Food on board the Marella Explorer 2 (May 2026)

I'm recently back off my fifth cruise, this time on board the Marella Explorer 2, and I thought it would be worth talking about all of the food we ate on the ship - the great, the good, and the not so fantastic! Without further ado, here's our thoughts on the all inclusive food on Marella Explorer 2...

Marketplace - the buffet on Marella Explorer 2

Every ship has a buffet, and on Ex2 this is Marketplace on Deck 11. We had breakfast here every day, lunch and dinner a couple of times, and I even went for afternoon tea one day! Honestly, we couldn't fault the buffet at all. The food was always plentiful, hot and varied; for breakfast there was an omelette station, sausages, bacon, different types of eggs, hash browns, pastries, fruit and more. At lunch there would be salad, pizza, hot options, a carved meat, ice cream, beer & wine, desserts, chips... everything you could want! Dinner was usually very similar to lunchtime but with a themed option too like Greek, American or tapas - and of course, beer/wine on tap, delicious desserts etc. Afternoon tea was sausage rolls, little sandwiches, scones, cake... YUM! We never struggled to get a seat in here, didn't find ourselves queueing for the food we wanted, never really had to wait for anything to be brought out etc. There is also a terrace right at the back of the marketplace where you can eat outside, and there was rarely anyone else there which felt like such a treat.

Nonna's - Italian food on Marella Explorer 2

One of our favourite places to eat on board was Nonna's on Deck 11, which is the resident Italian - it's small, with indoor seating and some on-deck seating too, and we never struggled to get a table. You help yourself to pizza (which was 10/10 honestly) and then you take a slip of paper to build your own pasta dish, choosing the shape, the sauce, the meat/veg and the cheese. This is freshly prepared and comes out piping hot, and we couldn't fault it whatsoever!

Latitude 52 - Marella Explorer 2's MDR

The main dining room on Marella Explorer 2 is called Latitude 53, located on Deck 5. We ate here once during our cruise, on the dress to impress night - it simply had to be done! We did have to queue for around 10 or so minutes, but it was a busy night so we didn't mind. The service was actually really slow on this night, again putting it down to the busy dress to impress night, and we did wait ages for drinks and bread. But there was also a baked Alaska parade which was so nostalgic to me! Overall the food was fine (I had a salad to start, truffle mac & cheese for main and baked Alaska for pudding) but it didn't wow us enough to return to Latitude during our cruise.

Vista - more Italian food on Marella Explorer 2

The upper section of the MDR, accessed by Deck 6, is now split into two other restaurants, one being Vista. It was super busy when we went, so we had to take a buzzer and wait in one of the bars for our table, but that was fine; service here was quicker than our experience at Latitude, but again the food just didn't blow us away. I had the meatballs to start, which were lovely, but the lasagne I had for my main just really wasn't for me. I did then have a delicious cheesecake though, so swings and roundabouts for sure! It's a lovely setting and I'm glad we tried Vista for sure.

Piccadilly's - British food with a twist on board Marella Explorer 2

So nice we went twice; this is the other half of the upper section of the MDR, and it's brand new for 2026. Piccadilly's serves British food with a twist, and has an alternating menu - for us, the menu swapped over each night. We actually went on two nights that had the same menu, which was great for me because I'd fallen in love with the haddock and leek pasty they offer for a starter! You get an amazing bread selection to share, three unique types of bread with three flavoured butters, and they were unreal. For my main the first time I had the beef dinner, and the second time I opted for a vegetarian curry pie situation. I absolutely loved the food in Piccadilly's and I think it's such a welcome addition to the ship!

Snack shack - poolside eats on Marella Explorer 2

We spent a lot of time on Deck 12, which is quieter than the pool deck but still allows for time spent in the sunshine sipping on mocktails and joining in with afternoon trivia. From here, we would often wander down to 11 and grab some food from the snack shack and hands down, this was some of the best food we ate on the ship. Prepared freshly in front of you, for the most part, there are chicken burgers, hot dogs, fish & chips and more - as well as packaged sandwiches, boxed salads, brownies, cookies, fruit pots... so much variety, never a queue, made quickly and genuinely SO tasty. We were so pleasantly surprised by the snack shack on Marella Explorer 2! Sorry it seems I didn't get a singular photo of any snack shack food...

There were a few food options we didn't try, like the speciality dining restaurants, but honestly we were more than happy with the all inclusive options and didn't feel the need to spend extra money.

