We chose this cruise after a good cruise on the old Thompson Spirit. We have cruised a few times with many cruise lines and saw this trip in a local agent .not a cheapo late deal so planed out 9 months in advance. My wife was real looking forward to trip. Perfect start great to leave luggage at Gatwick and see it next in our cabin. I do have limited mobility so arranged an adapted cabin which turned out good ; Sorry down hill from here on THIS ship and MOST of staff are not aware or interested in the disable / less mobile customer. The ship has NO disable seating in restaurants or bars and you are on your own with getting help from staff to get seated . the stock reply seems " we are busy ", " try another restaurant " ; Try another time. The theater is not a lot better . Yes there are a few disable seats but so poorly signed again it is free for all, so do not expect to get one unless you get to show about 45 minuets early. We did eventual get the welfare dept to put out some signs in the Cafeteria just 8 seats which considering the amount of wheel chairs/ scooters ect on board was no where enough . To cap it all I was told by a manager in the Theater he could not ask people to move from disable seats and I should walk down the stairs to front . The shows in all are ok not up to a professional standard more a good local theater group. The excursion ok but again not good for less mobile , we invested in a special light weight wheelchair so I could enjoy the trips but nearly all the trips state on the day that no wheel chairs or buggy's can be accommodated so yes got on the trips but did not see much of the sights except from the transport windows . Read Less

We travelled on Thomson cruises many years ago and thought we would give the Explorer a try. The itinerary and timings suited us. We booked an inside cabin as we rarely use balconies preferring to spend time either ashore or on deck. We did upgrade to the premium class flights and a premium drinks package. The ship was extremely busy which we anticipated. However, we did not expect some of the children on board to be unsupervised by their parents/grandparents to such an extent as to make the cruise unpleasant. Despite 'No Diving' signs on the pools the children continued to do this which can be very disconcerting to older guests and also potentially dangerous. I rarely saw a lifeguard around the pool to stop this practice. As a vegetarian I found the food awful. For example, a vegetable pie with the crust extremely hard and the rest of it raw and uncooked. We did ask to see a chef and he did come down to see us but was not particularly helpful. What shocked was when he admitted he didn't taste any of the vegetarian dishes. A couple of the restaurant managers said the same thing. The vegetarian option for Christmas Day dinner was mushroom crepes. Surely something more seasonal and exciting could have been offered? Our inside cabin was perfectly acceptable and the steward worked very hard. The service in the dining room (other than the specialty restaurants) was extremely slow and the food usually arrived lukewarm at best. I do not think this the fault of the waiters simply that there are just not enough staff to properly offer a good service. We did not book any tours preferring to explore on our own so cannot comment on those. The Embarkation process was smooth and it was an added bonus to have luggage checked in at Gatwick and then be taken straight to the ship.T The Lounge bar is style over substance in my opinion. The design makes it difficult for the waiters to work in and there are far too few of the to cope with the needs of the guests. We did not see the shows so again can make no comment on them. The pool and deck areas are extremely busy and I did not once see the '45 minute rule' being implemented. Some chairs were left unattended for up to five hours and no effort was made to remove belongings or towels. We will definitely not be sailing on this ship again and probably not cruising on any other Marella vessel. Read Less

This was our honeymoon and something neither of us had ever done but due to people in general who had lots of experience cruising we went for it and unfortunately we were very disappointed. We had deluxe cabin 7640, which was at the back of the ship lovely balcony. On arrival there was a very strong smell of sewerage this was reported and after and hour we were told that the cabin had been re cleaned. On return it still smelt terrible so again we informed them that it wasn't the room but the drains in bathroom. After 4 hours waiting they eventually cleared blockages. However this happened another 3 times on the whole deck through the week, Not what you expect on a cruise that cost short of 4k !! The all Inc package is ridiculous, you can get spirits / wines / beers and some cocktails but if you want a bottle of water or a can of pop you have either pay more or go Premium, not what we were told or expected after what the cost was for this holiday. Rip off penny pinching seems to be their goal. The entertainment as said by other guests was no better that one would expect at Butlins. Bingo ! Trivia quiz / Music Quiz the only decent entertainment was in the Broadway lounge and was only a 45 min show, but at least it was professionally done. The Islands visited were beautiful with the exception of British Virgin Islands, why oh why the ship went here is beyond me and many other guests, Still in a bad state of repair nothing to do beaches closed shops not open and rubble, cars and containers all smashed up at the side of the road. This was a Paradise Island tour but this Islands current situation needs time to heal before the tourist are brought back. This was a holiday not an Aid tour and TUI are very wrong to take people here yet. No other cruise ships were docking here, so our take was it was too expensive for TUI to change the Itinary !! The food isn't what we expected, nothing special and certainly not what we had been informed on cruise ships. We must of been the first to go on a cruise without gaining weight ! As said we are new to cruises, others on ship who had done many in past with other companies did tell us that this was by far one of their worst experiences, from service / choices / entertainment / quality of food and the add ons you don't expect or are told about until you get on ship. One couple had to see the Ships Doctor it cost them £30 jst for the consultation. Not good for a British ship as if at sea and you need medical help another money grabbing exercise !! The best part of cruising is a different location each day bit again don't buy excursions from the ship, get them locally and save ££s, its the same trips ! We wont plan to cruise again and if we do again speaking to others from other ships we docked alongside P&O / Disney amongst others seemed to have all happening that we expected but didn't get. TUI need to change this penny pinching culture if All Inc. then make it all Inc. not upgraded options charge up front so you know what you are getting. If no one upgraded there wouldn't be one so they would have no choice. I thought that ALL meant ALL not a part of !! Not happy and after only 1 cruise experience not planning another !! Read Less

For many years my husband has wanted to try a cruise however I have not really fancied it, so it was the usual Caribbean/Med beach holiday 2/3 times a year. Our friends who have cruised on many occasions finally persuaded me that I would enjoy the experience....and so we booked the Azura with them. We have just got back from a simply amazing holiday. From the very beginning at Exeter airport where we said goodbye to our luggage [we saw it again in our cabin] to the wonderful flight..we flew economy but the seats and leg room were the same size as previous times when we have upgraded, so well done Thomson's. Also all meals and drinks on board were free. We landed at Barbados and went through customs quickly then onto a coach and to the ship. Boarding was done in the most effortless way and as we only carried hand luggage it was so easy. FOOD... Simply fantastic....breakfast was served to you in dining room or help yourself in other dining areas. Everything for every body. Plenty of it. Food is available nearly all the time, from fruit, yogurt, to salads or hot. you also have grill bars and pizza bars all cooked fresh for you.. Bars/entertainment....So much to do if you wanted to on board, there is a full itinerary for all even if you did not want to disembark and see the various Caribbean islands [we visited all 8 islands] and it was superb. STAFF From your cabin attendant to your waiters and bar staff...these people work so very hard and they are cheerful and polite at all times. The entertainment staff are amazing and involve you in everything if you want to be involved. We saw shows, dancers, comedians plus did lots of quizzes etc etc ...too many to mention. We had a Caribbean night where we all dressed up in bright colours, also a 60s/70s night. Too many great nights to put here. SUMMING UP All in all we had a truly fantastic experience and we are looking forward to the next brochure coming out in April...[we paid £50 each on board to pre book another holiday with P & O ] this gives us extra on board spending which is a great help..also if, like me, you thought the drinks on a cruise ship would be very high, well let me tell you, they are on a par with most pubs. Hope this has helped any body who is a little unsure about cruising. We booked through Bath Travel who were wonderful.. Linda & David Woodward Read Less