Autumn Escape from Malaga, 26 November 2026 (5 nights)

Over all there was very little I could fault about this cruise. Staff very friendly, food very tasty, I personally found the layout of the ship not really to my liking, but that was just a me thing. The only one thing which I did struggle with was there was a drain smell in lots of didn't parts of the ship. Sometime it was just a wiff, but one night the bar outside latterude 53 it smelt so bad we waited somewhere else until our table was ready, so that was a shame.

An excellent budget cruise. We had a cabin midships on deck 9 (9131) with the slightly larger balcony, containing a hammock, a sun bed, two chairs and a small table. The cabin itself was clean and perfectly adequate for the amount of time we spent in it. There are only two sockets, neither of which were near the bed so it’s worth taking a couple of multi-adapters. The shower is a good size with a glass door rather than a shower curtain, and there were plenty of coat hangers. The only negative was that there was an unpleasant smell in the bathroom (sulphurous drain smell) which came and went throughout the week. We reported it to our steward but not sure he was able to do anything.

We've now travelled on both Explorer & Explorer 2 which are much the same in size & design. Both older ships but beautifully kept & very tidy with efficient happy friendly staff, very easy to embark & disembark at ports. We couldn't fault the food & generous meat portions, the exception being very thin custard, breafast yoghurts & afternoon ice cream, which was virtually liquid! We preferred The Indigo Lounge on Explorer 2 as Explorer looses a lot of seating space to the bar, steps & dance floor area making it a less appealing space. Our deck 9 cabin was well placed mid ships & no noise from nearby lifts. Cabins are outdated compared to new huge behemoths but we like the extra space they provide, they are still very servicable & comfortable having everything we need, apart from usb ports. However there was a glass shower door & plenty of cupboard & drawer spaces, mirrors, TV if needed, though not a magnifying mirror, shampoo or conditioner (just soap) so you need to take your own, along with a night light for the bathroom. The cabin was serviced daily with an evening turndown service, animal towel art & a dark choc square on the pillow. This was the first time we'd encountered a single door to the (double depth) balcony which did cause a near-sleepless night in a doozy of a storm. The lock rattled continually in the high winds & was only stifled slightly by stuffing a cushion under the handle. We reported it to reception next morning & it was tightened by maintenance successfully next day. We even had a call back from customer services to check we were satisfied - well done Marella. There was a hammock, 2 chairs a table & a sunbed on the balcony & yet still plenty of space to move around. The nightly shows were wonderfully entertaining & enthusiastic. Service overall was good & there was also a humourous feel to things & we had a great week without the need for Premium drink package. Drinks were variable in strength & appearance from bar to bar & different bar staff as with most ships, but we were fine without incurring additional costs. We loved the option to eat Italian a couple of nights insterad of MDR but really don't see the point of Picadilly's taking up half the mezanine level it being standard British fare that doesn't change & can be found elsewhere on the ship(s) on most days. The casual snack options by the pool & at the Aft bar were all very good & kept well stocked. it has definitely been another positive experience & this time we travelled with friends so we were a little apprehensive in case there were problems or inconsistencies that could spoil their trip. There weren't & despite being children on board they were not in great numbers or unruly so added to the family atmosphere.

All excellent couldn’t fault anything