Marella Explorer Review: Everything You Need to Know

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An in-depth review of the Marella Explorer cruise ship from TUI – including cabin reviews.

Lazing in a hammock on my balcony, watching the silky blue sea glide by. Dinner with the perfect view of the sun setting over the ocean. Unwinding in a sauna with huge windows, watching volcanic islands slip by as we sailed away from Santorini…

Just a few fleeting memories from a glorious week aboard the Marella Explorer – easily one of the most relaxing holidays I’ve had in a long time!

This was my first cruise with Marella Cruises. I’ve always been a fan of TUI so I was excited to see what their cruise company might be like – and they didn’t disappoint.

Relaxed | Affordable | Social

The vibe is just what you’d expect from TUI: relaxed, fun and social, with a big focus on entertainment. It’s also very affordable – the cruise packages include flights and transfers and are all-inclusive as standard (including drinks).

Compared with more luxurious cruise lines, the prices are pretty reasonable – as are the optional add-ons like premium drinks, spa treatments and excursions. Marella Cruises offers excellent value for money along with great service and a brilliant cruising experience.

I did the Aegean Shores itinerary: eight days cruising around Greece and Turkey, stopping at Corfu, Crete, Santorini, Kusadasi, Athens and Kefalonia.

Think hot, lazy days by the pool, hopping off the boat to explore picturesque Greek villages and Athens’ colourful city centre, coming back to cool off in the saltwater pool on the top deck or to relax in the gorgeous spa.

If that sounds like your idea of a dream holiday, read on for a full, detailed review of the Marella Explorer ship, with photos and a balcony cabin review.

DISCLAIMER: My trip was supported by Marella Cruises, but all words, photos, and opinions in this review are my own and are unbiased.

Marella Explorer Review

Before I crack on with my full review, here are a few facts about the Marella Explorer to introduce the ship:

• Guest Capacity: 1,924
• Number of Crew: 909
• Length: 262.5m (861 feet)
• Beam (Width): 32.2m (105 feet)
• Tonnage: 76,998 GRT
• Number of Decks: 13

The pros of booking a TUI package

The thing I liked best about my Marella Cruise was that it was a package holiday. This meant everything was booked together: flights, transfers, port fees, the all-inclusive cruise – even tips, which are included in the cruise fee. The price you see advertised is the total you pay – SO EASY!

I flew with TUI from Bournemouth to Corfu, where Marella Cruises staff were waiting right outside baggage claim and again outside the exit to direct me to the transfer. A coach took us to the cruise port, where we were met by another TUI rep who explained the boarding process. Meanwhile, I left my suitcase on the bus and it was taken directly to my cabin for me.

The whole experience was super smooth – and I particularly loved the welcome letter waiting on the transfer coach, which outlined a few key aspects of what to expect. Perfect for your first time cruising.

Top tip: make sure you add luggage tags or leave the airline baggage labels on your suitcases so they are taken straight to your room for you onboard.

The package element really paid off on the way home. My flight home was one of those hit by the crazy CrowdStrike/Microsoft IT outage – but because it was a TUI flight, the cruise coordinated with the airport and kept us all onboard the ship for a few extra hours until things were settled. Much better waiting in the ship’s A/C, enjoying a few more free drinks, than hanging around outside the airport in 38-degree heat. Thank you, Marella!

Marella Explorer Cabin Reviews

There are 962 cabins onboard the Marella Explorer, including a few set aside specifically for solo travellers. These are the different kinds of cabins available:

• Inside Cabin: 16m2. These are the most affordable cabins; they’re on the interior and have no windows.
• Outside Cabin: 17m². These come with a porthole or picture window.
• Family Inside Cabin: 19m2. These cabins sleep up to five and feature a sliding door partition.
• Balcony Cabin: 17m2. Includes a queen bed and a sofa bed – plus a furnished private balcony.
• Balcony Cabin (Large Balcony): 16m2. Same as above – with a slightly bigger balcony.
• Family Balcony Cabin with Suite Service*: 20m2. Includes a double bed, a sofa bed and a fold-down bed (and a few additional perks).
• Balcony Junior Suite Cabin with Suite Service*: 22m2. Sleeps three with a queen bed and a sofa bed.
• Executive Suite Cabin with Suite Service*: 49m2. Sleeps four, with a sofa bed and a fixed queen-size bed – plus a furnished balcony.
• Single Outside or Inside Cabin: these are exactly the same as the regular cabins, but have been set aside specifically for solo cruisers.

