Met up with friends for this cruise. We all felt standards have dropped. Undercooked and cold food in islands. Much better in 47. Less staff so cleaning in toilets was less often also running out of toilet paper . Too much of demonstrating and upselling of spa treatments. Sunbed reserving time limits not enforced. Music volume too loud in all venues. Smoking areas too small. Let smokers back on one side of deck 9 so they can join in with deck 9 entertainment. Increase tables and chairs smoking area on deck 4. Special praise goes to Alster and Rosemarie waiters from the live room. Kept everyone topped up with drinks and chat. Was impressed by bath towel size but sometimes they were stained. No need to upgrade to premium drinks package. Excursions too pricey. Aircon not working properly in both cabins. Had cruise cough when returned home. Corfu airport disabled area not big enough and not enough seats. We also had a couple of the same shows the second week. Read Less

We had a fantastic cruise on board this ship the staff the itinerary were all great , all staff work hard to make ur cruise enjoyable the restaurants are great with great food and service we always went to the same tables round where Charles and Arg served us they were brilliant Charles sorted out for my husband to have a menu delivered to our cabin each night to make sure my husband got his food free of cheese which was a great help to us they were pleasant friendly and went above and beyond to look after us . Great cabin staff reported a blockage in the bathroom and it was sorted with in 10 minutes couldn’t fault the response , shows were good ,entertainment in the atrium was great too . At the ports everything ran smoothly ,captain and his staff were approachable. Over all really enjoyed the cruise . Read Less

Staff food cabins shows everything exceeded my expectations all the places we visited were amazing cudnt have asked for more will def do it again loved every minute the entertainment was fantastic the food was amazing the only negative thing I wud say is they need sort out sun lounge situation cud never get one near the pool as people filled them every morning and left the ship all day so that was a night mare ant the pool is small for size of ship the all inclusive was great no need to up grade to premium there was plenty to do on sea days like the spa was fantastic and mini golf and table tennis also great climbing wall the teenagers loved that and the escape room wat else can I say only had fantastic experience for my first ever cruise and really glad we choose tui they were great from start to finish we done 2 wks and never got dored Read Less

We wanted to visit Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro that is why we chose this cruise. We were over the moon with the ship, it is stunning, the entertainment is outstanding, I would have paid to see these shows. The food, every member of staff were simply outstanding. We paid the extra £50.00 to upgrade our all inclusive package and we felt it well worth it. Excellent quality cocktails, top grade spirits and cans of soft drink and bottles of water delivered to our room. We upgraded to a larger cabin on 7th floor but did not have a balcony or window but we did not miss this we used our room to get ready and sleep. There is so much going on around the ship from Morning to very late night I cannot wait to book again. We booked trips in Slovenia - caves and castles our only disappointment was we would have liked an hour or two longer We booked Krka waterfalls trip in Split - just simply breathtaking beauty again I wish we had longer We booked speedboat and beach trip in Montenegro- this was just amazing, the views spectacular. Then we had a walk around the town of kotor, this is also very beautiful and sells the most delicious pizza and ice cream In Venice and Dubrovnik we did our own thing, due to very high temperatures we only stayed in Venice until 1 pm, but we have visited Venice for a holiday. In Dubrovnik we shared a taxi into old town with another cruiser. We chose open side bus tour at €20 each and boat trip at €10 each. This was a great way to see Dubrovnik, due to temperatures of 37 we didn't do the wall walk, but will return to Dubrovnik to do this. Do not miss sail away from Venice Happy to answer any questions Read Less

First cruise so have nothing to gauge it on but found it wonderful. Nightmare start with over a 5 hour delay but as soon as we got to Corfu airport at 2:30am staff were great getting us on coaches then embarkation just as good even though flight had delayed ship we were swiftly put on ship so could sail asap. All the staff were very attentive and Julio our cabin steward was so nice and helpful. Only ate in the buffet restaurant once for breakfast and for lunch after visiting Split but otherwise ate in Gallery 47 for breakfast and the Italian upstairs is lovely. Also ate in Surf and Turf and Kora La as well as the glass House well worth the extra payment for all. We were worried that we would felt a little trapped on the ship but not at all plenty to do and all the excursions we did through TUI were well organised. Cabin number 3568 was great able to unpack everything just and no noise only issue same as others was the shower curtain, but hey if that’s all you can complain about not bad. We did a cruise and stay and the only disappointment was coming off the ship no one telling us where to collect coaches and people setting off and dragging suitcases towards the terminal until stopped. Read Less

