Greek Mystique from Dubrovnik, 19 September 2024 (7 nights)

We had a fantastic cruise, I loved the free dining which other cruises lack, the the Italian restaurant was great but same menus every night. On board staff were amazing, I usually cruise with MSC but I would not hesitate to recommend Marella cruise line, Tui have done a great job with all the coach transfers. Brilliant.

Excellent service from the ship’s staff. A special shout out to Raylin (Duty Manager at Kora La & Surf & Turf) who handled a potentially difficult situation at dinner with exceptionally professionally. We loved our time in the Marella.

A great experience from start to finish. All the administration throughout was quick and effective. Ship was in good shape, when in port painters appear and start working to keep the outside smart. The cabin was very clean with plenty of storage and a good hot shower. Dining is a very personal experience and dependant on your expectations. The Main Dining Room was smart and served a good meal, well presented with quick service once you had a table. With the numbers being served, it is still mass catering so if you want a top class meal you will have to pay to go to one of the restaurants. The buffet in a 'cafe' setting is what it is, but if you want something quick, its ideal. There is plenty of choice of mains, salads and sweets and we always found something enjoyable. The soups at lunchtime with a slice of fresh pizza were a great lite bite. There are various bars and we enjoyed the Indigo which is on a top deck and provides the late night music and disco entertainment. Its smart and the staff work hard to serve drinks when it occasionally gets busy. There seems to only be Fosters beer on draft but there is plenty of choice of bottled beer, I was quite satisfied with the standard AI drinks. All the ship's staff were invariably charming and it was amazing to see so many keeping the ship clean and tidy. I saw 3 shows which were a good way to pass an hour after dinner, the performers gave 100%. There was varied entertainment throughout the day, from pool exercise to quizzes, pick what you enjoy. I liked the daily Cruise News leaflet which gave all the details of the day ahead. The Captain would also speak on the PA daily and give interesting facts about the voyage. Being aimed at the British all-inclusive adult market, its no surprise that the passengers tend to be aged and British but we met some great people and there were even some dinner jackets at the dress-to-impress night. Overall, a good experience and I would consider a similar cruise.

All good.