We are a young couple having just been on Marella's inaugural 'Land of Fire & Ice' cruise. Everything about this sailing was fantastic. The itinerary (Kirkwall, one day at sea, Akureyri, Isafjordur & Reykjavik, two days at sea, Flam, Bergen, Eidfjord, Haugesund & Kristiansand, one day at sea) was obviously well thought through and every port of call was like a picture postcard, rain or shine. Our inside stateroom cabin on Deck 4 was very peaceful, allowing for plenty of sleep. The room was also kept spick and span by cabin steward Majol who like many other cabin staff on board was also an expert at creating animals/roses out of towels. The excursions we took all had informative guides and were great value for money. We ate in The Market Place buffet most nights, switching to The Mediterranean Italian restaurant (included in the price of the cruise) for two others. The food in both was tasty, of good quality and varied. The variety of all inclusive alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks was also impressive with a range of beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and mocktails. Having been on two previous cruises (with Celebrity and another Marella ship) the nightly shows on this ship were by far the best. The production of each one was of a professional standard and some of the singers (especially leading lady Rianna) wouldn't have sounded out of place in the West End. The guest entertainers (Bryan Adams UK tribute & stand up comic Josh Adams) were also worthy additions to the line up. Other entertainment on board included regular films on the pool deck or indoor cinema, quizzes and gameshows in the Squid n Anchor pub, lectures in the theatre, a decent gym, Playstation gaming and a range of small sports facilities. For £50 per person per week (£200 overall for me and the wife) we also bought a cruise pass for the onboard Champneys Spa. With all things considered (including 2x saunas, 2x steam rooms, foot spa, heated bench, hot & cold showers, a blue relaxation room, thermal garden and relaxation lounge complete with double beds looking out the front of the ship) this was unbelievable value, especially if used most days. The spa also offers a range of consultations (including food intolerance tests and beauty treatments) at reasonable prices. Special shout outs go to Sophie, Michelle and James in the Bike Tour team. Having ridden with Sophie on last years cruise in Skiathos, we rode again in Kirkwall and Kristiansand this time around. Sophie's routes ensure you get a comprehensive tour of the place you're in. These rides cater for a range of abilities and ages with the team ensuring no one gets left behind with plenty of encouragement given. Just expect a few hills and distances between 12 to 25 miles with regular drink and photo stops on the way. We would recommend these tours to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and met some lovely people (Allan and Leslie if they read this) from these tours. Overall, it was a holiday of a lifetime and incredible value to boot . With the cost of everything in Iceland and Norway (where a standard pint of beer costs around £10 to £12 in each place to use a typical British financial comparison) if we went everywhere the cruise took us on our own steam, we would have paid thousands and thousands of pounds more. In fact the only gripe we had at all was with some other guests on board, especially those of a certain advanced age. Complaint after complaint after complaint, none of which were warranted. The kind of people who try and get a chef sacked if the consistency of the mashed potato isn't exactly to their liking or wake up every morning itching to find anything to moan about. As Marella seem to be doing this itinerary again in 2020, just go for it. During our two Marella cruises we have wanted for nothing on board and cannot fathom how anyone can gripe about anything. 100% recommended to all ages! Read Less

After many cruises with Thomson on Emerald,Celebration and number one Spirit, we decided to see what a “new “ ship was like. One out of 5 is good. Newcastle was waiting for 2 hours after 4 hours of driving. (We were lucky- others much longer. This is not the first time - see reviews. Access to ship far too steep - why not a lower deck? Outside cabin ok but continual noise all night as ceiling panels vibrating so noisy - new ship? Seatings a problem everywhere - lounge, market place, indigo and theatre. Food fair in market place and 53. Found vista for last 2 days - much better. Staff in restaurants don’t seem to be allowed to be part of your holiday - Spirit was fun- Explorer dead pan waiters. Shows poor quality- team worked hard but material terrible - what was cogs all about? Far too loud-too much visual effects and flashing lights. Oh, Spirit was 10 out of 10. Did not participate in any of the daily activities other than walking ourselves around the deck! Days at sea were dead - why no speaker - why no play by show team? Met some of our old Spirit team - Spirit is still their ship- no further comment required. Out of control is the “show your appreciation to the magnificent crew” - how many times were we asked to applaud? Leaving the ship was just as bad. Group 8 had 1000 leaving at same time to queue, get transfer bus and finally find luggage. WHY not make groups of 300 max. So view of Marella is that they have totally lost the Thomson “spirit” that made cruising so enjoyable. Sorry Marella but it’s goodbye from us Read Less

