Really enjoyed this cruise and would recommend Marella to anyone, so much so that we have just booked another week in October with our friends. If you like speciality coffees, better cocktails and cans of coke/Diet Coke rather than the standard stuff out the pumps then go for the premium upgrade @ £50 per person, per week (£7.10 per day) you also get a 1.5 litre bottle of water in your room per day too. Don't worry if you forget things, they sell some items on board including toothpaste, paracetamol etc and at reasonable prices.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Very easy embarkation but Naples airport is a nightmare
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Cannot fault the food onboard. We used the speciality restaurants (Surf & Turf and Beach Cove) these were exceptional. Main dining room (Latitude and Vista) were both great to and the Market Place (buffet) was also good. We upgraded to the Premium drinks package and got our money’s worth too, overall it was brilliant. If you like golf then the 19th hole is for you, it is a bar and there is a golf simulator (£20 per hour not per person) that is also great.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The cruise was adult only but it was like some of the daytime entertainment was directed towards children/teens.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Brilliant stage shows, there was a different one every night and all the singers and dancers had to learn everything for the different shows which is a task in itself without then having to go out and do this twice per night for 6 nights and once on the other night
Children's Programs
Adults only cruise
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All staff were absolutely brilliant, always call you sir even when I asked them to call me by my first name. The service was second to none and the tips are all included so it wasn’t just because the expected a tip at the end (we still gave to some though)
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was spotless and there was always someone cleaning in the communal areas
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was a standard inside and we got exactly what we expected, bathroom seemed bigger than on other cruise ships as we had a full size walk in shower (approximately same length as a bath) and didn’t feel cramped at all. No noise as other guests have said in other posts.
Ship tip
Be prepared for Naples airport when travelling either way, bit of a nightmare but it is what it is so just embrace it and you will be OK. When you collect your bags at Naples, prepare for a 1/4 mile walk to the coaches (I am not exaggerating either 😀)
Visited Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius for a really great day out, Vesuvius is a lot steeper when walking up it than it looks and a little longer than the “20 minutes stroll” the guide told us. Pompeii was extremely hot with no breeze and in the high 30’s so drink/take plenty of water
Always enjoy Split, just walk straight from the ship to the centre and once you get there, plenty of bars, restaurants and shops etc. Especially like the covered seating areas of the bars along the main strip past the harbour.
Venice is amazing but this time we spent more time on the island if Murano, what a beautiful place this is and would like to spend more time there on my next visit. We always use the hop on, hop off water boats too as they are great value for money. Look round for a good price on Gondola rides, you will find some that do them for 2 people for 80€ so makes it a bit more special for just the two of you.
Great place to visit especially if you like Game of Thrones (not for me) where you can see all the groups walking round with the guides who have a folder with the photo’s of the cast in certain places and they take you to them places so you can see exactly where the filming took place. Very warm within the walls of the City though.
Walked from the ship to the strip that was full of bars/restaurants and just sat with a couple of drinks people watching in one of the bars on the harbour front.
Took the shuttle bus into the centre of Livorno where we bought tickets for a coach return to the leaning tower of Pisa. Really awe inspiring place and really busy. Be prepared for the “lucky lucky” men at the bus station in Pisa trying to sell you virtually anything, be firm but polite with them.
We had a bus trip from the ship into the centre of Rome and left for the full day to do whatever we liked. Really long day but we visited plenty of places as we used the hop on, hop off open top buses to get around and see places like the Colosseum and Vatican City but again, watch out for the “lucky lucky” men.
Very easy, our cases were left outside our room the night before and “bonded” so therefore we did not see them until we arrived at out home airport. We were dropped off early at Naples (as with all previous cruises I have done) so just made the most of the time in the airport. It is a mad rush when your flight is called as everyone rushes to the front at once, just wait for someone to say your flight while you are queueing and you get to queue jump to the front along with everyone else from your flight.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
