Marella Cruises’ beautifully refurbished cruise liner, the 13-deck, 962-cabin Marella Explorer, recently took its place in the Marella fleet and is now offering seven-night Highlights of the Mediterranean sailings from and to Palma de Majorca. ITTN’s Ian Bloomfield took a cruise onboard.
Unfortunately, our journey commenced at Dublin Airport with a five-hour delay caused by the aircraft going tech, so another aircraft had to be flown in from Manchester. However the problem was solved and the flight itself was a pleasant experience.
On arrival at Palma the transfer to the ship was expertly handled by Marella Cruises staff, who were helpful and professional. Once onboard all the personnel from TUI/Marella Cruises made sure our luggage was safely delivered to our cabin within approximately 10 minutes of arrival – very smooth indeed.
Captain John Clark, an articulate gentleman, welcomed us aboard and assured all that we were the best passengers to sail in his ship and that he did not say this on every trip – much!
The cabins are comfortable and spacious, with ensuite facilities and plenty of hanging/storage space, and are cleaned twice daily.
Facilities onboard include two swimming pools, a sports deck and numerous other attractions and entertainment. There are 10 restaurants and the food onboard was exceptional, with choices varied and unlimited. Ten bars make sure you do not go thirsty!
Nightly shows in the 1,000-seat Broadway Show Lounge were a real treat, with great acts and entertainment.
The seven-night Highlights of the Mediterranean cruise calls at ports in or near Corsica; Rome, Florence and Pisa in Italy; Cannes in the South of France; and Barcelona in Spain. The voyage was a first-class experience for the nearly 2,000 passengers.