There are so many options when it comes to restaurants and food on Marella Explorer 2, and you'll never go hungry. This is just our experience from when we were on board, and we were overall really impressed with the variety, taste and temperature of the food. Chef's kiss, as they say.

Marella Explorer 2 30th Birthday Itinerary Review (Adriatic Affair)

I absolutely LOVE a Marella cruise, having now done five of them - my most recent being the Marella Explorer 2 30th Birthday itinerary. This was completely by accident; when it came to booking our honeymoon, we were looking for an Adriatic itinerary, and we wanted to go in May. It just so happened to fall during the cruise line's birthday celebrations, which only added an extra layer of excitement.

Marella's 30th birthday celebrations

Marella (not under that name originally...) launched in 1996, so have now celebrated 30 years of cruising. Our itinerary, ports aside, included plenty of birthday celebrations - our 'dress to impress' night was replaced with a gorgeous birthday gala, and we also had a 90s night! There were party hats, 90s themed quizzes, music from the decade, Lemar on board and much more. The vibe was one big party and so much fun.

Marella Explorer 2 - 30th Birthday itinerary

But onto the most important thing: the actual itinerary. This is very similar to the 'Adriatic Affair' itinerary, and it's safe to say we really enjoyed it. We boarded in Dubrovnik, which was an incredibly smooth process and the views from the ship were simply stunning...

Day 2 - at sea

I flipping love a sea day, getting to explore and get to know the ship, relaxing on the balcony and pool deck, eating my weight in food and trying all the different mocktails. And the Explorer 2 is a lovely ship - it was my first time on this particular ship, and she didn't disappoint. Our favourite spots were the new Piccadilly's restaurant, deck 6 as the sun was going down, the Squid & Anchor and the pool deck. We also had the birthday gala on our sea day, so we got to get dressed up, meet Captain Richard in Flutes, had a gorgeous dinner in Latitude complete with baked Alaska parade... the dream!

Day 3 - Trieste, Italy

Our first port was Trieste, and we didn't have an excursion booked so we got off the ship early and headed out to explore. We stopped by the Roman amphitheatre, which was unfortunately covered in tarp and scaffolding, and then headed waaaay uphill to see the old castle walls and cathedral. It was picturesque with great views, but not necessarily worth what turned out to be a bit of a hike. From here we weaved back down to the Grand Canale area for a fresh lemonade, and there is so much beautiful architecture in Trieste too. There was also a big craft market on while we were there, which was fun to walk through. All in all a very relaxed port for us and not somewhere I'd go back to, but nice to see nevertheless before we hopped back on board for trivia, swimming and cake.

Day 4 - Koper, Slovenia

One of the main reasons we chose this itinerary was to visit Slovenia, as we both really wanted to see the gorgeous Lake Bled. We had booked an excursion which was incredible; we got up, had breakfast, then disembarked to meet our coach. It was around a 90 minute drive to Bled, and our guide gave us plenty of information about the area throughout the journey. Once we got there, we got on a wooden pletna (which is a traditional local boat) across to the island where we climbed the stairs to see the view, visited the church to ring the wishing bell, and just generally soaked up being in such a bucket list spot. After the island, we had some free time to explore the other side of the lake where we ate gelato and had a nice walk through a (very random) accordion festival! Then it was time to head back to Explorer 2, with a cheeky nap on the coach... The excursion honestly ran like clockwork and we had the best day!

Day 5 - Ancona, Italy

Ancona was another very relaxed port for us with no excursion, and again we disembarked really early after breakfast in the marketplace. We just started mooching towards town, following our noses as they say, and stumbled upon a tourist train - it was the first ride of the day, and cost 10 euros per person (cash only!) for about a 40 minute experience. This took us to all the hotspots including the Cathedral of Saint Cyriacus, and there was the opportunity to get off and take photos at the best bits. Ancona is a really peaceful city and was beautiful to see in the sunshine before another relaxing afternoon on deck.

Day 6 - Split, Croatia

Our second excursion was on day 6, when we docked in Split and went to visit Krka National Park and the sensational waterfalls here. This was honestly amazing, and so smoothly run again; another informative coach ride (with nap time) before we arrived at the park, where we set off on a really relaxed walk with our tour guide who was both knowledgable and hilarious. The falls were simply stunning and it was interesting to learn about the history of the park as well as the flora and fauna - there were plenty of photo opps and there is toilets, ice cream, souvenirs etc. We were back within plenty of time to get back on board and relax before sail away and dinner!

