Marella

[Eglesbrech]

1 minute ago, AndyMichelle said:

See, if I did go on Marella, I would not dress (formal) for dinner as I really wouldn't want to be done up to the nines next to a bloke in shorts, I would probably stick to smart casual. 

I think the formal nights still have a massive place in the cruise market, not for the masses maybe, but cruising never used to be for the masses. 

I'm hoping for a split, with plenty of choice for both types of cruiser. 

We are relatively new to cruising, but still prefer a slightly more formal atmosphere for a couple of nights. 

Andy 

 

Personally I have never seen anyone in shorts at dinner on Marella nor football shirts etc but it obviously happens as it is reported by others above.

 

I hope you are right and that the choice for all preferences remains.

 

 

[DamianG]

27 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I think you are right with the “bit torn”, P&O are trying to be all things to all people at the moment and so there is a bit of a culture clash. That said the quote from the CEO on another thread seems to indicate that they are beginning to be more targeted at a specific market (Saturday TV audience quote refers). 
 

Marella are unpretentious and don’t offer any more than a cruise with reasonable food, entertainment and AI thrown in. They offer some interesting fly cruises from local airports which for those of us far from Southampton is useful, particularly during the winter. I envy you your access to ships (but not the southern traffic!)

Formal dress is going the way of the dinosaurs unfortunately. Even on lines that advertise that they still do it are becoming more and more lax. I still dress for dinner on Marella and don’t feel out of place, there is just a more eclectic mix than on P&O.

 

Agree P&O have been "trying to be all things to all people" and I would even say they've been like that for years (not just at the moment). To be fair they've done a pretty good job in the past but perhaps they are now leaning too far towards less formal cruising? Disappointing as that is for me and many others it's not really surprising, you could easily find posts 10 years ago on this site where people are grumbling about "having to dress up" so with ever bigger ships to fill P&O are just trying to take advantage of that market. As others have said we may not be far off a P&O cruise/ship which has a completely informal dress code and even then some will push the boundaries of what meets an acceptable "casual smart" dress code in the evenings. 

Edited February 11, 2020 by DamianG

[2BACRUISER]

17 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

See, if I did go on Marella, I would not dress (formal) for dinner as I really wouldn't want to be done up to the nines next to a bloke in shorts, I would probably stick to smart casual. 

I think the formal nights still have a massive place in the cruise market, not for the masses maybe, but cruising never used to be for the masses. 

I'm hoping for a split, with plenty of choice for both types of cruiser. 

We are relatively new to cruising, but still prefer a slightly more formal atmosphere for a couple of nights. 

Andy 

 

We did opt for smart casual on Marella,(Discovery 2)  slacks and shirt for DH and black trousers and top for me and still felt overdressed, we too like a slightly more formal atmosphere as its part of the treat of going out to eat each evening when on holiday as at home we never eat out due to logistics of where we live. however Marella enabled us to dip our toe in the cruise water and we found we liked lots of aspects of cruise life not least waking up in a different place each day x

Edited February 11, 2020 by 2BACRUISER

[Bazrat]

After we realised what was expected for the dress code on Explorer 2 I just wore a short sleeve shirt trousers and shoes and didn’t feel out of place.

[dronnygirl]

47 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Personally I have never seen anyone in shorts at dinner on Marella nor football shirts etc but it obviously happens as it is reported by others above.

 

I hope you are right and that the choice for all preferences remains.

 

 

Totally agree, the majority of people are dressed smart casual even in the buffet.  I have only once seen a football shirt in many cruises

[dronnygirl]

23 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

I can concur with all the above. I think Marella win on choice of airports you can use in the UK and their ships are predominantly based in the summer in the med, Palma, Naples, Dubrovnik and Corfu. We personally think that they are a bit overpriced and you pay over the odds for AI example Sept 14nts Baltic cruise ex soton on Azura is £1357 OV same cruise Marella Ex2 AI OV £1803 for two of us thats an £892 price difference and theres no way we would spend that much on drink between us. 

