5 Things I Love About Marella Cruises (Inclusions, Entertainment, Drinks and More)

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I’ve cruised with the British cruise line Marella many times on a variety of different itineraries.

If you are considering a Marella cruise, the below are points that I think are worth considering when comparing them to other cruise lines:

Marella’s Theatre Entertainment is my Favourite

I have cruised with every big American cruise line and despite that Marella, a relatively small British line still have my favourite theatre shows.

On a lot of the big cruise lines, they have one or two signature shows that are shown multiple nights of the cruise. This isn’t how it works on a Marella cruise.

The longest Marella cruise I’ve taken was 14 nights and during that cruise, the theatre show put on a different show every single day.

There were no repeats. I loved my daily routine of having dinner and going to the theatre.

I know entertainment is very subjective, but I love musicals, and shows with lots of colours and costumes and that is exactly what Marella’s shows are like.

All theatre shows are included in the cruise fare.

Marella do Themed Cruises – I’ve Been on Two!

I have taken two themed cruises with Marella and they were both so much fun.

The theme was 90s and the theme affected everything including:

• The guest acts
• The dress codes (we dressed as 90s musicians and celebrities)
• The ships decor

The themed cruises that I took were both 3 days long and the schedules were so busy that we could have stayed on the ship the entire time and not been bored for a second.

All the activities were related to the theme and it was really nice to be in such a relaxed environment.

Due to the demand, themed cruises are usually more expensive than regular cruises, but the prices were very fair, starting at around £500 per person based on two sharing for the three-night cruise.

Have a look at a Marella themed cruise here:

This cruise gave me a great opportunity to introduce my friends to cruising. I bought 5 first time cruisers with me and they all had a fantastic time!

Drinks Also Included on Marella Cruises, and They Are SO Easy to Get

When you walk into the theatre on a Marella cruise there will be a table set up with drinks. Beers, cocktails, and soft drinks, are all included on Marella cruises.

There is an upgrade package that you can buy that gives you access to more drinks, but the standard drinks are perfectly fine for most.

Find out why I upgraded my drinks last time I cruised with Marella here:

I Upgraded to Marella’s Premium Drinks Package – Here’s Why

When you are sat by the pool they will come around with a trolley and hand out drinks too.

Everybody on the cruise has drinks included as standard, there is no way to buy a Marella cruise without the drinks. They don’t ever have to check your cruise card, and there’s no signing for drinks or anything like that!

The above drink is called electric lemonade, and it’s one of my favourites.

I will say the included cocktails aren’t usually very strong, and the included soda is often bad-quality fountain soda, but still, when it is included, I don’t mind so much. I’ll just have two cocktails!

Gratuities are also included on Marella which is great.

Food is included to and there are many “included” options for food:

This Cruise Ship Has 6 Restaurants Included in the Cruise Fare (I Tried Them All)

Marella’s Ships are Mid Sized

Marella hasn’t built any of their own ships, they were all bought from other cruise lines. (They have recently signed new contracts for two brand-new ships, but they won’t be in service for years).

The majority of their ships were made in the 1990s and how around 2000 passengers which is my personal favourite size of cruise ship.

The ships are large enough that they have multiple pools, big theatres and lots of restaurants/bars but you don’t feel as though you have to walk a long way to get to things.

I also love the decor of the Marella ships, it is always bright and fun. I don’t get the impression that Marella take themselves too seriously, and I love that. It’s a holiday, it’s for fun!

Marella Explorer 2 is Adult Only

I spent a week onboard the adult-only Marella Explorer 2 and had a brilliant time.

It’s quite rare for a cruise line to have an adult-only ship in its fleet. Usually, a cruise line is either exclusively adult-only (like Virgin Voyages) or not adult-only.

I took a cruise on Explorer 2 just after the Covid pandemic. It was a real bargain, and we all had a fantastic time. Find out about that here:

The adult-only ship means that people who don’t want to cruise with too many kids don’t have to avoid the school holidays completely.

I recently spent a week on Marella Discovery 2, a cheap winter break to the Canary Islands. It was just what I needed! Find out all about that here:

Before You Go

I wouldn’t consider booking a Marella cruise without first looking for a discount code! Find out more here:

How To Find Discount Codes For Marella Cruises

All Marella ships have animal mascots onboard. Find out more here:

The Secret Life of Marella Cruises’ Animal Mascots (Yes, Penguins, Ducks, and Alpacas Are Involved)