Here's where you can check out the Marella itineraries: tui-uk.7cnq.net/3reDX - affiliate link (this should work for people outside the UK now, or so I've been told)!
I love how positive and kind you are. Many other cruise vloggers have such intense emotions (particularly around minor issues like what you describe here with the air conditioning) and I like how calm and balanced you are. You explain that you chose this cabin and if you had understood the smoking deck was right below yours, you probably would not have booked it etc. That is a great tip to thoroughly look at a deck plan before we book a cabin. Love your channel and your tips!
Thanks so much! I’m always happy to be on a cruise, it’s something the majority of people won’t get to experience. I feel very lucky (but of course want to help others make the best choice) 🎉❤
@@dooglec8586 Agreed! Emma's the only cruise reviewer I'm subscribed to now. It gets so tiring hearing constant negatives. Hearing about a fault followed with a positive is refreshing!
To all who compliment Emma’s channel and mention that so many others love to complain about the minutiae, that’s so true, and present in the RUclipsrs who do flight vlogs as well. There is one who will go unnamed, who complains so often and never seems to appreciate what a blessed life he’s living that I stopped watching his channel. Conversely there’s a fellow Jeb Brooks, who like Emma is so appreciative of the life he’s getting to live because of RUclips. Maybe Jeb is the Emma of the Skies ✈️ , or Emma is the Jeb of the Sea 🌊 ! 😂😂😂
That's the best layout I've seen for any two people that aren't in a relationship. You get a large bed all to yourself with no weird climbing and it fits in the room without blocking anything.
I sailed on her when she was the Century, her last itinerary before she was sold. She was falling apart- our closet door fell off one day- they did give us strawberries and champagne for the trouble. She looks so different in your video!
Avid cruiser here and I have enjoyed your vids for a while now. Just a quick note to say I sailed this ship when it was the Century, so it was especially fun to see what it looks like now. Cheers!
I may never cruise .. who knows. But I just love, love love listening to and watching your lovely stories! I love how upbeat you always are, and of course.. British-isms! I have friends from Cornwall, and I've learned so much more from you! I am always happy to watch a new Emma video!
My wife would have lost it being above the smokers and the noise. Thanks for the warning. I admit I wouldn't be too happy to be above the smokers either.
I'd object to having to actually smell the cigarette smoke, but you say that your wife would have lost it by just being aware that people were smoking on the deck below her? Sounds like she's just plain prejudiced.
@@SanchoPanza-m8m She would claim, no matter how faint the scent, that it was upsetting her, making her nauseous and aggravating her asthma. She can be difficult, but she can also be very kind. To have happy relationships, one must accept others warts and all. I’m sure I have plenty of warts for which she is a saint to tolerate.
well, you wouldnt notice anything of that smoke on a moving ship out on see. The smoke disapears instantly, so the only thing that could bother you are the people talking under you.
I love that cabin layout! Especially for my 2 boys who share a room while we're on holidays (cruise or hotel). Plus, for 2 friends sharing, it's perfect to have a little bit of privacy 👍 great video, thanks Emma 😊
Your issue with the bar reminded me of when my wife and I used to travel to Cancun every Winter for a 10 day, all-inclusive stay at a resort. The first 3 years at the resort we always ended up with rooms that were a short walk down a path from the main resort area in a separate, 2 story building along the beach. So on our 4th stay, we requested rooms (we always went with another couple) in the main hotel hoping to get something up high that would give us a view of the Gulf (or inner-coastal waters anyways) and pool area. Well, we ended up on the 3rd floor, with a room that rimmed the inner courtyard area where their main bar was. Needless to say, the music in our room was deafening until around 3 AM each evening! Now that I'm old, I have to laugh at myself for not realizing just how awesome those "offset" rooms were! Totally quiet, with walk-out decks right to the beach! What were we thinking!!! ;)
Love how honest you were about the issues with your cabin. Thank you for reminding people that they must report problems and not just whine after the fact. ❤
I have been on two cruises with an aft facing cabin and was never bothered by vibrations from the engines. Norwegian and Celebrity ships. A great video from Emma!
So Vikings ship has a suite in the front on the lower decks and directly underneath is the anchor. At night when the ship is sailing it’s like a massive hammer banging against the ship way worse then being near the motor or nightclub.
I enjoy your all round positive attitude and acceptance of what ppl come on these cruises for. Even when there's a problem you don't over exaggerate it and are fair in your assessments. New follower but Ive binged so many vids
Hello Emma, I dont how I found your content. Ive never cruised or even considered cruising for that matter. Ive recently lost my little Brother in a very tragic and unexpected accident . Its the toughest darkest place ive ever been in my life. Oneday one of your vids auto played after a podcast I watch. I dont no why but your calm tone and content really relaxes and calms me down and honestly have helped me a great deal. I cant put my finger on why this happens but it does everytime. You seem so kind and out going and you have this endearing grace about you. I just wanted to say thank you and I very much appreciate you and what you do. ❤️
Definitely worth googling for a PDF of a ship's deck plans. Look at the decks and above and below your cabin to see what possible sources of noise there will be. Also, cabins in the bow and stern tend to have a lot more movement than those in the middle of the ship. Of course, this means that "sandwich" cabins (on a deck with accommodations above and below), and those in the center of the ship, tend to cost more. Love your positive attitude and willingness to try out different cabins so we can see what they look like.
Hey Emma. Thought all double beds could be separated except some true king size in certain suites. Oh boy. The smoke would be quite annoying. Thank goodness they came quickly to fix the A/C. Never saw a water machine on any ship. 2 services a day becoming scarce so definitely appreciated. Great seeing you Emma. Thanks much 🤗
Celebrity Century was my first cruise in 2011 to Alaska! Nice to see her again, and I appreciate she'll have been renovated since then, but absolutely none of those is familiar !
If you want to avoid unexpected roaming charges - maritime or otherwise - simply set a spend limit on your plan. If you set it to zero then you can't inadvertently incur charges, as you'll get a notification if you do anything that exceeds that limit. The notification typically offers you an option to increase your charge limit temporarily, so you can do so if you do decide you want to go ahead. This approach is particularly useful if you're moving around multiple networks and some are included in your plan and others aren't.
