Goodbye old friend

Well, it’s almost time for my wife & I’s favourite ship, the Marella (Thomson) Spirit to sail her last voyage.

MS Marella Spirit is a cruise ship owned by Holland America Line and operated under charter by the United Kingdom-based Marella Cruises. She was built in 1983 at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France for Holland America Line as MS Nieuw Amsterdam.

We have had three amazing sailing on the Spirit, and are really sad to see her go.

She may not be the most glamorous of ships, but like your favourite pair of slippers, she made you feel happy and comfortable.

The crew on the ship greet you like an old friend, whether you have sailed with them before or not. Nothing is too much trouble as making you happy is their only aim.

The entertainment onboard is amazing, certainly worth reading your daily Cruise News to make sure you do not miss anything. The 2-storey Broadway Show lounge is where the professional show team pulls out all the stops to keep you entertained every evening. From fantastic dance shows to UK Comedians to West End standard productions, I can safely say that we have enjoyed every show we have seen.

For the foodies, you have a choice of 4 restaurants that will satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. You have the Lido offering a very informal buffet experience, open for Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner and even the “Midnight Feast”. Next door, you have the Terrace Grill, offering Breakfast and Burgers next to the pool. The main restaurant is the Compass Rose, serving breakfast, lunch and a multi-course dinner with waiter service, this restaurant has an open-seating policy, so you can dine where and when you like. Finally, you have Sirocco’s A La Carte Restaurant, for a really special evening, this restaurant serves signature dishes like lobster thermidor while you get to enjoy attentive waiter service in a sophisticated setting. A cover charge & reservation are required.

My favourite place on the whole ship is Raffles Bar, where you can enjoy an afternoon coffee, a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap before retiring to bed. Amazing service, delicious cocktails and a view out across the waves make it a magical place to while away the hours.

I am so disappointed that we did not manage one final sailing on this friendly old ship, but we have memories to last us a lifetime.

Now onwards to the Marella Explorer for our 1st ever Transatlantic sailing. If the experience is half as good as on the Spirit, we will have a fantastic time.

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