*Suite Service: cabins feature a coffee machine, slippers, a dressing gown, upgraded toiletries and a pillow menu. You also get one continental breakfast in bed per person per week, and a free pressing service for up to three items.

Balcony Cabin (Large Balcony)

I stayed in one of the Large Balcony Cabins on Deck 9. It was a surprisingly big room and was really well designed to maximise the space, with loads of storage – including space under the bed for my suitcase.

The main highlight of the room is, of course, the balcony. These larger balconies are great if you want lots of quiet chill time. They come with a small table and chairs, a sun lounger, and a hammock: the perfect spot for lazing about watching the world go by! 

There was plenty of storage, including two wardrobes and a tall cupboard with shelves, drawer space, and a small safe. There’s also a mini fridge, a desk with drawers, and two bedside tables with drawers. Above the fridge, you get a kettle with tea and coffee supplies topped up daily.

The en-suite bathroom, while very compact, didn’t feel too small. Ship shower cubicles are usually pretty narrow and the Marella is no exception, so that’s the only downside. There were shelves, cupboard space, and a large countertop around the sink – plenty of room for the excessive amounts of toiletries I always seem to pack!

One thing to note is that the bed is more like a foldaway bed, so the mattress was quite firm and wasn’t the comfiest in the world. It wasn’t uncomfortable, either: just OK.

The decor was simple and neutral: cream walls, brown carpets, and lots of light-coloured wood. If I’m being honest, it felt a teensy bit dull – but the view from the big balcony doors more than made up for it. The cabin was practical, comfortable and spacious – it didn’t need to be fancy (especially since I was hardly in it!).

VIDEO: Click here to watch my cabin tour on Instagram

Activities and Facilities

There are SO many activities and facilities to enjoy onboard the Marella Explorer. Plus, there’s entertainment on throughout most of the day and night, so you’ll never find time to be bored!

Pools & Sunbathing Spaces

Deck 11 is the pool deck: a pretty big space with loads of sun loungers over two levels, surrounding a reasonably sized pool at the centre.

Although it’s officially one swimming pool, it’s more like two smaller pools next to each other. They’re both pretty deep and have a roomy, ankle-deep shallow area running around the edge so you can sit with your legs in the water. They’re filled with cold saltwater – which was delicious in the 35°C+ Greek heat!

Next to the pool are three hot tubs. These are raised up a little so you get some privacy while you’re in them. It was too hot for me to want to use them most days, but would be great if you were cruising in a cooler climate.

Be warned, the main pool area get pretty busy, especially on days when you’re at sea and in the afternoons (when people start returning from their shore excursions). I found mornings and late afternoons (after 5pm) to be the best times for swimming.

There’s also plenty of sunbathing space away from the pool – several of the decks had outside space with sunloungers along the sides or rear (aft) of the ship. And up on the very top deck, Deck 14, you have The Veranda: a peaceful, adults-only Sun Deck with plush padded sun loungers… PERFECT if you want to get away from the crowded chaos of the pool.

Gym, Sports and Recreation Facilities

Sports and recreation facilities onboard are limited (perhaps because the Marella Explorer is aimed towards adults rather than families). But there’s an excellent gym, and a few fun sports options (see the list below). Despite actually packing my gym gear for a change, I only made it into the gym long enough to take the above photo – but it looked good!

• Fully equipped gym with floor-to-ceiling windows for a workout with a view.
• Jogging track – a circuit around Deck 12 (go early, before they put the deck chairs out as these get in the way). 11 laps = 1 mile.
• Sports Court – for basketball or mini-football.
• Minigolf – a seven-hole putting course overlooking the ocean.
• Table tennis – on the Family Deck on Deck 12.

Ocean Spa

Hands down my FAVOURITE part of the Marella Explorer was the Ocean Spa. This is a huge spa area with two saunas, three steam rooms, heated relaxation beds, foot baths, an ice-bucket shower, and more.

The best part? The massive sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea. This was especially great during the evening, when we sailed away from port each day. There’s nothing quite like relaxing in a sauna whilst enjoying a front-row view of Greek islands gliding past!

I thought the price of the spa was very reasonable: I paid £99 for 7 days of unlimited access. The spa is open 8am-10pm so you can get a lot of use out of that! And you can get an even better deal when booked with a treatment.

There’s a great treatment menu with a huge range of beauty and wellness options. Again, the prices were surprisingly reasonable, especially if you book one of their special offers. I treated myself to a foot package which included a scrub, mask, foot massage and scalp massage for £59. I also had a 75-minute hot stone massage which I HIGHLY recommend – perfect after a long day exploring.

