New to Marella (Discovery 2 Med cruise) - lots of questions esp. about cabins!

[lady of rohan]

Sorry, this got a bit long. :o TL; DR - questions in bold!

 

We are considering Marella for the first time. We’re guided by itinerary rather than ship or company - we’ve done NCL (Alaska), RCI (Baltic), HAL (Norway) and CM (Iceland/Faroes) and loved all of them. We’ve been saving up for a Med cruise; we were considering RCI as they sail from Southampton, but Independence of the Seas looks too big for us and I’ve been put off by the many reviews mentioning overcrowding since the extra staterooms have been added. We’ve never done a fly-cruise before, but we like the look of the Cosmopolitan Classics/Highlights of the Mediterranean b2b cruise in July. Reviews of the company and ship (Discovery 2) are very mixed – though that was also true of the Magellan and Cruise Maritime and we had a brilliant holiday. We’re quite easy to please and love the whole atmosphere of being on a cruise ship – we just want somewhere to sit and have a drink in the evening (we don’t bother with the entertainment), places to sit on deck and to be able to use the swimming pools and running track. We’re early and mid-40s. I’ve been reading the reviews but if anyone has any comments (and reassurance!) about the ship, that would be fantastic.

 

We’re teachers, which means travelling during the summer holidays, so I know it will be busy. I don’t mind having to queue/wait in the buffet/bar etc., but we don’t want to be wandering round for hours looking for a spot to sit – is it a nightmare to get sun-loungers/get in the pool etc.? I really like the idea of the cinema screen on deck - is it easy to get a seat to watch the films?

 

We’ve always gone for inside staterooms on lower decks (cost and because I can get sea-sick). This time we’re considering a balcony. The ones on Deck 7 look a safer bet than Deck 6 as they have staterooms above and below so should be quiet. Do you think I will feel a lot of movement on Deck 7? On previous cruises I have only felt sea-sick when the seas have been rough and I’ve been on the top decks – in the stateroom it was fine even when rough (but we haven’t had a cabin above Deck 5). Also – are there any cabins on Deck 7 we should avoid or any that people would recommend? I think mid-ship is best for stability, but I notice some are opposite the lifts – is it better to be opposite another stateroom if we want it to be quiet? Do any of the balconies have an overhang and if so, which ones have the least overhang? Does it matter whether we choose port or starboard as the cruise is an out and back? I’ve looked at some YouTube videos of Deck 7 deluxe balcony cabins – are they all pretty much the same layout/size?

 

The Junior Suite is only a little more expensive - I’ve read that the side JS cabins have one sun-lounger – is that true of all of them? If so, it might be worth it as my husband would love to be able to lie on the balcony (I’m fine sitting!). However, am I right that Deck 8 is likely to be noisy due to what’s on Deck 9? If we did go for JS, are there any cabins we should avoid or aim for? Do any have a big overhang? I know the aft cabins on 6, 7 and 8 have the biggest balconies – but (assuming there are even any left) I’m guessing that wouldn’t be a great position for someone prone to sea-sickness?

 

We will be on a port-intensive cruise with only 2 sea days, but we do love the idea of having our own outside space. People on similar cruises – did you make a lot of use of your balcony and did you think it was worth the extra money?

 

Is it right that people can no longer smoke on balconies? We’re both non-smokers so that would be a plus for us. I know this is a lot of cabin questions, but I really want to make sure that a balcony is worth it and - if we go for it - that we get a good one!

 

Is there any way other than phoning TUI to find out which cabins are still available? We’re used to being able to see available cabins online so it feels a bit odd having to book and then hoping a good cabin is free.

 

If anyone is still with me after this long post, thank you for reading – I appreciate any replies and any comments people have in general on Marella and the Discovery 2! I'll go back to read more reviews now :D

[Pensioncruiser]

Lot to go through & I'm away at the moment so just a few answers, we have been in JS port side and JS aft, side is about the same size diff shape smaller balcony one sun bed two chairs and a table, aft has larger balcony two sun beds two chairs and a table, we preferred aft but they go first we book 18 months in advance, no way of checking availability yourself but a TA may help. Definitely no smoking on balcony. Loved our balcony just one flight down from bar and snack shack so easy for breakfast and pm drinks. Will try to answer other questions over the weekend.

 

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[lady of rohan]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my long post - I realise I should have made it shorter but I kept thinking of extra questions! I really appreciate your input.

[Pensioncruiser]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my long post - I realise I should have made it shorter but I kept thinking of extra questions! I really appreciate your input.

Hi again no problems with sun beds, pool access or seats for the film. We had no problems with noise and only felt ship movement one time but even mid ship was bad but it all depends on the sea and how you handle it I am usually OK . If you have any specific questions I will try to help but we do love the company and most of the ships so my be a little biased[emoji6]

 

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[David brown 1906]

I was on a b2b cruise on the D2 late July and into August, I personally couldn't find fault with the ship, staff, drinks, food, entertainment, sun lounges (head to the veranda which is through the gym) or ports.

Let's start with the ship.

Very clean and tidy, the Atrium is great, great bar and waiter service (all over the ship) catch their eye and they will bring you your drink ALWAYS WITH A SMILE.

Food: deck 9 is the buffet perfectly good enough, I chose 47 as i like to be waited on and for portion control.

I chose to upgrade my drinks and I was more than happy.

Staff: faultless.

Cavin: I was in 7054 lovely cabin with lovely balcony.

Food us available 06.00 to 01.00, drinks are 10.00 to 02.00.

Entertainment: something for everyone, the entertainment staff work hard.

 

All in all I was delighted with holiday cost and service received.

I'm on another cruise in October on the Spirit, it'll be difficult not to compare the two.

 

Hope this helps.

 

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[David brown 1906]

Sample menu off D2

 

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