Day 7 - Kotor, Montenegro 

Our last port of the trip was Kotor in Montenegro and WOW. We got up early and headed up to deck 12 to watch us sail in, which really was beautiful but also incredibly cold; if you have a balcony cabin it's amazing to see from there too, but sailing away was perfect as the sun was at that perfect low point and it was just dreamy. We tendered in to Kotor and priority for getting off was (rightly) given to those with excursions booked, so we ended up getting into town for around 11am - again here we just followed our noses and wandered around the really quaint old town, with its maze of streets and cafés and incredible architecture. This is somewhere we 100% want to revisit so we can have more time to explore and do things like the blue caves, the Lady of the Rocks and cable car. As it was, we just soaked it all up and made sure we were back before the last tender at 4pm! I also had a delightful traditional chocolate cake here which I'm still thinking about to this day...

Day 8 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

We disembarked in Dubrovnik, where we spent a further 3 days relaxing and exploring this gorgeous city so steeped in history. I'll have a separate blog post all about our time here, coming soon! Our disembarkation and transfer process was again really smooth and easy, which is a big theme of the cruise overall: everything was so straightforward and relaxed.

So, the itinerary - did we love it? I think for us it was a great itinerary, especially for my wife's first ever cruise. Trieste and Ancona were great for stretching our legs, seeing a few highlights and then spending time on the ship while it was quiet; our excursions from Koper and Split were incredible, so it was great to hit those ports which allowed us to tick locations off our bucket list really easily. And Kotor is breathtakingly beautiful, and has given us somewhere we definitely want to head back to in the future. I'd absolutely recommend this itinerary, and in May the weather was good - not too hot, but certainly not cold and we only had rain once during our cruise.

Happy 30th birthday Marella, we loved every part of celebrating with you!

My pre-cruise to-do list: 2 weeks to go (and what is an eSIM?)

In case you can't tell, I'm SO excited for our cruise in two weeks time - it's our honeymoon, and will be my fifth cruise and my wife's first! It's also the first cruise I've booked myself, having always gone with my aunty & uncle previously, so it's safe to say I'm also a tiny bit nervous about everything going smoothly... Without further ado, here's everything on my cruise to-do list two weeks before we travel!

• Finish packing - most of our stuff is currently flung on top of the suitcases ready to be ironed, folded or rolled neatly and properly packed.
• Print luggage labels - ours are currently not showing as available on our Marella Cruise Control, so I'll keep checking and get them printed. We have clear plastic luggage label holders to attach to our cases too!
• Get my hair & brows done - I have a hair appointment booked for 5 days before we travel, and I'll be getting my eyebrows waxed and tinted the day before we go.
• Sort our electronics - I need to find our adaptor plugs, make sure my Kindle has new books downloaded, check my portable charger is working etc etc etc...
• Check in for flights - as we selected our seats (extra leg room of course!) we can check in 14 days in advance, so I'll be doing this asap.
• Last minute shopping - we don't need much else as we're quite organised, but I do need to pick up more suncream, deodorant, lash bond & seal, hypochlorous acid spray for my skin... yadda yadda!
• Gather all our documents - I want to make sure we have all of our relevant documents in one place, like our booking confirmations and travel insurance, so we can easily access them if need be.
• Pick up our dry cleaning/alterations - my wife's wedding suit is being dry cleaned and I'm having a dress taken up, both of which we'll be wearing on formal night!
• Do my nails & lashes - I will be doing my own lash extensions the day before we travel, and painting my toenails/doing my own press own nails too. Timing is everything with all of this, and the day before we go is set to be a busy one!
• Get an eSIM - while I'm not bothered about having internet access while we're out at sea, I do like to send plenty of photos to my family group chat and be able to check my emails where possible. 

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is essentially a digital version of a sim card, and while they're not a big deal in the UK they are perfect for travelling if you don't have roaming included in your phone contract - like me. It would cost me £2.59 per day to use my data abroad, or I could pay £27.50 for a 12 day pass but I'd only be able to buy this after I land, if I sorted my roaming through EE. To keep things simpler, I've found that an eSIM works best for me!

You buy whichever sim package fits where you're heading, how long you're travelling for and how much data you'd be using - and setting it up is really easy. You do this before you go, while connected to WiFi, and then just before take off switch your primary cellular data line to your eSIM. Once you land, activate the new eSIM and turn on data roaming, then you're good to go! It sounds a bit complex but it's really not, and the instructions are always really helpful.