Sailed on the Explorer 2 in May this year, and despite this being an older ship we preferred it in all respects except for the cabin. The weather was fantastic all week, and we opted to do our own excursions courtesy of research on cruise critic reviews. We travelled as a couple in an iinside cabin on deck 3. The ship's public areas are well maintained, and whereas the Explorer is more of a wooden decor, the Discovery is more brass and glass. The atrium is the main difference as the Discovery uses it as a focal point with lifts, balconies, a bar and performance area for musicians, so it is the heart of the ship whereas the Explorer just uses it as a reception area. Most of the nighttime activity is on deck 4, but this does mean that the entertainment from each room does compete with that in the adjacent room at times. The main restaurant 47 is on 2 levels with an Italian section upstairs, and the speciality restaurants are well away on deck 11. The food is of a good standard, but to us the variety is always limited in that you will always find something that appeals, but you won't be spoiled for choice. The buffet restaurant Islands is on deck 9, and the selection comment would be the same, but we thought the layout and viewing area was as good as we have experienced. Our main disappointment was that the quality of the full English breakfast was nowhere near that of P&O. The service on the ship is one of the standout aspects, as often we find the barstaff to be functional only, but on here they were good fun and speedy. The all inclusive drinks package is great value, as it includes decent brands as standard e.g Famous Grouse, and for £50 pw more you can get eg Glenmorangie if you want. The entertainment in the evening is of a high standard with kids fresh out of drama school, but they are all talented. The solo musicians and singers are also good and focussed in the atrium. Where things could be improved is the daytime entertainment schedule is very limited, and even accepting that most will be on day trips, they could lay on more for mid afternoon onwards when people start to return. There is a basic mini golf course albeit a bit worn, a climbing wall, table tennis tables, and a breakout room for hire. We didn't go on any ship excursions as we find them overpriced, but we did similar trips under our own steam in most ports and a third of the price, so it's worth doing some research. The ports were good except for Taranto which I could only see that this ship stops there once a month and nobody else bothers? The age profile was 50 to 60, and the all inclusive booze probably makes people more approachable and chatty, especially come late afternoon leaning on the railings at sailaway time. There weren't many kids onboard at the time, but we left on 28/6 and there were lots embarking then. Without doubt we will sail with Marella again, as its good value, and the age profile is a good fit for us, making it friendlier and more fun. If you want a plusher environment and higher food quality then I would go with P&O. Read Less

We are four friends and chose this cruise because of the. There is no disputing that this is a nice ship however there is also no hiding the fact that it is 25 years old. The refurbish has been tastefully done however there are just a couple of niggles. We both had balcony cabins and it is quite obvious that the glass panels at one point had all the edges were protected with some kind of bezel and these have been removed and not replaced leaving a 50mm exposed edge with the remains of the adhesive showing, its not dangerous but it just looks tatty and shoddy. Both of our toilets also having problems with the engineer having to be called out on at least six occasions. The cabin refurbish looks ok but looks a little on the cheap side. So the question is why spoil the ship for a halfpenny of tar. My next niggle concerns the buffet lounge on the 9th deck and the plastic glasses. Now I understand the use of plastic glasses but the state of the wine glasses were a disgrace, they were scratched, cloudy, and generally looked if they should not go near anyone’s mouth, either find a plastic friendly detergent or change them on a frequent basis. I repeat they look disgusting. My third niggle, sack the sound engineer/mixer he just does not have a clue. The crew performers were virtually having to shout not sing into the microphones to get themselves heard and most nights it just finished up as a shouting match, either that or they are such bad singers that he had to drown them out, I prefer my first option sack him. Now that I am over that,we really enjoyed the cruise, the atmosphere on board is lovely the crew are a delight and we loved the open dinning. I suppose the question is would we cruise with Marella again, we have been with Cunard, Princess, and Celebrity in the past, and whilst it is not up to their standards re luxury etc,Marella cruises are excellent value for money and we would sail with them again if the itinerary was right. Read Less

