Marella Cruises

Montego Bay

Caribbean - All

Caribbean - Western

Mexico - All

Jamaica

Panama Canal & Central America

Cuba

Caribbean - Eastern

Costa Rica

Panama

Europe - All

Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

South America

Mediterranean

Italy

Caribbean - Southern

Transatlantic

Belize

Spain

Dominican Republic

Excellent

Average

Very Good

Marella Discovery 2

New York (Brooklyn, Red Hook)

My friend and I had done the other side of the Caribbean a couple of years ago,and we liked that so we thought we would go and see Cuba,flight over was not too bad,when we arrived we were met and got through Customs quickly, and then taken to our Ship she was very nice Bigger then the last one we were on. we were given our Cabin and were very pleased with it.Cabin Crew Carlos and Alex were just great polite and happy and looked after us very very well.(miss them already). Dining was very good indeed well for my self and Hilary as we are not fussy what we eat,great in every place we tried.  Can not Fault the Entertainment at all very well presented ,and it was nice that they had the time to come and see you after the show.  Activities well we are a couple of old dears so we did not do much but what i saw people seem to enjoy them.  Service can not fault it were very pleased with how we were  looked after.  We only went on a few excursions and we enjoyed them, we met some nice Canadian ladies on board , also some nice English people, Being disabled I found quite a few unhelpful people as well. Both my self and Hilary are slow walker and  people could not be bothered to say excuse me but just tutt and push past.   Myself and Hilary travel together no children, did not see many on this trip. would we go again, yes to some of the countries  not all. I must say as far as we are concerned we had a great time  and recommend it to any one who feel in need of a break.   Last  Must say thank you for a great time on your ship and thank our two boys for all your help Carlos and Alex.

Brilliant

My first Marcella Cruise I found the ship and crew and staff very helpful it was also my 1st all inclusive and there was no shortage of drinks all over the ship you had just put  your empty glass down and bar staff were rushing to give you a refill cocktail of the day was always yummy the entertainment was first class and so professional that comment was heard all over the ship by passengers the only negative comment were the food though nice it was always very sameness in Buffet and Restaurants 47 also I fell I'll as I'm prone to Chest Inf with air-con I visited the Medical Center who issued me with just 3 antibiotics at £15 each 4 steroids at £1.50 each and a cough bottle £27 they were of course of no use really wasn't happy with treatment which totaled £127 but would I travel with Marcella again ? Yes but take your medication with you and stay healthy

Great Cruise

My partner and I chose Marella Discovery 2 as I had previously been on a smaller cruise (formerly with Thomson) and as it was his first cruise.  Also we wanted to do something special/memorable for my 50th birthday.  The price was reasonable, and we split 2 cruises over 2 weeks which made the choice of locations more interesting.  We also wanted to see different places rather than just spend 14 days on a sunbed, so this seemed ideal for us.  We booked the Pride of Panama for the first week and Cuban Fusion for the second week, as suggested by a Tui Rep.

Having read varied reviews beforehand, we booked with an open mind, and are so glad we went with our instinct.

The Gatwick process with Marella was flawless and we received our cabin number tag in advance.  It was fantastic that we didn't have to lug heavy luggage about and it arrived on the ship in good time.  The flight was also excellent both ways and arrived in good time (can't beat the Tui Dreamliner wow!).

The process at Montego Bay airport, although very busy and slightly confusing with the immigration forms (which were provided by Tui staff) went much better than expected, and we were directed straight to our coaches without delay.  The only immigration forms needed are those given to you by Tui staff on the plane (the forms we were given separately by Jamaican staff were not actually required from Jamaica to your first port of call - please check with Tui staff if unclear).

The transfer and process for accessing the ship was fine, and everyone appeared to be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

On arrival, the ship looked enormous, but when moored next to a newer, sparkly and much larger ship, yes it does look a little old and insignificant in size, but the rest definitely made up for it and we weren't disappointed.

The staff were friendly, helpful and reacted well to positive communication.  We were saddened to hear some people moaning about having to wait, etc, but hey your on holiday and its not a race!  We couldn't fault the staff who bent over backwards to keep everyone well fed, watered, comfortable and entertained.