Hi Emma! Great to see video uploaded. And great to meet you onboard. We were 1111! Now, that's a cabin easy to remember. The bar staff called me Mr 1111111 😂 We love Marella.
Emma, that aft cabin looks remarkably nice for a ship that is 30 years old! Larger than I would expect too! I booked an aft balcony cabin out of curiosity that was in the center on the stern on deck 6 aboard Carnival Liberty for my 2022 birthday cruise. The balcony was huge! Even had a lounger plus 2 chairs and a table! Amazing view of the ship's wake! What did this cabin not have? Almost no privacy! Lol! If I walked out early in the morning with a cup of coffee wearing only my pajama bottoms EVERYONE above me and either side of me could see me clear as day! Your aft cabin looked much more private! Enjoyed your cruise review as always!
Emma, I have been on that same ship! We took a 15 day round trip from California to Hawaii on the Celebrity Century in 2013. It was our first Celebrity cruise. Four family members traveled on two different decks, 4 and 9. We nick-named that ship the "ghost ship" because when were at sea we could hear creaking noises day and night. Our cousins could hear the same noise from their cabin on deck 9. On deck 4 at night, we heard vacuuming at 11 until 2 in the morning. When we went to the desk to inquire about the noise, we were told that they don't vacuum that late! Eventually, we got used to the noises but vowed never to sail on such an old ship again.
You are so patient! For me, going on a cruise with that noise and the smoke would be like going to a gas/petrol station, putting the nozzle in my car, and the station takes away fuel rather than putting it in, and I pay them for it! I want to recharge, not get drained.
Loved this, Emma! The layout of that room is so unusual - it looked thinner - maybe to fit more of those aft-facing rooms in at the back of the ship? I had a balcony cabin close to one of the main smoking areas on a Costa ship last year, and couldn’t believe how the room would smell of smoke when I’d go back sometimes - it seemed to be coming through the seals of the doors… Great video, as always!
Oh that’s weird!! We didn’t ever smell any smoke just heard the people. I don’t think it actual was thinner, well maybe because of all the storage but it was long so that’s probably why 😂😂 Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Great video! We sailed on Marella Explorer 2 last year, it was our first cruise ever and we had such a great time. The crew were amazing and we liked that everything was included so we weren't stressed trying to figure it all out as newbies.
Hi Emma! I had a similar cabin on the Costa Fascinosa. Right above a night club. They had a hard core rock band playing. It was extremely loud. The guy at the reception was very rude, when I complained. Never Costa again.
Several cruises ago, I came up with what my wife and I call the 'sandwich' cabin. Now, we always make sure we look carefully at where our proposed cabin would be, and what is above and below it. And we make sure it's other cabins only. The number of times I've mentioned this to people on the ship and they were shocked at the idea amazes me.
Hi Emma! have you ever considered organizing a cruise that would gather your fans? Special cruise that people who are fans of your content could attend and get to meet you and maybe you could do some sort of seminar? Just wondering. I’ve never cruised before, but your content makes me want to. And I would definitely come on a cruise if you were going to be featured somehow on it. thank you so much for your videos. They are just such a nice thing to sit down to at the end of the day.
I’m a big fan of aft facing cabins, the views are tremendous. However, once on an Antarctica cruise the wind was howling and the stern flag made an incredible racket. Love your videos Emma, very entertaining and informative.
Went on the Marella Explorer 1 in 2019 and had an aft cabin, I think it was on Deck 10 and roughly in the middle of the ship, probably not too far off where you were staying below. I don't remember the juddering or noise, as with all these things your mileage may vary! Good review!
Another entertaining and informative video. The bed layout looks like a good one for friends or family with children. On my very first cruise, knowing nothing at all, we booked a room with a large porthole and the beds were single and fixed in an L shape with one under the window and one along the wall.
Not sure it would be for me ! On my next cruise on the NCL Viva I picked one of the last cabin, so I took what we could, but it was above the Viva Theater and Club. I saw another stateroom available and I switched cabin, and I am glad I did it. Very excited for the cruise ! Other than that, great and positive content as always, thank you Emma for advising us !
Hey Emma - great video ... looks like you and your friend had a fun trip despite the less than ideal cabin location. We will be on the Disney Dream next week and also for the first time stay in an aft cabin - we chose that specific room because of the huge balcony. We're curios to see if engine vibrations will be bothering us there, but I expect it won't be too much of an issue.
My best cruise ever was on the Century back in 1997, so this brought back memories. We were in an inside cabin right about a lounge at the aft of the ship and the music seemed loud to me and went on and on until very late. Thank you for this review.
I think my first Caribbean cruise with Celebrity was on Century. It was amazing. Right now I’m in Europe on the Constellation. I am absolutely shocked at how run down this ship is. Let me say that cruise crew is fabulous and the service is very good. I know that older ships have minor non-matching hooks, knobs, etc. But this ship is in terrible shape. Patio doors don’t lock. The upholstery is worn to the point of baldness. There are huge stains on the carpets in the hallways. It isn’t just the inconvenience of no outlets by the bed or usb ports. But this boat looks like it’s next season will be in the scrapyard. That said, I’m enjoying my cruise and visits to Italy and Croatia. This ship was beautiful in its day, but it is long past time to retire her.
That cabin layout is really nice. I like the way the beds are separated and the rear facing views off the balcony. I can see where the noise from the nightclub below could be bothersome.
I love your review's, you have realistic expectations when it comes to your cabin location. Also realistic expectations when it comes to the state of the ship. Being as old as she is things do break down, and the crews are not psychic. Doubt i will ever go on a cruise, but it's good to know there are vloggers and critics that give honest reviews. That aren't just bashing every little detail, instead giving watchers tips that will help them decide if the view is worth the noise and vibration.