We wanted to experience the beauty of Norway and the Midnight Sun Cruise fitted the bill perfectly. Port of Tyne is only a 60 min car drive away from home so it was very convenient for us. First time with Marella (TUI) having been P&O cruisers before. Overall a good experience and we would recommend this cruise, especially for beginners. But don’t expect to meet young people on this cruise. We would have scored this a 5 if it not for the very poor embarkation process. The best part of this cruise was the whole crew, they were absolutely fabulous. Friendly, fun, engaging wherever you were in the ship, and whatever they were doing. They are a credit to the company and made the cruise for us and the main reason we would return. Captain John was a particular delight despite some unforeseen berthing changes resulting in more use of tenders than planned. His Q&A session was one of our highlights. The ship is a good size but sometimes felt like there were a touch too many passengers as queues for dinner were a regular feature (Latitude) and securing a seat in the Lounge for a drink in the evenings or a table for breakfast in the Market Place (buffet) often a challenge. We had a balcony cabin on deck 10 mid ships, a little tight on space and storage and a little tired here and there but fine for our needs. It was clean and very well maintained by our steward. We wouldn’t choose this deck again as we were below the running track and could hear some over enthusiastic joggers early in the morning (at 6 on holiday?) stomping their way around. We had an all inclusive package which worked well for us. The food ranged from superb (Dining Club, Kora La and Surf and Turf - additional cover charges), very good (Latitude and Mediterranean) acceptable (Market Place buffet). Best place for drink quality was The Lounge where the bar staff were brilliant. For me the entertainment was mixed. The Broadway Show Lounge shows were either very good or a little working mans club. Some really good singers.dancers and some not so good singers.dancers. I’m sorry but I thought all the resident bands were poor. However, the crew show in the theatre was excellent entertainment. We purchased the Spa pass, which was good value for the money as we were able to come and go as we pleased for the whole cruise. A good place to unwind and relax. The Horizon Sauna was excellent for watching the world go by and recommended for departures. They keep numbers down to a manageable level so you had good room to use the facilities. One morning they didn’t have some of the rooms switched on as we were in port, a little annoying but a really pleasant place with friendly staff. No complaint at all about the service in the bars, restaurants or cabin all very attentive and we had so much fun with the staff they were brilliant. Excursions we went on gave us exactly what we wanted, a real experience of the stunning beauty of Norway. They were well managed, had a good variety of interesting visits and locations and the guides were excellent. One of the tours was too rushed with a 15 minute visit to a beautiful waterfall and only 20 minutes to eat a 2 course meal as we had a ferry to catch. Disembarkation was fine, made easier for us as we were in the last group to leave the ship. That was a pleasant experience seeing most of the public areas empty and quiet. Embarkation was terrible and poorly organised. You park your car then have to walk your cases up a steepish car park, dodging the cars that were parking to a big queue outside a marquee at the top of the car park. Unlike Southampton, they wouldn’t take any hand luggage like suit carriers/flight bags. Then onto a bus for a 2 minute ride to the terminal, where more queues to collect paperwork and then across to the other side of the terminal to another queue to collect tickets and go through security to another coach that took 15 mins to load for another.2 minute trip to the ship. Anyone with some logistical/organisational skills could make this process so much easier, come on Marella sort this out its dreadful. So to summarise, first class crew, pleasant ship, functional cabin, good food, good soda, ok entertainment, superb service, good excursions, beautiful county, older passenger demographic, terrible embankment and better disembarkation.....would we go with Marella again, yes but mainly for the crew and to explore the Baltic. Read Less

We had our first cruise in July - on board the Marella Discovery - and we booked this cruise as soon as got home! Our first cruise was fabulous and we were worried that our second might not live up to our expectations. There was no need to worry: the In Search of the Northern Lights cruise was also just brilliant! We took a coach from Bolton to Southampton and the boarding experience was fine... about 30 minutes from coach to cabin. There were lots of people to be processed, but there were plenty of staff to process them. Our cabin was clean and well prepared and our bags arrived within about an hour of boarding... all good. We took almost all our meals in the waiter service restaurants 47 Degrees and Gallery 47. The food was excellent and the service faultless. We were always made to feel welcome and the choice of wines and menus in the basic all inclusive package were excellent.... the Merlot, Sauvignon and Pinot Noir were lovely. Service was always prompt, polite and so entertaining! Waiters and Restaurant managers soon learned our names and preferences. They made us feel special. We spent most of on-ship time in the Atrium which was busy at times, especially during performance times... but surely that's a good thing! The waiters and waitresses were wonderful: always attentive and nothing was too much trouble. I cannot commend these lovely people highly enough and it was very sad to say goodbye at the end of the cruise. The basic drinks package is great and the bar staff are tireless. As value for money, I really don't know how anyone could fault it! The most enjoyable part of the cruise was the brilliant entertainment team. We met Roland and Amy, the professional dance couple who introduced us to dance three months ago, and they made us feel very special indeed from the first moment we met them again. The Passion for Dance classes and daily social dances were joyful, exuberant times which we will never forget. Very special people - Amy and Roland! Brandi and Max (Braximusic) also made us feel welcome and their shows were just brilliant! So professional and so talented! They were fabulous performers and also such friendly and considerate team members. We saw them talking and laughing with passengers throughout the cruise... they were awesome! The show team provided a 14-day extravaganza of dance, musical theatre and drama. Their shows were quite simply wonderful: wide ranging and so well sang and danced... something for everyone. We took no excursions, preferring to "do our own thing" and the itinerary was very good. We were blessewd with good weather and so we made the most of the spectacular scenery on offer in the Norwegian fjords. Our brilliant bonus was a 4-day spell during which the Northern Lights were visible every night! Impossible to describe and largely good fortune, but an experience we will never forget! We are a young at heart, retired couple travelling alone and the crew and passengers soon made us feel very welcome. We made good friends and thoroughly enjoyed the ambience on board. We booked our next cruise on Discovery for December 6th this year... we hope to pick up where we left off. Thank you, Discovery Team, for another fabulous experience! Read Less

We pick this cruise to see what marella was like after not being on them since 2006 in the thomson days.It was bad start to finish.We put the cases on at the coach pick up then at the port took them off found somebody with luggage labels ,put them on then found somebody to take them off you.Then it took 1 hour to register in.The cabin was a good size but dated we paid £196.00 extra for this cabin a inside plus.The duvet was only very low tog so it was cold in the cabin in fact it was cold where ever you went on the ship.It needed new towels to all grey.The food was very poor in the restaurant so after 4days we give up like a lot of people & started eating in the buffet.The food in the buffet was only just ok,when ever you went in the buffet itwas very hard to get a seat people was just sat there taking in the view & drinking because you could serve yourself beer & wine. Each week they had a one good comedian on the theatre shows were only just watchable.There was one good quiz per day in the live bar but hard to get a seat because some never moved out of the live bar.The condition of the ship was poor plenty rust to be seen .On the second week they started stripping down at the the back of the ship ready for its third refurb in 4years thats shows the condition of the ship.The tours was poorly organised & they changed a lot of them.The tender boats at leknes was a disgrace we had to cue up for hour &half in the cold & rain to get back on we was lucky some was over two hours thank god these lot was not at dunkirk. Read Less

