Marella Cruises Review: Explorer 2 Cruise Ship

This post is in cooperation with Marella Cruises however, all thoughts, opinions and love of a stress-free break at sea are entirely my own.

I’m back from a week’s cruise of the Adriatic with Marella Cruises on their ship Explorer 2. This was our first cruise with Marella which is part of the Tui group.

I was eager to discover what Tui cruises, geared towards the British Market, and their adults-only ship, Explorer 2, would be like. If you’re curious too, then this detailed Marella Cruises review should answer any questions you might have.

I travelled with my husband sailing on Marella Cruise’s 8-day Adriatic Affair itinerary taking in four countries; Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Montenegro.

We started in Dubrovnik with ports of call at Koper, a sea day, Rijeka, Ancona, Split and Bar before returning to Dubrovnik to disembark.

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I loved that there were some lesser-known destinations to explore on the itinerary as well as some old favourites. Adriatic Affair runs from April – October 2025. Marella Explorer 2 sails from Dubrovnik, Las Palmas and Tenerife.

We spent our mornings exploring each destination before returning to the ship in the afternoon to flop on a sun lounger, unwind in the spa or just chill in our favourite spot on board. We ate far more than we should have done!

In the evenings we’d have an aperitif at one of the bars before dinner and then settle into the theatre for a show or live music in one of the bars. 

So, if you like the sound of a different destination every day, great food, sparkling entertainment and friendly staff at an affordable price then read on. My Marella Cruises review will help you with everything you need to know about cruising on their ship Explorer 2 including dining, entertainment and cabin reviews.

Embarkation

Flights with Tui Airlines and transfers from the airport to the ship are included in the package price so it’s great value There’s 20 kg of checked luggage and another 10 kg hand luggage. 

Luggage labels with our cabin number were provided via the Marella ‘Cruise Control’ website. We printed these off and attached to our cases before leaving for the airport.

Cruise Control is the place where you add your passport information, print off boarding passes, book shore excursions, speciality dining and spa treatments prior to travelling. 

On board, these can be booked using the Navigate app, the ship’s kiosks, through your stateroom TV or in person at the ship’s reception.

On landing we collected our luggage and passed through passport control before heading to arrivals where we were met by the Marella reps who took us to our coach.

Our luggage was loaded on the luggage truck and that was the last time we saw it until we arrived at our stateroom where it was waiting for us outside the door. It’s all incredibly slick.

On arrival at the cruise terminal, passports and boarding cards are checked and we both receive a cruise card which doubles up as cabin key card. We’re ready to board.

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About the ship: Marella Explorer 2

Our cruise ship seemed huge at first but we soon got to know our way around. It’s a mid-sized ship with 907 cabins and a capacity of 1814 guests with 780 crew members. It’s the lowest passenger capacity in the fleet. It’s one of Marella’s older ships and was last refurbed in 2019. 

There are so many facilities, eateries and experiences that Explorer 2 feels like a destination in itself as well as a means of transport between ports of call.

With ten bars and nine restaurants you could head to a different dining option every night of your cruise.

Marella Explorer 2 is Adults Only

Explorer 2 is Marella’s first adults only ship. There’s a laid back vibe with a huge selection of bars, restaurants and luxury add-ons which couples, groups of friends and solo travellers will love. You won’t find kid’s clubs, mini discos or noisy dining rooms.

On our cruise there were a mix of age groups from young couples, to adult families, groups of friends and older couples. Solo travellers are looked after with special social events and get togethers.

If you are looking for a family cruise check out these other Marella cruise ships: Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer and their latest ship Marella Voyager which are all ideal for families.  

Staterooms on Marella Explorer 2

There are a range of cabins on the ship to book. Choose from an inside cabin, outside cabin, balcony cabin or single cabin. There are also various suites; junior, executive and royal to upgrade subject to availability. Most staterooms have a queen-size bed which can be converted to twin beds if required.

All cabins come with Air-conditioning, a hairdryer, flatscreen TV, wardrobe space, tea and coffee-making facilities and a safe which was on the small side.

Marella Explorer 2 Cabin Review

We were in a starboard balcony cabin near the stern, on deck 9. Our 16m² stateroom was light and airy with neutral decor with a queen-size bed made up with good bed linen which was incredibly comfortable. 

