Itinerary was fine except for the fiasco of US border checks ,officers came onto the ship to check every esta and fingerprint every holidaymaker. This took all day 100 People called every half hour or so to line up and be seen .Some people waited around until 6in the evening and the ship left port at 8 so they had a couple of hours ashore in a port that was closed and dark. There were fights in ...
This was our first cruise with Marella and we were full of expectation for Christmas in the Caribbean.
Our first problem was at Gatwick airport where the push back machine broke and it took 2 hours to dismantle and check all the wheels before we could fly off, granted this wasn't a problem caused by Tui. On arrival at Bridgetown airport we sat on the plan for a further 1 1/2 hours whilst they ...
We did our 1st Marella cruise around the Canaries in Feb which was ok so decided to try them again on a 14 night cruise around the eastern USA. Flights to and from Glasgow were pretty good, although my wife’s entertainment screen never worked on way out though they did issue a £30 refund. A few good films but music channels were dire, it was hard to find any good albums to listen to. Food on ...
This was our 5th cruise with Marella so we have had experience of what to expect and we are well aware of what they used to be able to provide and the standards which they would uphold. Unfortunately, these are sadly slipping quickly and our most recent trip was without doubt the worst yet. There has been a noticeable cut back in staff and other cost cutting measures which is really hurting the ...
Tui Western Med Marella cruise June 2023
Usual TUI disorganisation at Manchester airport. Food in the 47 & 47 gallery was not up to expectations & some of the portions were meagre to say the least. I ordered a side of fried potatoes & received two slices of potatoes. Entertainment in the atrium and squid & anchor was quite poor. The squid & anchor was closed on two nights until 8-45 pm for ...
I have not paid for wi-fi in any hotel for about 25 years, so TUI charging for it is "Dark Ages" behaviour. Their own staff said even if you bought it, it was rubbish. I don't expect to use wi-fi in the middle of an ocean, but I do expect it in port for contact with kids, banking (money exchange) etc. Talking about banking why is there not an ATM on ship or the ability to purchase currency using a ...
We have been on 6 Marella cruises, on all of their current fleet both pre and post pandemic. I have to say, standards have dropped in latter times, especially where dining is concerned.
The main waiter service restaurant and the Italian restaurant, Gallery/47, the food was inedible. On Gala night for example, the "Gala menu" (dress to impress, so this is meant to be a special night) - ...
5th visit to Marella cruising and this was the poorest of all.
Staff were few and far between and distant compared to the previous cruise staff who were always friendly, polite and very attentive.
Entertainment was repetitive and boring quite frankly.
Service was poor at best and did not recognise next in line for drinks at each bar. Had top go to the bar as waiting staff were non ...
we chose Marella as we liked the itinerary of the Caribbean islands offered on this cruise. we arrived 4 hours late due to a flight delay. when we arrived at our cabin we were disappointed to find our refurbished cabin had discoloured rusty ceiling panels above our bed. when we reported this they were disinterested. on the second night at midnight we were woken by very loud noises banging and ...
The Trip
We booked this cruise having sailed Marella previously so we knew roughly what we were getting. The main objective was the variety of ports on the itinerary which included Puerto Rico, St Thomas, St Croix, Bequia and originally Guadeloupe , especially for my “Death in Paradise” TV show crazy wife. Having booked and paid in full, about a month before sailing, Marella changed the ...