We used to get aft balcony cabins on both Royal and Carnival and in neither case did we have vibration...maybe because we were higher up, on larger ships than your Marella ship. The views were much better on Carnival since there were no obstructions, whereas on Royal there was a curved wraparound metal fairing that obstructed much of the view. The awesome thing about our aft balconies was that they were MUCH bigger than a standard balcony, deep enough to accommodate a lounger as well as a table and chairs. We stopped getting aft balconies because it's a longer walk to and from the room EVERY time, especially on Royal because they only have two elevator (or "lift") banks, whereas Carnival ships have 3 banks. And you are SO right about the A/C. Contact Guest Services and ask politely for it to be fixed. Yours was probably a stuck damper, which was the problem with my cabin on Carnival Sunrise. A quick visit from Engineering and it was fine after that.
We were lucky enough to get a great deal on a suite on Explorer 2 a couple of years ago, and guess what......faulty air con on embarkation day as soon as we got in our room. But as with your experience, we reported it, and it was fixed within hours. Marvellous Marella 👍
Hey Emma! I am watching this with My Captain Hudson. I am also soon going to make a model cruise port with my cruise ship ornaments can’t wait to send you the photos.
We are fairly new followers. We are really enjoying your videos. I love how positive you videos are even when you don’t like something. Thanks so much.
Several years ago we ended up in a corner wrap around cabin with a long balcony that both faced aft and the starboard side. Best cabin ever, though it required a pretty long walk to go anywhere.
Hi Emma. I really enjoy your videos. Even though I probably won't take most of these cruises (or maybe none, lol) I sure enjoy hearing of your opinions and experiences. If I could make one gentle suggestion, you speak with incredibly clear diction and at a perfect speed, but you forget to take slight pauses between 'paragraphs'. A slight pause will help the listener catch up and digest the information. Cheers and happy cruising.
We only cruise with NCL and we only book and aft facing balcony on deck 9 since it’s the largest balcony for a non haven cabin. Specialty dining room below and cabins above. Its perfect!! We especially love it when cruising to Bermuda bc we use the balcony all day and late at night. We enjoy the breakaway and breakaway plus class ships. It has three lounge chairs and two regular chairs plus a small table. Still lots of room for standing and walking around. The views are always amazing from the aft when leaving nyc and arriving back at 3am to go up the river.
We've had enough problems with air conditioning in oceanview and balcony rooms that we've decided to only do insides. Just seems way easier to keep the room comfortable plus they're a bit cheaper.
We stayed in that cabin for a transatlantic cruise and loved it. So good to have the two beds as two friends travelling. Felt like separate rooms as you said. The noise didn’t impact us really as generally we were still in the bars! Love the Explorer 2! Trying Voyager for the first time in September 🚢 x
Great video as usual, Emma. You got tight to the heart of the issues. The 'sandwich' approach to choosing a cabin works well, most of the time, unless you have a really bad obstruction.
We were on our first cruise recently - the Marella Explorer, Canary Islands/Madeira route. We stayed in cabin 8232. I think there might be a difference between Explorer and Explorer 2 as I don't remember seeing the Squid & Anchor deck below us, despite knowing it was there. The staircase near the room was a handy short-cut to the pub. Our cabin also had a fold down bunk, but no handy shelf. We also had a coffee pod machine in the room which was quite welcome. The standard coffee was pretty dire. We chose the room for the extra space for our 12 year old daughter, and it was quite a pricey upgrade when we booked - you did well to choose it ! We didn't seem to suffer too badly from pub noise, or smoke from the smoking area. The creaks and groans & vibration from the ship when docking were quite something. Very hard to sleep through when it's not something you're accustomed too. Additionally, we have coffee cups and paraphernalia which also rattled away. I wouldn't recommend the room to anyone else, but it seems that it was the most sensible option for us when booking. Quite expensive extra space considering the negatives.
Great video; thank you. I prefer the aft balcony cabins on any ship. The ocean view on sea days, a panoramic view on port days and the amazing night sky is worth a little inconvenience. If you are traveling during a full moon it is spectacular. On a couple of ships that I frequent, the cabin is below the outdoor "buffet/restaurant". They start setting chairs around 5:45 am which makes for a great alarm clock for me. It does quiet down at night after 9 so that is fine as well. Ear plugs or using your phone's white noise function helps as well.
The Stefan Battory vibrated the entire time we were on it sailing across the Atlantic in 1981. No air conditioning at all, just a lever that you jammed in the mechanism of the door with, and then locked it in the open position. That was only after someone had shown us to do that. So your cabin door was locked while it was open to the hallway.
I sailed in a cabin laid out like this in 2007 on the Celebrity Mercury. It was PERFECT for us, as I was cruising with my sister and her daughter. They got the front half and I got the aft half.
I haven't done a lot of cruises and the only time we've ever had a balcony it was positioned a couple floors above the smoking lounge, which had an exterior vent that seemed to vent directly onto our balcony. We also had a lot of rule breakers who smoked on their balconies. No matter what time of day or night, if I stepped out onto the balcony for more than a second, I'd hear a door slide open from a nearby cabin and the flick of a lighter. Somehow, the wind seemed to know, and no matter where it was coming from, would blow the smoke directly at our balcony. It wasn't even from the same cabin with the smoker all the time. I could never quite tell where it was happening, so I couldn't even file a complaint. I think it may literally have been everyone but us. I'd been so excited about sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the sunrise, or sunset, or just reading a book. But in a week, I don't think I spent a combined 10 minutes out there. We were still pretty new to traveling and to cruising at the time. I think if it happened again, we'd at least try to get moved.
I really enjoy Tui/Marella cruises, the All Inclusive drinks choices are great, the food delicious, the staff are brilliant, nothing is too much trouble. I can relax completely. We were on Discovery in April (Caribbean) and are doing a river cruise with same company in July (Danube). Good info regarding the placement of your cabin, Emma. I have never had one in that position and wouldn't have assumed that there would be a noisy pub below it (not a smoking area).
I'm from America and I love watching your videos. I especially enjoy the British-isms. Some of them are interesting and I'm sorry but some of them are funny.