Marella is very much a TUI land based AI just on a ship imho. 

 

We too are watching Baltic cruise prices but need to compare like for like. Currently a couple with Marella outside is £3873 taking into account the £200 discount currently  in place. Azura outside (non obs) is £3692.  Balconies are £4331 Marella and £4198 P&O for the September sailing.  As Marella have 2 extra ports there is no comparison for us on this occasion as we want to see as much as possible rather than sea days. 

[2BACRUISER]

Just now, Bazrat said:

After we realised what was expected for the dress code on Explorer 2 I just wore a short sleeve shirt trousers and shoes and didn’t feel out of place.

yes thats what we did on EX2, i think the fact that EX2 is adult only has a different clientele make up than Discovery 2 which is more family/group orientated so different clientele. 

Just now, dronnygirl said:

We too are watching Baltic cruise prices but need to compare like for like. Currently a couple with Marella outside is £3873 taking into account the £200 discount currently  in place. Azura outside (non obs) is £3692.  Balconies are £4331 Marella and £4198 P&O for the September sailing.  As Marella have 2 extra ports there is no comparison for us on this occasion as we want to see as much as possible rather than sea days. 

Yes i think its worth breaking the two price comparisions down its just DH baulks at shelling out nearly £4k+ for the trip with Marella when i explain with P&O drinks are to add on price he still is convinced they would work out cheaper for us partly because he doesnt see holiday spending money as part of holiday cost as it just goes on my cc and gives me the cash to pay it when the bill comes lol.

[Bazrat]

Both our cruises were adult only our next two are on families type cruises so will be interesting to see the difference.

[oxygenbanditnot]

2BA, sorry it took so long to get back to you; have been busy and online playing chess. Best thing about chess......it's not Golf.

If we do Marella again, will not bother to take formal gear; just smart casual.

Looking at 35 day P&O next Jan for my 70th.

Hope formal is better observed.

How did you manage to gain so much???

We were eating more than at home and had 90 bar entries in the "log" you get at the end. A fair few were Orange/soda drinks, but majority alco.

Not counting the self serve Rose wine at the buffet at lunch times and waiter wine service in the MDR.  Could not get away with the white or red wine, was crap we thought. Rose was a bit better than OK.

I gained 7 and the wife 5 pounds.

On a lighter note, was offered 5 camels for the wife in Agadir.

Thought that was too generous, managed to barter them down to 1 camel.

Then I remembered I don't smoke, had to hold on to her !!!

How's that for 2 original bad jokes in 1 post ???

[2BACRUISER]

34 minutes ago, oxygenbanditnot said:

If we do Marella again, will not bother to take formal gear; just smart casual.

Looking at 35 day P&O next Jan for my 70th.

Hope formal is better observed.

How did you manage to gain so much??

Have to confess it was the extra breakfasts and afternoon tea wot done it. I dont partake in either or drink at home so hence over indulging lol 😜

[oxygenbanditnot]

Only did afternoon tea twice......Love the clotted cream.

Normally drink John Smiths, Guinness, Murphys, or London Pride. 

Was designated driver at Xmas, had a couple of non alco Peroni, never again.

So, I tried a proper one on Explorer, sorry never again.

[Daftlad]

I'm glad I've stumbled into this particular thread.

Booked a "taster" with Marella in six weeks or so and it's the topic of dress code that's catching my eye. I've decided that tuxedo will be left at home as it seems wearing that would put me in the minority. I'll take a suit at best, but from the sounds of things smart casual would seem to be more appropriate for me at least. My wife always looks elegant whatever she wears, must be a woman thing!

Still in love with P&O,  just fancy a change.

[Bazrat]

4 hours ago, Daftlad said:

I'm glad I've stumbled into this particular thread.

Booked a "taster" with Marella in six weeks or so and it's the topic of dress code that's catching my eye. I've decided that tuxedo will be left at home as it seems wearing that would put me in the minority. I'll take a suit at best, but from the sounds of things smart casual would seem to be more appropriate for me at least. My wife always looks elegant whatever she wears, must be a woman thing!

