Hi Lee, your first cruise - well I can tell you it won't be your last! The first is so exciting and you are bound to get hooked!
Dress code: the majority of men wear smart casual in the evening i.e. trousers, shirt, tie optional. On Dress to Impress evening some men like to wear formal wear but its not worn as much as it used to be and does take a lot of room up in your luggage.
Ladies do tend to make more of an effort than the men and wear nice dresses either long or short, or smart trousers and tops.
In the daytime, anything goes i.e. beachwear, shorts etc although you are expected to wear a cover up in the dining rooms
Tips: are included with Marella although it is nice to give a small tip to your cabin steward or any other crew who have made your holiday special
Cabin: this really is a personal choice depending on how much you want to pay. Personally we like a balcony cabin but have also had outside cabins which we have liked. Most of the cabins tend to be the same size but, of course, you won't get daylight in an inside cabin.
You will have a really good time, we found it so exciting when we just saw the size of the ship on our first cruise! We also found sailaway on the first evening very exciting and, even after many cruises, we are still excited every morning when we dock in a different port.
Enjoy!