20+cruises with thomson,1st on discovery great ship ,staff,and entertainment, one gripe Broadway lounge next to live room the noise could be heard in the atrium we're a singer was trying to perform right next door to the live room ,3 venues right next to each other crazy!.the slug and lettuce pub was only used for quizzes and sometimes a group, good bar to meet and have a talk with people instead of daft quizzes and noise,perfect for background music and relax. Plus disappointed with no group or singer on stage in the afternoons when people get back on the ship ,we used to look forward to hear them on deck before the afternoon trivia questions. All in all great time had by all nearly!we must mention our room cleaners Rhea and Eddi very polite and always smiling made everyday a happy one thanks to them and all the bar staff and waiters for there hard work .corfu airport is a joke,waiting outside in a queue about 100 yards long in the heat waiting to put our cases in to the check out,sorry but not much help or info from tui staff.the much liked crew show was pathetic the backgroud pictures of the singer/artist took longer than the person singing,we are all for a bit of background on their lives but come on! maybe thats why there was only 4 crew members chose to sing,usually they put on a great show and receive the loadest cheers of the night.i hope this is a fair review and we will pick marella cruises again, thanks again to all the staff for a great cruise. Read Less

The good, the bad and the ugly... This was our 3rd cruise with Marella. I almost cancelled going on the Dream due to the reviews I read, but had a great time. We were on the maiden voyage of the Explorer last year and there were the inevitable teething problems but the junior suite with large balcony was worth the money despite the terrible service and food. This time we opted for the family suite on Discovery and it was everything I hoped it would be. A twin bed room, a shower room (shower curtain is the only criticism) a sitting room with 2 chairs and a sofa, a double bedroom, a bathroom with tub and shower (again dreaded shower curtain!) and what would have been a decent size balcony but 2 sunloungers cramped the table and 2 chairs. Perhaps a table and 4 chairs would have made more sense? Bambang the steward and the rest of the cleaners/housekeeping were tireless, always cheerful and polite and the suite was always immaculate. No problems at Corfu Airport getting the cases and the transfer went smoothly. It was a bit of a hike to the boat from the port terminal for those who are disabled though. On arrival I had pre-ordered champagne and strawberries as a birthday surprise for my husband which were not in the cabin. Julia at reception apologised and reordered them for the day we were in Venice, but the surprise was ruined. Also noticed I paid an extra £4.00 than the price listed but hey ho. Food in the Islands were reminiscent of school dinners and had a "canteen" feel to it. That said, the food was hot as were the plates and the stewards were efficient in clearing plates and detritus quickly. Often in the children's section, the burgers and hot dog sausage were raw or undercooked. Wouldn't allow the child to eat chicken all week as it was pink as well. The 47 restaurant... an hour wait with a pager. Fast service once seated but food wasn't even body temperature. Portion size was laughable. Wouldn't fill a child. Was ill after eating there and wouldn't go back again. Snack shack food was tasty but the queues were hectic often. Felt sorry for the servers, they did their best. Smoking sections were a joke. The non-smokers kept taking the chairs. If it had been the other way round something would have been done! They had the whole of the ship and the poor smokers only had a half dozen tables! Only smoking section was deck 10 and deck 4 on the port side (left). It kept being moved to starboard now and again (for maintenance?) Also have a critique of some smokers who insisted in putting rubbish in the ashtrays instead of the bins provided. I saw two on two separate occasions on fire! No sense or just laziness who can tell. Bar staff did an amazing job even though they could have done with 4 hands at times. Absolutely slammed but still had a smile, apart from one guy on deck 9 serving at the bar outside the islands. He looked like someone had stolen his last bun. Bad day? Husband enjoyed the comedian and went to the show twice. Kids club staff were absolutely amazing. No other words to describe them. They went above and beyond and were fantastic. Spa staff were lovely and actually were able to make me look presentable! Husband didn't know me! Great experience I highly recommend them. The ports were great and I really am glad we chose this itinerary. Wish we'd been able to stay longer in Venice and Montenegro instead of leaving early evening. Didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to visit those 2 in particular. Cases left out the night before disembarkation and everything went smoothly. Corfu Airport is about the same size as my living room. Something really needs to be done instead of vast queues of people outside worried about making their flight. Perhaps Tui should consider leaving this airport in favour of one capable of taking the capacity? It's a sour taste in the mouth after having a holiday. Basically our family enjoyed the cruise despite my grumblings above. It cost us just over £7000.00 for 3 adults and one child. Hardly what I'd call a "budget" cruise but the all-inclusive is a great idea. We will try again (forever optimistic!) , possibly next year, but if things haven't improved even slightly we'll go back to Royal Caribbean or NCL. Couldn't face the same problems with food and airport again. Read Less

