Is Marella letting standards slip?

[Brummijam]

What are your thoughts regarding the current standards on Marella ships.

On our last trip we were of the opinion that cost cutting was taking its toll with poor food, sub standard drinks/ mixers and poor quality house wines. The Explorer was looking grubby and the staff were overstretched. On this board there seems to be some discontent from contributors regarding poor service etc. I was reading reviews for Explorer at the top of

this board and they don’t paint a very good picture with poor ratings.

Whats your opinions?

Edited April 22, 2023 by Brummijam
Spellink

[pennib]

We have been on Explorer twice in the last 12 months and had no complaints whatsoever which is why we have booked it again for November 2023. We were amazed that the balcony got hosed down each week. Never had that on P&O. 

[Sheera07]

We are down near the Lizard in Cornwall this week ,it’s pouring down , so we can’t wait to get back on Discovery in June , had a great holiday in the Caribbean in feb , also was on Explorer in nov also a good time had , we like Marella at least there are no hidden costs , unless you choose to spend extra .

[dronnygirl]

We were on D2 in October and had a lovely time. The theatre entertainment wasn't as good as previously but we enjoyed our time on board. Having read threads on rival cruise lines it seems that cutbacks are across the board, no-one seems to be happy. However we like the Marella itineraries and that's what brings us back time and again. Many other cruise lines seem to be cancelling ports but this only happened to us once with Marella and that was due to very high winds and the captain managed to find us another port at short notice.

Back on E2 in September so fingers crossed all will be well 

[Brummijam]

One of the reviews off this board from January this year on Explorer.🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Oh dear. A disappointing experience. The ship is kept very clean. The balcony was large and the hammock was a nice touch. Muster drills are now on video and are faster than before. But: 

Tui/Marella has now sunk so far downmarket that I am surprised they don’t market this as a submarine. The ship is now so mediocre and lacking in character, charm or features that it now resembles a floating Travelodge at best. 

The food on board is purely functional. With the exception of the steak restaurant, don’t bother paying for premium restaurants as the food and accompanying service is clueless and scripted. The “Dining Club” was almost hilarious in its incompetence and we felt it was like attending a cooking evening by well meaning but untrained primary school kids role playing a fine dining setup. Terrible!

The staff often lack initiative, confidence or experience and I witnessed some worrying bullying behaviour between them. We sat next to crew meetings held in the coffee bar where this was being discussed a few inches away. Unprofessional in the extreme. Weird really. Most staff mean well but many seem to be to be frightened of showing any independent thought. Amazing deterioration post-Covid. 

Since we last travelled on the Explorer, all signs of luxury have disappeared. The former Champneys Spa is now an anonymous sales-led treatment business and there are no cabanas on deck to rent any more. The wine selections are pitiful and the named choices absent while the choice and quality of the food onboard now resembles that found in a typical motorway service station. The accountants have taken over and there is a meanness everywhere in our opinion. It is like a low-rent wedding party really. A week spent in an airport terminal. 

There is a lack of joy on this ship. Guests seemed muted. Long waits at under-staffed bars too. 

The bean counting is sad. Food portions outside the buffet are tiny (2 prawns in a paid for premium prawn cocktail for example!!!) They even charge £5 for shuttle buses now to get you out of ports where it would be a 25 minute walk to just get out of the industrial docking areas. Mean. 

You get what you pay for I guess, but this is now almost a third-world experience compared to the past. The library (The Attic) had literally zero books left and the deserted gamer’s zone features some broken Playstations and derelict seating. Several areas of the boat seemed unused compared to last time and the entertainment consists of a couple of lounge singers and the theatre shows are threadbare imitations of the past efforts. 

Most of the guests seemed to be first time cruisers and seemed happy (relieved even) with the free booze and pile it high burgers, sausages and chips. The cruise attracted a 60+ crowd of almost entirely British people who seemed friendly and quiet and who hailed predominantly from a Northern English/Scottish working-class background. 

Embarkation was efficient, the cleaners are very swift and good and while the cabins are old, they are clean and offer some great balcony space for the money. It feels like Ryanair have gone into the cruising business and I guess that’s fine. It’s a cheap cruise but we were sad to see the decline in standards. We did not enjoy the experience, hated the food and it was a joy to get off the boat. 

Cabin Review

Ok. Knackered. But nice terrace with hammock. Fridge.

[dronnygirl]

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

 

[Flopsy]

Well said dronnygirl (from another dronny girl lol)

[Brummijam]

4 hours ago, Brummijam said:

The cruise attracted a 60+ crowd of almost entirely British people who seemed friendly and quiet and who hailed predominantly from a Northern English/Scottish working-class background. 

One of the positives from that review and quite correct.😉

 

[dronnygirl]

9 hours ago, Flopsy said:

Well said dronnygirl (from another dronny girl lol)

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

[Rebel Rouser]

I'm caught between the North and South. On the East Coast do we not count 🙄😂

[ElmaLee]

"Most of the guests seemed to be first time cruisers and seemed happy (relieved even) with the free booze and pile it high burgers, sausages and chips. The cruise attracted a 60+ crowd of almost entirely British people who seemed friendly and quiet and who hailed predominantly from a Northern English/Scottish working-class background. "

 

This says more about the reviewer than about the passengers.

