We chose this Cruise as it was out of our comfort zone and was for our Golden Wedding. We had a fantastic holiday The Ship was very good, bit tired in places but in general very nice. Main problem encountered was the vibration running through the ship when sailing, which suggests an in balance in the drive mechanism, especially when trying to sleep. Staff were the best we have encountered, food very good in all Depts and entertainment generally very good Flights too long for us especially on the return which was 6 hours late. The trips we did were very good and informative The ports were primarily working ports which was a bit off putting, possibly down to cost. Overall a fabulous holiday which we will never forget. We had a problem with dirty water in our first cabin but this was quickly remedied by a move to another cabin John and Pat Caulkin Read Less

We have cruised with Marella in the past and already had great cruises but this one surpassed all expectations. Asia was a new itinerary for Marella this year, I had visited all of the destinations many moons ago when backpacking but knew it would have changed a lot, whereas for my mum and dad it was their first time in Asia. It certainly won't be the last! Fabulous itinerary and made all the better by a classy ship and amazing crew and officers who really went out of their way to make everything perfect! Would recommend it in a heartbeat! We flew from Bormingham to Langkawi on the Dreamliner. I have to admit that we all hated such a long flight, this was the only downside, but the crew were excellent onboard the flight and Tui were very helpful in organising extra luggage allowance for the medicating I need to travel with, full marks to the welfare team pre cruise! The drwMliner very comfortable. Unfortunately the inflight entertainment was a bit uninspiring but comfort wise the Dreamliner was very roomy. On arrival to Langkawi it took only around half an hour transfer time and the check in on board was very quick and efficient. Doe to booking only ten weeks before there had only been the choice of all three of us in a standard inside cabin so we spectre it o be cramped, which it was. However full marks to Chiefhousekeeper Larry and his team, the ship was cleaner than spotless all cruise and all of the housekeeping team we encountered were do pleasant and helpful, especially our cabin steward Andy who even specially arranged a fridge for my medication. Marella still do the nightly turndown service and chocolates on pillow which I'd a nice touch, we find a lot of lines skip this nowadays. We did not eat in any of the speciality restaurants but the island's buffet for breakfast and lunch, the glasshouse for lunches and reaturant 47 deck 4 and the Italian on deck 5 were excellent. I cannot commend the f and b team highly enough. I have to follow an extremely strict diet for medical reasons and thus travelling can be a nightmare for me. However I was met on board on arrival and the restaurant staff and chefs were fabulous. They were already aware of my allergies. They cooked specially for me all week and managed to produce anything I requested. Julia who is in charge of special diets deserves a particular mention. In all of my years of travel I have never received such good customer service! She has the patience of a saint and is worth her weight in gold to Marella. Her attentative service is one thing that will certainly make us cruise with Marella again alone! The food was excellent and the service consistently brilliant.. I have also never had better porridge in my life! Top marks to the breakfast chefs! It as also nice that they tried to incorporate local fruits such as dragonfruit, Logan berries and guavas into the menu! Well done executive chef and his team! Destinations services team and their manager Pd were also brilliant, they were a fountain of knowledge and also very helpful with independent information, not just interested in those doing their trips. We did most things independently apart from the 'on your own' transfers onto Ho Chi Minh city and Kuala Lumpar which were both very well organised. Very impressed. We found the other ports easy enough to do by ourselves although be warned, you need to do plenty of research, this is not a relaxing cruise but the destinations are so worth it! We found the who's very good. Also the gym instructoe Curtis was very pleasant and helpful. Well done Marella for a brilliant two weeks. Can't recommend you enough. You have three loyal passengers now for life!ggg Read Less