Other Facilities

Indigo Casino – a small casino with slot machines and card tables, tucked behind Indigo Bar. I’m not a gambler, so I steered clear, but it looked like it had a fun atmosphere.

Broad Street shops – There’s a surprisingly large range of shops onboard the Marella Explorer where you can make the most of duty-free shopping at sea. Expect handbags, sunglasses, jewellery, watches, and perfume – as well as a few high-street brands. There’s also a small shop selling essentials like shampoo, perfect if you’ve forgotten something.

Cinema – I never watched a movie here, as I always watched the live entertainment during the evening. It was a decent-sized cinema and there were usually two showings a day, with a family-friendly option in the daytime (great if you need to get the kids out of the sun for a couple of hours).

Photo Studio & Kiosks – There were photographers at various spots throughout the ship ready to snap your pic if you wanted. But there’s also a studio on Deck 6 where you can get a professional photoshoot. Not my cup of tea – but would be great for a honeymoon. I did, however, pose for a photo with Captain Alan – which ended up looking like an engagement photo! I loved that TUI’s Navigate app used AI face recognition to automatically find any photos of me – making it easy to view them.

Marella Explorer Entertainment Review

Broadway Show Lounge: A full-sized theatre with a different production every night – from musicals to comedians. The shows and performers were incredible – I was blown away by the two I watched. Make sure you catch Full Swing if it’s on during your cruise – pure 1930s fabulousness.

Movies by Moonlight: Alfresco films on the pool deck after dark, with hot chocolate and popcorn on hand. Perfect if you want a more chilled evening.

Live Music: There were also live musicians at several venues across the ship each night. Again, these performers are so talented – and there’s a fantastic mix to suit all tastes. The Lounge and Indigo Bar are the best places to head for this.

Pub Fun: After dark, there were also game shows and pub quizzes at the onboard pub, the Squid and Anchor. These were just the right blend of challenging and holiday-park-cheesy fun – I had a blast losing spectacularly at the quiz night!

Other Entertainment: During the day, there was regular poolside entertainment (think trivia games, aqua aerobics and pool parties). In fact, it was so frequent it was almost a little annoying – but most of the other guests seemed to love it so it’s possible I’m just a grump!!

Marella Explorer Food Review

When it comes to dining on the Marella Explorer, you’re spoilt for choice. There are tons of different options and most of them are included in your all-inclusive package – including some that you might expect to pay extra for.

All-Inclusive Restaurants

Latitude 53: the main dining room

This is the main dining room on the Marella Explorer, spread across two floors at the back (aft) of the ship with glorious ocean views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. This is particularly special around sunset!

The dress code is smart, but unlike other cruise lines, it’s not overly strict – think shirts, dresses, and no flip-flops.

Service was excellent, and the house wines (those included with the all-inclusive) were all great. The food was usually pretty good, although I have to confess that some of the mains were a tiny bit bland – I think they’re going for mass appeal rather than bold flavours. Still, I certainly never had a bad meal in this restaurant and I loved the vibe.

Vista: Italian cuisine

Vista is actually a section within the Latitude 53 dining room – so you get the same decor and gorgeous sea views. But the menu focuses on Italian cuisine, so it’s great if you fancy something a little different.

I found the food at Vista to be better than in Latitude 53 – although that may simply be my personal preference. Don’t miss the trio of mini tiramisus for dessert if it’s on the menu!

The Market Place: buffet restaurant

A fairly bog-standard cruise ship buffet – open all day for breakfast, lunch, “afternoon tea” (cakes and snacks) and dinner. Ideal if you need something quick & easy or don’t fancy dressing for dinner (the dress code is casual).

I wasn’t blown away by the food here, but it was decent and there was a great selection, especially at breakfast. I loved the fresh omelette station!

Snack Shack: poolside takeaway

Up on the pool deck, there’s a small takeaway joint serving up hot snacks like hot dogs, burgers and chicken wings. It’s great for a casual lunch if you don’t feel like changing out of your swimwear – and the food is all fresh, hot, and very tasty!

The Mediterranean: Pizza, pasta and tapas

Behind the buffet restaurant, at the aft of the ship, is The Meditteranean – with seating both inside and outdoors. One half is Spanish tapas, the other half is Italian pizza and pasta.

Dinner is a la carte, with either tapas or Italian food depending on which section you head to. You can also pay an extra supplement for “espetadas” (Portuguese-style meat skewers. During the day, The Mediterranean also serves self-service lunches – and there’s a fantastic bar with some unique cocktails.