[Flopsy]

7 hours ago, dronnygirl said:

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

Not been cruising for years now- hubby got dementia and so cruising was off the agenda. But he died in 2021 and now I’m starting to get the cruising bug again!

[dronnygirl]

1 hour ago, Flopsy said:

Not been cruising for years now- hubby got dementia and so cruising was off the agenda. But he died in 2021 and now I’m starting to get the cruising bug again!

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

[jaxw17]

I was shocked at how bad it was full of rude passengers as well. We had a serious complaint and are still trying to sort it out. The customer service from the so called customer experience officer was the worst I have ever come across and she lied as well.

The food in the buffet was awful.

People with glass glasses sat at the edge of the pool people vaping in lifts and in the bars.

Princess are not my favourite cruise line but we had just come off one of their ships 2 weeks before and the differences were glaring.

Only  the first time cruisers seemed impressed.

 

[paularmstrong]

We did discovery in February and found long ques at bars , Our balcony was filthy for two weeks you could write your name on the glass , issue on flight back and damaged case , still awaiting outcome and this cruise was not cheap , I booked P&O next cruise , we have done 30 plus with TUI and enjoy the atmosphere that celebrity , princess etc do not have , see what P&O are like .

[Cliffholl55]

On 4/24/2023 at 10:51 AM, paularmstrong said:

We did discovery in February and found long ques at bars , Our balcony was filthy for two weeks you could write your name on the glass , issue on flight back and damaged case , still awaiting outcome and this cruise was not cheap , I booked P&O next cruise , we have done 30 plus with TUI and enjoy the atmosphere that celebrity , princess etc do not have , see what P&O are like .

We did PO Caribbean on Arvia in February after cancelled Marella cruise wit 24 hours notice. Was half the price and double the fun on PO.

 Marella are out pricing there cruises compared to others.

[paularmstrong]

Yes Cliff we were docked beside it in Antigua it looked fabulous compared to discovery , We booked on to go next February and it was £1000 cheaper and flying with Tui from our local airport direct to Barbados

[Sally V Lamb]

Brummijam is correct in most respects. Standards have slipped but no one objects. Just back from a week around the Canaries and I would add the following.  Breakfast very poor selection with bacon of a low fatty nature. No tomatoes some days and the waiter said they rationed these to every other day. Quite ridiculous considering they stock up weekly in Tenerife where they are abundant. Mushrooms sliced so thinly you could not tell what they were.  Hash browns on alternate days.

 

I found the main broadway shows very good and have no complaints here. However there was a tendency for some passengers - mostly scottish - as they sat by us and told us they were - would pick up the free drinks on the way in and then nip out the other entrance and come back with more drinks. As the drinks were free regardless on board I cannot see that the advantage is. These were also the people going to the toilet throughout the show. The doors should be shut as well to prevent a procession of late comers.

 

That said the ship is in good condition,was well run day to day and we enjoyed ourselves.

[oscarshep]

16 hours ago, Sally V Lamb said:

Brummijam is correct in most respects. Standards have slipped but no one objects. Just back from a week around the Canaries and I would add the following.  Breakfast very poor selection with bacon of a low fatty nature. No tomatoes some days and the waiter said they rationed these to every other day. Quite ridiculous considering they stock up weekly in Tenerife where they are abundant. Mushrooms sliced so thinly you could not tell what they were.  Hash browns on alternate days.

 

I found the main broadway shows very good and have no complaints here. However there was a tendency for some passengers - mostly scottish - as they sat by us and told us they were - would pick up the free drinks on the way in and then nip out the other entrance and come back with more drinks. As the drinks were free regardless on board I cannot see that the advantage is. These were also the people going to the toilet throughout the show. The doors should be shut as well to prevent a procession of late comers.

 

That said the ship is in good condition,was well run day to day and we enjoyed ourselves.

Hello Sally, 

Assuming that you are not Scottish yourself, why did you feel it necessary to include the nationality of the people you criticised......just wondering. I'm from Scotland so British myself and have seen questionable behaviours on some cruises in recent years from passengers from all of the four nations that make up our United Kingdom.

None of us are that different really.

 

 

[paularmstrong]

Because Brummijam clearly stated by a post from someone else the cruise attracted mainly scottish and northern England people

[oscarshep]

So not Northern English then😂

[Brummijam]

The post that I put up as an example (post no5) does mention Scottish and northern English passengers, but not in a derogatory way as far as I can tell.

I have enjoyed many cruises meeting other pax from all over the United Kingdom and never had any problems whatsoever. (Apart from some understanding some very broad accents)😂  We are so lucky to live in the UK in that wherever we go we can always find friendly aproachable people.

The original post was regarding Marella /TUI standards rather than its guests.😉

 

[ElmaLee]

21 hours ago, Sally V Lamb said:

 

 

 However there was a tendency for some passengers - mostly scottish - as they sat by us and told us they were - would pick up the free drinks on the way in and then nip out the other entrance and come back with more drinks.

Casual racism again.

 

Shocking that people on an all inclusive cruise would want more than one drink.  What's the world coming to?

[ElmaLee]

4 hours ago, paularmstrong said:

Because Brummijam clearly stated by a post from someone else the cruise attracted mainly scottish and northern England people

Given the range of airports TUI uses to carry passengers to the ship and the locations of the majority of UK population being in the "south"  I would doubt this is ever true.

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by ElmaLee

[Jim The Scot]

We were born with two hands,pointless leaving one idle 😉