There’s a 3-drawer dressing table, with chair, mirror and decent hairdryer. There was also a single sofa/fold down bed for extra sleeping space to make it a 3-berth.

The two bedside shelf units were small but plug sockets were plentiful and there were two USB charging ports.

You can tell this is a British cruise line because tea and coffee facilities are provided with a kettle, mugs and sachets of coffee, sugar, milk and teabags.

There was plenty of storage space in our stateroom. The two wardrobes had enough wooden hangers to accommodate all our clothes which made a welcome change.

Another wardrobe had three deep shelves, hat shelf and four drawers. There was plenty of space to store our two suitcases under the bed.

The ensuite bathroom is compact but adequate. It was fitted with a glass-screened power shower, which was plenty big enough for us, a WC and hand basin. There was storage under the basin plus a shelf unit. 

Our cabin was clean and fresh with daily cleaning and evening turn-down (with pillow chocolates) by our friendly cabin steward, Vilson. He was also very adept at towel art!

Towels are replaced on request but we prefer to be more sustainable and re-use for a few days. There are no robes or slippers and two pool towels are provided.

We loved sitting on our balcony which had a table, two chairs and sea views that changed daily!

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Explorer 2 Swimming Pool

The main hub is on deck 11 around the pool, and by day it’s the busiest part of the ship. The pool is split in two by a small stage/bridge with four whirlpools at one end and and the main stage at the other. The is surrounded by sun beds. Daily trivia, games and music keep guests entertained although it was sometimes a bit loud.

The pool area gets busy but there’s enough room in the public areas and higher decks to find a quiet nook when you want a bit of chill time although you might have to search.

More sun loungers can be found around the ship and on the Veranda on the top deck. It’s at the back of the ship with amazing ocean views. There are cocoon chairs and private cabanas (extra) with call buttons to order drinks.  

A designated smoking area can be found on the pool deck but smoking is prohibited elsewhere on the ship.

Marella Cruises Review – Restaurants and Dining

When it comes to dining there’s a host of options from formal restaurants to more casual dining and snacks. With nine restaurants we could’ve eaten in a different venue every night of our cruise but we found a few favourites and stuck with them.

Marella Explorer 2 Dress Codes

There are three different dress codes depending on where you’re dining; beachware, casual and smart. 

The only eatery that allows beachwear is the Snack Shack. Casual wear means tops and shorts or sundress and then smart would be shirts or polo shirts, trousers, tailored shorts, skirts or dresses.

Footwear should be smart trainers, shoes or sandals. It doesn’t include sportswear, flip-flops or non-tailored shorts. There’s a ‘dress to impress’ night each week but it’s not compusory. 

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Latitude 53

The ship’s main dining room spans two decks and opens for breakfast lunch and dinner. It’s at the back of the ship with great views over the ocean. We had some good meals here and it was our preferred venue for breakfast with excellent daily specials.

There was a good variety on the lunch and dinner menus which, I would say, caters to a British palate. The Masaman curry was a winner and there’s a decent selection of house wines. 

The waiter service was excellent and although they were busy nothing was too much trouble. There was a queue for dinner most nights but it wasn’t a problem. We’d pick up a buzzer from Vista on the floor below and enjoy a pre-dinner drink in one of the bars while we were waiting which wasn’t more than half an hour. Just enough time for a gin and tonic.

Dress code: Casual in the daytime and smart in the evening.

Vista

Vista, a contemporary Italian restaurant, open in the evenings, is located on the first floor of Latitude 53. This was my favourite restaurant with some excellent menu choices which changed every couple of days.

The food was excellent and the desserts were just too tempting! Dress code: Smart 

The Market Place

The ship’s buffet-style, self-service, restaurant serves up a variety of world dishes all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are loads of different choices from pizza, paninis, salads, tapas, pies and fries just to name a few. Sandwiches, cakes and warm scones are served after 3pm. 

We breakfasted here a few times and I had the freshly made-to-order omelette each time which was really good and set me up nicely until lunchtime. Dress code: Casual

Nonna’s, the Snack Shack and Beach Cove

These three dining options are all located on the pool deck and are very casual. The Terrace is nearby which is perfect for al fresco dining.

