Although Marella Celebration joined what was called Thomson Cruises' (now Marella) fleet in 2005 -- identical to sister ship Marella Spirit -- it was built for Holland America Line in 1984. Despite a 2013 makeover, which saw the introduction of 20 balcony cabins and the arrival of the Coffee Port in the Explorer's Lounge, the ship is showing some signs of age, particularly in stairwells where carpets are worn on the steps and some decor appears outdated. With the exception of the ship's suites, cabins feel light and airy, but lie down on your cabin bed and you'll feel the ship's gentle vibration, and water pressure can be low in the bathroom showers, too.
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Marella Celebration Overview
About Marella Celebration
Pro
Exceptionally friendly and helpful crew; varied specialty dining offering; gratuities included
Con
Upselling of drinks and dining packages; limited balcony cabins; lack of enrichment program
Bottom Line
Elegant ship with excellent rapport between passengers and crew
The ship, however, still has an elegant feel -- particularly on the outside promenade with its well-maintained teak decking, and when in port, docked next to bigger, bulkier ships, Marella Celebration's angular lines look all the more refined.
For a small ship by today's standards, Marella Celebration has an excellent selection of dining options, particularly its specialty Hot Stone at the Terrace Grill and Kora La -- the latter introduced in 2014.
Marella Celebration feels like a home-away-from-home for its British passengers. Home comforts -- PG Tips teabags, HP Sauce, curry and roast dinners -- combined with the ship's convenient size and much-loved crew make this ship very special.
Geared more towards an adult audience, Marella Celebration can be a buzzing late night ship with passengers partying until the early hours, before grabbing a late night buffet in the Lido (expect queues for the hot food at around 1 a.m.!). The crew are fantastic and build a quick rapport with passengers. Don't miss the weekly crew show in the Broadway Theatre, which sees some of the crew star in a talent show. One of our favourite performers was "Elvis Parsley"-- restaurant server by day, multi-talented blues singer and guitarist by night.
On the downside, the ship doesn't offer an enrichment programme and we would like to have seen opportunities to learn about the various ports while onboard -- particularly with such destination-rich itineraries.
However, the ship's size is an advantage. It's easy to fully experience Marella Celebration without feeling you might be missing out on something happening elsewhere onboard. If you're looking for a modern ship with gimmicks and hi-tech gadgets, Marella Celebration is not for you, but if you're looking for home comforts on a small, but lively ship, you'll love it.
Fellow Passengers
Passengers are British, and from May to October the ship operates adult-only itineraries (16-plus). While passengers skew towards the 60-plus age group, we also found young couples and multi-generational families onboard.
Marella Celebration Dress Code
There is one formal night per cruise and, despite Marella Cruises operating more relaxed dress codes, passengers still like to dress up. On formal nights, men require a dinner jacket or tuxedo and women a cocktail or evening dress. On all other evenings, smart casual dress is suitable, for men that means full length trousers and a polo or open-necked shirt and smart two-pieces or dresses for women. Light-coloured jeans and trainers are not allowed in the restaurants in the evening.
Marella Celebration Gratuity
All tips and service charges are included in the cruise fare, however, if passengers want to tip individual crew members for excellent service they are welcome to do so. The onboard currency is British sterling.
Marella Celebration Awards
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Deck:
C Deck
B Deck
A Deck
Main Deck
Promenade Deck
Upper Promenade Deck
Boat Deck
Navigation Deck
Sun Deck
Marella Celebration Member Reviews
ali1969
Sail Date: Jan 2019
ship ,everyone who we spoke to who was experienced cruisers also said they much prefer the marella celebration it was a more friendlier ship ,yes some things need modernising but on the whole our cruise...Read More
TonyK60
Sail Date: Jan 2019
After a great flight on the dreamliner we were whisked from Barbados airport to our ship - the Marella Celebration. Everything was extremely well organised and we were in our cabin in no time.
We had a balcony...Read More
Muttly
Sail Date: Apr 2019
and infirm had to sit on the stairs.
Unfortunately we have booked a stay and cruise on Marella Celebration for October 2019, will review again when we return, hopefully things will be back to the normally...Read More
Tedsmum
Sail Date: Jan 2019
October and was very disappointed it was tatty an average so was a bit worried about marella celebration as it's the Sister ship an had not known this when I booked but was very pleasant surprised...Read More
Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) Fleet
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