dronnygirl

Thanks for letting us know. Although we usually like to slip last minute bits in the case before leaving but won't be able to do this. Hope you enjoyed your cruise

Sorry I wasn't clear, all freedom dining except for speciality restaurants which you have to book. We prefer to eat around 7ish and it's not busy but I think it gets busy around 8pm. The MDR known as 47 is on one deck and the Italian known as Gallery 47 on the above deck . Menus are shown outside so we usually check before we decide. Otherwise the buffet is similar to other cruise lines. Lunch time the Snack Shack offers burgers, fish n chips, sandwiches and salads. For us the itinerary is the most important but Marella does suit our needs. Unfortunately they no longer sail from the UK so we may be tempted with Fred in the future as they have flexible departures. Good luck and enjoy your planning!

We sailed on D2 in October and had a lovely cruise. The ship was refurbished a few years ago so is not by any means new but it is well kept and we found everywhere clean. We love the layout of the ship with a nice atrium in the centre. The staff are fabulous and always friendly and courteous. The ship is similar to P&O ships (not tried Fred) but we always preferred the entertainment on Marella, however the show team has changed and we didn't find the shows so good this time, but there were some very good musicians on board. We find the atmosphere very good, I've read lots of bad reviews about Marella but we always travel away from school holidays when it's quieter and have never seen any trouble. You can choose a table for 2 or share a table in the MDR, we always share and have only a couple of times sat with people who have been disagreeable. Almost always we have sat with very interesting people. The food is good, always find something we like but we are not fussy eaters. Dress is not as strict as P&O but smart casual in the evenings and most people onboard make an effort. There are occasional 'dress to impress' evenings but these days only the minority wear tux, the ladies dress up though. Drinks and tips are included and, as we aren't big drinkers, we always find the drink selection perfectly ok without upgrading . We did find service slow in a couple of bars but that doesn't worry us. We do however tip the steward and anyone who goes the extra mile but that is our choice. Speciality dining is extra and I've been told it's very good but we've never felt the need to try it. Your itinerary sounds wonderful, I'm turning a shade of green! I'm sure you would have a lovely time but, of course, you would need to go with an open mind. Please let us know what you decide.

Yes we were really lucky to get 2 says in Ashdod to visit Jerusalem , Bethlehem etc. A week after we were there trouble broke out and they cancelled Israel for quite a while. The one thing we've found with Marella is that they usually quickly find alternative ports of call whereas I've read about a competitor cruise line that seems to be cancelling ports with no alternative.

So pleased you had a good time, thanks for letting us know.

Yes we did Ancient Wonders and loved it. But does anyone remember the Red Sea cruise on Celebration? That was our first Thomson cruise in 2009. Fabulous to see Petra and also the Pyramids but I must admit we never want to go to Egypt again. But that's why cruising is so good, you can love a place or it can totally put you off a place .

The Eastern Med is our favourite. Look for Istanbul, Athens, Israel - all amazing!

Look at Ottoman Odyssey on Discovery between May and September 2024. Istanbul is amazing, really loved it. Very interesting sailing through the Dardanelles on the way there

Fabulous itinerary, you'll have a great time! I believe Marella are going to sail from Marmaris again next year which means some lovely cruises coming up!

Yes, Greek Mystique followed by Adriatic Affair. We're very lucky to have done many cruises so we usually have some ports we have been to before but absolutely love Greece.

Your first week will be our second week in September, we are doing the Greek Isles the first week so will be a contrast. We've already done the Greek ports but they are all lovely so quite happy to visit again.

I'd be very interested to hear how you find MSC, it's always good to hear other people's views. I know you enjoy both Marella and P&O cruises.

For us it's mainly about the itinerary. Out of interest how many ports of call are there on the P&O 2 week cruise? Usually they don't compare with 12 ports of call on Marella and this should be taken into account when making comparisons . It's not just about the overall cost.

If you want to do a gondola trip the best time is in the morning. It gets busier later so they charge less in a morning. Also, unless you want to be ripped off, don't get a gondola on the grand canal. You can walk into the back streets and negotiate with the gondoliers. Enjoy just wandering around Venice, it's beautiful!

Hi BB, Well done - I think this is your first cruise? This is a great itinerary and it's very easy to book trips all over the place but many of the ports are very nice so you don't always need to go further (unless there's somewhere you really want to see) When you arrive you can go into Corfu town, it's quite a walk so I would get on the bus that will be waiting just outside the port. Corfu is a lovely town to walk around, have a drink etc Koper we haven't been to yet and will visit in September. We absolutely love Slovenia and will have a look round the town, however if you feel confident you can take the bus half an hour down the coast to Piran/Portoroz. Both lovely but very different, Piran is a small place with lots of fish restaurants and lovely whereas Portoroz is bigger and more modern with a lovely walk along the front. Trieste - if you've not been to Venice then that's the place to see. Fabulous? but if you don't want to go there Trieste is lovely to wander around with lots of shops and cafes Split - not been here yet but will just have a wander round - let us know how you find it please Dubrovnik - beautiful city. Catch the bus to the city gate and just wander around the town and the walls or you can take the cable car to the top of the mountain for beautiful views. If you walk around the town and follow the walls, you will find an opening in the wall by the sea. Go through this and it brings you out to Buza Bar, it's basically a bar built on the rocks. Lovely place for a drink and watch the locals jumping off into the sea. Kotor - again one we are looking forward to seeing in September The main thing to remember is the time you need to be back on board. Never, ever be late as the ship won't wait. Always leave plenty of time, and if you do get into difficulties the ship's phone number is on the back of your cruise card. Good luck and let us know how you go on!

Plenty of taxis available at the port but we took a tuk tuk which was fun and, as it was a very hot day, we had open sides. The driver made suggestions where to see but also asked what we wanted to see. Really enjoyed it.

Olbia is a pleasant small town, okay for a wander. There are shops and plenty of cafes to people watch. There's also a small port where you can wander around the expensive yachts. We left the ship quite early and there were double decker buses outside the port. They were taking trips to the beach on the Costa Smerelda . We bought a ticket (think it was about 10 euros) and they took us down the peninsula which had lovely scenery . We got off at a beach and then got a later bus back to the ship. If you don't want to get off it was a lovely round trip of about an hour .

I believe the mosaics are open Sundays if you want to see them. Also the Italians all go out for Sunday lunch so the cafes and restaurants will be open. We find it interesting to people watch so would definitely go ashore if only for a short time

To take home as a souvenir or present you will find everywhere boxes of Turkish Delight. It's a type of sweet that's covered in icing sugar with different flavourings. Delicious when fresh.

Hi Brick1, there are usually plenty of sunbeds to be found around the higher decks. Personally we prefer to find somewhere a bit quieter as it can get a bit noisy by the pool with music and quizzes. We also sometimes move as we can't sit in the sun all day and like to find a shaded area. It's also nice to sit on the balcony with a drink for a bit of quiet. You don't need to tip but it is nice if someone has gone above and beyond, usually the cabin staff. I once tipped a toilet attendant who was always there keeping everything spotless, I was convinced she lived in the loo! Please let us know how you go on, it's always good to hear what others think.

It all comes down to personal choice but I would definitely choose the first cruise. Rome and Athens are brilliant but Istanbul is amazing. Both itineraries are great and you will enjoy them but I feel the first has more to offer.

It's actually further to walk into Corfu town than it looks. There is a bus just outside the port which runs frequently

So sorry to hear that but hope you get back into cruising soon. Take care

Goodness Flopsy, not seen you post for a long time. Hope you are well and still cruising!

That's ok because we're the northern working class 60+ that the ship is supposed to appeal to 😂😂