Marella Discovery Review

Marella Discovery is not a new-build however, but a well-seasoned (1996) ship that had previously been sailing as Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. It had a $53 million overhaul in 2011, and a further six-week refit completed in April 2016, and was unveiled in its present incarnation complete with new name, new signage and new features. (Note: It was reborn as TUI Discovery, but that name was changed in October 2017. Marella, incidentally, is Celtic for "shining sea".)

The ship was reborn sporting a brand-new look and feel, with a modern wave design on the hull, brightened up interiors and a number of new features including speciality restaurants, several new bars, and redesigned public spaces. Gone is the dark and dingy casino, replaced with the light and colourful flagship Live Room bar. Dining areas sparkle (with the exception of the still rather dowdy buffet restaurant), and updated cabins are modern, clean and comfortable.

A minnow compared to most of its contemporaries, Marella Discovery won't be overwhelming for first-timers, while still managing to squeeze enough in to keep the more seasoned cruiser happy.

Marella Cruises (nee Thomson) is in fact the U.K. cruise brand of German giant, the TUI Group, but despite its German owners -- the vessel is as British as cod and chips. Expect British-brand teabags (both Yorkshire and Twinings), bottles of HP sauce, and John Smith's by the pint.

While still offering plenty of mainstream mealtime favourites, dining on the Discovery has seriously upped its game, in both its free and speciality offerings. Its main dining room, 47°, backs up glittering surrounds with excellent food and service, while the Surf & Turf Steakhouse would compare well with any land-based eatery. Service throughout the ship (from the mostly long-term serving crew) is efficient, smiley, and super-friendly -- expect to be on first name terms with some by the end of the cruise.

Although largely lacking the way of hi-tech wizardry or state-of-the-art showstoppers, the likes of virtual dance classes and touch-screen booking technology do lend the ship a distinctively 21st-century feel. While billed as family-friendly -- and it largely is -- parents with younger kids might struggle to keep their tots entertained.

The ship was a deserved winner of the 2016 Editors' Picks Awards for Best New Ship, and the move (in 2017) to the ship going all-inclusive has cemented its appeal as a great all-rounder accessible to most budgets.