We were amazed by our cabin 7128 at the rear of the ship....wow what a view and a memory we will always treasure.  The cabin wasn't sparkling but was extremely comfortable and the bed was lush!  I suffer with upper back problems and I slept like a log, sometimes too good and nearly missed breakfast on a few occasions!

Yes the Island Buffet and other restaurants were busy, but we compromised happily and patiently and worked our eating times around the much busier periods.  The pager system was a brilliant idea for 47 and Gallery 47, which alerted us whilst nipping to the bar before dinner.  

We really enjoyed the food on offer, and were unable to fault any of the restaurants on-board and the choice was immense.

We particularly enjoyed the Kora La Restaurant (Pan Thai) which was superb.  The staff were also amazing and helped with our surprise engagement whilst moored in Cuba.  This involved the manager, serving staff and also Camilla (Special Events Hostess) all keeping the secret.  It was a truly amazing evening and a special memory for us both, and we can't thank them all enough.

Also thank you to housekeeping who put up special balloons, a banner and beautiful swans towel art when we returned to our room after a wonderful evening.  Bojan was terrific, always polite and helpful throughout our stay, and our room remained immaculate throughout.

The entertainment was excellent, and again the staff did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable.  The shows were fantastic and varied across the 14 days.  There was always something to do even on the days at sea, and we admit to attending the gym only once! However we did enjoy the walk around deck, playing board games, visiting the shops, drinking coffee and even trying the climbing wall and crazy golf!

Paul Evans (Entertainment Manager during our cruise) and Captain Chris' announcements were hilarious (our sort of humour and a bit cheesy).  We loved listening to them together, a real live double-act to brighten your day!  We even held our cabin door open to listen to the morning announcements, as they were most entertaining whilst informative.  

The trips offered were varied and interesting.  We found the app for booking restaurants, spa sessions, trips, etc, extremely useful.  We did think the internet costs were expensive and the wifi reception not always great, but to be honest were glad to have a break away from social media for 14 days!  Just remember you are on the ocean miles from anything so it may not be perfect!

We enjoyed all our booked trips, and despite initially thinking they were expensive, soon realised that by doing your own thing isn't cheap either and wished that we had booked more trips through Marella/Tui.  Also you have the knowledge that you are in safer hands and the trips are organised.  We felt that we wasted time not knowing what to do, and could have spent our money more wisely i.e, spent 110 dollars on a taxi tour round Costa Rica for 2hrs, etc.  It was lovely but we were literally following the Tui Tour.  Next time we will research more before visiting, but we really enjoyed all the locations we visited.

We particularly enjoyed a chilled Zuana Beach Day (Santa Marta, Colombia), Kayaking in Panama, River Tubing in Jamaica (which was most memorable, chilled and fun!), guided walking tour in Cuba (also old cars and horse and cart trips are available by the port) and Ze-hal (Lagoon in Mexico).

Each of the locations brought about something different, and were real eye openers at times! 

We can honestly say this was one of the best holidays that we have ever had, in addition to the kindness we received on our engagement.  We loved MD2, it may not be new, sparkly and not the biggest, but it has a warmth/comfort about it being a smaller ship, and we couldn't fault the hospitality we received on this cruise.  It still took us about a week to find everything though! 

Well done to Marella/Tui and hope to see you again soon for our next adventure.

Fabulous 50th Birthday treat and surprise engagement

I was so happy when I saw Sunwing was again offering this Pride of Panama almost all inclusive cruise. We had taken it on Thomson Dream in Feb. 2016 & then didn't see it last year so were really happy we got it this time. It was good value with flight, cabin, transfers, drink package included & NO tipping!

The Marella Discovery 2 is a lovely ship, a nice size with a great CD, happy dining room staff, very efficient & friendly cabin stewardess, beautiful shows, good food with nice choices & great excursions. I liked it so much I almost cried when we had to leave. I wish we could have stayed on for another week.

The ship is lovely & in great shape for being built in 1995. It's so easy to find your way around on it. It has everything one would want on a ship.

Our cabin, an inside, was big enough of the 2 of us, had a love seat & plenty of storage space. There was also a kettle with coffee & tea to drink. We used the door cards so our lovely stewardess Jelena & her assistant Svitlana always had the cabin made up for us on our return from breakfast, something I really appreciate. There was also towel animals occasionally then or at night along with the chocolates I've been missing on other lines.