i was waiting to see if Thomson (TUI) were going to cruise Asia as they haven't in the past and we've always wanted to go in that direction. I will not comment about the ship as others have provided more than enough information and pics. Travel The whole journey out and back went more or less to plan (a little late both ways but that's almost to be expected). We flew Premium both ways and was a little disappointed at Gatwick because check-in was a free for all, fortunately we arrived early so there wasn't too much of a queue. However we did get fast track through the emigration. Cabin crew both ways were good and the food adequate; but having paid a lot of money for Premium, charging extra for things like crisps was penny pinching and little niggles like that pervaded the whole experience (see comments below). Unusually we had to collect our cases on landing to go through customs. This is the first cruise we've been on where that had to be done. On the return journey however we didn't see our cases again until we arrived at Gatwick baggage reclaim. Embarkation/disembarkation The whole operation ran smoothly but the signs for Premier check-in were less than obvious and most, like us, joined the main queue. We had to leave our cases outside the cabin by 2am and vacate by 8am on the day of departure and as our flight wasn't till 5pm everyone was milling around waiting to go. Cabin Our cases were delivered to our cabin and the cabin itself was exactly as expected and up to the Company's usual standard, well equipped and clean. The balcony had 2 chairs a table and 2 loungers. Our cabin steward, Riva, looked after us very well. Having had a long journey we wanted a drink of water so opened the bottle without realising that there was a charge of £1.50 for the privilege! Water stations were on most decks with notices not to fill your own bottles. Dining We only ate in the Islands Restaurant as there was a 'supplement' to dine in many of the others. The food was plentiful and varied but some rather bland. The desserts were an absolute dream and were the best past of the meal. Excursions All were rather expensive (we knew that as most were booked before leaving UK), some did not represent good value for money in my view but I accept that others may not agree. However they were enjoyable and all but the island catamaran trip provided a well informed commentary and the guides were helpful. I must congratulate the destinations team for their positive and helpful approach. Bar service The bar staff were always smiling and helpful and we never had to wait too long for drinks service. Disappointing that some drinks (including coffee) were at an additional cost. Overall impression Entertainment was good and the team worked very hard, a comedian - Martin Daniels, was the highlight for me. There were 'technical difficulties' one night which stopped the show but these things happen. I did get the impression that the Company was out to extract every last £ whilst you were on the ship. I know that they have to encourage spending for commercial reasons but making the process obvious was unnecessary. I think it would be better the Cruise was billed as 'inclusive' to indicate that not everything was included. Read Less

Have been on Marella ( formerly Thomson) Cruises before and this one appealed as it was a new itinerary with some great places. Flight was long but good, arrived on time and apart from a queue at airport immigration we arrived at the ship after a 20 min journey. Check in was done on board and was speedy and our luggage appeared quite quickly. Cabin - we had an inside cabin on deck 6. Although near stairs and lift it was very quiet and we heard no noise from bars downstairs. It was an ideal deck to be on - down to bars/restaurants and a few flights up to the pool deck, yet away from engine noise/vibration. Although not large there's plenty of drawers and cupboard space & a small sofa,adequate for our 2 weeks. The bathroom was small but well planned & also had good storage space , Ive been in smaller. Ship - the Discovery was new to us and we really liked it. Plenty of bars and restaurants but some quiet spaces as well. It was spotlessly clean and we saw staff cleaning & dusting every day. On sea days sunbeds were short ( as on every ship Ive been on!) but we always managed to find one in the afternoons. The indoor pool - The Glass House- was an indoor spa with pool, sunbeds, relaxing chairs & a small restaurant, a great place to go when it was so hot outside. Also loved the Veranda Terrace with sunbeds & big round chairs away from hustle& bustle. We also loved the putting course & had many a game as well as shuffleboard, although we didn't have the nerve to try the climbing wall. It also has an escape room at extra cost. Food & entertainment - the usual buffet & a waiter service restaurant. There was an Italian restaurant which only had 2 menus, a small tapas & pizza restaurant and the Snack shack which had breakfast & lunch snacks e.g. sandwiches, salads, chips etc.There were also the usual extra charge restaurants but we didn't try these. After discussion we decided the food was generally underwhelming and there were only a few meals we could say we really enjoyed. It was often bland and didn't live up to its description. The buffet had some good options depending on what time you went, the Snack shack sandwiches were fresh but very sparsely filled but hey,you'll