Marella discovery searching for the northern lights 4th October 2018 until 18th October 2018 This is our 13th year of cruising with Thomson’s but our first time after the name change last year. For this review I’m going to split into separate parts Firstly we sailed from Southampton. Embarking was completely hassle free. Parked the car at 12:15 on board with a drink at 13:15 cases arrived shortly after a massive well done to everyone involved Our room located on deck 7 inside was plenty big enough with a nice big double bed and small seating area the addition of having a water jug and glasses with a fresh water tap on the level was a pleasant surprise. Our shower was missing it’s head but our steward soon had that sorted. I think in total out of the 14 days we saw our steward twice but the room was always well maintained twice a day. One big thing we noticed on this ship is how quiet the rooms are most ships we have been on have paper thin walls so you can hear everything happening. After looking around the ship and finding out the swimming pools are heated bonus.we went downstairs for predinner drinks and this is where the ship falls down in a big way. Most of the evening entertainment is done in the Broadway theatre for shows then the live lounge and atrium. There is inadequate seating in the live lounge and atrium. There is a massive lounge called the venue on deck 5 but this is only used for the game shows a complete waste of good space. Dinner in the main dining area is waiter served you are unable to book a table. If you wish to only use the 1 set of waiters then you take a chance at getting them or take a pager this is something I’ve never experienced before on any ship and have to say I’m not at all keen. Service like the food can be hit and miss. I mentioned the food out of all the ships I’ve been on this one is on par with the majesty not great they seem to of run out of seasoning in the kitchens, and everything seems to of been left on the hot plate for far to long before serving, none of the food is fresh and vibrant,burgers in the snack shack are warmed up when ordered bun and all. On one occasion I gave them back both our burgers as they were stone cold in the middle after that we didn’t eat there again. We did treat ourselves to the surf and turf restaurant on deck 11 something I would urge people to avoid as it’s not worth anywhere near the £28 per person I got my money back when I complained. Last year on the spirit we had 10 courses of heaven as our cruise treat for much less. Breakfast and lunch you either need to get up very early to eat in the buffet area or use the restaurant as people use it as seating area instead of finishing then moving away somewhere eles. I completely understand this was a cold weather cruise but come on it can’t be right people reading,taking photos while others are trying to sit down to eat. As said this was a cold weather cruise so the main pool deck wasn’t needed as much. The other bars didn’t cope with the added pressures with some of the bar staff actually making you feel bad about ordering especially in the atrium where they were more interested in whistling and cat calling a female customer on the deck above, the female waitress said they do it all the time. Not very professional I can recommend the bar on deck 11 which had excellent service the staff made you feel very welcome and you didn’t wait very long for your drink to arrive. This ship does make use of some interactive technology does that some of the staff interactiveness out of the cruise? Yes I think it does especially when booking excursions or wanting to know more about a port. Does the fact it’s an all inclusive ship make a difference yes I think it does especially when the first 2 days of the cruise staff were trying to sell the upgraded all inclusive when the all inclusive has already been added to the initial cost of the holiday. Would I do this cruise again yes I would however I wouldn’t recommend this ship unless significant improvements are made Read Less

Just back from an amazing 2 week cruise on board Marella Discovery to Norway. What a fantastic time we had from start to finish. Embarkation was quick and easy, we were on the ship within an hour of our taxi dropping us off at Southampton. Balcony cabin 7604 was clean, with plenty of storage space. It was great to have the balcony to sit out on late at night watching the northern lights! Entertainment we found to be excellent, great show team with something different every night. We were on this ship last year and we found that the entertainment shows were a lot better this time, what a very talented team. Dining: We ate mainly in restaurant 47 as we preferred this to the hustle & bustle of Islands up on deck 9. Trying to find a seat up there was a challenge. The service we received in restaurant 47 was excellent, great staff, all very welcoming and friendly. Always pleased to see you. Food was excellent, something different to choose from every night, we never had a bad meal. Just want to say thanks to Bojan and Yana for their professional, friendly service, together they make a great team. We know the dress code has been relaxed on this ship but it was good to see that on this cruise so many passengers still liked the chance to get dressed up in the evenings. We went on a lot of organised excursions, all of which were very good. In Bergan we went on the full day trip to Hardangerfjord, lovely scenery, knowledgeable guide and with a 3 course meal included in the price, it was excellent value for money, would recommend this trip. All staff we met were very friendly and always greeted you with a smile. Great crew all round. Seeing the Northern Lights was the icing on the cake, what a fantastic cruise, with lots of happy memories. This was our 3rd cruise with Tui / Marella and hopefully it wont be our last. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to visit Norway, really wanted see the Northern lights and this cruise ticked all the boxes. So we booked this on an impulse. After booking I checked out some of the reviews and felt a little unsure as to whether we'd chosen the right ship etc. due to some poor reviews, but i needn't have worried as we had a fantastic time & the icing on the cake was actually seeing the Northern lights on 3 nights during the cruise. The embarkation procedure was really smooth, we checked in our luggage, went on board & it was delivered directly to our cabin. We had booked a cabin with a balcony, (No. 6080), it was spacious with plenty of storage, and although we were not able to sit out on the balcony for long (due to the cold weather), it was lovely to stand out when in port, when 'sailing out' and for viewing the northern lights when they were visible in the early hours of the morning. The tea & coffee making facilities were kept well stocked by Joseph & the other members of the housekeeping staff. The cabin was kept immaculately clean throughout the cruise. The cruise was all inclusive, although you could upgrade if you wanted to include premium brands of alcohol. We did not feel that this was necessary for us as the drinks available on the all inclusive included sparkling wines & certain cocktails. The food was delicious & well cooked, we alternated most evenings between the two waiter service restaurants, and also ended up eating breakfast there as well as getting a seat in the self service restaurant was too much of a struggle. We did not go to any of the specialty restaurants as we did feel the extra you needed to pay for them was too much. The entertainment on board was very good with two shows in the Broadway theatre every evening, pianist & live singing in the lounges, and talks during the days. There was always something to do on board. The gym on board was well equipped, I used this during the days at sea, followed by a relaxing time in the steam room. We booked our excursions online prior to the cruise which was easy to do. The tickets for all of theses were delivered to our cabin on our first evening. The excursions were well planned, but, as we normally find with excursions around the world, some sound better on paper than they actually are. But, on these excursions we did get to see the beautiful countryside by coach that we would not have seen otherwise if we'd just stayed in the port area. The whole ship was kept immaculately clean during the whole cruise. All the staff were friendly & service excellent. Read Less