Nonnas: Pizza and pasta open for lunch and dinner. 

Beach Cove: BBQ inspired food like pulled pork/beef burgers, fries and more. Open for lunch and dinner but extra charge in the evenings. Dress code for both is casual

Snack Shack: Grab ‘n’ go sandwiches, salads, fries and fish and chips which you can take to the beach hut seating or Terrace to eat. Dress code: Beachwear 

Scoops: This vintage looking ice cream parlour serves up delicous ice cream in a range of flavours. It’s an extra cost of £1.25 per scoop and they’re big scoops!

Speciality Restaurants

Three of the ten restaurants are speciality dining. There’s an extra cost and these need to be pre-booked well in advance. We ate at one of these during our trip; Kora La, a pan-Asian cuisine themed restaurant.

The meal was great but I actually preferred the food and atmosphere in Vista. The other speciality options include Surf and Turf, a steakhouse, and fine dining at The Dining Club which also serves the weekly ‘Great Musical Afternoon Tea’.

Bars 

Again, you’re spoilt for choice. Around the pool area you’ll find the Pool Bar and The Shack. The Coffee Port on deck 7 serves Lavazza coffee, tea and chocolates. (included in the premium all inclusive package otherwise it’s extra). There are books, board games and usb charging points here too.

The 19th Hole is a golf-themed bar with golf simulator or head to Indigo a large bar with lounge chairs at the front of the ship with an ocean view. 

The Squid and Anchor has two bars including a premium gin and whisky bar, which is part of the premium all-inclusive.

Head to Aperitifs for pre and after-dinner drinks or nearby Flutes for bubbles accompanied by the ship’s pianist. There’s also the Gin & Whisky Bar.

There’s waiter service in all of the bars.

Onboard Activities and Facilities

Where to start? There’s sooo much to do on board. From mini-golf and pool time to quizzes, shows and live music, there’s something everyone will enjoy.

Every evening we’d get back to our stateroom to find the latest towel creature bearing a copy of the Cruise News with details of the next day’s entertainment and destination info.

Entertainment

Broadway Show Lounge is huge theatre with twice-nightly shows. We loved the show ‘Soul’D Records’ featuring Motown, Soul and hits from the ’60s.

The quality of the singing, dancing, stage set and show were all excellent. The stand-up comedian on the Sunday had us in stitches. 

Indigo Bar, Club and Casino has slot machines and card tables, a dance floor and stage where there’s live music (Matty on guitar or one of two bands) in the evenings and a silent disco later on. The lounge area which is at the fore of the ship has fabulous sea views. 

The Squid and Anchor which is more of a lounge than a pub has afternoon entertainment of trivia quizzes, bingo, dance classes with live music in the evenings, a quiz and occasional game show.

Matty, the guitar and vocalist was especially good and live band ‘The Beats’ got people up dancing. We didn’t stay for the Karaoke…

For film buffs, movies are shown under the stars at the ship’s open-air cinema. Wine and gin tasting classes come in at an extra charge. 

Ocean Spa

The state-of-the-art Ocean spa is the biggest in the Marella fleet. There’s a relaxation room with water beds, sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows, steam rooms and hot tubs and a gorgeous infinity pool that looks out across the ocean. A week’s pass for £99 is great value. 

Treatments include facials, body wraps and massages and there’s beauty salon and hairdressers. An amazing hot-stone massage left me walking on air for the rest of the day. Of course these are all extra and not included in your standard package.

Gym and Mini-Golf

There’s a well-equipped gym, a walking track and mini-golf which we played a few times. The nine-hole course on deck 15 is challenging. I blame the stunning ocean views for putting me off my game…

Shopping

The onboard shopping arcade, Broad Street shops, are set out on decks 6 and 7. A range of shopping outlets selling clothing, jewellery, spirits and perfume at duty free prices. Superdry, Radley, Lacoste, and Pandora amongst others.

The onboard currency is in British pounds and any extras bought on board will be added to your cruise account and taken from the credit card you lodged on boarding.