never go hungry. The restaurant was often full by 7.30 pm and we were given a pager that buzzed when your table was ready which meant we often ate quite late & staff were a bit rushed. I think some passengers complained but it was fair.There was plenty of the usual entertainment - singers, bands, quizzes,game shows etc. the shows were varied - some were reminiscent of a 6th Form school production often off key and shrieking songs, others dance routines were fantastic,especially the Roxane and Can Can dance.Mark Daniels ( Paul Daniel's son) was the guest comedian and was hilarious, it was packed. Excursions -loads on offer to suit everyone. We were often berthed in ports far away from main cities but there was always transport for you to do your own thing. There was very little to do in port as they were quite industrial in places. I found some staff on destination services a little dismissive -we were told the local beach at Koh Samui had no facilities & ' you wont want to swim there' when in fact it was a lovely little palm fringed beach with clear sandy waters and a bar at the end. Paper maps weren't available any more - maybe maps could be put on the Discovery app as there was nothing to help you find your way round places,just a moving display map. Unfortunately, I developed a kidney infection and had to use the medical centre - I cannot fault the treatment, care and follow up from the medical team, complete with full copies of all tests and results which meant I could enjoy the end of my holiday. The places we visited were amazing and never to be forgotten and I think this itinerary gave us a flavour of the Far East Read Less

Have reviewed Disco before and we love it, so will concentrate on ports and trips. It’s fair to say that in some of the Ports a DIY job is not really an option as they’re as big as a city. In other places the ports are a minimum of 2 1/2 to 3hrs away so it’s a long day. We like half-day trips so a bit restricted, but most were very good. Compared to a recent cruise to Norway where everything was very expensive, we thought these trips were reasonable. We reckon the grub to be good but not great. We did Islands buffet for brek and most lunches or the Snack Shack where the wings, fish and chips are excellent and hot. Stays open until 6pm so if you’re late lunchers like us it’s great. One slight knock in most areas is that the grub could be a bit hotter. We liked 47 for dinner and eat quite late, after 8.30pm.You do get a buzzer but it’s a chance for a few bubbles pre-dins. We tried the Steak on Stone for an £11.95 surcharge. Well worth it-best dinner of trip. As others have said, if you want a sunbed on sea days you need to be up with the early breakfast cooks, about 5am. We normally waited until it thinned out a bit later. No-one gives up their beds. They run a ‘yellow card’ system for beds left for more than 2 hrs but it’s just for show. Drinks great. Longest wait a few mins. Good bottled beers, Peroni, Corona, San Miguel. **I refuse to pay for wi-fi so there’s very limited internet access. Even on the day trips there was hardly any ‘free time’ so you had to try find wi-fi wherever you could. Langkawi Nature Reserve: Excellent. Half day. About 30min journey. You go into bat cave then boat journey to watch eagles feeding from the river which is amazing. Penang: Temple followed by funicular ride to top of island. Really good. At top you can have a buggy ride around the area for a couple a quid. Very good. ***Hotel at top of hill has wi-if you can access. KL: Half day sights. Petronas Tower excellent and Independence Square and War Memorial good. Visit to disused colonial railway station a bit bizarre and an obvious ‘filler’ Bangkok: did trip ‘On your own’. Be warned, it’s 3 hrs in traffic to get there and you get 4 hrs there. And you’re dropped at a Shopping Mall outside the city. Our excellent guide recommended the Skytrain (about £3 for an all day tourist ticket) to the river, a river taxi (also about £3)then a Tuk Tuk back which was about a fiver. Had a great day. Went to Reclining Buddha which wife loved. Some guides apparently discourage being too adventurous due to time constraints but we really enjoyed it and had no problems getting back. Pattaya Beach: Coach Trip ‘On your own’. Cancelled Bangkok on own for day 2 as couldn’t face the journey and getting up in middle of night-or so it seems. Taken to shopping mall then on your own. Not really a daytime place but still enjoyable. Lots of British men talking to young people in sea front bars which is a bit weird but glad we went. Singapore: half day ‘In the footsteps of Raffles’. Best trip of the hol. Only four hrs but we got half hour walk tour, 30 mins boat ride, Singapore Sling in the Raffles Hotel (no queueing as part of trip-on your own be ready to queue for about 45 mins) then a ride on a tri-bike with a recognised firm so safe and reliable. Excellent. Sihanoukville, Cambodia: Did our own thing. An eye-opener. Quite a few