Love your open and honest reviews - am now looking for a weekend cruise as didn't know that was even a thing ! I have not been on Marella since 2019 and the balcony cabins definitely had shampoo and conditioner then - I remember mentioning to my husband it was Clarins products which was a nice luxury - I wonder if its been removed as an economy post-COVID?
Emma, Thank you for your advice and suggestions. I will never pick a cabin near a bar. I really like it quiet during sleep. I would probably ask for suggestions from the travel agent or cruise line staff.
I've been on cruises of different qualities... I've taken the Aft Cabin only when I was doing the "drink all night, pass out all day", so being above the main club isn't an issue.
I went on this cruise for my honeymoon. Funnily enough we were guna stay in one of those cabins but they moved us to a normal one. I think it was a good thing tbh. We hadn't done a cruise before so can't compare but we had a lovely time and the staff were amazing
I think that this ship would suit me well. Maybe a different cabin though because of the noise although the layout looks good. Thank you for the video Emma, much appreciated. From Sydney Australia 🇦🇺
I once took an aft cabin, just the once, never again. It was the Brittany Ferries ship "Bretagne", I was travelling from Plymouth to Santander, two nights and a day, with the car (for the motorail to Malaga, alas this does not operate anymore). On check in I upgraded to an outside cabin, I experienced all the issues you mentioned, eg vibration and noise. Also I noticed enhanced movement, not that Biscay was unduly rough but forward and aft locations do move more than midship. I can still recall that the dreaded sea sickness got to me, but I was fine on the return journey. This experience has influenced me against some of the premium upgrade options, Haven, Yacht Club etc as these tend to have cabins high up forward. More of a cruise ferry than cruise, but two nights by sea to Spain is still sea travel.
with the exception of the room location, it looks like a wonderful cruise. Room looked clean, staff was attentive and nice, free drinks. I'm certainly sold on this cruise, just need to choose a different room. Good review....as always.
We are headed out on a Norwegian cruise and have a forward facing ‘inside cabin’, a weird little cabin squeezed in between the suites and having a big window but no balcony access. There is no couch but a huge area under the window. I’m very curious to experience this as we actively seek out all the weird cabins on a ship and this, easily, is one of the oddest.
Ok I got a bit of the chills when you said it used to be Celebrity Century That was the 1st ship my husband and i cruised on I wondered what had become of it An outstanding memory 🙂
Generally love an aft balcony, but need to be aware that nightclubs etc are at the back too. Make sure you are high enough (or low enough) to avoid these. Cruise ships I have been on generally restrict smoking to premenade deck, port side. Did TUI indicate that your cabin might be affected by smoke?
Here's where you can check out the Marella itineraries: tui-uk.7cnq.net/3reDX - affiliate link (this should work for people outside the UK now, or so I've been told)!
I love how positive and kind you are. Many other cruise vloggers have such intense emotions (particularly around minor issues like what you describe here with the air conditioning) and I like how calm and balanced you are. You explain that you chose this cabin and if you had understood the smoking deck was right below yours, you probably would not have booked it etc. That is a great tip to thoroughly look at a deck plan before we book a cabin. Love your channel and your tips!
Thanks so much! I’m always happy to be on a cruise, it’s something the majority of people won’t get to experience. I feel very lucky (but of course want to help others make the best choice) 🎉❤
u took the words right out of our mouth about Emma.
Great video Emma
So true! Emma is my favorite. You see other RUclipsrs where they have angry faces in the descriptions. 😡
Emma always looks for the positive. ❤
@@dooglec8586 Agreed! Emma's the only cruise reviewer I'm subscribed to now. It gets so tiring hearing constant negatives. Hearing about a fault followed with a positive is refreshing!
To all who compliment Emma’s channel and mention that so many others love to complain about the minutiae, that’s so true, and present in the RUclipsrs who do flight vlogs as well. There is one who will go unnamed, who complains so often and never seems to appreciate what a blessed life he’s living that I stopped watching his channel. Conversely there’s a fellow Jeb Brooks, who like Emma is so appreciative of the life he’s getting to live because of RUclips.
Maybe Jeb is the Emma of the Skies ✈️ , or Emma is the Jeb of the Sea 🌊 ! 😂😂😂
Being over a smoking area would be a huge deal breaker for me.
Same here, but is very often difficult to find out on the plans where the smoking areas are located.
Agreed - I couldn't stand it. If I pay for a cruise, I'll be trying to find one without any smoking areas, tbh...
Me too. I have a kid with asthma and hate the smell of smoke. Defeats the purpose of a balcony
Unless you smoke lmfao. Sounds great to me.
@@SoloonaCruiseyou can call the cruise line and someone can probably help you through. Just claim you have asthma or something.
That's the best layout I've seen for any two people that aren't in a relationship. You get a large bed all to yourself with no weird climbing and it fits in the room without blocking anything.
Great video Emma - glad they got the AC sorted for you, that could have been a nightmare for 4 days!
I sailed on her when she was the Century, her last itinerary before she was sold. She was falling apart- our closet door fell off one day- they did give us strawberries and champagne for the trouble. She looks so different in your video!
Avid cruiser here and I have enjoyed your vids for a while now. Just a quick note to say I sailed this ship when it was the Century, so it was especially fun to see what it looks like now. Cheers!
I love that, I’ve watched so many tours of her as Century haha! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Great comment! I also sailed on her as Century and really loved it. Great ship!
I worked on the Century many years ago and have a lot of love and fond memories of my time there.
I may never cruise .. who knows. But I just love, love love listening to and watching your lovely stories! I love how upbeat you always are, and of course.. British-isms! I have friends from Cornwall, and I've learned so much more from you! I am always happy to watch a new Emma video!
My wife would have lost it being above the smokers and the noise. Thanks for the warning. I admit I wouldn't be too happy to be above the smokers either.
We didn’t smell any smoke or anything, just noisey. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I'd object to having to actually smell the cigarette smoke, but you say that your wife would have lost it by just being aware that people were smoking on the deck below her? Sounds like she's just plain prejudiced.
