Pictured left to right outside the new store are: Paul Hardwick, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Director of Retail; Emma Bailey, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Tutti Taylor, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents; Councillor Candy Vaughan, Mayor of Eastbourne; Trevor Ridler, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents Business Development Manager; and Shirley Waters, Fred. Olsen Travel Agents..
I have booked several of my customers with Marella over the years and heard a lot of positive feedback from their trips, so I was really looking forward to my 7-night cruise around the Caribbean onboard Explorer 2. ‘Marella’ means ‘shining sea’ in Celtic, and they celebrate 30 years of cruising in May 2026. As part of TUI’s travel group, they have vast experience in ensuring happy holidaymakers, and their fleet of five ships sail to over 100 ports around the world. All Inclusive is standard, with tips, flights and transfers included, which makes for a worry-free trip as all you need is spending money.
The holiday got off to a fabulous start, with a 10-minute transfer from the airport to Dominican Republic’s La Romana Cruise Terminal, a welcome drink once there, and plenty of staff checking guests in, so there were no queues. The Atrium onboard was immediately striking, with a large virtual screen playing stunning underwater videos, which really got you in the mood for a cruise!
I was staying in a balcony cabin on deck 8, which was welcoming and clean. Explorer 2 is Marella’s adult-only ship, with 907 cabins, including designated solo cabins. The ship has a large spa, a gym, ten bars and nine restaurants as well as outdoor spaces, like The Veranda, where you can enjoy sea views. There was plenty of seating in the public areas and at the two pools, but my favourite was the Observatory, which was a lovely quiet spot to read my book. The ship is very relaxed with smart/casual dress, apart from the Dress to Impress night when guests made more of an effort.
I went to the shows in the main theatre and on some nights they did themed parties up on the pool deck - one night was Hawaiian and on another they did a BBQ. There was always entertainment in the bars such as singers and karaoke, and on two of the nights there was also a silent disco. The 19th Hole is a golf-themed bar with a golf simulator, which I had a go on, at a small additional cost, Flutes is a Champagne and Prosecco bar, when you buzz for bubbles and sip whilst enjoying the pianist, and Indigo is a bar, club and casino all rolled into one.
The specialty restaurants start at around £30pp, including Surf & Turf Steakhouse and Kora La for Pan-Asian options. I ate in all of them as I wanted to taste all the different cuisines, and I visited Kora La twice, as there was so much on the menu I wanted to try! I paid an extra £16 one night in the main dining room as I wanted to try the lobster, which was incredible. Certain drinks were at extra cost, but this was included if you are booked on to the Premium All Inclusive. I enjoyed a Wine Pairing experience for £12.95 too. The food quality exceeded my expectations, and I particularly enjoyed the lobster, a monkfish dish and also a gorgeous smoked haddock and leek pastry.
My cruise took me to Dominica, Antigua, St Maarten, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Samana in the Dominican Republic, and there were excursions available in every port, such as beach stays, rainforest treks and zip lining. I loved swimming through the narrow gorges in Dominica to the waterfalls - it was something I had never done before.
If you are after an adult only ship, Explorer 2 offers itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, encompassing The Canary Islands and Madeira for the rest of 2025 into early 2026, followed by itineraries starting from Dubrovnik in Croatia, cruising round the Adriatic and Greece from May to October 2026.
Cruising the Caribbean with Marella was such a memorable experience. Everything was well organised, with a variety of excursions and top-class food and entertainment. Being All Inclusive means there are no scary bills at the end, and extras like excursions and specialty restaurants are very reasonably priced. With the option to fly from local airports on certain itineraries, and an adult-only ship, as well as the other four family-friendly ships, Marella really does offer something for everyone.
You can find Tom at Christchurch. If you would like to discuss a cruise, click here to find your local shop.
