TUI Marella Explorer Cruise Review – Cruising with kids

This summer we took our first ever cruise.  We had spent weeks searching online looking for a holiday, but nothing really stood out so we thought let’s try something different with the kids this year.  We found a cruise holiday on TUI and made the booking which would see us sail around the Adriatic Sea.

As we had never cruised before and if we were being honest after we booked it we did have some scepticism about this sort of holiday – cruising often has the perception as more for older travellers rather than for families.  What if the food or entertainment was poor – we would be stuck on this floating hotel for a week.

However, we needn’t have worried, this was one of our most memorable holidays and we can’t wait to take another cruise – let me tell you why you should try a Marella cruise with your family, with this honest review.

About Marella Explorer

The Marella Explorer is one of four ships operated by TUI UK, a British cruise line.  The ship was originally built for Celebrity called the Celebrity Galaxy, before being transferred to TUI CRUISES as Mein Schiff.  It joined the TUI Marella fleet in 2018 and is one of their most modern and recently renovated.  Their latest ship the Marella Voyager sets sail in June 2023 and looks really impressive.

Embarkation

One of the main reasons we booked the Adriatic Explorer cruise with TUI was because everything is taken care of from the flights from our local airport to the transfers to and from the ship.

When we arrived at Ioannis Kapodistrias airport in Corfu, the whole process was seamless and stress free.  We were met by the TUI reps who took us to our coach for the short transfer to the cruise terminal.  This was one of the reasons why we selected TUI Marella for our first cruise compared to the other cruise lines where flights and transfers are not always aligned with cruises, but with TUI we had the reassurance that this was all taken care of.

Embarkation was really friendly and efficient.  We had a temperature check taken, our insurance documents checked and health questions and  PCR test done, this was in addition to the PCR test we had to take 24 hours before we flew to Corfu.

Whilst we waited for our test result we watched the muster drill and within 15 minutes we were informed that our PCR test result was negative and we were allowed to progress to check-in, which again was welcoming and efficient.

It’s a short walk along the harbourside to board the ship and once we cleared customs and made our way towards the ship’s gangway, we looked up in awe and couldn’t get over the scale and size of this huge floating hotel on the water.

The Marella Explorer is what is classed as a mid-sized ship and carries just over 1,900 passengers at full capacity, the result is it doesn’t feel as busy and hectic as some of the other cruise lines who have launched mega ships in recent years carrying up to 6,000 passengers.

It was such an exciting feeling as we got close to the Explorer as we started our first ever cruise.  Upon boarding we were directed to a designated point on the ship to collect our cruise cards and we excitedly made our way to our staterooms which already had our luggage waiting outside.

Staterooms on the Marella Explorer

The Marella Explorer has 962 staterooms, ranging from inside cabins, outside ocean view cabins, two types of balcony cabins and family cabins.  If you want to splash out then they have junior and executive suites, and we had a sneak peak on-board and looked fabulous for couples, a selling point for me was that they came with Clarins toiletries.

Interconnecting Large Balcony Cabins

We booked two large balcony staterooms on deck 10 that had interconnecting balconies, so they were perfect for a family of four. When we were looking for cabins for us on the TUI website we nearly opted for a single cabin that it said would hold four people.

Although it would have been much cheaper than 2 cabins it would have really affected our first cruise experience as there would not have been enough room for all of us – 2 adults and an 11 and 14 year old.

The huge balconies in each of our staterooms on deck 10 were the highlight for us, big enough for 2 sun loungers, a table and chairs and even a hammock.  These will be one of the largest balconies you will find on any cruise ship for a non-suite room.

One of my favourite things to do in our room, was to open the curtains each morning, step out onto our balcony and take in the views – these rooms are definitely worth upgrading to.  They are also perfect for families due to the fact that they were interconnecting which allowed us to have a walkthrough balcony.