@@SanchoPanza-m8m She would claim, no matter how faint the scent, that it was upsetting her, making her nauseous and aggravating her asthma. She can be difficult, but she can also be very kind. To have happy relationships, one must accept others warts and all. I’m sure I have plenty of warts for which she is a saint to tolerate.
@@SanchoPanza-m8mspecilly when the people in cabin next to them can smoke ok their balcony
well, you wouldnt notice anything of that smoke on a moving ship out on see. The smoke disapears instantly, so the only thing that could bother you are the people talking under you.
I love that cabin layout! Especially for my 2 boys who share a room while we're on holidays (cruise or hotel). Plus, for 2 friends sharing, it's perfect to have a little bit of privacy 👍 great video, thanks Emma 😊
Yesss! It's so good for that. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises 🙂🩷🇦🇺
Your issue with the bar reminded me of when my wife and I used to travel to Cancun every Winter for a 10 day, all-inclusive stay at a resort. The first 3 years at the resort we always ended up with rooms that were a short walk down a path from the main resort area in a separate, 2 story building along the beach. So on our 4th stay, we requested rooms (we always went with another couple) in the main hotel hoping to get something up high that would give us a view of the Gulf (or inner-coastal waters anyways) and pool area. Well, we ended up on the 3rd floor, with a room that rimmed the inner courtyard area where their main bar was. Needless to say, the music in our room was deafening until around 3 AM each evening! Now that I'm old, I have to laugh at myself for not realizing just how awesome those "offset" rooms were! Totally quiet, with walk-out decks right to the beach! What were we thinking!!! ;)
Love how honest you were about the issues with your cabin. Thank you for reminding people that they must report problems and not just whine after the fact. ❤
It's always interesting to see the different cruise lines and ship differences. Good job with the video, thanks Emma!
Thank you! 😁❤️
I have been on two cruises with an aft facing cabin and was never bothered by vibrations from the engines. Norwegian and Celebrity ships. A great video from Emma!
Sounds good! I’ve never quite like this haha 😂❤
So Vikings ship has a suite in the front on the lower decks and directly underneath is the anchor. At night when the ship is sailing it’s like a massive hammer banging against the ship way worse then being near the motor or nightclub.
I enjoy your all round positive attitude and acceptance of what ppl come on these cruises for. Even when there's a problem you don't over exaggerate it and are fair in your assessments. New follower but Ive binged so many vids
Thanks so much! Life is too short for anything else I think. 🎉❤
I love the way you roll with it! Yes, there were things less than ideal but carrying on about them will not fix them so you made the best of it!
🥳🥳🥳
Hello Emma, I dont how I found your content. Ive never cruised or even considered cruising for that matter. Ive recently lost my little Brother in a very tragic and unexpected accident . Its the toughest darkest place ive ever been in my life. Oneday one of your vids auto played after a podcast I watch. I dont no why but your calm tone and content really relaxes and calms me down and honestly have helped me a great deal. I cant put my finger on why this happens but it does everytime. You seem so kind and out going and you have this endearing grace about you. I just wanted to say thank you and I very much appreciate you and what you do. ❤️
Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother but I'm so glad I could be of help. Sending you all good thoughts!!
Definitely worth googling for a PDF of a ship's deck plans. Look at the decks and above and below your cabin to see what possible sources of noise there will be. Also, cabins in the bow and stern tend to have a lot more movement than those in the middle of the ship. Of course, this means that "sandwich" cabins (on a deck with accommodations above and below), and those in the center of the ship, tend to cost more.
Love your positive attitude and willingness to try out different cabins so we can see what they look like.
Hey Emma. Thought all double beds could be separated except some true king size in certain suites. Oh boy. The smoke would be quite annoying. Thank goodness they came quickly to fix the A/C. Never saw a water machine on any ship. 2 services a day becoming scarce so definitely appreciated. Great seeing you Emma. Thanks much 🤗
Nope haha. Thank you! 😁❤️
Celebrity Century was my first cruise in 2011 to Alaska! Nice to see her again, and I appreciate she'll have been renovated since then, but absolutely none of those is familiar !
Awhh 😂❤ Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Lovely to have you in Valencia. I hope you come back again!
Always!! Thank you! 😁❤️
If you want to avoid unexpected roaming charges - maritime or otherwise - simply set a spend limit on your plan. If you set it to zero then you can't inadvertently incur charges, as you'll get a notification if you do anything that exceeds that limit. The notification typically offers you an option to increase your charge limit temporarily, so you can do so if you do decide you want to go ahead.
This approach is particularly useful if you're moving around multiple networks and some are included in your plan and others aren't.
Yep great idea! Mines £1 I think, ha ha. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Hi Emma! Great to see video uploaded. And great to meet you onboard. We were 1111! Now, that's a cabin easy to remember. The bar staff called me Mr 1111111 😂 We love Marella.
Haha!!! Love that. Great to meet you too 😀❤️
Emma, that aft cabin looks remarkably nice for a ship that is 30 years old! Larger than I would expect too! I booked an aft balcony cabin out of curiosity that was in the center on the stern on deck 6 aboard Carnival Liberty for my 2022 birthday cruise. The balcony was huge! Even had a lounger plus 2 chairs and a table! Amazing view of the ship's wake! What did this cabin not have? Almost no privacy! Lol! If I walked out early in the morning with a cup of coffee wearing only my pajama bottoms EVERYONE above me and either side of me could see me clear as day! Your aft cabin looked much more private! Enjoyed your cruise review as always!
Haha!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Emma, I have been on that same ship! We took a 15 day round trip from California to Hawaii on the Celebrity Century in 2013. It was our first Celebrity cruise. Four family members traveled on two different decks, 4 and 9. We nick-named that ship the "ghost ship" because when were at sea we could hear creaking noises day and night. Our cousins could hear the same noise from their cabin on deck 9. On deck 4 at night, we heard vacuuming at 11 until 2 in the morning. When we went to the desk to inquire about the noise, we were told that they don't vacuum that late! Eventually, we got used to the noises but vowed never to sail on such an old ship again.