Speciality Restaurants (additional fee)

In addition to all the restaurants mentioned above, there are also four speciality restaurants. These aren’t included in the all-inclusive package so you have to pay a little extra to dine in one – and it’s highly recommended to book in advance as they can be hugely popular.

I found these restaurants to be incredibly reasonably priced considering how special the food is. For example, Surf & Turf costs £31.95pp for three courses (and house wine by the glass is still all-inclusive) while Kora La is £26.95pp.

Surf & Turf Steakhouse: Steak and seafood. This is the only one of the speciality restaurants I personally ate in, and it was definitely the best meal I had onboard so I’d highly recommend it. Perfect for a special occasion, date night, or just an indulgent treat.

Kora La: Pan-Asian cuisine spanning noodle dishes, curries, and more.

Umi Sushi: An upscale sushi bar near the back of the ship, serving traditional sushi and non-fish options.

The Dining Club: Super high-end fine dining for something truly special.

Other Extras

Scoops – A small ice cream parlour on the pool deck – perfect on a hot day! One scoop costs £1.50 and they’re generous scoops, so again, it’s very affordable.

The Coffee Port – The onboard coffee shop is included in the Premium Drinks Package or you can pay as you go. You can get free tea and coffee in the restaurants and buffet – but for speciality coffees (latte etc) you need the Coffee Port. They also do some very tasty cakes and pastries.

Marella Explorer Bars

A quick run-down of all the bars onboard the Marella Explorer – there are nine to choose from!

1. The Lounge – a funky venue with daily live music, a colour-changing bar, hot pink piano, and cool-looking ring seats.
2. 53 – intimate bar area right next to Latitude 53. Ideal for pre-dinner drinks.
3. Pool Bar – poolside drinks, including frozen cocktails.
4. The Shack – colourful poolside bar right above the Snack Shack.
5. Bar @ The Mediterranean – wrapped around the Mediterranean restaurant with gorgeous sea views from the outdoor terrace.
6. Indigo Bar – the place to come for fancy cocktails – including margaritas served in a box of smoke. Chilled in the day, with panoramic sea views, and vibing after dark with live music and late-night discos at the club (see below).
7. Indigo Club – a small nightclub behind Indigo Bar, with regular silent discos!
8. Aperitif – this fancy bar is right outside two of the most popular speciality restaurants, so it’s great for pre-dinner drinks.
9. Squid & Anchor – Marella’s beloved pub at sea hosts quiz nights, gameshows and live music.

Marella Explorer Shore Excursions Review

During my Aegean Shores cruise with Marella, I did two of their shore excursions: a wine-tasting and sightseeing tour in Crete, and a boat ride and volcano tour in Santorini (click here to watch a video of that one).

I found all the excursions to be very reasonably priced. Many of the full-day activities were around the £30-40 mark, and some of the more basic ones were £12-20. I also liked that there was no pushy sales rhetoric trying to convince me to book tours – if you prefer to stay on the ship, or explore on your own, it’s completely up to you.

Both the tours I did were really well organised. The day before, I received a ticket in my cabin with the meeting place and time. On arrival, staff were on hand to send me to the relevant bus or boat.

We had expert local guides for both who were able to share a bit of local history and – in the case of Santorini’s volcano – geography.

In particular, I’d highly recommend the Santorini Volcano tour. This involved a boat ride in a wooden tall ship across to the volcanic island, a short hike up for a view of the caldera, and a quick pit stop to swim in the nearby hot springs. It was a fantastic day out and felt like a mini adventure!

Top tip: A bonus of booking an excursion is that the ship will wait for any delayed excursions. If you’re exploring on your own and you’re late back for any reason, the ship will sail without you!

Marella Explorer Facilities for Families

Obviously, as a solo traveller, I didn’t need to use the Marella Explorer’s family facilities – but I took note of what was available!

Although there were a number of families onboard, I’d say the Explorer was definitely targeted more towards adults.

The Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2 have much more on offer for families – including a climbing wall – so they might be worth a look if you’re travelling with kids. That said, there was still plenty onboard the Explorer for families:

• Babytainment classes – for kids under 3 (with parental supervision).
• M Club – a kids’ club for ages 3-11 with a range of acitivies.
• Cinema – there were quite a few kid’s films showing while I was on my cruise, usually during the day. Plus Movies by Moonlight on the pool deck, with popcorn and hot chocolate from the bar.
• Kid’s Pool – there’s a small, shallow kid’s pool with a mini slide at the rear (aft) of the ship. Whenever I walked past it was always much quieter than the main pool and there are several sun loungers and tables on the nearby deck.
• Family deck – where you’ll find the mini golf and sports court.

