Is Marella letting standards slip?

[Brummijam]

We have always stayed loyal with Marella even after the covid reimbursements fiasco but we now feel that with the price that they expect these days for the product that they offer is becoming unrealistic.

We are giving another cruise line a chance this year (Two trips booked) Which we would normally have booked with Marella. 🤷🏻‍♂️

As they say “ the proof is in the pudding “ so we will see.

Marella’s saving grace as always is their fantastic crew.

 

To all of you new cruisers please don’t let my posts put you off Marella, you need to try it and decide for yourselves but for me it’s time for a change.😉

[Brick1]

I think it is very much going to depend on what you drink as to if it is decent value.

 

We have paid £6000 for a two week cruise in late August on Ex2 in a balcony cabin (we have chose a specific cabin) and a premium all inc drinks package. We could have done a cruise with P&O for around £5000 in a balcony cabin but with no drinks included.

 

I'd estimate I'll have at least two premium (Lavazza) coffees (probably iced), and 8-12 alcoholic drinks over the day/night. Obviously On Marella premium all inc you are getting premium spirits/wines and also canned soft drinks including red bull (which I drink), J2O, and fever tree tonics. To buy what I drink on P&O I'd estimate would cost me easily £70 a day. That is before I take into account that my wife drinks prosecco, will also have the premium coffees etc so will also easily do £70 a day.  Therefore £140 a day over 14 days would be pretty much 2k. We could have course take a P&O drinks package at £40 each but that would not cover everything we drink but even that would be £1100 over 14 nights. 

 

Overall for us when weighing it up then Marella was a better fit in terms of value. I could though see that if you don't drink a lot then P&O would work out cheaper. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Brick1

[dronnygirl]

For us it's mainly about the itinerary.  Out of interest  how many ports of call are there on the P&O 2 week cruise? Usually they don't compare with 12 ports of call on Marella and this should be taken into account when making comparisons . It's not just about the overall cost.

[davecttr]

59 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

For us it's mainly about the itinerary.  Out of interest  how many ports of call are there on the P&O 2 week cruise? Usually they don't compare with 12 ports of call on Marella and this should be taken into account when making comparisons . It's not just about the overall cost.

With 6 or 7 sea days 6 to 7 on a cruise to the Canaries or western med from Southampton. i like sea days so it suits me fine. Also trying MSC to the Canaries next year.

[Brick1]

1 hour ago, dronnygirl said:

For us it's mainly about the itinerary.  Out of interest  how many ports of call are there on the P&O 2 week cruise? Usually they don't compare with 12 ports of call on Marella and this should be taken into account when making comparisons . It's not just about the overall cost.

That is a great point. On our two week in August we are doing: Dubrovnik (Croatia) Kotor (Montenegro), Ravenna (Italy), Trieste (Italy), Koper (Slovenia), Split (Croatia), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Valletta (Malta), Messina (Sicily), Taranto (Italy), Corfu and Bar (Montenegro). I couldn't get as good an itinerary as that with P&O around that part of the world (Adriatic, Ionian, Med).

21:00

Edited May 8, 2023 by Brick1

[dronnygirl]

14 hours ago, davecttr said:

With 6 or 7 sea days 6 to 7 on a cruise to the Canaries or western med from Southampton. i like sea days so it suits me fine. Also trying MSC to the Canaries next year.

I'd be very interested to hear how you find MSC,  it's always good to hear other people's views. I know you enjoy both Marella and P&O cruises.

[dronnygirl]

14 hours ago, Brick1 said:

That is a great point. On our two week in August we are doing: Dubrovnik (Croatia) Kotor (Montenegro), Ravenna (Italy), Trieste (Italy), Koper (Slovenia), Split (Croatia), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Valletta (Malta), Messina (Sicily), Taranto (Italy), Corfu and Bar (Montenegro). I couldn't get as good an itinerary as that with P&O around that part of the world (Adriatic, Ionian, Med).

21:00

Your first week will be our second week in September, we are doing the Greek Isles the first week so will be a contrast.  We've already done the Greek ports but they are all lovely so quite happy to visit again.

[Brick1]

36 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

Your first week will be our second week in September, we are doing the Greek Isles the first week so will be a contrast.  We've already done the Greek ports but they are all lovely so quite happy to visit again.

Are you doing Greek Mystique first week?

[dronnygirl]

28 minutes ago, Brick1 said:

Are you doing Greek Mystique first week?

Yes, Greek Mystique followed by Adriatic Affair. We're very lucky to have done many cruises so we usually have some ports we have been to before but absolutely love Greece.

[Brick1]

12 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

Yes, Greek Mystique followed by Adriatic Affair. We're very lucky to have done many cruises so we usually have some ports we have been to before but absolutely love Greece.

Looks a great itinerary and like you say a nice contrast to Adriatic Affair.

 

We are booked to do Aegean Shores next July on Explorer 1 going from Corfu to Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi (Turkey), Piraeus (mainland Greece) and Kefalonia. Then a weeks stay in Corfu. We love the Greek islands. It was meant to be our first ever cruise but we decided we couldn't wait that long so booked the one for August.

[dronnygirl]

15 minutes ago, Brick1 said:

Looks a great itinerary and like you say a nice contrast to Adriatic Affair.

 

We are booked to do Aegean Shores next July on Explorer 1 going from Corfu to Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi (Turkey), Piraeus (mainland Greece) and Kefalonia. Then a weeks stay in Corfu. We love the Greek islands. It was meant to be our first ever cruise but we decided we couldn't wait that long so booked the one for August.

