We choose to go on our first cruise with Marella (Thomson) because we didn't want the hassle of having to pay tips, dress up to eat and having to be "forced" to mix with other guests if we didn't want to. After talking to friends and family who had been on a Thomson cruise before, they recommended it to us. We read some reviews before we went and were concerned about the negative reviews of some reviewers but we were extremely surprised when we arrived. From the time we arrived in Corfu, the staff were amazingly helpful and made embarkation a very smooth process. We arrived at our cabin to find our cases already outside waiting for us and when we saw the room, we were very impressed with the size and facilities provided. The room not only had a bed, but a settee, large wardrobe and small but adequate bathroom. The ship itself, though not the youngest in the fleet, was clean and tidy and the activities and food were exactly what we wanted, and even my husband, who is an extremely fussy eater, always found something to eat and enjoy and the food was always hot. The breakfast choice was great and we had something different almost every day. We especially enjoyed the desserts and also the fact that we were able to have as much as we wanted all day - the afternoon tea was a favourite. The staff were always attentive and the tables kept clean and dishes were cleared immediately. The staff were helpful and one particular member of staff (Alexsandro) in the Lido restaurant always had a smile on her face. The only restaurant we avoided was the Orion as we felt we were treated offishly as we wanted a table for 2 and, as we don't drink, this seemed to be an issue for the staff. The food wasn't the greatest either but in the Lio and Orion Restaurants, we received the service we wanted. There is plenty of room on the ship to be with other people or to be on your own if you want. The entertainment was excellent and we saw the show almost every night. The only issue we had with entertainment was the lady playing the piano in the Coffee Port as she was way too loud (we were unable to have a conversation when we went there) and was described as a "Les Dawson" pianist by another guest!! We had booked 2 excursions to Santorini and Athens before we went away, and both excursions were excellent with guides who provided exceptional local information and were friendly and approachable. All the ports of call were excellent, despite the issue with a tug boat engine in Rhodes which resulted in a diversion to Marmaris organised at very short notice by Captain Peter Harris. This meant a delay arriving at port of about 2 hours but credit to the crew for organising this change of port and it didn't spoil the holiday at all.

If you want a cruise where you are waited on hand, food and finger, this is definitely not for you, but it fitted our brief completely and we had the best holiday ever. We cannot recommend this ship and company highly enough and will definitely be cruising with Marella again, hopefully in the very near future.