Is Marella Cruise Food Actually Any Good? | Day 1 Review

Join Marion and Me for their honest take on the Marella Explorer 2 Mediterranean medley cruise! 🚢 We promise a truthful account of our slow living travel experience, comparing it to our previous Marella Discovery cruise. This travel vlog will share all the details of our senior travel adventure. Marella Explorer 2 Mediterranean Medley Cruise Review, Embarkation Day & Main Dining Food Quality Test. Thinking about booking a Mediterranean cruise getaway with Marella Cruises? In this detailed cruise travel vlog, we take you along for our day one embarkation experience onboard the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 liner as we begin our Mediterranean Medley itinerary. We share our unfiltered first impressions of the ship, the balcony cabins, onboard bars, restaurant menus, entertainment, and spa costs. --- 📍 TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS 00:00 Marella Explorer 2 Mediterranean Medley Cruise Overview 00:45 First Impressions of our Marella Explorer 2 Balcony Cabin 01:20 The Coffee Port Review: Iced Lattes Onboard 01:40 Aperitif Bar & Premium Drinks Package Cocktail Review (Gimlet vs Vesper) 03:00 Dinner at Piccadilly Main Dining Room: Starter Menu Review 06:00 Our 23-Hour Travel Nightmare: East Midlands Airport to Palma Mallorca 07:50 Main Course Taste Test: Is Marella Cruise Food Good? 12:35 Marella Cruise Excursion Costs: Is the Livorno & Pisa Tour Worth It? 16:30 Sampling Desserts & All-Inclusive Sweet Treats 18:00 Broadway Show Lounge Evening Entertainment Review 18:55 Marella Explorer 2 Ocean Spa Weekly Pass Price & Facilities Breakdown --- 🍹 MARELLA PREMIUM DRINKS PACKAGE & COCKTAIL TEST We kick off our evening on Deck 7 at the Bar Aperitif (Aperitif Bar), located right next to the Surf & Turf Steakhouse. Testing out the Marella Premium Drinks Package, we order two premium handmade cocktails: a classic gin Gimlet (requested without sugar syrup) and a Vesper Martini. We share our review of the drink quality, alcohol strength, and evaluate whether upgrading your all-inclusive package is financially worth it for couples who enjoy premium spirits. 🍽️ PICCADILLY MAIN DINING ROOM FOOD & MENU REVIEW For our first evening dinner, we dine at the Piccadilly Restaurant (Marella's main dining room option). We walk you through the day one menu selections and conduct a live taste test. We sample starters including the devil's chicken liver on toast and a fresh cream-based wild mushroom soup. For the main courses, we evaluate the steak pie served on mashed potato with a pea quenelle, and the breaded lemon sole/sea bass with spinach. We share our honest thoughts on mass-catering cruise food, free versus additional-cost menu items, and how the dining matches up to luxury standards. ✈️ EMBARKATION DAY LOGISTICS & PASSENGER DELAYS Our journey started with a gruelling 23-hour travel day, leaving our home at 1:00 AM for a 3-hour motorway drive to East Midlands Airport (Nottingham) before catching a 6:30 AM TUI flight to Palma Airport in Mallorca, Spain. We discuss the embarkation process at the Port of Palma, cabin availability upon arrival, and look at the real impact of flight delays on ship sail-away schedules. 💶 PISA EXCURSION COSTS & OCEAN SPA PASS PRICES We break down the financial side of cruise add-ons. We examine Marella's official excursion prices, specifically referencing the DIY transit alternatives for the Livorno port to visit Florence or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, analyzing if the official cruise coach transfer price of £61 per person is scandalous or a fair rate for guaranteed ship return. Additionally, we provide the exact current pricing details for the onboard Ocean Spa facilities, comparing the £28 day pass with the much better value £99 weekly spa pass which grants unlimited access to the hydrotherapy pool, thermal suites, and saunas. 🎭 BROADWAY SHOW LOUNGE EVENING ENTERTAINMENT We conclude our day one review inside the stunning Broadway Show Lounge. Marella Cruises is famous for its high-energy, theater-style musical productions, and we share why you should never miss the evening cast shows during your sea days or port nights. If you enjoy honest, realistic cruise reviews, ship tours, and budget travel advice for mature couples, make sure to hit that SUBSCRIBE button to join Marion and Me on our global adventures! #MarellaCruises #MarellaExplorer2 #CruiseReview #MarellaExplorer #CruiseFood #AllInclusiveCruise #TravelVlog #MediterraneanCruise #PalmaMallorca #MarionAndMe