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The price, the ports, the all inclusive package and the fact that we could stay on in corfu all lead us to pick this cruise. The ship was beautiful, and easy to find our way around. We had balcony cabins which were great, and our steward was very attentive and looked after our needs. We ate alot in the mdr, including the Italian option upstairs and service was excellent as was the food. Many times we ordered a number of starters to be able to sample different dishes, portions were not huge which suited us well. We had an issue one night with our table and did not feel it was handled well however we gave feedback and the dining room manager listened to us and apologized profusely.we also ate at the tapas restaurant in the glass house on 2 occasions and this was a very good experience, much quieter than the mdr but still waiter service. Captain Chris was from Manchester and it was very entertaining listening to his announcements! A real character!! We did the ship transfer to Rome which was straight forward. Naples was chaotic but we headed up to castle st Elmo and escaped the madness. Messina has an amazing clock tower both inside and out, be there at 11.30 to go inside before the display starts at 12. Valetta was our favourite place, we enjoyed the British quirks around the town, even a George clothes shop!! very easy to do on foot. Taranto- was a great disappointment. Nothing to see there, not even a coffee shop...definitely do a trip out of town if you go to this port. We stayed on in corfu at hotels bono, highly recommended. Lovely hotel, supermarket nearby and buses around the island were very good. No sandy beaches was a disappointment, kassiopi was our favourite place. Read Less

We chose this ship for its itinerary but heavy rain and thunderstorms spoilt the on shore days in Italy. Embarkation was easy but a fire drill just after arrival caused confusion and were forced to attend even though our drill was scheduled for a later time, so food had to wait. The cabin was kept scrupulously clean by Davis and the whole ship was spotless. Dined mostly in Islands which had a good choice of food, although not enough tables during busy periods. Portions were small in 47 (ate there once only) and food hit or miss, service for our table slow. The food in Gallery 47 (one visit only) was excellent although 1 waiter was 'pretend shooting' when he had nothing to do! The entertainment was mediocre and acts/bands moved from venue to venue. We went to 2 shows. Not quite to our taste but the cast worked really hard. Bar service was good and on the whole the staff were friendly. Or cabin was too warm and A/C not effective and the constant drumming at night meant we had little sleep. Rain ruined the trip to Rome and also the day in Taranto. Naples was a disappointment (with rain again), very busy and quite tatty. Valetta and Corfu Town both lovely. Not enough seating in main areas and The Live Room chairs were uncomfortable. Squid and Anchor 'pub' really? Make better use of this entertainment venue please. Read Less