Haha!! How funny, didn’t hear anything like that 😂😂😂
You are so patient! For me, going on a cruise with that noise and the smoke would be like going to a gas/petrol station, putting the nozzle in my car, and the station takes away fuel rather than putting it in, and I pay them for it! I want to recharge, not get drained.
😂😂😂😂
Loved this, Emma! The layout of that room is so unusual - it looked thinner - maybe to fit more of those aft-facing rooms in at the back of the ship?
I had a balcony cabin close to one of the main smoking areas on a Costa ship last year, and couldn’t believe how the room would smell of smoke when I’d go back sometimes - it seemed to be coming through the seals of the doors…
Great video, as always!
Oh that’s weird!! We didn’t ever smell any smoke just heard the people. I don’t think it actual was thinner, well maybe because of all the storage but it was long so that’s probably why 😂😂 Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
The note from your friend made me smile.
🥹❤️
I love your channel, your outlook, your explanations, I love everything about your channel! Keep on cruising Emma 😎
Thanks so much 🥹❤️
Amazing as always, great job Emma! Also, on another note my captain Hudson just shipped!!!
Woohoo!! Thank you and yay!!! :-)
Great video! We sailed on Marella Explorer 2 last year, it was our first cruise ever and we had such a great time. The crew were amazing and we liked that everything was included so we weren't stressed trying to figure it all out as newbies.
Yep, makes it so easy. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Wooohoooo you know its a good day when Emma Post a video !!!!
Thank you! 😁❤️
Great advice, Emma! Always check what's above and below your cabin before you book!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
3:50 Anything but 'sweet caroline'...lmao
The party band on Queen Mary 2 play it on purpose.
Hi Emma!
I had a similar cabin on the Costa Fascinosa.
Right above a night club. They had a hard core rock band playing. It was extremely loud.
The guy at the reception was very rude, when I complained.
Never Costa again.
Fair enough 😀❤️ Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Cabins like that should carry a warning and be cheap
Several cruises ago, I came up with what my wife and I call the 'sandwich' cabin. Now, we always make sure we look carefully at where our proposed cabin would be, and what is above and below it. And we make sure it's other cabins only. The number of times I've mentioned this to people on the ship and they were shocked at the idea amazes me.
Hi Emma! have you ever considered organizing a cruise that would gather your fans? Special cruise that people who are fans of your content could attend and get to meet you and maybe you could do some sort of seminar? Just wondering. I’ve never cruised before, but your content makes me want to. And I would definitely come on a cruise if you were going to be featured somehow on it.
thank you so much for your videos. They are just such a nice thing to sit down to at the end of the day.
I’m a big fan of aft facing cabins, the views are tremendous.
However, once on an Antarctica cruise the wind was howling and the stern flag made an incredible racket. Love your videos Emma, very entertaining and informative.
Went on the Marella Explorer 1 in 2019 and had an aft cabin, I think it was on Deck 10 and roughly in the middle of the ship, probably not too far off where you were staying below. I don't remember the juddering or noise, as with all these things your mileage may vary!
Good review!
Haha, so true! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I've never been on a cruise, but i love watching your videos so much!!❤❤❤
Thank you! 😁❤️
Another entertaining and informative video. The bed layout looks like a good one for friends or family with children. On my very first cruise, knowing nothing at all, we booked a room with a large porthole and the beds were single and fixed in an L shape with one under the window and one along the wall.
Not sure it would be for me ! On my next cruise on the NCL Viva I picked one of the last cabin, so I took what we could, but it was above the Viva Theater and Club. I saw another stateroom available and I switched cabin, and I am glad I did it. Very excited for the cruise ! Other than that, great and positive content as always, thank you Emma for advising us !
Ooo, Have a great time! 🥳🥳
Thank you Emma !
Hey Emma - great video ... looks like you and your friend had a fun trip despite the less than ideal cabin location. We will be on the Disney Dream next week and also for the first time stay in an aft cabin - we chose that specific room because of the huge balcony. We're curios to see if engine vibrations will be bothering us there, but I expect it won't be too much of an issue.
Oooo that’ll be amazing!!!! Have a great time! 🥳🥳
My best cruise ever was on the Century back in 1997, so this brought back memories. We were in an inside cabin right about a lounge at the aft of the ship and the music seemed loud to me and went on and on until very late. Thank you for this review.
Awhh, Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I think my first Caribbean cruise with Celebrity was on Century. It was amazing. Right now I’m in Europe on the Constellation. I am absolutely shocked at how run down this ship is. Let me say that cruise crew is fabulous and the service is very good. I know that older ships have minor non-matching hooks, knobs, etc. But this ship is in terrible shape. Patio doors don’t lock. The upholstery is worn to the point of baldness. There are huge stains on the carpets in the hallways. It isn’t just the inconvenience of no outlets by the bed or usb ports. But this boat looks like it’s next season will be in the scrapyard. That said, I’m enjoying my cruise and visits to Italy and Croatia. This ship was beautiful in its day, but it is long past time to retire her.
That cabin layout is really nice. I like the way the beds are separated and the rear facing views off the balcony. I can see where the noise from the nightclub below could be bothersome.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I love your review's, you have realistic expectations when it comes to your cabin location. Also realistic expectations when it comes to the state of the ship. Being as old as she is things do break down, and the crews are not psychic. Doubt i will ever go on a cruise, but it's good to know there are vloggers and critics that give honest reviews. That aren't just bashing every little detail, instead giving watchers tips that will help them decide if the view is worth the noise and vibration.
Thank you! ❤❤
We used to get aft balcony cabins on both Royal and Carnival and in neither case did we have vibration...maybe because we were higher up, on larger ships than your Marella ship. The views were much better on Carnival since there were no obstructions, whereas on Royal there was a curved wraparound metal fairing that obstructed much of the view.
The awesome thing about our aft balconies was that they were MUCH bigger than a standard balcony, deep enough to accommodate a lounger as well as a table and chairs.