First Cruise so cant compare it with others. First of all I must say that every single one of the staff were brilliant you could not fault the service at all in any way, everyone worked really hard and seemed to be enjoying it, well apart from one waitress one night who did not seem very happy. The Tui entertainment staff put on some good shows, the bands and other entertainers were good apart from one who we only saw once although he appeared on the program several times he did not turn up. I must admit the bands got a bit repetitive every night. There was entertainment in the Atrium but you could never get a seat and it beats me why they put the farewell cabaret on in there, the smallest entertainment room on the ship. The Venue room, the largest entertainment room on the ship was underused especially on the days at sea, there was not enough seats in the Live room and Atrium for everyone to sit. Plus at night it turned into a modern Hi De Hi with stupid game shows. The food in the Island buffet was a bit hit and miss, some things really good others no so good such as rubbery carrots under cooked veg and tough lamb. Afternoon tea was nice and a good choice at breakfast. That said you could always find something to eat. Can't comment on the other restaurants as we did not use them. We found the days at sea boring, could have done with some musical entertainment. There is very little to do at the ports of call unless you have booked some excursions which could easily add another £400-£500 on the cost of the cruise. The best port of call was Flam. One place we called at had one shop and a shop of tatt in the tourist office, we could not event find a cafe that served cappuccino. Just forgot to mention that embarkation took about 75 mins but some people reported 3 hours. To sum up it was not bad value for money and I would not say I would not do one again. They do have a dress to impress night and lots did get dressed up but on the whole there were a mixture of what people wearing on other days and evenings, some really smart, some smart casual and some who looked as if the had just put the bins out. Read Less

Should of known what was coming when the manager of the store at the forte Birmingham gave us incorrect information regarding parking and checking in. From parking the car at the port following a twenty minute queue it took exactly 3 hours to board the ship. Totally unprepared for check in with 8 stations open and the card registration crashing constantly. The ship itself as a previous Royal Carribean ship was OK The staff were uninterested and personally witnessed what I believe was 5he staff helping themselves to wine from the islands cafe and transferring into implements at the waiters station. The shows in the broadway lounge were pathetic and the one act they brought in which was a magic/comedian act made ourselves and a large number of people walkout as it was worst than you would see in a working mans club. For the first three days I was bombarded with staff trying to upgrade my all inclusive package to a premium package, this was indicative of the cruise with regard to trying you to spend more and mor3 money on nothing more than crap. I have cruised many times before and this is by far the worst overall experience I have experienced. This is no mor3 than a poor performance of Haven on the seas. Don’t waste your money. Read Less

We travelled as part of a family group and the entire trip was paid for by my father-in-law. As we had a junior suite we had priority boarding at Southampton so this was very quick and easy (I later found out that non-priority passengers had uptown a three hour queue and the whole process was a bit chaotic, something that Marella is looking at how to improve). Discovery is a fairly small ship and first impressions from the quayside was very pleasing. Onboard the public areas were clean and modern, plenty of seating and excellent service. Dinning was generally excellent in the main restaurants (we tended to avoid the buffet due to lack of inside seating) and although they were table service we always asked for (and got) extra helpings. Shows were generally not my taste but the others enjoyed them; I did enjoy the magician which the others didn't. There was live music, dance classes and bingo in the lounges. Outside there is a complete circuit deck (four laps to a mile) and some partial decks. Apart from the outdoor pool and jacuzzi (both of which were little used due to the weather) there is a 9 hole mini golf and a climbing wall; also two shuffleboards. Inside is another pool (with retractable roof) and table tennis. There are arcade games in the children's area (deck 10). Cabin was comfortable but a little disappointing (see separate review). Apart from Stravanga the ports, although scenic, had little to offer. This is largely due to the lack of population in Norway (in fact it was very rare to see a Norwegian on the streets). The distances between the excursion sights meant a lot of time on coaches but at least the ship has to wait if you're late back which we were once. Overall, we all had a very good trip, the scenery was fantastic (which is the whole point) even if the weather wasn't. The crew were excellent and I have no major complaints with the ship. Read Less

Just back from our fifth cruise, this one the Fjords. Only two negatives from an otherwise excellent cruise. Firstly, out of eight lifts, two were out of order for the whole trip. Amazing the difference to when we were last on the ship last May. Frequent long frustrating waits. Secondly the entertainment wasn't as good as previously. The main topic of conversation throughout the voyage at every meal was the boarding experience at Southampton. It was in a nutshell, a complete shambles. We were comparatively lucky, queuing for only one hour twenty five minutes. Some people we spoke to waited up to three and a half hours plus many had to re-register on the ship as the system would not process their boarding cards. We were thinking this was the norm for cruise embarkation as we had the same problem on our first cruise with Thomson/TUI/Marella back in May 2017 at Malaga on the Dream. A two hour wait due to a computer crash. So despite all the effort of the ships wonderful crew the whole experience was marred by the incompetence on shore. We certainly think the director in charge of this part of operations should be promoted ASAP and moved to department where he or she can cause little damage to customer relations. A final thought, it might well be of interest for some organisation like yourselves to publish a list of cruise embarkation ports and feature the average embarkation times of each cruise line so that we can eliminate poor performers. Read Less

Southampton is so easy to cruise from unless u travel with Marella queue to pick up your envelope to but luggage tag on suitcase and get room key then take luggage to pick up point for porters to take to room not so easy if wife in wheelchair that`s the bad bit for us then straight thru and onto ship. for u more able bodied people about 2-3 hours after that to get on the ship as most people we spoke to said. The bad bit over with, Our 1st time on a small ship we had nothing to be nervous about this is a great ship we found all staff very good never used the buffet restaurant used the MDR & Italian every time food very good yes small portions but 3 course meal with wine then port you will not go hungry the shows were normal standard for any cruise ship and we have seen quite a few over the years service at the bars/coffee shop was 97 per cent very good layout of ship easy to get around toilets every other floor the price for this type of all inclusive cruise is very good value check out celebrity prices for this cruise and you will have nothing to complain about also check out the pub in Flam right by the doc £15 for a glass of wine £10 a pint very nice pub tho will go with marella again enjoyed the trip Read Less