My third Tui cruise and my last I’m afraid. I’m won’t be too hard in my review as you get what you pay for and this cruise was heavily discounted. Naples airport was very poor- many passengers over 65 struggled having to carry their luggage a long distance from the airport to the coaches. Uneven pavements, crowded walkways and tiredness after a flight don’t mix well. One mature lady had a fall and was took away by ambulance. I would not recommend this embarkation port for anyone with health or mobility issues, or those who would struggle to carry their cases. I know Tui won’t be using Naples for this ship next year. This may be one of the reasons ! The food was disappointing- poor choice for those with dietary needs. Our cabin was fine and everything worked . The cruise has been refitted and is pleasant. It does however lack the plush luxury you get on most other ships. Buffet restaurant more like a canteen - crowded and noisy with queues. There was a bug on board so extensive special measures were in place to prevent its spread. This couldn’t be helped and contributed to difficulties. The main areas are open plan and lack cosy comfort making it all feel abit like Butlins. All the staff very friendly and welcoming . Shops have a good choice of products. The shore excursions were well planned and organised which was better than my last Tui experience . To summarise - I expect more from a cruise and won’t be back Tui . As I’ve said, it was heavily discounted which is the reason for the three rating . Had i paid full price I would have been very disappointed. Read Less

We chose this cruise to allow us to visit Petra in Jordan*, Jerusalem and Bethlehem, it also called in at Kefalonia, on the Petra return the driveshaft went on the bus delaying us for almost 2 hours. The weather was hot in Jerusalem and more so in Jordan, but later in the cruise after traversing the Suez canal we had two days of high winds and grey skies that not only kept you from sunbathing, but kept you off the top deck completely. Half way through the cruise at around 07-00 there was a 'machine labouring' noise, the cabin lights went off, and the ship stopped for 15 or 20 minutes the 'claim' being 'dirty fuel', although I find it difficult to understand that dirt in a ships fuel would cut everything off completely at the same time with no back up, fortunately for us we carry a battery lamp. Those who had been on for two weeks said the ship had suffered an 'air conditioning' breakdown the previous week and had to pull in for repairs, thus delaying people on the following onshore trips. The food onboard was fine generally, and the cabin steward and cleaning lady were excellent as usual. The entertainment was rather drab, we were on this ship 2 years ago, and the 'Broadway show lounge' shows were still exactly the same routines and songs as they had been. The music played in all the bars, disco, and entertainment parts of the ship was ranging from the early 60's to early 80's (it seems Marella believe music stopped in the early 80's, and nothing has been produced since). The one exception to the drab entertainment rule was a guy on a guitar singing Irish songs. On departing the ship in Corfu, we were stood waiting outside the airport in a queue of some 100 meters for more than an hour, with no explanation of why, or as to how long we would be there until someone challenged one of the TUI staff over the matter. Read Less

Having sailed numerous times with NCL, MSC, RCI and P&O I was more than happy with my recent cruise with Marella especially after reading some of the reviews. Flight, transfer and embarkation to our cabin was the best I have ever encountered, all well planned and trouble free. The ship is smaller than the others I have sailed on but every facility is available. The food was amazing, we ate in 47 and gallery 47 mostly but did try the island restaurant a few times for lunch. Choice of food was very good. The excursion were not too expensive although the one we were on to Bethlehem could have been better planned as we did not get to go to crypt due to delay in departing from the ship, this was very disappointing as other trips did get to see the crypt. Our cabin was a junior suite on deck 8 which was very spacious. One of the best features of this cruise was the entertainment, every night there was different shows in the theatre as well as an abundance of other bars for live bands and singers. We will most definitely be sailing with Marella again Read Less

We were a group of 2 married couples. We boarded the discovery with absolute ease everything run so professionally. Our cabin was ready on arrival we had only an indoor cabin on deck 2 which suited our needs perfectly. Enough room and everything that was needed. The ship was easy to navigate around and plenty of information and personnel around if you got lost We dined in the waiter service restaurant which was just like eating in a 5* restaurant every morning and evening. Entertainment was always available and was really good. We did a few excursions and again information was given and disembarking was carried out in a professional and organised way. The staff on the ship were amazing, every single one never did we see a miserable face and never greeted without a smile. The captain Chris Dodds does an outstanding job, he is an ever presence around the ship always taking time to stop and chat and made everyone on the ship feel special. Restaurant manager Kenan was always around with a smiling face and happy to help. Absolutely loved our cruise and would recommend to anyone Read Less

