Marella Discovery – Well Impressed!

Having never cruised with Thomson – now rebranded as Marella Cruises, and hearing mixed reports about the fleet, I was curious to find out whether my experience would be ‘Good’, ‘Bad’ or ‘Ugly’.

I have to say, I was well impressed from the minute we reached the airport.  We had booked Premium Economy on the DreamLiner, and were directed to the Priority Check in desk at Gatwick, no queues, good start.  Our bags were labelled and sent off to the plane, and we wouldnt see them again until we reached the ship.  Very nice.  With Premium Economy you have free use of the No1 Lounge.  Least said about that experience, the better…..  However it was soon time to board and again, pleasantly surprised with the Premium Economy cabin.  Plenty of space, comfortable, spacious seats, and excellent service from start to finish.

Upon arrival in Barbados, a swift transfer took us to the ship and straight on, efficient check in, and up to our cabin.  We had booked a Deluxe Balcony Cabin, which was situated on Deck 7. No: 7596  A good position, spacious, comfortable and with plenty of room to store clothes.   You also have tea, coffee, chocolate making facilities,  and basic toiletries in the bathroom.  I would suggest you take your own shampoo and conditioner though, unless you book a Suite, in which case you are provided with Clarins products.  My only gripe really, was the dreaded plastic shower curtain, which as everyone knows, has a life of its own as soon as the water hits it, and I had a daily battle trying not to flood the bathroom floor!

So out on deck for a walkabout.  Firstly the ship is very easy to negotiate around.  Clearly signposted as well as the interactive screens dotted about the public areas showing you how to get to various places including your cabin!  Plenty of public toilets as well, and most importantly hand sanitisation points all over the ship as well as the entrance and exits to the restaurants.

We dined mostly in the main restaurant 47°, where the staff were super efficient and very friendly.  The menu was varied and the food very good.  If you fancied having a table for 2, instead of sharing, this was easily sorted.  I found we were seated straight away most of the time, and if we had to wait it was no longer than 15 minutes.

I was a bit disappointed with Gallery 47 which is the restaurant above 47°, it has predominantly Italian cuisine, but I didnt find the menu particularly inviting, and the food was a bit plain.

The Snack Shack up on Deck 9 was a very popular place, serving take away salads, wraps, sandwiches, as well as hot food, burgers, chicken wings, hot dogs and fish & chips.

As we were celebrating my hubs 60th birthday we booked to dine in one of the Speciality Restaurants, of which there are 2 on board.    Surf & Turf (very popular, best to book asap as it gets booked up very quickly) and the Asian Restaurant Kora-La which serves sushi, curries as well as a wide selection of asian dishes. Both have a cover charge of around £22.00 per person.

The main entertainment could be found in the Broadway Theatre, plenty of seats, no obstructed views. The Live Room and the Venue. A good and wide variety of musicians, saxophonist, bands, and ship’s entertainment staff.

I was very impressed with the Discovery, so much so I have booked another cruise on her to the Far East in December!

For more information on Marella Cruises, click here

Next Time:  Swimming with Stingrays – and becoming the ‘Catch Of The Day’

Gina