10 reasons why Marella Cruises are great for families

Here is our guide on the top 10 things for families to do on-board the TUI Marella Explorer.  We are recently back from a family cruise on the Marella Explorer with our children who are 11 and 14 and they tried everything the ship had to offer.

If you have booked or are planning on booking a cruise with TUI Marella, read on for our recommendations, tips and insights into what the Marella cruise line has to offer families.

Follow us on our travels on Instagram here

1. Minigolf

On deck 12 you will find the 14 hole mini-golf course offering incredible views of the ocean.  This was another favourite spot for the  girls especially when they were challenging us to a golf challenge – it felt surreal playing mini golf in the middle of the ocean.

2. Sports

A short walk from the mini golf is the sports area.  With a basketball court / 5 a side football pitch and a table tennis court this was another area that brought out all of our competitive sides.  If you are feeling really energetic there is also a jogging track which wraps around the pool deck, but you have to get up early as this area gets taken over by sunbathers.

On the Discovery ship, for kids aged 6 and over you’ll also find a climbing wall to scale.

3. Swimming Pools

The Marella Explorer has two outdoor pools on deck 11 that are separated by an outdoor stage area where the entertainment team put on some fun interactive family friendly games.  Our kids had great fun here and loved winning certificates for tournaments including best dancer and music quizzes.

Both are saltwater pools and although you won’t find any fancy waterslides like you might get on the larger cruise lines, our kids loved the pools and spent the majority of their time here when we were onboard during the day.

For younger children they will love the ships splash zone.  It’s a hidden gem, tucked away at the back of the ship with small water slides and looked perfect for infants and younger kids.  In addition there is plenty of seating here for parents offering great views from its aft location.

4. Gamer Zone

If your kids love gaming then the Gamer Zone on Deck 8 is for them.  This was full of games consoles such as Xbox and Playstations and was always a popular location for the kids on-board to get their gaming fix.

5. Movies Under the Stars

The Explorer also features two cinema options for families.  At the indoor cinema you will find screenings throughout the day so you will be able to find movies which are family friendly.

If the weather is not great it’s the perfect way to spend time at sea or for evening entertainment.  Our favourite was the outdoor cinema on the pool deck where we enjoyed several movies at night and the kids loved the complimentary popcorn, drinks and snacks.

6. Silent Discos

If you have older children they will love the discos at Indigo Bar.  This was one of the many highlights for our kids on this cruise holiday especially the silent disco, it was so much fun.

7. Marella’s Kids Clubs

Like you would find on other family friendly cruise lines, Marella offers a variety of kids clubs with programmes of entertainment and activities that appeals to children of all ages – from infants to tweens and teens during high season.

The kids clubs are inclusive in your cruise fare and are split into age specific categories and come with a dedicated, qualified M Club host.

Hideout – Ages 12-17

For tweens and teens they have a dedicated area onboard the ship. The Hideout is a great indoor area for tweens and teens near the aft (the back) of the ship.

With lots of comfortable seating and a large TV for movie screenings it was the air hockey table that was a favourite with our girls.

There was also an outdoor terrace which teens will like for some Instagrammable cruise photos on the large grass covered chairs with views out to the ocean.

A full activity program is also available with events and activities ranging from DJ workshops to teen water volleyball tournaments.

Mini M Club 6 months – 3 years

For little ones between 6 months and 3 years, parents can play and learn with their kids here with events through the week including Baby Boogie to sensory play sessions.

M Club – Ages 3 – 7

Kids here can enjoy science sessions, movie nights, chocolate parties and get to meet some of the M-Crew characters.

M Club – Ages 8 – 11

Older kids at the M Club can look forward to lots of fun activities whilst onboard including theatre shows, silent discos, movie and pizzas nights to learning circus skills or how to become a presenter.

8. Visit the Library for family board games

Packed full of board games, many of which were great for kids  this was a peaceful space to spend time in the evenings.

9. Find the ship mascot – Dora from Explorer

Take the kids to find Dora the Duck onboard, the ships Mascot– in fact you’ll find ducks throughout the decks onboard that kids of all ages will enjoy getting a selfie with.

10. Family friendly itineraries

As well as ensuring that children are catered for on-board, Marella also offer a range of shore excursions to ensure that families have memorable experiences once the ship has docked.

At each and every port you dock at there are numerous excursions that can be booked either via the TUI website before you go on holiday or through ‘Navigate’ Marella Cruises on-board app.

There was definitely a wide selection of things to do, from cycling trips, city tours on a TukTuk to visiting a water park.  However its worth knowing that some of the more popular excursions will sell out early.

Some destinations offered more family friendly excursions than others but there is nothing stopping you arranging your own trips like we did in some of the ports such as Split.

We sailed on their Adriatic Explorer cruise and some of our family friendly excursions that we recommend include

• Riding a cable car in Dubrovnik
• Sailing around the bay of Kotor in a kayak in Montenegro
• Touring the Hadjuk Split football stadium and visiting Froggyland – one of the strangest museums you will ever visit in Split.
• Going deep underground at the Postojna Caves in Slovenia.
• Taking in the sights, shopping and Italian gelato at Piazza Di’Unitia and Molo Audace in Trieste.  Other highlights in Trieste include seeing the Roman Amphitheatre, Trieste Adventure Park, Grotta Gigante and Miramare Castle.

Plus – Spacious Family Accommodation

There are several cabins onboard that are great for families – you can read our detailed guide here that range from family suites and family rooms to interconnecting rooms.

On our recent stay we booked two interconnecting large balcony cabins which were perfect for a family of four with huge balconies, two bathrooms and two bedrooms, one with a queen sized bed and the other with twin beds.  Kids will also love the towel art that will appear on the beds each evening at turndown.

Plus – Family friendly dining options

Most of the dining venues onboard are great for all ages with special kids menus available and even fancy child friendly mocktails crafted by the bartenders – here are some of our favourite dining options onboard for families.

When it comes to kids even the fussiest eaters are well catered for on Marella Explorer – you can read our detailed guide to dining onboard here. There were lots of family friendly dining options throughout the day, most of the sit down restaurants are great for kids and have childrens menus  with all the favourites like pasta, burgers, pizza, ice cream sundaes and more – so even the fussiest eater is catered for.

The Snack Shack at poolside offers burgers, hot dogs French fries that kids will love and Scoops serves up a delicious range of ice creams.

The Mediterranean was a firm favourite with our kids with  the most delicious pasta and pizzas dishes designed just you want them.

The Marketplace buffet is open throughout the day and offers food from around the world, so you will always find something the kids will enjoy here.  We particularly liked their afternoon tea service – where you will find a wide selection of snacks and delicious cakes.

Our number one choice as a family was the main dining restaurant at Latitude 53 – not only was it really family friendly with the most attentive service but the meals on offer were delicious and could be customized just as how kids wanted it.

If you are travelling with babies or infants – highchairs are available in all of the restaurants

Overall

We loved our first family cruise with Marella Cruises on their Explorer ship and would definitely recommend it for families, especially if its your first ever cruise as everything is taken care of from flights and transfers to food and drink. The girls loved the freedom a cruise offered them with their own cabin, having lunch together to taking part in the activities onboard.

Whilst it might not have the fancy water slides, race tracks or surf pools like some of the mega cruise ships there was more than enough to keep the kids entertained during our week onboard.