Good to Know: The pools on the Marella Explorer are pretty deep, but they do have ankle-deep shallow areas around the edges. If you have small kids I recommend bringing floatation devices and supervising them in the pool.

Is the Marella Explorer Good for Solo Cruisers?

Although I’m a seasoned solo traveller, this was my first time taking a cruise on my own. I wasn’t sure what to expect – and I was a little apprehensive, especially as I’d heard about travellers on other cruise lines being forced to sit at a communal dining table every night whether they wanted to or not.

But Marella Cruises does a great job at looking after solo travellers. On arrival, I had a special solo cruiser welcome letter in my cabin, inviting me to a special lunch meet-up on the first full day.

READ MORE: Is Marella Cruises Good for Solo Travellers

After that, there was a meetup every evening before dinner – and anyone who wanted to could go for dinner together afterwards. So you didn’t have to dine alone (but you could if you wanted to). I ended up dining with the solo group every night except one, when I took myself for a solo “date night” to the upgraded Surf & Turf restaurant.

Of course, the group of solo travellers onboard will always be a mixed bag. On my cruise, it was mostly women, and I was the youngest by about two decades (everyone else was 60+). But we still had a great time and I loved getting to know the group over the course of the week.

On top of that, there were loads of other ways to meet fellow cruisers through the daily activities and excursions. I’ve written a separate post with more detail about what it was like cruising solo with Marella – click here to check it out.

READ MORE: 7 Reasons to Take a Cruise on Your Own

More Info and FAQ

Is there WiFi on the Marella Explorer?

Unfortunately, there’s no free WiFi onboard the Marella Explorer. You can purchase an internet package once you get on board – these start from £8 for an hour and go up to £90 for 15 days. For a one-week cruise, the £49 8-day 1.6GB package is probably the most cost-effective.

In my experience, the WiFi was pretty decent. The signal wasn’t always super strong, especially at sea, but it was surprisingly good most of the time. I was able to post Instagram Stories (including videos) throughout the trip, stream podcasts/music, and keep on top of my emails – but I never tried it for streaming videos or downloading large files.

Top Tip: If you prefer not to pay, you can usually find free WiFi at bars and coffee shops while you’re in port – handy for saying in touch with people at home.

What’s covered in Marella’s All-Inclusive package? 

OK – this is the great thing about Marella Cruises. All their ships are All-inclusive as standard, which includes all the restaurants I listed above.

Unlike many cruise lines, which sell separate drinks packages (some costing £100 a day!!) the all-inclusive package covers a huge number of soft and alcoholic drinks as standard. This includes wine, beer, some spirits, and a surprisingly decent cocktail list (these vary from bar to bar). It’s always super clear when a drink isn’t included and the waiter or bartender will tell you if something incurs an extra charge.

• Food
• Drinks – fountain soft drinks (unbranded), mocktails, and basic teas and coffees.
• Alcoholic drinks
• All crew tips

I’ve included some example menus below to show how many of the cocktails are included in the all-inclusive. As you can see, the premium drinks aren’t too pricey either:

Is it worth upgrading to the Premium All-Inclusive Package?

Honestly, I’m not really sure it is. The Premium All-Inclusive package includes almost all the drinks onboard (see below), including speciality coffees at the Coffee Port. But I thought the standard wines and beers were great, and there was a great range of cocktails included. So you really don’t need to upgrade unless you want the extra freedom and choice.

• Most drinks from The Coffee Port
• Cans of soft drinks (brand name ones)
• Upgraded wine list
• Upgraded cocktails list
• Premium spirits like Bombay Sapphire, Jack Daniels and Absolut Vodka.
• More choice of whiskies, brandies and Cognacs.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, I LOVED my week aboard the Marella Explorer. This ship is at the more affordable, less luxurious, end of the scale – but it’s comfortable, well-equipped, and packed with facilities. These are, in my opinion, the main selling points:

The thing I like best about Marella Cruises is that they let you have exactly the kind of cruise you want. None of the activities felt “forced” or mandatory. If you wanted to lounge by the pool all day drinking cocktails, that was totally allowed. But if you wanted to fill your days with aqua aerobics and trivia quizzes, there was always something happening. There really is something for everyone onboard.

So, there’s my review of the Marella Explorer. Hopefully, I’ve covered pretty much everything you could possibly want to know about the ship, but feel free to comment below if you have a question!