scare stories re valuables and the like but didn’t hear any horror stories. There will be beggars and Tuk-Tuk overload but it’s not overwhelming. Went to the beach with another couple we met, Tuk Tuk for about 20 mins which was $20 dollars US and he wouldn’t haggle. Whole place is a building site. Vietnam: Ship is 3hrs from Ho Chi Minh so any trip is a schlep. We did Cu Chi tunnels which I really enjoyed but it was a bit of a one-trick pony. Still worthwhile. Malacca: half day sightseeing. Bit dull. Highlight was going up viewing tower and a castle. We did all those trips and they’re great, but they’re usually early kick-offs. We did four on the spin and I couldn’t wait to get back for my bottle of Peroni. We’d do the itinerary again. Loved it. **Depending on flight time, you can keep cabin past the 8am kick-out.Ours was £35 right up to 3pm departure for Gatwick and worth every penny as you weren’t fighting for space as everyone waits to get off. Apparently, 80% of people paying keep their own cabin. Read Less

Having cruised many times, mainly with P&O, we thought we’d give Marella a try as it was going to places we hadn’t been to before. Accommodation We had a balcony cabin on Deck 7 which had loads of storage space and kept clean and tidy by our steward, Charlie. Some of the towels, particularly the hand ones, were very thin and were pretty useless in absorbing any water and were seriously in need of replacement. Food The Islands buffet we found to be very poor. The same choices seemed to be repeated again and again. Always Chicken Korma, Chilli Con Carne, pizza. Poor selection of salads and cooked meat. The waiter service restaurant just couldn’t cope. Every evening, at various times, it was necessary to have a pager and wait for 40 minutes to be called. The food again was repetative and not enough choice. Trips As we hadn’t visited this area before we booked ship’s tours. We did feel that some of the trips were poor value for money and that we were being used as guinea pigs for Marella’s first visit to Asia. Coaches were of dubious quality, one had little or no rear suspension and we all feared for our backs when going over bumps. One trip advertised as 4.5 hours had us back on ship in 3. One of the highlights of another was a visit to a fruit and spice stall at the side of a busy road! Entertainment Lady Boys of Bangkok was a good show but as only one show was performed, many people were left disapppointed as they couldn’t get into theatre. We had two comedians. One, Martin Daniels ( son of Paul) was very good, the other not so good. The Marella entertainers were very good and worked hard. Loved Natalie, she was hilarious! Could have done with something a bit different on sea days. Perhaps a talk? Would we do Marella again? Yes at the right price to the right place. Would we do Asia again. Probably not but would return to Singapore in a heartbeat, such a clean place and easily accessible . Read Less

We chose this cruise with Marella Discovery because we wanted to visit the places on offer. ( Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore). We also booked some of the excursions before with Tui because we hadn't visited any of the places before apart from Thailand, so were not sure about what we could or couldn't do on our own. Our cabin was 8029, which had a wall to wall glass window, which was really good. Where the cabin was situated was down a small corridor on its own which made it very quiet. It was also close to the lifts, which again made it an ideal location. The cabi was very roomy and the cleaner was excellent and changed the towels/sheets every other day. The Dining experience was very good but if you wanted to eat after 7.45pm then you had a wait of about 20 -40 minutes. All the food in the Italian and the 47 degrees restaurants were good, there was plenty of choice and the menu changed each evening. The waiters were all happy and couldn't do enough for you. The Steak and Turf Specialty Restaurant is a must to visit but gets booked up very quickly. The entertainment during the day was fine and the shows at night were stunning. Service for drinks in the evening was excellent, there were always waiters on hand to get your orders. Drinks on deck while you were sunbathing were good and always cold. Shore Excursions at the various ports were hit and miss. Many of the excursions that we had prebooked before we left were much cheaper when you docked and asked the taxi drivers. All the drivers had a sheet with pictures of the places you could visit with them and you could then pick which ones you went to and which you wanted to avoid. This was better than going on the Ship Excursion because on one trip you visited about 3 temples which after one Temple the others look the same and have the same statues, people were coming back from the Ship Excursion saying they were " Templed Out" but on your own you could go to one Temple and then visit somewhere else. You saved about £30-£60. We went on a Ship