“All-inclusive” can mean different things on holiday. Mostly, that you’re entitled to all your meals plus unlimited drinks, but how about if you’re on a cruise? One indulgence of cruising is being able to eat around the clock. The only free beverages, however, are normally tea, coffee and juices at breakfast.
One British cruise line has taken the concept to a new level. Marella Cruises – part of Tui – has five ships and, on all of them, not only are sodas, wine, beer and cocktails included, so too are gratuities (typically around £160pp for a week-long cruise), transfers and flights. Fares typically start at around £800pp for a week’s sailing.
On the face of it this looks like a good deal. I joined a voyage around Turkey and Greece, on Marella Discovery, to see how this worked out in practice.
The journey to Dalaman was smooth (passengers can fly from several regional airports) and my balcony cabin was modern. I’d been warned not to expect fancy toiletries – just a bar of soap and shower gel – but there were chocolates on my pillow.
However, the pillows turned out to be too chunky. No problem, though – they had been replaced by the time I turned in. Before that, I had time to enjoy a tasty lamb biryani from the buffet and a glass of house red. I returned to my cabin and slept deeply.
Marella Discovery isn’t new. The ship was built nearly 30 years ago for Royal Caribbean (known as Splendour of the Seas) and began sailing under the Marella flag in 2016.
It carries a maximum of 1,830 passengers. There are no record-breaking water slides, but there is a climbing wall, mini-golf, pools and entertainment. The domed atrium has a golden-age-of-cruising feel, as does the theatre with its leather double sofa seats.
My husband Marc and I set about looking for faults, but it was hard. Our first dinner in the main dining room was delicious: cauliflower soup followed by a gargantuan pork chop. Wine and cocktails slipped down nicely and, while we could pay extra for high-end brands, there was no need.
On “Dress to Impress” night in the ship’s Asian restaurant the Maitre D’ clocked my husband’s outfit. “Sir, might you be able to put on something with a collar?” At Limassol in Cyprus the next day, we bought a €5 polo shirt that he wore every other night.
Most passengers were British, but there were also guests from the US, China and a handful of Europeans from other countries.
While shore excursions cost extra, they were cheaper than with other lines. Our Turkish bathhouse experience at Alanya cost £25 each for two hours in the sauna, Jacuzzi and steam room and a 30-minute massage. On Rhodes, we spent £50 on a trip to the archaeological sites of Lindos.
Marella’s biggest British rival is P&O Cruises, which doesn’t include liquid refreshments in its fares – if you want to drink whatever you like it’s £48.85pp per day. There’s a similar, cheaper offer with no-fly British cruise line Ambassador – £38.95pp a day covers unlimited house drinks and tips.
Virgin Voyages, meanwhile, includes soft drinks in its fares and is currently dishing out £160 worth of free drinks per booking.
But many cruisers desire a fare that covers everything. As a result, some lines offer add-ons. Princess Cruises’ Premier Package is an additional £75pp a day – it covers drinks and tips, Wi-Fi, fitness classes, photos and dining. Holland America Line offers a similar Have It All deal for £55pp per day and throws in a couple of shore excursions.
Regent Seven Seas’ fares include tips, premium drinks, speciality restaurant dining, excursions and even laundry.
Where Marella differs is that flights are included. We’d spent just £75 each on excursions plus €5 for the shirt. Which makes it easy to forgive the one fault I did eventually find – the shower wasn’t powerful enough.
How to do it A seven-night “Aegean Gems” cruise on Marella Discovery 2, with departures on 2 and 16 April costs from £1,140pp, all-inclusive
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