We chose this cruise to make sure we took our last chance to dance with Amy and Roland, the amazing professional dance couple, before the show team's contracts expired at the end of the season... we also really wanted to see Petra and sail through the Suez Canal. We have taken four cruises on Discovery in the last 11 months and have loved each and every one. I'm sure we will be back aboard Discovery soon. Our flight from Manchester was a little delayed (45 minutes or so) but the flight was good and we arrived in Muscat where we had a very speedy transit to the boat and check-in. We were in our cabin with our bags unpacked within an hour of setting foot on board. The embarkation crew were so friendly and helpful. It was lovely to be greeted by young people who remembered us, by name, from our previous cruises! Flying back from Corfu was less good... the airport is in a state of flux... it will be better soon. Discovery is a bright and airy ship with full length windows in the main dining rooms and a beautiful Atrium space. We stayed on deck 6 this time and the cabin was almost identical to the ones we had on decks 2 and 3 previously: plenty of hangers and hanging space; a lovely big bed and a powerful shower. Splendid! There are a variety of bars and restaurants in which the service is, in our experience, excellent. Sun-bathing is not our thing but the sunbeds were in great demand throughout the cruise. I found the open deck spaces crowded but I suppose that just shows they are popular. We ate almost exclusively in the waiter service restaurants: 47 Degrees and Gallery 47. Menu variety and food quality were excellent at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast in 47 Degrees was a treat... quiet, calm and great way to start the day.We did use the Islands, self-service and the Glass House restaurants on occasion and these too were excellent. We chose the use Islands only at "quiet" times... early afternoon... as we found that peak time dining there was a little too frantic for us. We really like the "free" dining system on Discovery. Dining between 6 and 7.45 we never had to wait and we were always able to select a table for two. Even at really busy times our maximum wait was 20 minutes and the "bleeper" system worked well. The entertainment aboard Discovery is fabulous. We watched this show team team for almost nine weeks on four cruises and they never missed a beat. Beautiful singers, amazing dancers and splendid, twice-nightly, shows were a massive part of our enjoyment of our cruises. On our first cruise, we learned to dance with Amy and Roland and we loved dancing with them on this cruise as much as we did on that first time. If you get a chance to cruise with Amy and Roland, I really encourage you to learn to dance... they're brilliant! We enjoyed watching the passenger choir and the ukulele groups perform their pieces with their professional mentors. A variety of lectures, quizzes, karaoke, tea dances and craft activities provided a full and satisfying experience. All aspects of service aboard were excellent. Cabin crew and restaurant staff were friendly and so hard-working. Service felt really personal with many staff knowing our cabin numbers and first names within days of starting the cruise. Captain Chris Dodds and Demitris were ever-present, personable and professional. It was very hard not to feel comfortable on this ship. We took only the excursion to Petra which was spectacular and good value... especially the free wi-fi on the coach! Ashdod and Aqaba were very enjoyable. we simply took the courtesy coaches and did our own thing. We have booked Discovery2 in November! Thank you Marella! Read Less

This cruise was a belated birthday present for my wife. She had always wanted to visit Jordan, and I wanted to visit the Suez Canal, so when I spotted the itinerary for this cruise it was a no-brainer. It suited that we did the longhaul flight out first to Muscat in Oman to join the Discovery and only had a short flight home from Corfu. On this ocassion embarkation was a little hetic as our flight out of Manchester was delayed by nearly an hour which caused a bit of chaos for the crew to get our baggage onboard and the passenger's checked in. We were sailing within an hour-and-a-half, which was a shame as we would liked to have had a walk around Muscat before sailing. We were not new comers to the Discovery as we had sailed on her some 18 months previous. On this occasion we had an inside cabin, not recommended as it was dark and you felt like it was night all the time, however, the bed was comfy and the cabin staff did a wonderful job of keeping it clean and tidy and I also kept updated with the football results from the TV in the cabin. A major improvement in the restaurant's this time was that the food was always hot and not luke-warm like the last time, the service seemed to have gone up a notch too, so all-in-all it made for a great experience. We spent the first at at sea before stopping at Salalah in Oman. Because we had already pre-booked a few excursion we did not get off at Salalah, plus you had to either get a bus or taxi as Salalah was about 40 minutes away, and if you did your own thing you were advised to agree your fare before getting in the taxi, and also not to pay until you return otherwise you risk being left by your driver, this was slightly unnerving to say the least. Aqaba was our next port of call, here we had an excursion to Petra The Rose Red City which was well worth the money. We walked in the footsteps of Indiana Jones and discover the city that was lost to the world for over 1000 years. Petra is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites with 2000 years of history and 800 monuments still standing, well worth the visit. The icing on the cake for me was travelling through the Suez Canal. It is a sight you have to see for yourself just to grasp the scale of the project undertaken to land cut the Canal. I have to leave wit a word of warning, please ensure you cover yourself in sun screen before leaving your cabin. The temperature was always in the 40's and with the breeze whilst sailing it's like being in a fan oven. Many passenger's had the misfortune of being badly sun burnt on the first day, and spent the rest of the cruise looking like mummies. Don't make any sense to spend a couple of grand on a cruise holiday only to spend probably three times as much in doctor's fee. And another thing, some of the places you visit on your excursion, you have to cover your shoulder's and knee's especially if you wish to visit places of worship. Read Less