This was our first cruise. We never considered a cruise before but the deal for 8 nights to the Norwegian Fjords was an offer we couldn’t refuse. My husband couldn’t believe going to notoriously expensive Norway could be achieved at such good value yet it is all inclusive ie: cabin, all food, all drinks/alcohol, entertainment, tips etc We were not impressed by the embarkation which was a shambles. Ten check in desks for over 1800 guests caused a long wait for everyone. However, once on board everything was great for the deal we had booked. The whole ship was kept spotlessly clean and tidy, the staff were fantastic providing a friendly, effecient and professional service. Our inside cabin was small but had ample storage, a hairdryer, coffee/tea facilities, a tv, the en-suite was a bit like a caravan with shower curtain rather than screen but we coped ok, our cabin was cleaned by Pande who did a great job. The food in several different eateries was great with plenty of variety. We normally had breakfast and lunch at Islands buffet restaurant and enjoyed a delicious 3 course meal each evening at 47 which in any other restaurant along with alcohol, coffee etc would have probably cost a minimum of £75. Service was exemplary. Special mention to Paul Col the main chef and Ajay his assistant, for the wonderful food, the quality astounded us considering there were so many covers. Special mention for waiters Trajche from Mexico and Manuel from Honduras who provided great service. There were two shows each evening in the beautiful Art Deco styled thie: singing, dancing, costumes and was often better than many shows we’ve seen elsewhere provided by a young, energetic and enthusiastic team. In other areas there was live music. Special mention to the band B12 and fantastic solo saxophonist Vernal. There are other areas on the ship ie the inside pool (food and drink served there too, served with a smile by Stanislavsky), Outside pool where there are different functions, nightly films shown, BBQ, live music. Table tennis tables are provided. There are quiz’s and dancing classes during the day. A climbing wall. The deck has walking circuit which many people used. It sounds busy but we always found a quiet area to read etc. There were plenty of bars available where alcolhol/drinks were served freely. The sailing was done over night, the ship docked at a different easily accessible destination each day. The destinations all had a different feel to them. We had no regrets visiting Norway, it’s a beautiful, clean country. We didn’t book any excursions as we found them expensive. We researched ahead of time (often using trip advisor) and did some DIY excursions. The Flam railway was wonderful. We got off ship early, there was a short walk to railway station, booked the next train which left 1/2 hour later, the train wasn’t as busy as those on the excursion trips. Needless to say sailing through the Fjords before docking in the morning or leaving a destination late afternoon/early evening were spectacular, stunning, unspoilt and truly beautiful. We particularly enjoyed from the front of the ship the sun setting one evening If another deal came our way particularly to an expensive destination, we would definitely consider Marella Cruises again and would not hesitate to recommend them. Read Less

This was a last minute booking,as we just needed a break,Having never sailed with Thomson/Tui/Marella before because of people putting us off, we decided to give them a try.Having done around 20 previous cruises with 1 Cunard who are in a league of their own,1 with Cruise & Maritime (yuk) never again,The rest were with P&O,who up until going on the Discovery we were quite happy with.The check in at Newcastle was total chaos,no time slot for check in,so everyone turns up together,people waiting in the car park & even on the slip road,which is a danger in itself,then you have to get on a bus to travel a few hundred yards,then check in your card details,then another bus to an area near the ship then about a 5 minute walk to the ship,having said all that Newcastle IS a port & not a cruise terminal,OK that's the bad thing out of the way,The ship itself is a pretty decent ship,she is looking a bit tired in places but she is getting on a bit,One of the nicest atrium's we have seen,a decent theatre,with excellent shows each night off the theatre group,Which P&O don't do 2 or 3 on a weeks cruise,Morgan from the theatre group has an outstanding voice & does a solo show in the atrium,the entertainment overall was good,There was a classical duo called Braximusic who were amazing.The crew are some of the friendliest we have ever met.The food was really good some people were saying the portions where a bit small & only 3 courses,how much food do they want,smaller portions mean less waste & you can ask for more if you want,( sounds like line from Oliver). Probably the best buffet We have ever experienced on land or sea,despite it being all inclusive (which does not include fizzy drinks on their own) we never seen anybody drunk,A bit strange that you can have a vodka or rum & coke,but not just coke.Overall we were really happy with this ship so much so that we have already booked another 2 Marella cruises for next year,Marella need to go to Southampton to see how check in should be done & P&O need to go on a Marella cruise to see how the all inclusive drinks & gratuities & entertainment is done because if other cruise companies can do it so can P&O. Read Less

Food in main restaurants pretty average. All inclusive drinks package good (avoid Don Mendo white). Service excellent with special mention to Nico and David in the Atrium Bar and Yansi the lovely waitress. Oh, and the Snack Shack, a modest and underrated place where you can get hot instant and tasty food from talented staff. Rooms cleaned well by polite towel sculpturers,Captain looked and sounded like a captain should. Entertainment very good with excellent singers let down by couple of dodgy shows (drumming show especially). Opera singers enjoyable especially when on deck on sailing from port. Disembarkation disappointing took thee hours for us to get off which meant serious problems on motorway. Embarkation reasonable. Port of Tyne staff unfailingly cheerful and polite. Wine tasting event so enjoyable and well run by Darren, Moses and the knowledgeable and delightful sommelier Judy. Second time on the Discovery and have enjoyed both cruises. Looking forward to October Med cruise on Explorer. Read Less