Excursion entitled " Highlights of Sihanoukville by Tuk Tuk" in Cambodia. The excursion was a shambles, we were put on a fleet of Tuk Tuks, The told to get off them because they were the wrong ones, we then ended up on the Tuk Tuk from hell. 4 people squashed into a Tuk Tuk facing each other with our feet on the spare wheel. We thought the driver had the radio on but when we stopped we found that he was actually watching a Kung Fu movie on his phone that was propped up in front of the steering wheel. When we got off the Tuk we found we all had blue paint on our hands where we had been gripping the sideshow tightly because the Tuk was so unsafe, on the way back the exhaust blew. I could go on but having complained to the Ships Destination team we were only offered 30% refund which we declined because we felt from a safety point of view all we had done was hang on for dear life and not enjoyed the experience one bit. If we had booked a Tuk ourselves we could have chosen a roadworthy one and seen much more for less money. So I would recommend that you do all the trips independently, one because it a lot cheaper, if you do a trip in every port then you can save up to £200 and secondly where we thought going with Tui and Marbella would be safer as they advertise that they use reputable companies for the trips, this was clearly not the case in Cambodia. Having said that, I would recommend the cruise, the ship, and the places that it visited but I would strongly suggest that you do your excursions independently because you see more, get there quicker and can see what you want to see. Always negotiate your price first and then go explore! Read Less

This was our 8th Cruise, our first with Marella. Previously we have cruised with RC, P&O and MSC. We had previously sailed on Discovery 10 years ago when it was Royal Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas so we knew what to expect. The flight and boarding of the ship was smooth and easy. We had an inside cabin and this was small but functional and clean. Marella have tarted up the sink units in the bathroom but the shower is still the same with a curtain, rather than an enclosed cubicle. Freedom Dining: This was a new system to us as we have always previously had a late set dining time. We were a large party of 14 adults and we knew that we would not be able to have one large table, so we split into two groups each night - a table of 6 and a table of 8. Personally I thought this was a good system, we would be given a buzzer which would indicate when our tables were ready and there was never a long wait. I would add that the down side to this is that we didn't have the same waiting staff each night and the service varied considerably, on the whole the staff were attentive and being all inclusive the wine glasses and water glasses were kept filled. However, one evening our glasses remained empty until we asked a passing staff member for more drinks, which he immediately started to fill, only to be questioned by the Restaurant Manager why he was waiting on someone else's table, a short sharp heated exchange took place, which resulted in half our glasses being filled before he walked off very disgruntled! This was awkward and embarrassing for us. Personally I think you get better service on a set sitting on a set table as the waiting staff get to know you and also know they will be tipped if they provide a good service. Entertainment: The bands on the ship were very good, there were some fantastic singers on this cruise. Bar & Drinks: All inclusive package was absolutely fine, I didn't find any need to upgrade as there was plenty of choice in the normal package. We never had to wait too long for drinks to be served. Excursions & Ports of Call: We booked the Catamaran Excursion on our 2nd Day in Langkawi, after a long flight we had to be up early to join the excursion, only to be told when we got to the dock that our excursion was cancelled as the Catamaran had broken down. We took a taxi to a local beach - in hindsight this was probably one of the best beaches of the cruise but at the time I thought how dirty and shabby it looked. There were plastic bottles and waste on the beach and the sea was quite rough with Jelly Fish warnings posted on the beach! I went swimming all the same - no Jelly Fish sighted! Malaysia - Penang The next day we had an excursion to Monkey Beach, despite reading terrible reviews we thought we would like to try it for ourselves. The reviews were not unfounded - the beach was covered in plastic, rubbish and bottles, lots of rundown shacks that need clearing away. I would not use the "facilities" they were too dirty. We had a BBQ lunch on the beach but I was very wary of the hygiene, but hunger got the better of me and I ate some of the chicken skewers which were very tasty and nothing untoward happened. The monkeys all came down to the beach, so you do get to see a lot of monkeys. They were not aggressive but you need to watch your bags