We choose this cruise for the itinerary and dates we are available to travel. The cruise sailed from Muscat, taking in a short visit to Salalah, Oman, then up to Jordan for 3 days/2 nights in Aqaba, for Petra, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, then through the Suez Canal, around to Israel, Ashdod, for Jerusalem and Bethlehem, then over to Kefalonia and finally disembarking in Corfu. Unfortunately, after booking we discovered there would be no time to go ashore in Muscat, as we sailed early the following morning, and soon after booking we were advised that the Dead Sea trip from Aqaba was cancelled due to road conditions. We were disappointed but understand these things happen, so added an excursion to a 5 star hotel in Aqaba for a beach day instead. We had a great flight out in Premium on the Dreamliner, Muscat airport was easy and we were onboard quickly. The whole process smooth and efficient. We had an aft cabin, pre-booked and it was spacious, clean, comfortable, but I have to say on occasion noisy from the engine's, vibration was bad some nights, and yes, you do get a little soot on the balcony, there's nothing you can do about that, just don't wear white! The steward cleaned it daily. I'm not complaining, just pointing it out. The ship was full I think. Hard to get a sun bed. Or a seat in the atrium. Nowhere really for some peace and quiet, we were glad of our large balcony. Bar 11 was lovely for evening cocktails, we preffered the buffet for evening meals as we found the MDR very busy, squashed together and brightly lit, and actually didn't rate the meals there apart from breakfast and Beef Wellington. The surf and turf was excellent, you need to book as soon as you can! The excursions were a bit manic. They were long days in high temperatures which we were prepared for, but felt really rushed, the guides all knowledgeable and friendly, but a little inflexible. We were awed by some of the places we visited, but just didn't have time to appreciate them. Destination Services on board were rude and unhelpful, and you had the feeling they didn't care once they'd got your money! Many people complained about various issues on various trips, but I don't think there's been any resolution. If you can, book privately or go it alone. There was a mix of entertainment, both day and night, a great comedian, opera singer, guy with a guitar, we didn't do the shows but heard they were good, just not our thing. Most of the staff are fabulous, friendly, helpful, with one or two exceptions. The food was good and varied and mostly hot (except strangely chilled poached eggs in the MDR on the last morning for breakfast!!) As I said we preferred the buffet, snack shack was great for lunch, glass house for snacks in the evening. Plenty of choice of drinks on the standard AI, though we paid extra for a fancy cocktail or coffee occasionally. Overall though, we felt extremely lucky to be able to do this cruise, visit the places we went to (we will go back independently), enjoyed our sea days with a book and a view of the wake, dolphins, stars, and our adventures on shore. The ship was still having the occasional engine/electrical problems, so we lost some time in ports too. Read Less