Fabulous itinerary, you'll have a great time!  I believe Marella are going to sail from Marmaris again next year which means some lovely cruises coming up!

[Jim The Scot]

Pity Marella dont do Instanbul

[dronnygirl]

10 minutes ago, Jim The Scot said:

Pity Marella dont do Instanbul

Look at Ottoman Odyssey on Discovery between May and September 2024.

Istanbul is amazing, really loved it. Very interesting sailing through the Dardanelles on the way there 

[Jim The Scot]

Nice one dronnygirl,never noticed that itinerary

 

Agree Instanbul is an amazing,fascinating place and its an experience sailing the Dardanelles

Edited May 9, 2023 by Jim The Scot

[Pensioncruiser]

3 hours ago, Jim The Scot said:

Nice one dronnygirl,never noticed that itinerary

 

Agree Instanbul is an amazing,fascinating place and its an experience sailing the Dardanelles

We went through the Corinth canal on the old Calypso when we did Istanbul, great memories bouncing of the walls 🙄 and having to empty the swimming pool because of the draft. 

[Brummijam]

Hi PC. Hoping that yourself and mrs PC are both keeping well.

We did an excursion through the Corinth canal albeit on a much smaller tourist boat but it’s quite the experience. I have seen pics of a small Fred Olsen cruise ship going through and it looks like it’s a tight squeeze to say the least.

Are you still not thinking about booking something? (Don’t get wasting that voucher)😉

 

[Tizzy-Jo]

We did the Ancient Wonders cruise on Celebration in 2013. It was our first and we were hooked. Sailing through the Dardanelles was so thought provoking. Wonderful times.

[dronnygirl]

3 hours ago, Tizzy-Jo said:

We did the Ancient Wonders cruise on Celebration in 2013. It was our first and we were hooked. Sailing through the Dardanelles was so thought provoking. Wonderful times.

Yes we did Ancient Wonders and loved it.  But does anyone remember the Red Sea cruise on Celebration?  That was our first Thomson cruise in 2009. Fabulous to see Petra and also the Pyramids but I must admit we never want to go to Egypt again. But that's why cruising is so good,  you can love a place or it can totally put you off a place .

[Pensioncruiser]

5 hours ago, Brummijam said:

Hi PC. Hoping that yourself and mrs PC are both keeping well.

We did an excursion through the Corinth canal albeit on a much smaller tourist boat but it’s quite the experience. I have seen pics of a small Fred Olsen cruise ship going through and it looks like it’s a tight squeeze to say the least.

Are you still not thinking about booking something? (Don’t get wasting that voucher)😉

 

Hi BJ 

All ok at the moment thanks for asking hope you and yours are still fit but looks like you are with ALL your cruising 😎. Voucher gone surprisingly easy to transfer. Definitely no flying for use but may consider a Marella cruise if they start UK departures again🙄. 

Couple of photos of the Corinth canal 2009 Keith Maynard cruise director, he was the best, we think. 

[Pensioncruiser]

2 minutes ago, Pensioncruiser said:

Hi BJ 

All ok at the moment thanks for asking hope you and yours are still fit but looks like you are with ALL your cruising 😎. Voucher gone surprisingly easy to transfer. Definitely no flying for use but may consider a Marella cruise if they start UK departures again🙄. 

Couple of photos of the Corinth canal 2009 Keith Maynard cruise director, he was the best, we think. 

Sorry about the upside down photo 🙄

[so,ton saint]

Hi Roger and everyone its nice to read the cruises you have all taken over the years and brings back memories of the Eastern med, just about to show my age yep went through the Dardanelles, and through the Bosphorus into the black sea and docked in Yalta, i worked on the royal mail cruise ship Andes, 1963, have just done B/B on Discovery and any one cruising on her this year will find the refit very good, with decks 6/7/8 all completed glass doors on the showers and all fittings new, i had cabin 6616 standard balcony, and found it very quiet, and no hesitation in recommending this one.

[Tizzy-Jo]

On 5/9/2023 at 6:09 PM, Jim The Scot said:

Pity Marella dont do Instanbul

Just checked next year and they are doing Istanbul. Mind you, I only checked for August.

[Pensioncruiser]

2 hours ago, so,ton saint said:

Hi Roger and everyone its nice to read the cruises you have all taken over the years and brings back memories of the Eastern med, just about to show my age yep went through the Dardanelles, and through the Bosphorus into the black sea and docked in Yalta, i worked on the royal mail cruise ship Andes, 1963, have just done B/B on Discovery and any one cruising on her this year will find the refit very good, with decks 6/7/8 all completed glass doors on the showers and all fittings new, i had cabin 6616 standard balcony, and found it very quiet, and no hesitation in recommending this one.

Hi Howard 

Pleased to know you are still ok and cruising. Up the Wolves 😀

[Rebel Rouser]

16 hours ago, Pensioncruiser said:

Sorry about the upside down photo 🙄

😉

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Rebel Rouser
messed up

[Jim The Scot]

12 hours ago, Tizzy-Jo said:

Just checked next year and they are doing Istanbul. Mind you, I only checked for August.

Thanks TJ

 

Yeah I saw that.

 

Its only August and September sailings which doesn,t suit us unfortunately.With child care duties/shool runs we are stuck with school hols for our cruises