Size: Large
Type: Ocean
Style: Resort
Accessible cabins
Space: Very spacious
Service: Very attentive
As one of the largest ships in the fleet, Marella Explorer serves up top-notch eateries, a large spa, unmissable entertainment, and a swanky bar, club and casino space – all polished with a modern, contemporary finish.
Operated by Marella Cruises, Marella Explorer is a medium-sized ocean resort ship that launched in 1996 and was last refitted in 2018. It's designed to accommodate up to 1,924 guests across 962 cabins. On board, 900 crew members are available to take care of guest needs.
A mid-sized ship offers a balance of choice and space, with a pace that sits between small ship cruising and larger vessels. Marella Explorer welcomes children on board.
On board, 13 restaurants and eating venues, including seven complimentary venues and six available for a supplement, are on offer. Guests can choose from British, Asian and Italian cuisine. There are also eight bars and lounges for guests to enjoy.
Marella Explorer offers a solid mix of accommodation categories, with configurations and styles to suit your approach to travelling, plus layouts that balance comfort and practicality. That includes inside and outside options.
Travelling as a solo passenger, this was a 7 night itinerary to the Caribbean starting and ending in Barbados and visiting a nice selection of varied islands, including some old favourites such as St Lucia and Grenada, but also some lesser featured stops such as Guadeloupe, Bequia and Tobago.
There was only one day at sea at the beginning of the cruise with a new port of call every day after that and plenty of choice of shore excursions, one to suit all preferences or level of mobility.
Food was plentiful and restaurants varied - some waiting for a table required at peak times in the more popular ones however a pager system meant that waiting could take place in a bar or lounge nearby.
Entertainment of a good standard and, with 2 performances most nights, timing suited both early nighters and night owls. The silent discos were a welcome addition to the programme and, as ever, good fun.
The TUI flights and transfers went very smoothly, luggage tagged for the ship at the airport and delivered to your cabin door. Ship passengers taken directly from the plane and transferred to the port for smooth and painless embarkation process - holiday could get started straight away which was much appreciated when only cruising for a week.
All in all a very enjoyable cruise which I would not hesitate in repeating in the future.
We chose a balcony cabin on the 9th deck for this cruise. It was portside and slightly aft of mid ship. The cabin was smallish and no longer has a fridge which disappointed some passengers.
The cabin was ample for us with a table and chairs on the balcony along with a subbed and hammock. The bed was very comfortable and shower easy to use.
The entertainment throughout the ship was excellent especially the shows in the broadway showroom. There was also a cinema and several bars to choose from.
There pool was lovely although often very busy with more entertainment. Quieter areas away from the pool could also be found.
Several choices of restaurants ranging from pizza and tapas through the usual extensive buffet service all day. Treats were also available in restaurants with extra charges which we didn’t try this time as we were happy with the 4 table service restaurants provided in the package.
The premium package we purchased included premium drinks and specialty coffee which was lovely but not necessary as the basic all inclusive plus a few extra charges for the odd upgraded drink would probably have been cheaper.
All the staff were helpful and friendly.
We chose to do our own shore excursions with the exception of Santorini. This worked well for us as we saw Oia without the stress of trying to get there in the crowds. Every other port was easily accessible and lovely.
The scenery was beautiful wherever we went and it met all our expectations. Marella are much cheaper than other cruise ships and we don’t want a large ship with lots of bells and whistles we won’t use. The gym and spa looked great too but we didn’t avail of them this time.
The cruise I went on was a bit boring in the evenings but the food on board was really nice and exceeded my expectation
If the entertainment improved and it had more varied like magic shows included I would go on this cruise again
Also the room person kept blocking the toilet and was weird making rats out of towels to to put on the bed and monkeys and the room stunk of highly powered urine smell and bleach together
Excellent value for money. its my second Marella cruise and again it was brilliant. Very smooth transfers , crew very helpful and friendly. It feels like a family on board and on trips every one talks to you. Iv met some very interesting people. I think you could easily go on one on your own. They facilitate events for people to meet each other. The food is always good even in the buffet style restaurant they have a gorgeous healthy selection of food at each time of day. The afternoon teas are just like any cafe that does them. The entertainment is better than the west end shows with it being intimate you feel like they are performing just for you. Its lovely meeting the dancers after and around the ship. You can learn to dance from them. They have other activities. There are plenty of sun beds available around the ship in quiet areas, or around the pool. I think the spa treatments are expensive but you can get offers and free trials. The rooms are very comfortable. I always get a balcony room but had a good look around this time and if I wanted to cut down on my money to fit more cruising in i would get a room with a window but the inside cabins are just the same but without the window. So they cater for all budgets and what everyone prefers. You get the same 5star plus plus value for everything. Iv booked another one. Im addicted to cruising now. The port of calls are a good choice to get the best out of your visit. The excursions are great and the reps are very friendly and informative. I could go on. I cannot fault anything about Tui they are helpful from the start even in the shop or on the phone if you have any questions.
How much does it cost to cruise on Marella Explorer and when should I book?
A 7-night cruise on Marella Explorer costs from £1,090 per person in November, rising to £1,601 per person in the peak month of July.
What do passengers think of Marella Explorer?
Marella Explorer has an overall rating of 3.8/5 from 50 reviews.
What cruise line operates Marella Explorer and when was it built?
Marella Explorer is operated by Marella Cruises. She was launched in 1996 and refurbished in 2018.
How big is Marella Explorer?
Marella Explorer has a gross tonnage of 76,998 GT, measures 264m long by 32m wide, cruises at 21 knots, and has 13 passenger decks.
How many passengers and cabins does Marella Explorer have?
Marella Explorer accommodates up to 1,924 passengers with a crew of 900 across 962 cabins including 1 wheelchair-accessible stateroom.
What facilities and entertainment are on Marella Explorer?
Marella Explorer features 14+ dining venues, shows and entertainment, and spa and fitness centre. This is an adults-only ship (no passengers under 18).
What type of cruising is Marella Explorer best for?
There’s a suitably grown-up feel to this adults-only ship. We’ve cherry-picked some of the facilities from its sister ship Marella Explorer, like The Dining Club and Indigo Bar, Club and Casino. But there are some special one-offs, too, like themed bars and eateries.
Marella Discovery is the sister ship to Marella Discovery 2, so you can expect nearly all of the same facilities, such as a fantastic dining scene and a show lounge to rival the West End.
