Some posts on this site contain affiliate links. If you book or buy something through these links, I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Take a look at my privacy policy for more information.
An in-depth guide to all the dining options onboard the Marella Explorer – with reviews of all restaurants.
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.
This guide includes reviews of all the onboard restaurants and bars. The first section covers the included restaurants, while the second covers those that have an extra fee.
I’ve also covered what’s included with the all-inclusive package – and explained what the different dress codes mean. Use the contents menu below to skip ahead if you need to. And if you have a question, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Quick Note: Although this post relates specifically to the Explorer, most restaurants are pretty similar across the Marella Cruises fleet, so this guide should still be helpful if you’re travelling on another ship.
READ MORE: My Review of the Marella Explorer
Marella Explorer Restaurants included in the All-Inclusive
There are five all-inclusive restaurants and eateries on the Marella Explorer. There’s a quick list of them below, and then I’ll go into more detail on each one.
At a glance
- Latitude 53: the main dining room
- Vista: Italian cuisine
- The Market Place: buffet restaurant
- Snack Shack: poolside takeaway
- The Mediterranean: Pizza, pasta and tapas
Latitude 53: the main dining room
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Daytime = casual, evenings = smart*.
*Dress codes are explained at the bottom of the post.
This is the main dining room on the Marella Explorer, spread across two floors at the back (aft) of the ship with glorious views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. This is particularly special around sunset!
I ate here most nights – and once for breakfast – and loved it. You can order up to three courses for dinner and lunch (and at breakfast they let me order two “mains”). You’ll never go hungry on a Marella Cruise!
The service was excellent, and the house wines were all fantastic. It feels like quite a high-end dining experience – and it’s almost surprising that there’s no extra charge.
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 never had a bad meal in this restaurant and I loved the vibe.
Vista: Italian cuisine
Serves: Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Smart
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.
Service, drinks, views and vibe are all pretty similar to Latitude 53; only the menu is different. Again, you can order up to 3 courses.
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 tiramisus for dessert if it’s on the menu!
The Market Place: buffet restaurant
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Dining Style: Buffet (self-service)
Dress Code: Casual
The Market Place is a fairly bog-standard cruise ship buffet – open all day for breakfast, lunch, “afternoon tea” (cakes and snacks), and dinner. It’s deal if you need something quick & easy or don’t fancy dressing for dinner.
I wasn’t blown away by the food in here, but it was decent and there was a great selection, especially at breakfast. I loved the fresh omelette station!
It’s mainly self-service, but there are usually a few stations with food being freshly prepared. Food and drinks options are pretty basic – but the pool bar is right outside if you want an after-dinner cocktail!
Top Tip: The buffet gets VERY busy at popular mealtimes, so try to go early or later to make finding a seat easier.
Snack Shack: poolside takeaway
Serves: Light Lunches / Snacks
Dining Style: Takeaway
Dress Code: Beachwear / Casual
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 tasty!
There’s not much to say about this one really – other than the fact that this is a super convenient option if you need a quick snack or don’t want to move from the poolside!
The Mediterranean: Pizza, pasta and tapas
Serves: Lunch and Dinner
Dining Style: Buffet at Lunch, Table Service at Dinner
Dress Code: Casual
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 an a la carte affair, 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 – with some slightly nicer options than what you’ll find on offer in the buffet. There’s also a fantastic bar with some unique cocktails on the menu, so be sure to have at least one meal here.
Meditteranean Sample Menu
Speciality Restaurants (additional fee) on the Marella Explorer
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 the prices to be very reasonable considering how special the food is. For example, Surf & Turf costs £36.95pp for three courses including as many sides as you want – and the wine is still covered by the all-inclusive. The below prices were correct as of Jan 2025.
At a glance
- Surf & Turf: Steakhouse
- Kora La: Pan-Asian cuisine
- Umi Sushi: Sushi bar
- The Dining Club: High-end fine dining
Surf & Turf: Steakhouse
Serves: Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Smart
Price: £36.95pp for 3 courses (including standard all-inclusive drinks)
This beautiful little restaurant specialises in steak and seafood. It feels like one of the fancier restaurants onboard and the service was impeccable. The 28-day-aged steaks are the highlight here – but the sides are also fantastic (order a selection for the table).
This is the only one of the speciality restaurants I personally ate in, and it was easily the best meal I had onboard so I’d highly recommend it. Perfect for a special occasion, date night, or just an indulgent treat.
You get three courses – and as far as I can tell you’re allowed to order as many sides as you want! I was dining solo so I only had a couple, but could have ordered more if I wanted – the family next to me ordered one of everything!
Surf & Turf Sample Menu
Kora La: Pan-Asian Cuisine
Serves: Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Smart
Price: £31.45pp for 3 courses (including standard all-inclusive drinks)
This intimate restaurant has the vibe of a high-end curry house. It serves Pan-Asian cuisine including curries and noodle dishes – as well as several unique dishes created exclusively for Marella by master chef Ian Pengelley. I didn’t eat here, but everyone I spoke to who had sang its praises! It looks lovely and would be my top choice for my next Marella cruise.
Umi Sushi: Sushi Bar
Serves: Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Smart
Price: £17.95pp (including standard all-inclusive drinks)
This upscale sushi bar near the back of the ship serves traditional sushi, freshly prepared before your eyes by the chefs at the bar. If you’re not a fish fan there are plenty of veggie sushi options – as well as dim sum and cooked dishes.
The setting feels a little exposed, as this isn’t quite a separate restaurant. It’s a bar tucked away at the end of the ship, between two walkways, so people almost walk through it on the way to the pub. Don’t let that put you off, though – if you’re a sushi fan you need to dine here!