With this being a cruise, I'll be turning my phone to airplane mode whenever we're not docked or off the ship to avoid maritime roaming costs!

I always use airalo for e-sims when travelling abroad, and you can use my code KATY4231 to get £2.50 off your first e-sim.

I think that's everything, but I'm sure other things will crop up between now and then which will need to be added to my cruise to-do list. We are both so looking forward to this trip as a chance to celebrate our honeymoon, almost 7 months on from the wedding, and to spend some real quality time together.

Everything on my pre-cruise shopping list

In case you didn't know, I'm going on a cruise in 2026! I absolutely love cruising, and this will be my fifth; it's for our honeymoon, and it's actually my wife's first ever cruise. I'm SO excited to introduce her to my favourite type of holiday, and I'm hoping she falls in love with it so we can book more...

Regardless, there's a few things on my to-buy list before we get going so I thought I'd share! 

New suitcases - we usually travel hand luggage only, so with this being a bigger and more special holiday with more weight allowance, new (large) suitcases are a must. I'll be ordering mine from Tripp as I know the quality is great.

Magnetic hooks - as cruise cabins are made of metal, the walls are magnetic. I want to take some hooks with us so we've got some extra storage should we need it!

Multi plug/adapter - cabins aren't known for having all too many plug sockets, so I want to make sure we've got the ability to charge our phones, Kindle, portable charger and anything else we might need as well as to plug in my hair curlers and so on. The one I've linked here has a built-in night light too, which I love.

Evening dress - my wife is wearing her wedding suit for the one formal night on board, but I can't exactly rock up in my wedding dress... so I'm on the hunt for a nice dress to complement her suit! I've not linked one here because I've not even started looking yet but it's next on my to do list for sure...

Wireless portable charger - as we've got some excursions booked, I know I'll need to charge my phone during the day but I don't want to have to take wires out and about with me so I'll definitely be getting one of these!

Sandals - I'm on the hunt for some comfortable and supportive sandals, as I know we're going to be doing a lot of walking during this trip. I love my Birkenstocks but I definitely need something with an ankle strap.

Selfie stick - I would really like a compact selfie stick/tripod sort of thing to make it easier to take photos of the two of us together on the balcony/in ports without having to ask anyone to help!

I would love to know, if you've recently been on a cruise, if you think there's anything missing from my list! Alternatively, if you have any specific recommendations for these products please do let me know; I have included links to the ones I think I'll be buying, but if they're terrible please warn me...

Oceania Vista | everything you need to know

Now, if you know me you'll know I'm always thinking about cruises, watching cruise vlogs, going down to the riverfront to see cruise ships sailing past... so when I was invited to come on board the Oceania Vista when she was docked in Liverpool I jumped at the chance. This was an industry ship visit for travel agents and journalists, and we flocked on board to discover this absolutely enchanting vessel on a sunny Friday in August.

Oceania Vista docked in Liverpool, August 2023

About Oceania Vista

Coming in at 67,000 tonnes and measuring 791 feet long, Vista is a brand new ship (launched in 2023) and part of Oceania's Allura Class of ships. She has space for just 1200 guests, with two staff members per three guests for the ultimate levels of customer service. Oceania is known for having The Finest Cuisine at Sea® and Vista is no exception, with 11 culinary venues on board including a buffet, bakery, wellness café, specialty dining and more. There is a theatre, spa, art workshops, cooking classes, afternoon tea and so much more on board; this is an 'upper premium' cruise ship with incredible value for money and while not advertised as a family cruise line, there is plenty for everybody to enjoy.

Oceania Vista: ship tour

As part of our ship tour, we had a talk in Horizons - a stunning bar area with panoramic windows where they host afternoon tea each day. The colour palette in here, as well as across the entire ship, is incredibly soothing and light. From here we went back along the corridor passing the smoking room, conference centre, digital centre (where they'll help you do all things digital) and artists loft, where you can enjoy workshops with the on-board artist in residence. We then explored the spa (wow!) as well as the private spa deck, which is just gorgeous. It didn't hurt that it was such a sunny day, but honestly it was just SO luxurious.