We always ate in the dining rooms & usually had a table for two. We didn't try the pay restaurants just did the 2 47' ones & enjoyed the food & service in both. The staff are really friendly & efficient. The menu was varied & the food generally quite good.

Martyn, the CD is everywhere & does a great job. We went to all the production shows & really enjoyed them. The theatre has comfy seating with a drink holder. I only went to Bingo a couple of times as it was at the same time as we usually have supper. It was good, only 5 GBP & fast.

I really enjoyed the Elton John show, the singing couple & comedian too. We never use pools or hot tubs or hang around bars so can't comment on them. We did like having the opportunity to try new drinks with the included package.

The photographers were good & helpful when we had a bit of a problem with our boarding picture or lack thereof.

We had prebooked a couple of shore excursions then booked a couple more onboard. I did the Panama Railway tour which also included a stop at the new locks where we saw a movie & walked around a bit then took the train, had a little drive by tour of the city & a stop at a duty free place on the water. I was surprised & happy to see some food on the train then a sandwich on the bus.

DH did his 1st zip line in Costa Rica & the boat ride while I did the Jaguar Animal Rescue trip with river cruise too. We both enjoyed our choices.

Our guide at the animal place was great, very keen having volunteered there for 6 years. I was afraid the animals would jump on you but that never happened to me at least. The flora & fauna were lovely there.

We had been to Santa Marta & Cartagena before so just walked along the Malecon & into the town a bit in the former, & took a cab to the Fort walked around for about an hour then returned to the lovely little zoo right at the port, at the latter. We never did find the Emerald Museum there at the port, oh well maybe next time! 

I took the ship tour & was happy with it. I've done them on other ships & they're all different. This one began with a chat over tea or coffee on the bridge with Captain Chris & ended with a glass of bubbly in the MDR. I must say Cap't Chris is a young handsome friendly man who seems down to earth & very efficient, looking out for our best interests. He did change the routing on our cruise due to weather but it still was a pretty rocky ride a couple of nights. He did keep us informed so that was appreciated.

I really loved this cruise & was sad to leave the ship. One thing about that was there was no rush to leave, sure you had to be out of the cabin by 8:00 am but you could stay onboard using the services 'til your  transfer left. We had purchased the wifi so passed time on that while waiting to disembark.. 

Hopefully we'll be able to do another cruise on D2 or another in the fleet next year if Sunwing offers the same sort of deal.

Loved Discovery 2, the former Legend of the Seas

We chose the Cuban Fusion and Pride of Panama 'back-to-back' cruises for their itineraries and this was our first Thomson/Tui/Marella cruise, although we have cruised with three other lines previously.

The Pros: 

Check in at Gatwick and Montego Bay was simple and the arrangements made for luggage transfer were very good.

Transfers from Montego Bay to the ship and from the ship to Montego Bay were well organised.

Our deck 6 basic balcony cabin was adequate and quiet.

Excursions ashore were well organised with simple, speedy transfer from ship to coach.

Most restaurant and bar staff were friendly and helpful, particularly those serving in the Coffee Port. 

Havana, Costa Rica and Cartagena were the highlights for us. 

The Captain altered the itinerary for the second week because of bad weather (rough seas) in an attempt to ensure we would be able to visit all ports of call and to make the voyage as tolerable as possible. Fortunately his gamble paid off! 

The Cons: 

Some ship accommodation was tired and our cabin and balcony were poorly cleaned. Windows were filthy most of the time. 

Quality of food was very inconsistent, ranging from very poor to good. 

Reception desk staff were often unhelpful and very defensive. 

A small minority of guests left empty beer bottles and glasses all over the upper decks and seemed obsessed with drinking all day and sunbathing. The pool deck was an area to avoid at all costs as it resembled a very cheap all inclusive Costa hotel. 

A lack of seats outside on the boat deck - Marella seems to think that all passengers are obsessed with sunbathing and supply only rather uncomfortable sunbeds. 

Premium economy seats are the most uncomfortable we have ever experienced - a waste of money. 

Overall: 

A great itinerary but unfortunately we would never sail with Marella again. The ship clearly encourages the all inclusive boozing Costa crowd so it's not for us.

A floating 2 to 3 star all inclusive Thomson hotel

Filters

1-5 of 5