We booked this cruise very late and were not sure what to expect after reading some of these reviews. Well we can honestly say that you shouldn't pay any attention to the negative reviews. This ship is excellent value for money, kept spotlessly clean, all the staff we had contact with were good, decent food and the all important decent drinks included on the all-inclusive package. No need to upgrade to the premium unless you only drink a certain brand. All the most popular spirits are included and the cocktail list was the most comprehensive we have come across in our many years of all-inclusive holidays ( particularly the rum based ones- it was nice to have a few more than Pina colada ). As we had booked late the only rooms available were inside cabins, we have never stayed in an inside cabin before so were a bit apprehensive but we were pleasantly surprised in how spacious the room was. It wasn't a bit claustrophobic the only problem is that you can't see what the weather is doing or the temperature outside. The room was well serviced by the cabin staff and included a few towel animals. Shower was a bit on the small side but we coped and didn't flood the bathroom floor. Liked that there were water dispensers available on certain decks to fill up your kettle as we didn't want to drink the water from the tap. We tried all the restaurants except the Surf and Turf which was a bit expensive. The Kora ora ( Asian ) was lovely with a great view. Gallery 47 ( the Italian ) was the one we used mostly at dinner and used the buffet restaurant for breakfast and lunch. We never had a bad meal and in fact there was too much choice so had to be careful we didn't overeat. ( but we still put on 5 lbs on in a week !!!! ). At night we only ever used the bar on deck 11, this bar only opens at 5pm and it tended to be a bit quieter and no loud music till later when it became a disco ? not sure about this as we usually left around midnight. The bar staff here were excellent especially Sacha and Sachin - a credit to the company. The whole trip was very scenic and although we had rain for 3 days it didn't distract from the magnificent scenery. The guests on this trip were slightly older we thought than normal with hardly any children and we didn't see or hear any bad behaviour from anybody. I think this was because of where we went and as the weather was a bit cooler there was no hassles re sunbeds which you usually get. We had said that this would be our last ocean cruise as we do prefer a hotel based / decent swimming pool holiday but we would certainly reconsider travelling on the Discovery again if a decent deal came up. Read Less

A previous cruise on Discovery and a previous Norwegian cruise on a different ship had both been so enjoyable we booked "Wonders of the Fjords" to celebrate my 70th Birthday. What a good choice. Parking and Embarkation went just as explained in the Port Parking Voucher (although expensive at £10 per day) and a quick and easy booking-in provided the necessary security checks and provision of the check-in card to be shown on boarding and leaving the ship and for ordering either all inclusive drinks or for any extras to be charged to your credit card. Having selected (for £45 extra) the same cabin we had chosen on our previous Tui Discovery holiday on Deck 7, front of midships starboard side we knew exactly where we were going and found our balcony cabin well prepared by Adios clean and with ample hanging and drawer space. This cabin has ample space for the bathroom, a three seater settee and the queen sized bed, and leads through the sliding door onto the balcony which has just enough room for two chairs and a table. Not enormous, but enough. Although we chose to eat our first meal in the Islands self-service buffet restaurant we chose to only eat here occasionally as we found the 47 degree restaurant provided superb service and choice. We chose to sit at a table for two and had two waiters who became the ICING ON THE CAKE!. Nothing was too much trouble for Bojan and Trajche! They very quickly remembered our choice of wine and filled and re-filled glasses without being asked. They remembered that I have a dislike of nuts and pointed out the desserts which I wouldn't like. They always had a smile (even at breakfast). To say they made a good cruise better would be quite true. The entertainment team were superb with quality theatre shows every night. The standard of both song and dance was a credit to the performers and to the back-room too. The Stars of the extra entertainment must be Braximusic who performed in different venues around the ship continually. Having heard a very early performance of theirs on leaving Venice on Thompson Majesty in 2013 it was wonderful to see how their joint career has progressed and what a polished, goose-bumps performance they give. Thank you Max and Brandie. The ports were just as expected and the excursions (although expensive) informative and very enjoyable. The weather helped too. With the exception of Bergen ("it always rains in Bergen" we were told) and low cloud as we took a small boat cruise from Flam, we were lucky with relatively calm seas and mid August sunshine. All in all would we do it again? We we did. We had arranged to stay aboard the ship to go from Newcastle to the Baltic and enjoy our longest ever holiday. But that's another story. Read Less

Having been new and previously resistant to cruising, the entire cruise was fantastic. The ship is beautiful, entertainment programme varied and excellent, housekeeping attentive, but the restaurant waiting staff in gallery 47 and 47 put the icing on the cake. They have, and are allowed to show, their personalities within their jobs -some fabulous characters. The cruise organisation from start to finish was amazing, easy to get off at stops (all of which were great). We booked mostly our own trips but did the organised train trip at Flam, which went very smoothly. A very special moment was sail away from Geiranger with the brilliant Braximusic singing on the deck - actually very emotional. I was travelling with my parents so we are aged 50-78 and this review is our combined experience. If cruising again, Marella will be our choice. Interestingly, the senior leadership team were regularly seen and happy to engage with passengers too. Read Less

We travelled as a party of 8 and ranged in age from 13-72! We can definitely state that Marella Discovery has something for all ages, as each one of us has had a fantastic time. We left this morning already talking about where we wanted to go next. Embark was quick and well organised. We were soon on the ship and welcomed onboard by such friendly crew. They really cannot do enough for you and everyone is so friendly and will always say hello. As we booked fairly late, we had inside cabins but we were pleasantly surprised by the size and how much storage space we had in them. We were barely in our rooms and found them comfortable and quiet. (deck 7599-7593) The entertainment began with the sail away and continued throughout the week. There was always something to do and events are put on throughout the day. You could exhaust yourself going from one to the other. Our youngest teenager loved kids club and made so many friends. The hideout is a fantastic room/idea as it’s quite awkward to make friends at this age but both our teenagers spent time here and made friends because of it. The entertainment team on board are superb!! They are very experienced and it shows. The standard of their shows is incredible. They have already received great feedback and I can see why. The shows are fantastic. We loved festival (it had us up out of our seats dancing), the new Anton de Bec show with their dance couple Roland and Amy, and ‘Steel city’ which left us in stitches. Don’t miss some of their cabarets (Bring him home and Friends of Macintosh) in the Atrium either, as they have their chance to show off their voices in more of a musical theatre/ classical style. We also enjoyed the game shows/quizzes in venue. We usually came straight here after watching the first broadway show. They were always fun and Sophie, one of the hosts, is so bubbly and friendly. We also enjoyed Bar 11. It was somewhere we could all dance together and we particularly enjoyed the nights when The saxophonist played along with ge music. It was lovely to see so many people of all ages dancing together. Please don’t think this is a room for the youngsters. There was plenty of variety when it came to eating. We ate in most restaurants on board and never had a bad meal. There was always so much to choose from. Kota la and especially Surf and Turf are worth paying the extra for. We were also impressed by the range of gluten free food available. One of our party has coeliacs and I have never seen him eat so much. He could not believe the amount that was available and certainly took advantage of all the desserts that were available to him! We had a tour of the bridge and met the captain. I would definitely recommend doing this on board. It was so interesting and Captain Chris is so down to earth- having selfies with our teenager! His announcements with Gavin (the cruise director) used to make us chuckle. We didn’t do any excursions as we enjoyed just wandering around the ports by ourselves. The scenery is breathtaking and it’s worth doing this cruise just for the sail always alone. We had a fantastic week and didn’t want it to end. A great captain, cruise director, showteam and staff. Like my heading says ‘what’s not to like?’ I’d recommend this cruise/ship to anyone. Well done Tui. Read Less

