Our Atlantic Adventure – Part 1

Here is part one of my amazing Transatlantic cruise on the Marella Explorer. I will look at the ports of call in my next blog, but for now, let’s look at the ship.
Explorer is the most recent addition to the Marella fleet, May 2018, and also their biggest, holding 1924 passengers.

After a speedy embarkation in rainy Palma, we had a quick bite to eat in the Market Place buffet restaurant (more about this later) as we waited for our cabin to be ready.

Even though we booked a deck 4/5 Inside cabin, we were actually given a cabin on deck 9. A spacious and comfortable room with a convertible double bed, ample storage and a fantastic shower with a door rather than a horrible curtain.

There are 10 different dining options on this ship, with six of them included in your All Inclusive package, and we tried all six. Our favourite was the main dining room, Latitude 53, we were always greeted with a happy face and a friendly word. This is an excellent restaurant and it was really easy to get a table for two. The food was delicious, and even if you have dietary requirements, nothing was too much trouble.

Back to the Market Place, again the food was great but at peak times the lack of seats and queues to get your food was off-putting.

We also liked the Snack Shack on the Pool deck. Pre-packed salads & sandwiches, or freshly made burgers & hotdogs. Very convenient if you didn`t want to move far from your sunlounger.

We did not try the Speciality restaurants, Kora La, Umi Sushi, Surf & Turf Steakhouse or The Dining Club, but anyone I spoke too really enjoyed them.

One place that was very popular was the Squid & Anchor, Marella`s modern take on a traditional British boozer. From live music, Bingo, quizzes or even just a quiet pint, there was something for everyone.

For your evening entertainment, just pop along to the Broadway Show Lounge. A different show put on twice a night, with everything from a comedian, magician, stage productions and even their own talent show, the Explorer Factor.

For the night owls, head along to Indigo at the front of the ship. Here you will find a fabulous bar, offering a wide selection of cocktails, slot machines and card tables at the Indigo Casino and even a dance floor and a DJ booth in the Club, offering silent discos and Eighties or Nineties-themed nights.

As with all Marella cruises, the Explorer offers a mouthwatering choice of dining, fantastic entertainment and the service is 1st class.  This was my 6th cruise with them and it certainly will not be the last.

I feel that I have hardly scratched the surface with the facilities offered on this amazing ship, so please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I have not covered.

I will cover the destinations we visited on my next blog. Thank you for reading.

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