Our rooms were a reasonable size at 16m2 with a queen size bed for us and twin beds for the girls, along with a desk, sofa, safe and plenty of storage space.  Although the décor in the cabins was not as luxurious as what we had seen on some of the other cruise lines, it had all the mod cons you would expect including

• air conditioning,
• large wall mounted smart TV,
• fridge
• safe
• tea and coffee making facilities

The cleanliness of the room was superb and the girls enjoyed the attention to detail from the towel art to the chocolates left on our pillows at turn down.  We never travel light so it was great to see that our cabins had a lot of storage, with three wardrobes, two for hanging clothes and the other with shelves and drawers so we had more than enough room for all of our things.

There was a small desk area that you could use for charging your devices or doing hair and makeup,  but the hairdryer was attached to the wall in the bathroom.   What let the room down slightly was if you needed to charge any electrical devices as there were only 2 sockets in the room.

If you are like us and have multiple devices from phones, watches and iPad’s to charge then you need to bring a travel adapter with you. I recommend you get the adapters with extra USB ports.

We paid the extra £50 per cabin to select our rooms on the 10^th floor, because we wanted to ensure our rooms were next door to each other. 

No wi-fi was included which I believe is standard practice on many cruise lines, but in 2022 it does seem excessive to charge for this – it’s the equivalent of charging for water or electricity in your cabin.  We did take out their wi-fi plan at £49 for a week but it was really slow and the signal was so poor it was practically unusable across the ship so we had to rely on our mobile data when we arrived at the various ports.

What did work well was their free to use Navigator app through your web browser on your phone or tablet.  This contained all the information you needed from daily itineraries, port information, dining and excursion booking and access to your online account, we found this really helpful and useful.  Alternatively, just off the reception area, were self service kiosks containing the same functionality as their Navigator app.

The bathroom was compact, but there was plenty of space to store your toiletries.  I liked the fact that the shower had a glass screen instead of a shower curtain that we had seen on some of the other ships before we booked this trip. Toiletries were in large reusable wall mounted containers and were unbranded and seemed poor quality.

As the cost of a large balcony cabin is a noticeable increase over their standard cabins, it would have been nice if they had the Clarins toiletries included that are standard in their junior and executive suites.  Plenty of towels were provided and you had separate ones for the pool which were refreshed each day but no bathrobes or slippers were provided.

You can view a video tour of our rooms below.

Dining and Drinks on the Marella Explorer

With 10 restaurants on board, there was no chance that we would go hungry or get bored of the food on the Marella Explorer.  We could have eaten in a different restaurant on each night of our cruise if we wanted to.

Although Marella market these cruises as all-inclusive, that’s not exactly the case as some of it’s restaurants are at an extra cost

Starting with the complimentary restaurants, our favourite was in the main dining room, home to Latitude 53 and Vista the Italian restaurant.  We loved it in here, and we were given the same table each day, perfectly located next to the huge floor to ceiling windows allowing us to have spectacular views of the wake and the ocean as we dined.

This two-storey dining room was so grand and elegant, just has I had imagined it would be on a cruise, and although it was formal dining it was without the strict formal dress code that is often associated with cruising – no dinner jackets or tuxedos required, just smart clothing that you would wear at a nice restaurant back home.

The food and service on offer here was some of the best we have had on holiday and we have been lucky enough to stay in some of the best hotels across the world.  What made it most appealing was the rapport we built with the restaurant staff by being allocated the same waiters each night.

What we also liked on a Marella cruise was the fact that there are no set dining times, like you have on other cruise lines, meaning that we could dine when we wanted to, rather than having to try and fit our schedule around when the cruise line wanted us to dine at.

Latitude 53 was also open for breakfast and though many chose the self-serve buffet breakfast at the Market Place, we made the most of the white linen tablecloths and waiter service as we tucked into our delicious made to order breakfasts each morning.

For lunch we would often stop off at the Italian in the Mediterranean restaurant on deck 11 at the back of the ship.  We enjoyed freshly made pizza and made to order pasta dishes here, which were always a favourite with the kids and we loved the setting offering great views of the ocean at the back (aft) of the ship.

You could also visit the Tapas restaurant here at lunch serving a range of light bites from sandwiches to fries.

Beer, wine and soft drinks served at mealtimes were included in all of the restaurants at no extra cost. An upgraded premium drinks package was available at additional cost, but we didn’t feel it was necessary to upgrade as the cost of bottled water and other drinks we paid for wouldn’t have been the same amount as the upgrade cost.

