Table Of Content
Thomson Dream (Marella Dream) joined the fleet in spring 2010 being long-term chartered from Costa Cruises. There’s a welcome return of many of Marella Cruises' food staples, from the likes of premium dining Surf & Turf and Kora La to the popular poolside grab-and-go Snack Shack. The biggest dining development has been replacing the traditional buffet with food-court-style The Kitchens, offering an impressive choice of eight distinctive stations. We found food quality generally above-par and with daily variations on each theme.
Marella Discovery
Theatre is by far the most popular form of performing art, and theatrical venues are among the most visited, second only to cinemas. There were 3,162 theatric performances with 570,568 people attending in 2014.[143] The Ivan Vazov National Theatre, which performs mainly classical plays and is situated in the very centre of the city, is the most prominent theatre. The National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria is a combined opera and ballet collective established in 1891. Some of Bulgaria's most famous operatic singers, such as Nicolai Ghiaurov and Ghena Dimitrova, made their first appearances on the stage of the National Opera and Ballet. Known as Serdica in antiquity and Sredets in the Middle Ages, Sofia has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC. The recorded history of the city begins with the attestation of the conquest of Serdica by the Roman Republic in 29 BC from the Celtic tribe Serdi.
Sails From
There are about a hundred different destinations to explore aboard Marella ships. As the newest member of the Marella Cruises family, Marella Voyager’s facilities are fresh out of the wrapper. It set sail for the first time in June 2023 with a bar and restaurant offering that counts up to 27, as well as an indoor cinema, a pool deck – complete with a swimming pool and whirlpools – and a big show lounge. There are plenty of places where you can take in the sea views, too, from the mini golf course at the top of the ship to The Veranda, where cosy Balinese beds point towards the big blue. Thomson Cruises aimed an effect on the British market just like Carnival did in the USA.
How much does it cost to go on Marella Discovery 2?
One night on a seven-night cruise is "Dress to Impress" night, which has replaced gala evenings or formal nights. There's no real guidance on this, though most people opt for a jacket and smart trousers or (non-ripped) jeans for men and a dress and perhaps heels for women. Come evening, energetic stage productions and live music in the lounges keep the atmosphere vibrant. Of course, some ships also have a pub and nightclub where the beat continues into the small hours.
Cruise destinations
During the decline of the Roman Empire, the city was raided by Huns, Visigoths, Avars and Slavs. In 809, Serdica was incorporated into the Bulgarian Empire by Khan Krum and became known as Sredets. In 1018, the Byzantines ended Bulgarian rule until 1194, when it was reincorporated by the reborn Bulgarian Empire.
Within this cohort are first-time cruisers who see Marella as the springboard to ocean-going holidays, either sticking with the line or experimenting with other cruise brands once they gain their sea legs. Unusually for a British line, Marella does not sail from UK ports, preferring instead to focus on cruises with ships based in a varied line-up of popular destinations from the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands to the Red Sea and Florida. According to modern records, 39,551 dwellings were constructed until 1949, 119,943 between 1950 and 1969, 287,191 between 1970 and 1989, 57,916 in the 90s and 102,623 between 2000 and 2011. Until 1949, 13,114 buildings were constructed and between 10,000 and 20,000 in each following decade.[114] Sofia's architecture combines a wide range of architectural styles, some of which are aesthetically incompatible. These vary from Christian Roman architecture and medieval Bulgarian fortresses to Neoclassicism and prefabricated Socialist-era apartment blocks, as well as newer glass buildings and international architecture. A number of ancient Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian buildings are preserved in the centre of the city.
Marella Discovery Cruise: Expert Review (2023) - Cruise Critic
Marella Discovery Cruise: Expert Review ( .
Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 03:45:36 GMT [source]
There are two golf courses just to the east of Sofia — in Elin Pelin (St Sofia club) and in Ihtiman (Air Sofia club), and a horseriding club (St George club).Sofia was designated as European Capital of Sport in 2018. The decision was announced in November 2014 by the Evaluation Committee of ACES Europe, on the grounds that "the city is a good example of sport for all, as means to improve healthy lifestyle, integration and education, which are the basis of the initiative". Sofia applied to host the Winter Olympic Games in 1992 and in 1994, coming second and third respectively. The city was also an applicant for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but was not selected as candidate. In addition, Sofia hosted EuroBasket 1957 and the 1961 and 1977 Summer Universiades, as well as the 1983 and 1989 winter editions. Vitosha Boulevard, also called Vitoshka, is a pedestrian zone with numerous cafés, restaurants, fashion boutiques, and luxury goods stores.