We stopped getting aft balconies because it's a longer walk to and from the room EVERY time, especially on Royal because they only have two elevator (or "lift") banks, whereas Carnival ships have 3 banks.
And you are SO right about the A/C. Contact Guest Services and ask politely for it to be fixed. Yours was probably a stuck damper, which was the problem with my cabin on Carnival Sunrise. A quick visit from Engineering and it was fine after that.
Sounds good to me!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
WE LOVE ALICANTE!!! It’s such a cute beach town. The castle is so cool! Plenty of nice restaurants and hotels, too!
So lovely isn’t it?! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We were lucky enough to get a great deal on a suite on Explorer 2 a couple of years ago, and guess what......faulty air con on embarkation day as soon as we got in our room.
But as with your experience, we reported it, and it was fixed within hours.
Marvellous Marella 👍
Perfecto! ❤🎉
Hey Emma! I am watching this with My Captain Hudson. I am also soon going to make a model cruise port with my cruise ship ornaments can’t wait to send you the photos.
Love that!! Thanks Noah ❤🎉
Just love your British-isms. Smashing. Keep it up. Hopefully I can go on my second cruise someday.
Haha, Thank you! 😁❤️ Hope you can soon!!
Love your contents. We are going on NCL Escape out of Barcelona a week Sunday! Your videos helped me prep and make choices. Cheers from Florida.
Thanks so much, that will be amazing have the BEST TIME EVER!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We are fairly new followers. We are really enjoying your videos. I love how positive you videos are even when you don’t like something. Thanks so much.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
Wow! I cruised on that ship in 1998, when it was the Century, out of Miami, Fl. USA to the Caribbean.
Love it!! 🥰❤️
Several years ago we ended up in a corner wrap around cabin with a long balcony that both faced aft and the starboard side. Best cabin ever, though it required a pretty long walk to go anywhere.
Ooo, yes! Ha ha. But I do like not getting lost... Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Hi Emma. I really enjoy your videos. Even though I probably won't take most of these cruises (or maybe none, lol) I sure enjoy hearing of your opinions and experiences. If I could make one gentle suggestion, you speak with incredibly clear diction and at a perfect speed, but you forget to take slight pauses between 'paragraphs'. A slight pause will help the listener catch up and digest the information.
Cheers and happy cruising.
Great to see someone review Marella. I think they are great choice but never hear much about them on RUclips.
Probably because only Brits have been able to book, but I like them too this was my 5th! 😂
We only cruise with NCL and we only book and aft facing balcony on deck 9 since it’s the largest balcony for a non haven cabin. Specialty dining room below and cabins above. Its perfect!! We especially love it when cruising to Bermuda bc we use the balcony all day and late at night. We enjoy the breakaway and breakaway plus class ships. It has three lounge chairs and two regular chairs plus a small table. Still lots of room for standing and walking around. The views are always amazing from the aft when leaving nyc and arriving back at 3am to go up the river.
We've had enough problems with air conditioning in oceanview and balcony rooms that we've decided to only do insides. Just seems way easier to keep the room comfortable plus they're a bit cheaper.
Sounds good! 😁🥳
You make cruising with the right attitude fun no matter ehat!❤
I was on this ship when it was Celebrity Century. I'm glad to see it's still floating!
Awh. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We stayed in that cabin for a transatlantic cruise and loved it. So good to have the two beds as two friends travelling. Felt like separate rooms as you said. The noise didn’t impact us really as generally we were still in the bars! Love the Explorer 2! Trying Voyager for the first time in September 🚢 x
Sounds good! 😁🥳
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We just got our Captain Hudson, and he's great!
Yay!! 😀❤️
Great video as usual, Emma. You got tight to the heart of the issues. The 'sandwich' approach to choosing a cabin works well, most of the time, unless you have a really bad obstruction.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We were on our first cruise recently - the Marella Explorer, Canary Islands/Madeira route. We stayed in cabin 8232. I think there might be a difference between Explorer and Explorer 2 as I don't remember seeing the Squid & Anchor deck below us, despite knowing it was there. The staircase near the room was a handy short-cut to the pub.
Our cabin also had a fold down bunk, but no handy shelf. We also had a coffee pod machine in the room which was quite welcome. The standard coffee was pretty dire.
We chose the room for the extra space for our 12 year old daughter, and it was quite a pricey upgrade when we booked - you did well to choose it !
We didn't seem to suffer too badly from pub noise, or smoke from the smoking area.
The creaks and groans & vibration from the ship when docking were quite something. Very hard to sleep through when it's not something you're accustomed too. Additionally, we have coffee cups and paraphernalia which also rattled away.
I wouldn't recommend the room to anyone else, but it seems that it was the most sensible option for us when booking. Quite expensive extra space considering the negatives.
Ooo interesting, yeah I’m sure this would be different if it wasnt such a party cruise 🫢🥳
What a cool layout! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Great video; thank you. I prefer the aft balcony cabins on any ship. The ocean view on sea days, a panoramic view on port days and the amazing night sky is worth a little inconvenience. If you are traveling during a full moon it is spectacular. On a couple of ships that I frequent, the cabin is below the outdoor "buffet/restaurant". They start setting chairs around 5:45 am which makes for a great alarm clock for me. It does quiet down at night after 9 so that is fine as well. Ear plugs or using your phone's white noise function helps as well.
Haha, so true!! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises but I don’t think I could do the cigarette smoke- that’s a bit much.
The Stefan Battory vibrated the entire time we were on it sailing across the Atlantic in 1981. No air conditioning at all, just a lever that you jammed in the mechanism of the door with, and then locked it in the open position. That was only after someone had shown us to do that. So your cabin door was locked while it was open to the hallway.
Blimey! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I sailed in a cabin laid out like this in 2007 on the Celebrity Mercury. It was PERFECT for us, as I was cruising with my sister and her daughter. They got the front half and I got the aft half.
That view! And the layout seemed like it made a lot of sense.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
We love top deck, center rear. Awesome views, on Royal we are under the Windjammer, which is quiet at night.