Marella Shore Excursions

There’s a choice of daily shore excursions, or you can explore each port of call under your own steam.

Four ports of call on our itinerary were just a short walk from the ship so exploring independently was easy. Where we couldn’t walk i.e. Dubrovnik and Bar we took local buses.

There are a range of shore excursions in various price brackets to suit different levels of activity and interests. These can be booked via Cruises Control before your departure or via the Navigate app on board.

We signed up for The Game of Thrones – Dragon’s Dungeon excursion.

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Our half day tour in Split was excellent tour and one I’d highly recommend. Our expert tour guide Ariana was amazing, spoke perfect English and was a mine of information about Game of Thrones and the history of Europe. She was funny too.

We had a scenic coach drive to Fortress Klis which served as the location for the city of Meereen before heading back to Split and exploring the various Game of Thrones filming locations in the old town. 

What’s Included in your cruise fare

The great thing about the Marella Cruises is that the basic drinks package is included in your inclusive package and it’s a pretty good one with soft drinks, beer, wine and some spirits and cocktails included. Also included are:

• Flights and transfers to and from the ship
• Meals in Latitude 53 and Vista plus The Market Place, Nonna’s, Beach Cove at lunchtime and Snack Shack
• Drinks, including soft drinks and alcohol (as above)
• All theatre shows
• Mini-golf
• Daily activities onboard
• Use of the gym (classes like yoga and pilates are extra)
• Gratuities

What’s Not Included in your cruise fare

• Some premium spirits and drinks like Champagne (upgrade to Premium Drinks Package if you’d like these)
• Speciality restaurants like Surf & Turf, Kora La, The Dining Club and Beach Cove (in the evening)
• Premium coffee in The Coffee Port the ship’s specialist coffee shop
• Room service
• Spa treatments
• Shore excursions
• Wi-Fi
• Photos and art work
• Ice cream at Scoops ( which is a very reasonable £1.25 per scoop)

Bottled Water

Bottled water isn’t available onboard which I was happy to see. Water is available from any bar or restaurant free of charge and there are water stations around the ship where you can fill up your cabin’s glass carafe or your own flask.

This is part of Marella’s single-use plastics policy and I didn’t see any single use plastics whilst onboard. They use biodegradable straws and when I picked up a salad from the chiller cabinet it was packaged in cardboard. I recommend bringing a reusable water bottle so you can fill up before leaving the ship on excursions.

WiFi

WiFi isn’t included on Marella Explorer 2. Internet packages are available starting at £8 an hour, £49 for one week or £90 for 15 days. However, data is limited so you might run out before your time is up.

I found the WiFi to be good most of the time although the last couple of days it was flaky and I had problems posting to Instagram and checking emails but I think that may have been due to the location.

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Premium All-Inclusive Package

If the included drinks package doesn’t float your boat, an upgrade to a Premium All-Inclusive package is available at £10 pp per day. Unless you’re very particular, I think the included package is fine. Any extras you might fancy are very reasonably priced, for example cocktails at £3.95.

If you do choose to upgrade then drinks from the Coffee Port are included along with branded soft drinks, an upgraded wine list, upgraded cocktail list and a huge range of premium spirits and mixers like Portobello Gin and Fevertree tonic. There’s a large selection of whisky, brandy and Cognacs too.

Final Thoughts and Impressions

I think that a Marella cruise is excellent value for money and a great way for first time cruisers to test the water. Some major plus points for me are:

• The food on a Marella Cruise is very good with a great choice of dining options.
• The drinks package and gratuities are included so there are no nasty surprises when you disembark. 
• Flights and ship transfers are all taken care of and included in the package price.
• There’s a range of activities and entertainment, if that’s what you like, and plenty of places to chill and relax if you don’t.
• The crew are friendly, efficient and happy.

As a mode of travel and a way of getting a taste of new places, cruising just can’t be beaten. Marella Cruises offer a relaxed, affordable way to cruise on Explorer 2 offering all your home comforts plus a few luxuries in an adults-only environment. Would I book and cruise with Marella Cruises again? Yes I would.

I hope you’ve found my Marella Cruises review useful. Any questions about cruising? Drop them in the comments below.

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