etc.. we saw one monkey make off with a packet of pills from one ladies handbag! Another grabbed a can of coke and bit into the can to drink it, I don't think we tourists are making a very good contribution to their diet and well being. On the return journey we had to climb a ladder onto a very rickety pontoon with no handrails, so I would not advise anyone with any mobility issues to attempt this excursion. I actually wonder whether a Tui representative has tried this excursion? Kuala Lumpur - Port Klang By this time jet lag had definitely kicked in but we still had to be up early for our excursion to see Kuala Lumpur on your own. A very clean modern city. Loved the KL & Petronas Towers. Singapore Another very clean city - we used the hop on hop off bus, which goes from the Cruise terminal. Went to Raffles (of course) but a long queue deterred us from waiting for a Singapore Sling. My sister went in but found it a bit of a tourist conveyor belt. Went to the sky bar with the inifinity pool - lovely views but pricey - expect to pay London prices. Finally a Lay in and a day at sea...of course no sunbeds available on deck. One point to note on the sea day - my brother in law went underwater in the pool and came up in agony, something in the pool really upset his eyes. He wasn't the only person either, there were a couple of other guys also complaining of painful eyes after submerging in the pool. Koh Samui - Thailand Got a mini bus for $75 each way for 8 people to Chaweng beach, quite a pretty beach but not clear enough for snorkelling. Jelly fish warnings again but none of us suffered any stings. Bangkok - Thailand We booked the Classic Thai dance and dinner The port is a working port - with nothing pretty to see, as were quite a few of the ports on this cruise. The coach trip to Bangkok was 2 hours - we had an hour in the Night Market before going to the show, the show lasted for one hour with dinner served during the show - a typical thai curry with various accompaniments (we were told it was Crocodile Curry) - good tasty food but it was all over and done with very quickly and we were back on the coach for the 2 hour journey back. In hindsight I wish we had made our own arrangements to see Bangkok on our own - perhaps with an overnight stay in an hotel. Pattaya - Thailand We did Pattaya on our own, again due to the ship departure time we only had a very short amount of time here. Had a look around a shopping centre and went to the beach - nothing much to say about it - beach ok but not pretty like the beaches in the Caribbean. I think it would be better to visit at night to see the lady boys etc.. Cambodia A group of us took the port shuttle bus to make our own way around. However be prepared for a total scrum of Tuk tuk drivers who as soon as the shuttle bus gets out of the port will start to run along side the bus, banging on the windows, pointing at their placards of places they will take you. When the bus stopped I wasn't sure I wanted to get off as there were around 30 tuk tuk drivers wanting our business. In the end two of the guys in our group managed to agree for two brothers to take our group to Sokha which is a beach resort hotel. The short tuk tuk ride took us past the building sites and smells of this area of Cambodia. It looks at present as though the whole region is under construction so don't expect anything pretty. The resort of Sokha however was a little haven. I am sure we paid too much for the Tuk tuks - but it was only $15 dollars each way and the brothers only took payment on the return journey. Sokha has a beautiful pool and access to the beach which looked clean and nice although the sea was a bit rough. Entry to Sokha was $20 each and for this you got a beach towel, and a drink. Vietnam: We cancelled our - Saigon on your own tour as I didn't fancy the long coach trip - 2 - 2.5 hours for a few hours there. Some of our friends did the tunnels and thoroughly enjoyed it although they all felt claustrophobic in the tiny tunnels. The rest of us grabbed a minibus and again went to a local Beach Resort Hotel - this was about 45 minutes away. The hotel and pool were very nice $24 each, this time no drink just a towel and use of the facilities. The beach was full of bitumen and again very rough sea, so we stayed in the resort area. Malacca - Malaysia The last stop before returning to Langkawi for home. This is a tender to shore, very quick and easy, you can walk into the town area, you don't need an excursion. The tuk tuks here are very colourful and blasting out with different kinds of music. You can walk to the Jonker Street area, which is quite busy and near the Dutch Square too. Conclusion: My first time in Asia: Some countries were very clean and modern and others not but that was all part of the experience. In hindsight some of the excursions we booked were not the best choice. There are things I would have liked to have differently but not knowing how easy it was to get around we played