dronnygirl

Similar cruise November 24 is showing on Marella website

Well we eventually sailed late in the evening after 2 tugs had to keep us in place for several hours. The gangway was mended for the following day. All in all we had a great cruise. The ship was in good condition and kept very clean. Our cabin was a bit dated but we knew that before. There was plenty of storage and everything was very clean, the only thing that let it down was the grouting in the shower – wish I’d had a brush and some bleach I could have had it sorted in a few minutes! The staff were fabulous as always although there were less than there use to be and there were sometimes long waits in the bars. We sometimes had to wait a while in the dining room but I felt that this might be due to the kitchen rather than the waiting staff. The food was good, we had no complaints although sometimes the menu could be a little repetitive. The one strange thing was the wine, I’m definitely not a connoisseur but I know what I like and don’t like. On the first evening I ordered a Pinot Grigio, the waiter brought an individual size bottle and poured it into my glass. I tried the wine and it looked and tasted like weak sherry! So I asked for the house wine. He brought Sauvignon Blanc which was much too dry for me so I eventually asked for the carafe wine. This was fine so I stuck to that the whole cruise. The next evening the lady on the next table asked for Pinot Grigio, when it arrived she pulled a face and said it wasn’t good, again it tasted like sherry. Everyone we spoke to had the same problem with the Pinot – even though we had 2 stops in Italy they didn’t seem to be able to get the wines right. The captain and his staff were friendly and approachable. The shows were very good, the comedian and other guest artist weren’t really our cup of tea but were ok – you can’t please everyone! Great cruise but feel we are ready to try something different so are jumping ship (pardon the pun) next year and trying Princess although I’m sure we’ll be back with Marella at some point

They had a ship bus that could be booked at £12 return. I think there is also a regular bus but only hourly so not too reliable. If it had been a nice day, a walk on the beach would have been nice

Well our stop in Ravenna was a Sunday. We got up and the weather wasn't good, high winds and cloudy so we decided to stay on board. I must point out though, we had expected to be docked in an industrial port but this wasn't the case. The town was 30 mins away and we could see cranes etc in the distance but we were actually docked between 2 very long beaches. We couldn't access the one to the right as it looked as though it belonged to a camping site but you could walk through the port gates to a ferry that cost 1 euro and took you to a marina and then to a beach. There were sunbeds although they weren't in use due to the weather. In the afternoon the sun came out and we sat on deck with a pleasant view over the marina. Although we didn't go ashore, we were surprised with the pleasant surroundings

Well today is a bit of a challenge for the crew. Trieste and it's very, very windy. Docked OK and we were off early but then told by someone in the town to take our time as the gangway has broken. We returned much later to 1 gangway which was in a wind corridor so they were letting people off for trips and we had to wait. It was only 1 person at a time and many needed help, the wind kept lifting the gangway and the staff had to keep lifting it back. Felt so sorry for the crew wanting to go ashore but having to queue to let passengers have priority. Seemed a tad unfair. Currently on the balcony on the sun but have a tugboat below holding us at the Dock. Fingers crossed for tonight, think I may be getting the tablets out!!

Hi pinkpondqueen, I'm on Ex2 at the moment and just been to check. The photo is correct, there is an infinity pool approx 5m x 2m but it is a jacuzzi not a swimming pool. The spa area looks nice.

Hi. We are finding the food good. Service a little slower as there are less staff but we have no complaints. Enjoying it. I think you are on Sky with us in June? Looking forward to that.

Hey Brummjam, are you on Ex2 now? So are we, next week too.! Really enjoying it, can't believe how calm the sea has been. Enjoy yourselves.

Hi kitty cat, I believe you can cancel and get a refund up to 24 hours before the trip. If you booked through Cruise Control you can cancel this way or via your agent if that's how you booked. Otherwise you can see the destinations desk as soon as you board

Oh dear, it does seem as they are being unreasonable. Please don't cancel though as I don't think change of cabin is classed as a major change especially as they have offered a similar alternative and you may be left very much out of pocket. That said, I would ring them again and try to discuss the upgraded cabin especially as they have offered £200 OBC and the cabin is now cheaper than you paid. If the cabin is still available it's unlikely it will sell before Sunday! Good luck and please let us know how you go on.

Brilliant. At least your mind will now be at rest so you can just enjoy your cruise!

Explorer 2 is the only ship that is Adults Only - not sure whether you have already booked though

I think you need to speak to your insurance company to check exactly what it does cover. It's always best to be on the safe side. It does seem inexpensive but we have annual worldwide cover so ours is quite different

Things did change after covid but have settled down since then. Our last cruise we didn't find much different except that the odd crew member sometimes wore facemasks, we wondered if they had just joined the ship. We didn't see as much of our cabin steward as previously but everything was clean and tidy. Food perhaps had less choice but was always well cooked and presented. Some of the bars had a longer wait for drinks in the evenings but that didn't really bother us, we were after all relaxing on holiday. Just go with an open mind and enjoy cruising again. We are back on Explorer 2 in September and really looking forward to it.

The olive oil products are lovely, hand soap and hand creams in particular . We also buy dried herbs, there are lots of different ones and are labelled what to use them for.

I use Tesco Mobile O2 and there's free roaming charges until the end of the year

If you Google 'Marella Cruises Celebration of Vows' it says price is between £200 & £400 and includes ceremony by the captain, afternoon tea, champagne, flowers and photos. You could ring Tui to check what you want us included.

I believe on Explorer 2 the cost is £15 plus £5 if you want a glass of bubbly. Sorry I don't know about Discovery

Look up Iceland Guided Tours, they are really good and pick you up from the ship in 8 seater mini buses. Our driver was extremely informative and took us to many places from Rekjavik and Akureyri. We were given sufficient time at each stop and there were restrooms along the way. Can really recommend.

Hi, you don't need boots. Trainers or sneakers are fine, you would probably be much too hot in boots

Thank you so much, great info!

Hi Mrs Peel Unfortunately Marella no longer cruise from the UK, they used to cruise from Newcastle but that ended in 2020. You fly direct to the cruise port and are transported direct to the ship. It's all very easy and saves 2 days at sea if you are going to the Med. This is what really appeals to us.

We have a day in Ravenna on a Sunday. Can anyone please advise on transport from the ship to town and whether it's better to stay on board? I would like to see the mosaics but are they open Sundays? Thanks in advance

It applies to all the ship. Everyone is encouraged to dress to impress, this can be interpreted how you like . A few people wear dinner jackets and evening dresses but the majority dress as though they were going to a smart restaurant. My DH wears trousers and a smart shirt and I wear either a dress or smart trousers with a nice top. Enjoy your cruise!

In Flam look out for the Aegir brewery, you can't miss it as Flam is small. It's a lovely traditional building that serves local beers and food.