditional elements – wooden columns and chunky steel fittings – and combined them with contemporary decor. There’s everything from hints of the 1940s and 1950s in the public spaces to fun seaside touches on deck.

Well, there are the hammocks on each balcony, which sets Marella Explorer apart. You can swing above as your partner soaks up the sun on the lounger. Not being a new ship, only about a third of the cabins have balconies; there are a number with windows and a fair few hidden away inside. All, however, are smart and modern and proud to be British with kettles – and Yorkshire tea bags. Bathrooms are neat if smaller than on newer ships.

Explorer is filled with jolly seaside touches, whether gaily-painted beach hut seats on deck near the corrugated iron casualness of the Snack Shack (burgers, pizza, etc), the stools with bicycle pedal footrests at the Scoops ice-cream wagon or the Caribbean feel of the faded wood décor of the large (and excellent) Market Place buffet (with everything from chips to curries, even kedgeree for breakfast).

Snack Shack

There are 10 restaurants, half of which are free. Included in your fare, along with the Market Place and Snack Shack are Latitude 53 (three-course dinners), Mediterranean’s pizza and Vista’s Italian cuisine. A cover charge (between £9.95 and £45) gets you the likes of Surf and Turf steakhouse, Umi Sushi and the French extravagance of the Dining Club, all polished wood with porthole-like windows.

Latitude 53 is impressive, a two-deck place (Vista’s occupies part of downstairs) with an open central area backed by a glass wall at the back of the ship.

Equally outstanding on the deck above is the Mediterranean, a conservatory with a retractable glass roof. Here there’s food (design your own pizzas) as well as drinks from the indoor/outdoor bar which passes out through the ceiling-high windows and also serves the terrace.

The Mediterranean

The front of the ship doesn’t lag behind with Indigo, a combination bar, club and casino. The bar has two-deck-high sloping windows across the width of the ship, the club is a near-circular industrial-chic space while even the gaming tables, set against the windows, look cool (rather than the flashing Las Vegas feel of so many ships).

Indigo Lounge

There’s plenty to do at night with a rolling rota of 12 shows in the swanky Broadway Show Lounge, so that even if you’re on a fortnight’s cruise you can see something different almost every night. It’s not just variety either – the list includes Rockology (a tribute to Fleetwood Mac and other bands), Bud’s Diner (the 50s), Festival (music from Woodstock to Glastonbury), plus soul, musicals, even a family-friendly sing-song.

And the ship is great for families even if there are none of the go-karts or water slides of modern resort ships. The family deck is a quiet getaway with mini-golf and a volleyball/basketball court, and there’s a cinema with the latest movies (films are on the in-room TVs too). The M Club runs free sessions for children aged three to 11 Hideaway club caters for older children and teenagers with video games and double-width hammocks on deck.

Adults have plenty for themselves as Marella Explorer features the first Champneys spa at sea. The £15 daily charge to get into the Thermal Garden with steam rooms and a truly impressive sauna that’s not only huge but has picture windows out to sea.

The Veranda, snuggling at the front of the ship, is an outdoor (paid for) hideaway with double sun loungers and private cabanas.

Champneys Spa sauna

And, of course, there are bars, 10 of them, from the airy feel of the Mediterranean to the curious Bar 53, a three-deck-high affair, slim but with pianist and seats facing a shimmering wall. The Lounge is a ship-wide piano bar with the bar itself snaking around the centre while the Squid and Anchor features bands and quizzes (in the corner is a posh bar area featuring top gins and whiskies at extra charge).

Marella Explorer – the verdict

A superb holiday experience with a great deal of style. Flights are included and, unless you want to, there’s no need to spend a thing once you’re on board. Cruises will be around Spain and the Med all summer, sailing from Palma, and in the Caribbean, from Barbados, all winter.

A seven-night Cosmopolitan Classics round-trip cruise from Palm starts at £964pp, all-inclusive, with flights.

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