Recent Marella Ship Concerns

In my opinion, if you want to write a bad review, there is a place to do that. Moaning and complaining on every post that you can is not very helpful for anyone.

I sometimes wonder if people just want to moan because they have nothing better to do. I've lost count of how many cruises I've been on, mostly on P&O, more recently on Marella. I like Marella better, less formal and extremely good crew and staff. Price was not really an issue, but I think Marella is better value for money. That's me.... some people on this thread did not like Marella. That is fine. Not sure why there is a need to keep on posting the same thing lots of time :-)

Have a look at my review of the Discovery 2 to get some idea of what people were complaining about.

Have a look at my review of the Discovery 2 to get some idea of what people were complaining about.

Yes. So glad you had a good cruise and noted your comments about people whinging. You always seem to get them. There were a young couple I remember on Dream when we were in the Caribbean a few years ago complaining that they had got sunburnt on deck and Thomson should have warned them this could happen. Unbelievable.

Well, we have booked.... 7 nights on Discovery 2 to Panama/ Montego Bay in a deluxe balcony cabin. :) Yes, I know it's a long way for a week, but there you go.

Look forward to having an adventure and sampling something different, though I won't be going on the climbing wall or the jogging track haha

There aren't any trays in the Islands buffet on D2 either. I really don't get this as there are so many reasons to have them. As Ashby has said, if you are helping another person who has a disability, you don't want to have to keep walking to & from the servery area. When I travel alone I normally have a book and spectacles with me, so add that to cutlery, drink and even only one plate - it is a real pain. Every other cruise line I know provides trays in the buffet restaurant.

Actually, there weren't any trays in the buffet restaurant on Balmoral ( Fred Olsen) . I seem to remember quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing but also i didn't see ( which was a plus) those often obscenely overloaded trays where someone wants to stuff themselves silly and leaves half of it on the table cos they had taken too much.

However, I do believe on Balmoral that waiters would wait on someone who was not very mobile or had a disability.

My personal choice would always be Marella, I don't think Marella, P&O, NCL etc are fields apart, but with Marella most are fly cruises, so instead of two days sailing to reach the sun, you are there in hours. Both the cruise and flights are with the same company so problems are few. Unless you use one of the premium Cruise Companies, Silver Seas etc, and pay a small fortune, I know what I would do every time.

What I liked with Marella, was when I gave my suitcase to the airport check-in staff at Gatwick, I didn't touch or see it again until it was in my cabin. I also packed too much weight (well the wife but I take the blame for the extra presents we bought, love a souvenir) and should be charged excess baggage on the return flight but due to my suitcase being taken from outside my cabin the night before and not seen until I collected back in the UK, there was no person to charge me at any point and hence no extra charge.

Also, this smoothness of baggage portage is great and only achievable if you have both airline and cruise by the same company.

I have cruised with Marella, P&O, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Carnival and Fred Olsen.

I pick a destination and then find the best ship that goes there.

Currently, for Summer 2019, it is between Royal and Marella.