We chose this cruise due to the itenery around india, dubai, oman, abu dhabi and bharain. Firstly most of the ports were no where near the towns and the towns that were accessible by foot or free transfer were baron. When we arrived at Cochin port, we waited almost an hour in a queue to get on the ship. This was through no fault of TUI, but the visa requirements being as they are in India. We arranged most of our tours independently due to the cost of the TUI excurions. For example in Dubai, the excursion to the top of the Burj Khalifa was £134 per person. We paid £12 for a taxi between 4 people and around £40 per person to go up the Burj saving about £90 per person! We also did a dhow cruise in Khasab for £20 per person, the same dhow booked through TUI was £54 per person. Overall the boat is ok, the food was average in both islands and 47/47 italian. We visited Kora La twice in the 2 weeks and we really loved the food here which was around £17 supplement per person. The entertainment on the boat was great, with so much to do all day round especially on sea days. Although we travelled as a group of 4 you could easily get to know other passengers by attending the entertainment/activities organised on board. The boat is staffed to perfection, but this means there is no personal touch (like there is on some other boats). The only people to really speak to us was the cabin housekeeping, who were lovely. The rest of the staff are so overworked they have no time to chat. We love cruises so we will definitely be back, but i think there are some small improvements with big benefits that TUI could take in to account. Read Less

This was our 4th cruise with Tui/Marella. twice on the Dream and twice on Discovery. This being our 4th year in a row, we were hoping for something different. We were very disappointed to find that the food menu was very much the same, but shocked to find the the menu was repeated after the first week. How strange when most of the cruises that were available to book were for 14 or more nights. The show team on board performed the same songs and dance routines the we'd seen for the previous 3 cruises with only some minor changes to the shows. The only new entertainment for the two weeks were the guest singer and comedian. So if you've been on any of the tui/marella cruises before, don't expect to see any new. The destinations on this cruise also sounded interesting. But we found that Port Blair in the Anderman islands was a wasted day, Not much to see and driving across the island was like taking a tour through the local tip. Mangalore was also a horrible port. The cruise ships were docked alongside the coal terminal that was being scooped and heaped all day by diggers, throwing clouds of coal dust into the air. Tui like to claim that they out their customers first, but like all big companies, profit comes first and when you complain they only accept what you say, but do noting to rectify the problems. Read Less

Delayed in Manchester for 3 hours as Langkawi had a military air display.. TUI only had 2 years notice of this so why did they arrange flights for this day?? Arrived after a good flight Premium Economy on the Dreamliner. Took 2.5 hours to do the 20 minute Port transfer due to the Military event. Once on the Ship everything was great.. cabin steward Prakash was amazing.. Deluxe Balcony on deck 7 was brilliant.. loads of storage bigger than usual bathroom.. tea and coffee facility great balcony. Ship was great staff helpful and friendly food ok. Tried each of the specialty restaurants which were worth a visit. Ports of call... appalling!! Sri Lanka was lovely everywhere else wasn’t worth the effort of going ashore. After the fiasco with visas the itinerary was very disappointing as ports were too far away and far too industrial. The departure from Dubai was stressful to say the least as I think it’s the first time the smaller airport had been used by TUI.. total IT system failure meant we waited nearly 2 hours to begin check in following arrival with no TUI Rep at the airport not a good end to the holiday Read Less

Landed in Malaysia, then cruised to the Andaman Islands , Sri Lanka and then the West Coast of India finishing in Dubai. Andaman Islands .. the organised trip we did was terrible , not a good start , all we saw was rubbish, dock areas full of plastic. But Great people. Sri Lanka lovely, .. west coast of India ... put it this way, just hope and pray you don’t want the toilet and I honestly don’t know why as a country we bother to re cycle plastics and take care of our environment. The same enthusiasm does not seem to exist here. We went on organised trips every day, some were good but most were not. Overall though the people were kind and curtious We cruise a lot, and what you pay for this ship is fairly good value for money. Food good, but not outstanding, we tried all the restaurants and I have to stay the Glasshouse restaurant was amazing. Our room however was not, we were directly under the gym and boy did you know it. Stay away from them rooms. We complained several times about the noise, but nothing was done, the normal fobbing off. Depending on what bar you went to would would depend on the customer service. Not consistently good. And TUI overall pre and post holiday, not good service. Would not go with TUI again. Read Less

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