An average cruise on a dated vessel

Marella Discovery 2 Cruise Review to Europe

kmg2802

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 63

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

Coastal Gems followed by Highlights Of The Mediter

Sail date: October 19, 2019

Ship: Marella Discovery 2

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 8018

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Just back from our first Marella Cruise. We sailed on the Discovery 2 on their Cosmopolitan Classics cruise around the Mediterranean. We were incredibly lucky to have fabulous weather for 90% if the journey with just one abandoned port of Villefranche. We did sail through 63 mile per hour gusts that night leading to the most uncomfortable cruise experience I’ve ever had! Regarding the cruise. It goes without saying the staff were truly fabulous and did everything they could to make the experience a good one. I couldn’t fault their professionalism and courtesy. A real credit to Marella! There were, however, some aspects of the cruise that caused frustration. As an older ship, there seemed to be a shortage of space in the evenings and our party of 6 struggled to find seats bar/entertainment areas. In fact, my cabin neighbour told me they ate in the buffet to give themselves enough time to find a seat in the lounge areas. We dined in the main dining room and the complementary Italian restaurant Gallery 47. I felt, again, this was something Marella needed to work on: the menu was relatively limited in comparison to other cruise lines we’ve travelled with and was clearly aimed at the British clientele - again, nothing to complain about, just nothing to shout about either. The buffet and snack areas were in line with previous cruise experiences and were sufficient for a quick bite when needed. We were very pleased with our junior suite accommodation and had more space than with any other cruise line. This was a real bonus and the toiletries were a nice touch. The swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor) were adequate although not heated so ruled out one of my favourite cruise activities. The deck areas were spacious but again, free seating was an issue and I do wish guests didn’t reserve sun beds with towels and sit on chairs with feet on another! Overall, our experience was a good one. I did miss the international feel of other cruise lines and wouldn’t necessarily choose Marella in the future, but just for that reason.