Still in love with P&O,  just fancy a change.

You will enjoy your cruise with marella we did but prefer p&o especially the formal nights.

[AndyMichelle]

4 hours ago, Daftlad said:

I'm glad I've stumbled into this particular thread.

Booked a "taster" with Marella in six weeks or so and it's the topic of dress code that's catching my eye. I've decided that tuxedo will be left at home as it seems wearing that would put me in the minority. I'll take a suit at best, but from the sounds of things smart casual would seem to be more appropriate for me at least. My wife always looks elegant whatever she wears, must be a woman thing!

Still in love with P&O,  just fancy a change.

Yeah, how come women can do that? 

You don't often see posts about the lady on the next table being scruffy, it's always a man.. 

Andy 

[msk1955]

I would say the food on Marella is pretty awful compared to P & O and the muster drill was a complete joke.  Seemed to me they are a pretty poor imitation of P & O.

[Bazrat]

50 minutes ago, msk1955 said:

I would say the food on Marella is pretty awful compared to P & O and the muster drill was a complete joke.  Seemed to me they are a pretty poor imitation of P & O.

sorry we’re not the food experts like yourselves but we found the food rather good on explorer 2 last year,as for the muster drill you turn up at your designated place they explain the drill to you simple really

[Britboys]

13 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

sorry we’re not the food experts like yourselves but we found the food rather good on explorer 2 last year,as for the muster drill you turn up at your designated place they explain the drill to you simple really

It is 2 years ago now but I found the mdr food on Discovery 2 to be the worst I have ever had on a cruise - as was the service in the mdr too.

[msk1955]

23 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

sorry we’re not the food experts like yourselves but we found the food rather good on explorer 2 last year,as for the muster drill you turn up at your designated place they explain the drill to you simple really

I didn't say we were food experts - just that to our taste, the food was not as good.  As for the muster drill - a complete joke.  The time initially given when this would take place turned out to be wrong.  No announcement over the tannoy, no demonstration of what the emergency signal sounded like, no demonstration of how to put on the life jacket and no checking of who was present.  The guy in the life jacket just stood there with the jacket already on and then took a few people's names (by no means everyone) and went.  We might as well not have bothered going.

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, Britboys said:

It is 2 years ago now but I found the mdr food on Discovery 2 to be the worst I have ever had on a cruise - as was the service in the mdr too.

I admit the service was not sparkling but the food it’s everyone’s personal taste like you said you did not like the food on discovery 2 not been on that.

[Bazrat]

56 minutes ago, msk1955 said:

I didn't say we were food experts - just that to our taste, the food was not as good.  As for the muster drill - a complete joke.  The time initially given when this would take place turned out to be wrong.  No announcement over the tannoy, no demonstration of what the emergency signal sounded like, no demonstration of how to put on the life jacket and no checking of who was present.  The guy in the life jacket just stood there with the jacket already on and then took a few people's names (by no means everyone) and went.  We might as well not have bothered going.

They obviously broke the law everyone must by law attend the muster,I hope you brought that to the attention of those in charge 

[msk1955]

I certainly did - was pretty certain that this procedure (or lack of) contravened maritime law.  Obviously got a pretty feeble response though.

[brian1]

5 minutes ago, msk1955 said:

I certainly did - was pretty certain that this procedure (or lack of) contravened maritime law.  Obviously got a pretty feeble response though.

Hi,what ship was this? On E1 last year the Captain was very strict and knew who didn't turn up and said they had one more chance or they wouldn't be allowed to sail.

[msk1955]

It was on Marella Dream over Christmas/New Year.

[oxygenbanditnot]

We were in Explorer 1 Jan just gone. Muster drill was done correctly and everyone's cruise/id/door card was "scanned". No one could avoid it.

[Bazrat]

28 minutes ago, msk1955 said:

It was on Marella Dream over Christmas/New Year.

I will post your comments about the muster on the marella board and see if it was ignored across the board.