Marella Discovery is one of five ships sailed by Marella Cruises, the British cruising arm of the Tui Holidays giant that’s best known for its affordable all-inclusive offering. Flights, transfers, accommodation, gratuities, and all meals and drinks are included in the fare.
The ship has been sailing under the Marella Cruises flag for 10 years and offers seven-night family-friendly Caribbean cruises in the winter, and adults-only Mediterranean cruises in the summer. Marella Discovery has an almost identical sister, Marella Discovery 2, meaning this review can be applied to both vessels.
Overall score 8/10
Style and Character 8/10
Launched as Splendour of the Seas by Royal Caribbean in 1995, Marella Discovery isn’t a new ship. As such the style is refreshingly classic – its elegant, six-tier central atrium harks back to the golden age of cruising, with lots of gold trimmings and a showstopping chandelier. There’s also a sumptuous theatre, with old-fashioned wide velvet seats and sofas. The cruise industry has simply stopped making ships like this and more’s the pity.
Marella Discovery’s mascot is a llama so expect to see several full-size, sherbet-coloured papier mache versions dotted across the ship.
Cabins 7/10
The vast majority of Marella Discovery’s 918 cabins have recently been refurbished. Categories include Inside, Inside Plus (which has significantly more floor space), Outside, Balcony and Junior suites. My standard Balcony Cabin was decorated in shades of oyster shell and beige and featured colourful artwork, an extremely comfortable bed and an excellent amount of storage space in its open plan wardrobe.
Bathrooms are compact but functional – just don’t expect chi chi toiletries. You’ll find a shower gel dispenser and a bar of soap by the sink but that’s it, so be sure to pack everything else. All cabins come with Yorkshire tea bags and a kettle, and the lion’s share have British plug sockets as well as USB charging ones (there are just a few inside cabins, awaiting renovation, that lack them).
Food and Drink 8/10
An impressive range of bars and restaurants are included in the fare. In addition to the main restaurant, there’s a free-of-charge Italian called Gallery 47, a new British gastropub called Piccadilly’s, as well as the poolside grab and go Snack Shack (expect sweet chilli chicken wings and focaccia sandwiches) and the indoor pool’s Glass House – head here for rotisserie chicken, coleslaw, salads and pizzas. On deck nine you’ll find the Islands, a buffet restaurant specialising in roasts, salads and pastas.
Marella Discovery has a trio of speciality restaurants (a steakhouse, a sushi bar and an Asian restaurant called Kora Lathe) and the surcharge for all is reasonable. I loved the crispy duck, watermelon salad and sea bass wrapped in bamboo leaf served at Kora Lathe.
The best spot for an aperitif while watching the sunset is the Atrium Bar. Bar Eleven, on deck 11, also has a decent cocktail menu that’s perfect for a post-prandial tipple.
Service and Facilities 7/10
Service comes with the friendliest of smiles. This is a particularly happy ship with crew going out of their way to help. Case in point? One night a waiter fetched a dessert from a different restaurant when I didn’t fancy anything on the menu at the venue I was dining at.
As for facilities, Marella Discovery doesn’t have the bells and whistles of bigger ships, but it does have two pools, a couple of whirlpools, a climbing wall, mini-golf course, jogging track, adults-only sun terrace, and a well-equipped gym. Classes are held in the gym daily and, pleasingly, most are free. Next door you’ll find Oceans Spa, which has free-to-use steam rooms and offers a range of treatments – the Seaweed wrap with massage detox is popular and costs £199 for 105 minutes.
There’s also a fleet of e-bikes on board which are used for cycling excursions in port.
Entertainment and Excursions 9/10
The ship has two new shows in its 800-seater Broadway Show Lounge theatre – one is Life Story: The Beatles; the other is Flair, a Great Gatsby inspired musical. Performances of both are on every sailing. The most popular and longest-running show is West End to Broadway, which regularly receives standing ovations.
Excursions are engaging and reasonably priced compared to other cruise lines and range from catamaran rides (£58pp) to snorkelling with turtles (£68), coffee plantation visits (£88) and rum distillery tastings (£128).
Value for Money 9/10
Fantastic when you consider that flights, transfers, gratuities, meals and drinks are all included in the fare. What you will need to budget for is Wi-Fi (200mb will set you back £40) and room service, which is charged by the item (a continental breakfast costs £4.45). A drinks package encompassing upgraded cocktails, premium brand spirits and speciality coffees can be purchased for £12.71 per day.
Access for guests with disabilities?
Marella Discovery has 17 adapted cabins across four different cabin types: inside, outside, balcony and junior suites. These feature bigger cabin and bathroom doors as well as ramps to balconies. Assistance dogs are welcome onboard too.
Family-friendly?
The ship is a good choice for families owing to its 126 interconnecting cabins, family suites, complimentary kids’ clubs and baby classes, and the fact that there are children’s menus in all restaurants with high chairs available on request.
Note however that Marella Discovery will operate exclusively for adults in summer 2026.