There was a good choice of casual, quick dining on board.  The Snack Shack on the pool deck was a popular option during our days by the pool, the burgers and mini fish and chips were our picks here – delicious.

The brightly coloured beach huts and oversized deck chairs not only were popular Instagram spots on board they provided a lovely setting to enjoy lunch alfresco.  A grab and go fridge containing sandwiches, salads and fruit boxes are also available here, so there was something for everyone.

Scoops was another popular stop for us, although not included in the all inclusive, the ice creams were delicious and only a £1 per scoop, we particular loved the theming in this area and the cool uni-cycle seats.

The Marketplace is buffet-style restaurant that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the 11th deck and was a less formal dining option. We didn’t dine here during our cruise opting for the waiter service restaurants onboard which was a much more pleasurable dining experience.

Marella, also offered their traditional English afternoon each day at the Marketplace buffet, offering a wide selection of cakes, sandwiches, hot scones and jam.  We loved escaping here from the afternoon heat and sample the different cakes each day!  Afternoon tea was also served in the more formal setting of the Latitude restaurant one day each week called The Great Musical Afternoon Tea at £15 per person.

While talking about sweet treats, there was also a café called the Coffee Port selling handcrafted chocolates and macaroons.  This was another favourite stop for the girls where they found they could charge the costs of their hot drinks and treats to their room.

There are also several specialty restaurants on-board the Marella Explorer which come at an extra charge and all need to be pre-booked , especially the steakhouse, Surf and Turf and Kora La, the Indian restaurant.

These restaurants book up fast, so don’t make the mistake we made and leave it too late as we didn’t get a chance to try them.  Everyone we spoke with said  both were a fantastic dining experience – it’s a shame they were not included in the dining package that comes with the cruise.

There’s plenty of choice when it comes to bars too, with 10 to choose from. As part of the all-inclusive package, all drinks are included in your Marella cruise.   We could have upgraded this to a premium package, but the range of drinks on offer is really extensive so there is no real need for a family to upgrade.

We would often have pre-dinner drinks at Aperitif one of the most stylish bars on board followed by post dinner drinks at Indigo.  Indigo was spectacular with lots of comfortable seating and 360 degree views, plus it was close to the disco – one of the girls favourite areas on the ship.

The Squid and Anchor pub was really popular with other guests, but it was far too busy for us – we preferred the The Lounge with its neon pink piano and live band.

Shopping

On deck 7 was a shopping arcade called the Broad Street shops containing a range of stores including a large duty free to shops selling jewellery, designer and high street clothing.

I found the prices to be reasonable and cheaper than back in the UK.  As you will know from our travels, we love a little retail therapy and it was nice to be able to do this onboard picking up perfume and beauty products and the girls had a unique ship charm from Pandora.

Things to Do on the Marella Explorer

Although Marella Explorer is not one of the mega cruise ships, there was still a huge variety of entertainment available for all the family.

Every evening we would receive our copy of Cruise News in our cabin, which displayed the full agenda for the next day’s entertainment so we could plan our schedule.

As we explored the ship we were amazed at just how much there was to do for families and marvelled at the size of this ship and the amount of things they managed to fit onboard.

Although you won’t find water slides or go-karts that you would find on the newer, larger cruise lines there was still plenty of things on-board to keep all of us entertained for our week cruise.

Swimming Pools

When we stay at a hotel, the pool is the most important thing for the kids and it was no different on a cruise ship.  Located on the top decks of the ship, the pool deck featured hot tubs and two pools which the girls loved.

The pool deck and the deck surrounding the pool did get very busy in particular on the sea day which was the first full day if our cruise it.  Being our first cruise we made the mistake of thinking there would be enough sun loungers but it was packed and it took us a while to find empty loungers on another deck which was a long way from the pool, so it wasn’t ideal for the kids.

For families with younger children there was a small kids pool and slide at the rear (aft) of the ship which looked great and it was always much quieter than the main pool deck.

Entertainment and Activities

The daily entertainment around the poolside was a little holiday camp like but fun all the same and the kids in particular loved it, with Holly winning an award for being the best dancer and the entertainment team did a great job encouraging guests to take part.  For adults wanting to escape the noise from the main pool deck, the adult only area of the verandah on deck 14 looked perfect which lots of comfortable padded loungers.