safe. I would have liked to see the Mekong Delta and Saigon but both places were 2-2.5 hours away from the port as were some of the other excursions. I expected breath taking beaches and pretty towns but this was not what we got, a lot of the places are in the midst of mass development. The beaches are not good for snorkelling and all the beaches we visited were strewn with rubbish. I think I have been spoilt by the beauty of the Caribbean. But everything added to the experience and it was a holiday I would not have missed. I just don't think I would hurry back...just yet. One final point to note; there was a lot of sickness and tummy upsets on the ship, we heard people in the public toilets being violently ill and heard lots of people talking about stomach bugs! Read Less

Change of itinerary! A two hour delay leaving Manchester , flight ok tho , apart from a medical emergency,which had a happy ending . Reasonable drinks service , but the food left a lot to be desired , the breakfast muffin, was absolutely awful , but Thomson , will have surely changed this by now , as nearly everybody left it. Crew friendly and efficient. Breakfast very good , lunch was a bit disappointing,evening meals were either very good or on occasion , slightly disappointing. Drinks were only average , running out of a number of bottled beers and no beer mats , so lots of dripping tables and drinks . Clearly not enough staff to serve drinks , long waiting times and quest at bars . Ports of call were mostly good , but very long travelling times to main attractions, 2-3 hours each way in most cases . Entertainment, was very disappointing , the two uk guest comedians, were Rudy West & Phil Doyle , both very good if you haven't seen them before , but anybody that cruises regularly, with Marella, will have seen these guys numerous times , anyway two nights missing the theatre isn't a big deal , but what is , in our opinion, is that we had watched all the other shows last February on this ship , apart from the ladyboys of Bangkok , who for some reason , only do one show , so not everybody, can get in to see it and it isn't worth watching on the big screen, we could not go to see this show , even if we had wanted too as our excursion to Bangkok , takes 12 hours , it is advertised as a 10'hour trip but the guide told us before we even left the quay that it would be at least 12 , with 6 hours travelling time due to the traffic congestion. On arrival we noticed a musky smell in the cabin , the night before our arrival , there had been a burst pipe , scalding 4 passengers, whilst asleep in their beds and scaring the others who had got up and stepped into water , this happened another two times during our stay .one couple who used the bottled water in their cabin ,were charged £1.40 for the privilege. As always the crew on board are exceptionally friendly, with nothing to much trouble , just a pity there numbers, have been cut back . Delayed 1 hour , on our return flight , the captain stated , that , this was due to the meals for premium class passengers arriving late . The service once again was very good , apart from one stewardess called Helen , who for the full duration of the flight , was in a foul mood and spoke to the passengers in a very derogatory manner .On one occasion she almost frog marched A lady back to her seat , who was about to use the toilet just as the fasten your seat belt light came on , yes rules are rules but the turbulence wasn't that bad and the lady had been waiting some considerable time and the toilets in the middle of the plane were still being used by some big guys , who she must not of fancied being so offensive to . If the turbulence was that bad , why weren't the cabin crew buckled up , in fact they were sitting on aluminium boxes in the galley ! Read Less

We booked a late deal with Tui to go on The Colours of the Far East Cruise from Gatwick on 6th February. The fact that it was on the Marrella Discovery attracted us because it was all-inclusive and we went on this same ship in the Caribbean last year and it was great. The only things that had changed were the location and many of the crew. There was still the same friendly atmosphere from the moment we boarded in Laem Chabang until we disembarked 14 days later. The service in the bars and restaurants were first class and always came with smile and a chat where possible. I appreciated this particularly on deck 10 from Djordje (Barman) and Vladyslav (Waiter/ Barman) and also their supervisor Petre Alin. We normally had dinner in the 47 degrees restaurant which never disappointed with fantastic a la carte food with the 3 courses varied every evening and the excellent service always ensured the food was hot. The standard of the food in this restaurant is a credit to the Executive Chef Paul and his staff. We took several of the Tui excursions and enjoyed all particularly Singapore. A great Cruise thank you to the Captain Hugh and the General manager Demetris. Read Less