We did the Southern Caribbean on Celebrity Century a few years ago and enjoyed it. Glad to see she is still floating!
She’s a lovely ship, Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I haven't done a lot of cruises and the only time we've ever had a balcony it was positioned a couple floors above the smoking lounge, which had an exterior vent that seemed to vent directly onto our balcony. We also had a lot of rule breakers who smoked on their balconies. No matter what time of day or night, if I stepped out onto the balcony for more than a second, I'd hear a door slide open from a nearby cabin and the flick of a lighter. Somehow, the wind seemed to know, and no matter where it was coming from, would blow the smoke directly at our balcony. It wasn't even from the same cabin with the smoker all the time. I could never quite tell where it was happening, so I couldn't even file a complaint. I think it may literally have been everyone but us.
I'd been so excited about sitting out on the balcony and enjoying the sunrise, or sunset, or just reading a book. But in a week, I don't think I spent a combined 10 minutes out there.
We were still pretty new to traveling and to cruising at the time. I think if it happened again, we'd at least try to get moved.
What a nightmare near the smoking section. It's stories like these that leave me watching your channel instead of cruising.
I really enjoy Tui/Marella cruises, the All Inclusive drinks choices are great, the food delicious, the staff are brilliant, nothing is too much trouble. I can relax completely. We were on Discovery in April (Caribbean) and are doing a river cruise with same company in July (Danube). Good info regarding the placement of your cabin, Emma. I have never had one in that position and wouldn't have assumed that there would be a noisy pub below it (not a smoking area).
Sounds good to me! ❤❤
now i want to cruise again. My dad is taking his wife on her first cruise in may for 3 days so she can see what its like. she will love it.
Sure she will ❤🎉
I'm from America and I love watching your videos. I especially enjoy the British-isms. Some of them are interesting and I'm sorry but some of them are funny.
Haha, Thank you! 😁❤️
Thank you for passing your friends message on to us people on the internet🤪Love this channel 🥰
Love your open and honest reviews - am now looking for a weekend cruise as didn't know that was even a thing ! I have not been on Marella since 2019 and the balcony cabins definitely had shampoo and conditioner then - I remember mentioning to my husband it was Clarins products which was a nice luxury - I wonder if its been removed as an economy post-COVID?
Ooo yeah maybe! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Fantastic Cabin review and I always go by your reviews for cruises and love and appreciate your impact 🛳️💙🩵🩵🌞🩵💖🛳️🩵🩵💚🌸🫶🏻💙🫶🏻
Thanks Lauren!! ❤❤
My first ever cruise was on the Century! She looks much different in my pictures. The refit must have been extensive.
Yep pretty much gutted the ship I think! Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Cheers! Great video Emm!
Emma, Thank you for your advice and suggestions. I will never pick a cabin near a bar. I really like it quiet during sleep. I would probably ask for suggestions from the travel agent or cruise line staff.
This is why we stay in the nightclub until 2-3 in the morning 🤣 ...but seriously Marella do handle issues very well ..
Problem solved haha 😂❤
I've been on cruises of different qualities... I've taken the Aft Cabin only when I was doing the "drink all night, pass out all day", so being above the main club isn't an issue.
Another lovely video. Thank you. I like that cabin layout.
Thank you! 😁❤️
You are lovely and informative as always Emma !
Thank you! 😁❤️
I went on this cruise for my honeymoon. Funnily enough we were guna stay in one of those cabins but they moved us to a normal one. I think it was a good thing tbh. We hadn't done a cruise before so can't compare but we had a lovely time and the staff were amazing
Not living in the UK any more it's been decades since I heard the phrase pac-a-mac! So quaint.
😂😂😂😂
I think that this ship would suit me well. Maybe a different cabin though because of the noise although the layout looks good. Thank you for the video Emma, much appreciated. From Sydney Australia 🇦🇺
I once took an aft cabin, just the once, never again. It was the Brittany Ferries ship "Bretagne", I was travelling from Plymouth to Santander, two nights and a day, with the car (for the motorail to Malaga, alas this does not operate anymore). On check in I upgraded to an outside cabin, I experienced all the issues you mentioned, eg vibration and noise. Also I noticed enhanced movement, not that Biscay was unduly rough but forward and aft locations do move more than midship. I can still recall that the dreaded sea sickness got to me, but I was fine on the return journey. This experience has influenced me against some of the premium upgrade options, Haven, Yacht Club etc as these tend to have cabins high up forward. More of a cruise ferry than cruise, but two nights by sea to Spain is still sea travel.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I absolutely love your videos. Very informative.
Thanks so much for watching and your kind words! I appreciate it 😀❤️
We had same issue with air con on the marella explorer 2 as well. He did the same turned up & fixed it in like 30 seconds lol
Emma, I’m wanting to take my 1st cruise… the nearest cruise port to me is Galveston, TX. Any suggestions?
with the exception of the room location, it looks like a wonderful cruise. Room looked clean, staff was attentive and nice, free drinks. I'm certainly sold on this cruise, just need to choose a different room. Good review....as always.
Full cruise review coming soon!! 🎉❤
We are headed out on a Norwegian cruise and have a forward facing ‘inside cabin’, a weird little cabin squeezed in between the suites and having a big window but no balcony access. There is no couch but a huge area under the window. I’m very curious to experience this as we actively seek out all the weird cabins on a ship and this, easily, is one of the oddest.
Ok I got a bit of the chills when you said it used to be Celebrity Century That was the 1st ship my husband and i cruised on I wondered what had become of it An outstanding memory 🙂
Awh ☺️🥹❤️
Stern views in cabins are great, I had one on Viking from Istanbul to Athens. But as you say, check for other issues.
The term pac-a-mac is a nod back to a Mackintosh raincoat, right?
Generally love an aft balcony, but need to be aware that nightclubs etc are at the back too. Make sure you are high enough (or low enough) to avoid these. Cruise ships I have been on generally restrict smoking to premenade deck, port side. Did TUI indicate that your cabin might be affected by smoke?