AMAZING DISCOVERY . More then a Ten . Just back from our 2nd Norwegian Fjords cruise in 2 months on board the Marella Discovery. The first cruise was so enjoyable we booked the 2nd 2 days after we came back home and the 2nd week was even better and a lot of the staff remembered us as soon as they saw us which was so nice . We also learnt how to dance under the patient guidance of the fabulous professional dance couple ( Amy and Roland) The staff were fantastic from the cleaner to the Captain and all have the same work etchic of wanting you to have the best holiday and service they can give. So freindly but so profresisonal also . Anyone wanting to find fault would have to work hard it was SO EASY to have an amazing time. nothing is to much trouble,, we even heard hat on one of the recent cruise the bad weather had menat the had to replan the cruise itenery at the drop of the hat , how amazing service is that . Ok to give the break down of each aspect of what our cruise offered ENTERTAINMENT . Always something going on to watch or do . First class evening shows , good variety and the performers are so talented and put so much energy and enthusiasm into each peforrmance . They have two fantastc bands and also have Solo peformances by a magical saxophonist, guitarist and pianist also excellent and well rotated . There were also plays for adults and children,quizes, bingo , game shows and other activiies such as tours, tournaments movies and health talks. And not forgetting our favourite , daily dance lessons ‘passion for dance’ in the afternoon and also the evening althuogh on board with a lot of people you could find quiet areas for most of the daytime and therre are adult only areas . The evening does get more of a party atmophere but you do get the full range from classical music to pop and ballroom to disco . On sail out days they often had some musical event making the scenery of the Fjords even more awesome . one night they had a live musical duo (Braximusic ) ther singing was superb and made for a magical experience. All the enertament staff are visible and approcahable and are happy to engage with you FOOD and DRINK . All great quality and service . The restatarants (47 and 47 Gallery) was our favourite when we had the time and every meal was superb and service incredible . One one day the restaurant was supposed to be closed for lunch as was a port day but the weather was so wwt in the morning so not many people went to shore as expected so they opened it up , this showed to usthey go the extra mile by giving up what was a few hours off for the chefs/waiters. Island buffet had a great chioce and open most the daytime as with any ship the buffet does get busy. for snacks you can also go to the Snak shack and the Glass House .The all inclusive drinks litss is amazingly varied. even loads of mocktails if you prefer not to have alchol. The waiters are everywhere(even in the theatre) and very effecient at getting you order wthout you having to go to the bar . Before we cruised we were little anxious that an al inclusive meant a booze cruse mentality but all in all most people on the ship did;over indulge so the atmosphere was just 'happy' ROOMS AND HOSPITALITY. THe whole ship could not be cleaner and if there is a problem you report they fix it very promptly . Cabins vary in size depending on what you pay but the service is the same you know your cabin crew. beds are comfy and good storage space /plugs etc Tv is limited depending upon were you are so they show films etc EXCURSIONS. for the more poplular /limited spaces it is best to book before your cruise . but you do find they are sometimes more choice There is a destination desk open each day On the first day at sea they do a run down of all avavailble in the main theatre but ff you dont go the recording of it is shown on the onship tv channels . Each excursions we went on was on time ,had agreat local guide and was as desribed. Had good stops for photos.toilets etc Some ports you can just walk off find a tourist info and book your own activity if you prefer. One day we had to tender to shore and again very smooth operation and was running continuously from 9 - 5. It’s hard to find anything to be negative but if we were pushed to find anythig it would be the embarkation process could be better at the car park , if the weather is wet you would get very wet standing in a long queue to drop off your cases. Thsi may be the port rsther than marella as it is organised once you get to the terminal building as you get a numbered ticket and there are lots of seats and facilties whilst you wait . and most the boarding crew are from the cruise crew so yo get met them from the start. Wil definitely be looking at another cruise on this ship again in he near future Read Less

I chose this cruise as it sails from North Shields where I was born and I had always wanted to sail out of the Tyne! The staff and food were amazing. The scenery was everything we expected and the whole thing went very smoothly. Would highly recommend. We did one excursion and then just went ashore and did our own thing. It was very expensive ashore but as we had an all inclusive package it wasn’t a problem as it wasn’t too far back to the boat to eat. The ship also provided buses and tenders to transfer us so it was very quick. We did have to pay for some items on the ship but the staff always told us when we ordered. The two restaurants were amazing 47 and Gallery 47 which served Italian food. The buffet was excellent as well with a huge choice of foods but sometimes found it tricky for us all to sit together as there were 6 of us. Grandson loved the fact he could get chips at any time of day! Read Less