During each day there were lots of other entertainment options going on around the ship, where the girls encountered their first ever game of bingo in the Squid and Anchor bar.  The Gala Night was an opportunity to dress to impress where we got to meet the captain and crew in the beautiful atrium setting of the ship.

Marella translates from Celtic as ‘shining sea’ and the interior designers have cleverly managed to add in shimmering design features throughout the ship, but our favourite was the photo spot infront of the glitzy Marella logo.

Some of the girls favourite things to do were challenging us to a golf challenge on the course on deck 12 – it felt surreal playing mini golf in the middle of the ocean plus the nearby sports court brought out our competitive sides on basketball and  table tennis. There was also the hideout designed for older kids, where the air hockey table was located which was another favourite spot for the girls.

For children there was a dedicated gaming zone, home to lots of Playstation and Xbox consoles while the library area had a good selection of family board games to play.  For movies there was a large indoor cinema but our favourite was watching movies at night on the large screen on the pool deck with freshly made popcorn.

At the front of the ship was Indigo, with lots of comfortable seating, great views from its floor to ceiling windows and a space for some of the evening events – including some of our highlights from the trip.  The brilliant silent disco and nightclub which the girls loved and a great way to end an action packed day.  For adults there is also a small casino in this area of the ship, which looked fun.

The main evening entertainment area onboard is called the Broadway Show Lounge, a huge theatre with a seating capacity of 1000 which two shows nightly.  This is really a spectacular space and this auditorium wouldn’t look out of place in the West End, with lots of comfortable and spacious seating each with their own personal table.

We watched several of the shows here with some great guest artists and although some shows are billed as West-End like productions and they were enjoyable way to spend time in the evening after our meal, although I would have been slightly disappointed if I had paid for a theatre ticket for it.

Each evening , we enjoyed walks on the deck especially the wide promenade deck and I loved the fact that there was plenty of space to relax to escape the crowds.

When we weren’t at the movies or the disco’s, we preferred to relax in the comfortable seating areas in the many beautiful public areas of the hotel playing card games or listening to the live music in the Lounge bar.

Spa

There is a Champneys Spa on-board which looked fabulous and takes up the front of the ship on deck 11, but unfortunately I didnt get a chance to try it out.  The use of their thermal spa is not included and comes at an extra cost of £15 for a day pass and there are also wide range of spa treatments available to book including facials, massages and body wraps.

The gym at the spa was included at no extra cost and it looked well kitted out with the latest fitness equipment offering great views through the wall of windows as you work out.  If you wanted to jog outdoors there is a track circling the pool on deck 12, but you would need to get up early before people start sunbathing here.

Excursions

The literary on our 7-night Adriatic cruise, round-trip from Corfu, had stops in Koper, Slovenia – Trieste, Italy – Split, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia and Kotor, Montenegro.

What we loved was waking up to a new destination to explore each day and this was one of the highlights of what cruising can offer families and allowed us to visit destinations that we would have overlooked. We loved each destination that we arrived at, each having their own unique charm and attraction, here are some of the highlights.

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 and some of the more popular excursions can sell out early.  There was definitely a wide selection of things to do, from cycling trips, city tours on a TukTuk to visiting a water park.  Some destinations offered more family friendly excursions than others but there is nothing stopping you arranging your own trips like we did in most of the ports.

Overall

We were unsure if cruising was right for us before we went and it was an expensive gamble for a family holiday.  However our experience with Marella on their Explorer ship changed our perception of cruising and we are so glad we booked it.

TUI Marella should be proud of their staff on board the Explorer, they are a credit to your brand and each and everyone of them made us feel so welcome from the moment we stepped on board to the moment we left.

Marella cruises are often overlooked for the bigger and more popular cruise lines such as MSC,  Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but it would have to be a strong all-round product to beat our first cruise experience with Marella.

So would we cruise again and what about Marella?  Definitely, we were really impressed with the TUI Marella cruise experience, so much so that we are planning a cruise for next year on their brand new ship to join their fleet called Marella Voyager.