Pastries in Horizons

Culinary venues on board the Oceania Vista

As I mentioned above, Oceania Vista has 11 eateries on board; we walked through Terrace Café (the buffet), but when I say buffet it's obviously a little bit more special than that. The food (sushi, made-to-order omelettes, lobster tails, local dishes, fresh fruit etc) is served to you, and while it's an informal space it's still intricately decorated and the food looked honestly delicious. We also visited Red Ginger (a Pan-Asian restaurant), Toscana (Italian, with Versace plates), Ember (modern American classics), and Polo Grill (a steakhouse). Specialty dining is included in your cruise fare, which is different to most cruise lines, but you do have to book! We passed through Aquamar, which is a wellness cafe and really bright/airy, as well as Baristas - a lovely coffee bar area with a bakery offering little snacks throughout the day. There is also Waves Grill, a shaded poolside eatery which I didn't see but also looks wonderful from the photos/information online, as well as afternoon tea in Horizons. It's honestly no wonder that Oceania is known as the foodies' cruise line because wow! 

We popped into the Culinary Center where you can book a private cooking class led by world-renowned chefs, with a dining space off to the side where you can eat the food you've made too. There is also Privée, a gorgeous private space where you can do a one-of-a-kind champagne tasting experience paired with delicious dishes - the floor to ceiling windows really enhance this space. We visited the Founders Bar, which is alllll about the cocktails, and we tested out the seats in Martinis piano bar as well as the really striking Grand Lounge. Every single one of these spaces is different, but they all ooze this air of luxury and something very special.

There's one restaurant I've not mentioned yet, so keep reading to find out...

The atrium; the Tranquility Bed

The rest of the tour

We also popped in to see a Concierge Level Veranda Stateroom - and when I say jaw-dropping, I mean it. Queen size Tranquility Bed? Check. The biggest bathroom I've ever seen on a cruise ship? Check. Space to sit and relax as well as your own private veranda area? Check. If you have a Concierge level room you get access to private spa deck, free laundry, complimentary champagne on arrival, priority embarkation, a free tote bag, a Concierge Lounge... it's just amazing. And of course you get all the amenities included in a standard stateroom: room service, twice-daily maid service with turndown AND chocolates, robes, WiFi, a rainfall shower... honestly, the dream. The rooms are all beautifully decorated too, with plenty of light and really nice linen! Every room on Oceania Vista is just a dream.

Private spa deck

Outdoor spaces on board

Library; spa; Grand Lounge; the piano in Martinis

Our tour of the ship took us to see the theatre, which has really comfy seats. One of my favourite spaces on board was the library, perfect if you're someone who wants a really quiet spot to relax in or you need to get some work done. Dark wood and comfortable chairs and plenty of books ...what more could you want? We of course visited the pool deck, and went to see where you can play mini golf and pickle board. And we passed through the absolutely beautiful atrium space with its colour changing lights in the middle. We walked through the casino (which is much less gaudy and loud than your standard casino, somehow) and past the shops, where I definitely spied some Louis Vuitton...

Dinner in the Grand Dining Room

The star of the show, of course, was our five-course dinner in the Grand Dining Room. It started with a bread basket and butter in the shape of flowers, as well as white and red wine alongside still or sparkling water. The first course was a potato fritter with a vodka-lime cream and sevruga caviar. I've never eaten caviar before and was fully prepared to just scrape them off the top, but I did eat it and it actually wasn't too bad. Next up was breaded jumbo shrimp with a remoulade sauce, which was tasty, followed by a choice of three main courses. I opted for the butternut squash and truffle cream risotto with pumpkin seeds and every last mouthful was simply incredible. Dessert was a Papuan chocolate volcano with a passion fruit heart and caramel lava (not sickly at all) as well as petits fours and little macarons. As I said before, Oceania is alllll about the food and it certainly didn't disappoint, even for a fussy eater like me. The service and level of attentiveness in the restaurant was amazing too; I eat left handed (fork in the right hand) and after noticing, the waiter made sure to put my cutlery on the correct side for me after each course. It's the little things like that which really set Oceania above the rest!

Potato fritter w/ caviar; breaded shrimp; risotto; the Versace plates in Toscana

So that concluded my tour of the breathtaking Oceania Vista cruise ship. She is absolutely stunning, and it's no wonder that Oceania customers are so loyal because why would you not want to come back on board these ships time and time again? From the food to the decor to the levels of comfort, Vista has it all and she does it in style. If you're looking to book a cruise on Oceania Vista, you can visit the website or book through a travel agent who will help you with everything you need.