The Dining Club
Serves: Afternoon Tea & Dinner
Dining Style: Table Service
Dress Code: Smart
Price: Varies (see below)
The Dining Club is an intimate, formal dining room offering super high-end fine dining – perfect for something truly special. They also serve a set tasting menu with wine pairings, as well as a range of themed afternoon teas.
- The Great Musical Afternoon Tea £18.95
- The Great Musical Champagne Afternoon Tea £25.95
- A La Carte Menu £39.95pp
- Tasting Menu £498.95pp
Coffee, Snacks, & Other Extras
Scoops (ice cream parlour)
A small ice cream parlour on the pool deck – perfect on a hot day! Ice creams are not covered by the all-inclusive packages, but they’re fairly reasonably priced. One scoop costs £1.25 (see sample menu below).
The Coffee Port
The onboard coffee shop is included in the Premium Drinks Package. You can get free tea and coffee in the restaurants and buffet – but for speciality coffees (latte etc) you need to visit the Coffee Port. They also do some very tasty cakes and pastries. If you don’t have the Premium Drinks package you can purchase all these items individually.
Marella Explorer Bars
Below, I’ve listed all the bars onboard the Marella Explorer – there are 9 to choose from!
- The Lounge – funky venue with daily live music, a colour-changing bar, hot pink piano, and cool-looking ring seats (pictured above).
- 53 – intimate bar area right next to Latitude 53. Ideal for pre-dinner drinks.
- Pool Bar – poolside drinks, including frozen cocktails.
- The Shack – colourful poolside bar right above the Snack Shack (pictured below).
- Bar @ The Mediterranean – wrapped around the Mediterranean restaurant with gorgeous sea views from the outdoor terrace (pictured below).
- 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 (pictured below).
- Indigo Club – a small nightclub behind Indigo Bar, with regular silent discos!
- Aperitif – this fancy bar is right outside two of the most popular speciality restaurants, so it’s great for pre-dinner drinks.
- Squid & Anchor – Marella’s beloved pub at sea hosts quiz nights, gameshows and live music (pictured below).
Use the arrows to scroll through more photos of the bars onboard…
Bar Sample Menus
What Drinks are Included in Marella’s All-Inclusive package?
Unlike many other cruise lines, which sell separate drinks packages (some costing £100 a day!!) Marella’s 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 clear when a drink isn’t included (the menus are divided into two lists – see the examples above) and the waiter or bartender will tell you if something incurs an extra charge.
Is it worth upgrading to the Premium All-Inclusive Package?
Honestly, I’m not really sure it is. The Standard All-Inclusive package includes such a wide range of wines, beers, cocktails, and soft drinks that you’re already spoilt for choice.
However, the Premium All-Inclusive package is certainly an upgrade. This includes almost all the drinks onboard (see below), including speciality coffees at the Coffee Port. Upgrading gives you a bit more freedom and choice.
The Premium All-Inclusive package also covers:
- 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.
I had the Premium All-Inclusive package on my cruise, but if I went on another Marella Cruise I might not bother! It was nice to have a wider choice of cocktails, and get “proper” coffees – but unless you plan on drinking a lot of these, it would probably work out cheaper to pay for the occasional upgrade as you go, rather than buy a package.
Marella Explorer Dining Dress Codes Explained
If you’re new to cruising with Marella, you might be a bit unsure of what the dress code entails. Some cruises I’ve been on have very strict dress codes – thankfully, Marella is a bit more relaxed.
They use three different terms to explain the dress code in each restaurant. I’ve covered them below, and they’ll also be included in your onboard guide:
Marella’s Dress Codes
- Beachwear – Exactly what it sounds like; feel free to rock up in your bikini or swimming trunks! Footwear is required though, for safety reasons! This is the dress code at the poolside bars and takeaway shack.
- Casual – Things like t-shirts and shorts, sundresses, etc. Flip-flops and trainers are fine as footwear. If you’re in swimwear, you’ll need to cover up – but everything else should be fine! This applies to places like the buffet restaurants.
- Smart – This is where you’ll need to dress up a little, but Marella’s “Smart” dress code is much less strict than some other cruises. No need for a top hat and tails! Things like dresses or skirts, shirts and trousers, or polo shirts and tailored shorts – and on your feet, smart trainers, shoes or sandals are all allowed.
“Smart” is the one some people are unsure of – but I promise, it’s not that strict! Avoid things like sportswear, yoga leggings, trainers, non-tailored shorts, and flip-flops. That said, I wore a pair of “dressy” flip-flops (black with sparkly bits) and they were fine!
Dress to Impress Night
This is Marella’s slightly more chilled-out version of a “Formal Night”. There’s one a week (usually on an at-sea day) and it’s a chance to get really dressed up – suits and gowns are more than acceptable. However, these nights are totally optional and more casual than a Formal Night: how dressy you go is up to you!
Summary
So, to sum up: there are five all-inclusive restaurants, four speciality restaurants (with an additional fee), a coffee shop, and a mini ice cream parlour onboard the Marella Explorer. As I said above, you’re spoilt for the choice!
The standard all-inclusive package includes such a great range (covering wines, beers, spirits, cocktails, and soft drinks) that there’s really no need to upgrade to the Premium All-Inclusive – unless you want that extra flexibility and choice.
And while several of the restaurants have a “Smart” dress code, this is less strict and formal than many cruise lines, so you can still feel relaxed. Of course, if you want to dress up, you absolutely can. It’s your holiday, after all!
Is Marella Cruises Good for Solo Travellers
I hope you found this dining guide and restaurant review of the Marella Explorer helpful. If you have a question feel free to reach out in the comments below!