Chose this cruise - Fire and Ice because of the intinery and sailing ex Newcastle. Took 2 hours from arriving at terminal to boarding ship. This was pretty good as some waited over 4 hours! Embarkation gets 4 out of 10. At first the A/C was able to be set to 'Baltic' which is great for sleeping. Being too cold through the day when we got further north I adjusted the A/C - big mistake never could get it back to cold enough for sleeping despite being told an engineer had corrected it. I think somehow it had been adjusted to save energy as when we were almost back to Newcastle it was blowing like billyo for the next boarders. The bed wasn't good quality. You get 2 pillows; one is an inch thin and the other is like a football - take your own! The so called comforter is too heavy - THERE WAS NO COMFORT IN BED and the room was stuffy. Because of this sleep quality gets 1 out of 10. Surrounding noise could be heard through the day which was annoying. Dining was not up to cruise standard. Very samey e.g. chilli con carne and chicken korma on just about every day. Plenty red meat and fatty stuff, but not much for fish/shell fish lovers- and yes we visited Iceland and Fjords! Be prepared for at least 2 hours in the waiter service venue despite staff working like navvies! It really wasn't worth the wait but trying to get a table in Islands which is the self service restaurant, was like trying to find a hen with teeth! Dining experience gets 3 out of 10. I don't know what they did to gin and tonics which is my usual tipple the world over, but I left several and gave up on them eventually. As did my hubby who isn't as fussy as me. The wine was disgusting and I am no wine snob. I drink Baron Saint Jean at £3.15 per bottle from Aldi - red, white and rose all very palatable. The stuff skin flints Tui are dishing out on their A/I must be 50p at the most per bottle when quality compared. Some of the cocktails were decent. Drinks gets 4 out of 10. The itinery was good until it took 34 hrs to sail from Invergordon to Newcastle (I kid you not). This meant we paid for an extra night on board which was not necessary. I consider this being ripped off! Itinery gets 5 out of 10. The salvation of the ship is definitely the crew and they deserve 10 out of 10! This has a definite knock on effect with the passengers and makes for a very friendly warm atmosphere. There is obviously a shoe string budget for staff, (typical TUI - skinflints IMO), but those who are there are excellent! The main venues have been done up to look attractive but in reality aren't very comfortable. The Atrium is cold and drafty with huge round chairs which appeal to no one, whereas in the rather warm Broadway show lounge you have to peel yourself off the faux leather couches at the end of the shows. It's all a bit top show but in reality - cheap and nasty. The Venue room where there are also live performances is directly above the show lounge and the 2 are in competition sometimes - hardly what you would call good design is it? Some of the entertainers, in particular the band called B12 were very good. To sum up briefly I think quality of food, service and other overheads like good A/C have been sacrificed for all inclusive drinks package. I think TUI are trying to create party ships rather than having emphasis on relaxation and attentiveness. However judging by what would appear to be an average age of 92yrs their plan isn't working! (last comment maybe a bit of an exaggeration but wanted to get point across!) A week would have been better than 2 ! Read Less

The cruise was to Iceland and a few stops in Norway, Shetland and Invergordon. Never again would I embark at Newcastle. The charge for parking your car is £10/day. There are NO facilities at the car park so we got our luggage from the car and joined the queue which was 150 yds long. There was no shelter from the blazing sun - it would have been worse if it had been raining. It took over an hour to get to the head of the queue where labels were attached to our luggage showing our cabin. We then had to wait for a bus to take us closer to the ship. We then had to walk to the embarcation shed where (at last) there were toilets. Join another queue until your number was called to let you board. The process took over 2 hours! We treated ourselves to a Junior Suite on Deck 8, the deck below the Pool Deck. Big mistake! On the second morning we were woken a 4.00am by tremendous noise which went on for half an hour. We discovered later that this was the crew moving the sun beds and other furniture on the pool deck from their normal night time location to areas where the guests might prefer them! When I complained to reception I was told "perhaps it was the wind" - (there was no wind and some of the furniture required quite a bit of effort to move). I was also told to let reception know next time it happened! It happened quite frequently but usually at 6.00am. The moral is DO NOT BOOK A SUITE ON DECK 8. We have cruised with Thomsons before and found them quite acceptable. Now they are Morella and the standards have sadly fallen. The crew are generally good, polite and efficient with a few notable exceptions. Service is patchy. There is little help if you prefer to be a bit independant in going ashore to look around. The entertainment team are good and put on some very professional shows. The Islands buffet restaurant gets a bit "samey" after a few days and their salad choice is lamentable. It used to be very good in Thomsons' day. The food elsewhere was pretty good but the service could be poor on occasion. Overall there are insufficient lounge/seating areas for the number of passengers. Read Less

Spent to whole days at sea before we arrived in Iceland. Always wanted to visit Iceland and more of Norway. Was not disappointed with any of it. Our cabin was really good and so clean. Thanks must go to our Cabin Boys, they were superb and really friendly. Our cabin was checked twice every day and our bed turned down each night with 2 chocolates and our news letter for following day. Sometime they made an animal out of towels for us. 1st one was a Turtle, then a dog and an elephant. Last one was great, a money hanging on a coat hanger. Rally appreciated all they did for us. The corridors leading from the cabins to the bar areas was spotless. Even the decks were very clean and well kept. The bar waiters were great when you wanted a coffee/tea or any kind of drink and were always very curteous. Dining room 47 deg was excellent and thanks must go to Jade, Ann and Agnel who are excellent waiters and cannot do enough for you and they are such good fun even when we played a trick on them, they took it all in their stride. If you go on this cruise you must try to occupy tables 126 or thereabouts and you will meet them for yourselves. We would give them 12 out of 10 as expert waiters. The staff when booking in for a meal were also excellent if you wished to have a table for two you got one. If you were willing to share that was also okay with them and they couldn't be more helpful. From the Captain down all the staff were so friendly, helpful and pleasant to meet. The shows were excellent and the entertainers work so hard it is unbelievable and they are very energetic and have lovely singing voices. Would recommend that you take in a show or two. Last but not least from Captain Chris Dodds and his Officers and Reception and shop staff they were all excellent and Captain Chris I am glad to see did get up to dance on our last night at sea. Well done Chris and thank you and all of your staff for a wonderful holiday. Read Less