Fleet
The ship operates Mediterranean cruises (leaving from Malaga Spain) and Canary Islands cruises (out of Tenerife to ports in the Canaries, Morocco, and Madeira). On select cruises, Marella offers free all-inclusive upgrades on the fleet's older liners. The new vessels (Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2) offered these all-inclusive packages as standard fare inclusion.
(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021
The packages include direct flights from the UK (London-Gatwick and Birmingham) to Melbourne Orlando Airport. Marella optionally offers "cruise and stay" packages with a choice of 18 different hotels in the Caribbean. Since November 2022, Marella UK (via partnership with OneSpaWorld Holdings/health and wellness company) provides ocean-inspired wellness products and services on all its ships. The range of OneSpaWorld's services includes Ocean Body Treatments (massages and polishes), Ocean Facial, Ocean Salon Services. On Marella ships, OneSpaWorld uses premium beauty brands like Elemis, L'Oreal, Kerastase.
Marella "cruise and stay" holiday package deals include hotel or apartment at the beginning or at the end of the voyage. For FY2017, company's turnover was GBP 502 million, with EBITA (earnings-before-interest-taxes-depreciation-amortization) GBP 86,5 million and total number of served passengers 308,000 (101,7% occupancy). For FY2018 (fiscal year), TUI Group's earnings (from the 3 cruise brands - TUI, Marella, and Hapag-Lloyd) increased by 10,7% - to EUR 901,9 million. Group's average daily rates increased to EUR 178 euro (TUI, up from EUR 173), EUR 141 (Marella, up from EUR 131) and EUR 615 (Hapag-Lloyd, up from EUR 594).
New residential areas were built in the outskirts of the city, like Druzhba, Mladost and Lyulin. The city eventually fell to the Byzantine Empire in 1018, following the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria. The city expanded and became a significant political and economical centre, more so as it became one of the first Roman cities where Christianity was recognised as an official religion (under Galerius). The Edict of Toleration by Galerius was issued in 311 in Serdica by the Roman emperor Galerius, officially ending the Diocletianic persecution of Christianity. The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of "religio licita", a worship recognised and accepted by the Roman Empire.
Freshly zhuzhed up in 2023, all the cabins we saw felt clean and contemporary with spaces thoughtfully laid-out for those travelling in families or groups. Categories break down into the standard Inside, Outside, Balcony, Family and Suite, all delivering where it really matters with comfy beds, effective air con and good showers. In terms of look and feel, Marella Voyager doesn’t deviate far from its sister ships, and experienced Marella cruisers will also find plenty of familiar favourites on board. The main leap forward is in the ship’s dining, expanding both free and premium food venues, together with much more plant-forward options. The family-friendly ship is a sister to Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2, and will offer 10 all-inclusive bars and 10 restaurants onboard.
Marella Voyager made its debut in June 2023 after a multi-million-pound bow-to-stern refurb that included a raft of new-to-the-line additions. Originally built in 1997 for Celebrity Cruises and most recently sailing as Tui's Mein Schiff Herz, the 1,912-passenger family-friendly ship is now the fifth and largest by tonnage in the Marella cruises fleet. There will be heaps of perks for passengers too including 10 bars, 10 restaurants, spacious family-friendly pools, kids' clubs and a theatre with Broadway-style shows. The ship will also offer up new features which are not available elsewhere including a brand new Mexican restaurant, and a swish secret Speakeasy bar that's sure to be a hit with holidaymakers. Sofia entered a period of economic and political decline in the 17th century, accelerated during the period of anarchy in the Ottoman Balkans of the late 18th and early 19th century, when local Ottoman warlords ravaged the countryside. By the 19th century the Bulgarian population had two schools and seven churches, contributing to the Bulgarian National Revival.
However, the end of the old administration and centrally planned system also paved the way for chaotic and unrestrained construction, which continues today. The architecture of Sofia's centre is thus a combination of Neo-Baroque, Neo-Rococo, Neo-Renaissance and Neoclassicism, with the Vienna Secession also later playing an important part, but it is most typically Central European. Sofia City Province has an area of 1344 km2,[41] while the surrounding and much bigger Sofia Province is 7,059 km2. Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by the Balkan mountains to the north.
The company's older vessels are chartered from Holland America Line and Celestyal Cruises. Marella's new fleet consists of TUI-owned ships formerly owned and operated by Royal Caribbean and TUI Cruises. Since 2015, the National Art Gallery, located in the former royal palace, the National Gallery for Foreign Art (NGFA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art – Sofia Arsenal were merged to form the National Gallery. The crypt of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral is another branch of the National Gallery. It holds a collection of Eastern Orthodox icons from the 9th to the 19th century. After World War II and the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria in 1944, the architectural style was substantially altered.
Marella’s ships are generally older, having come from other cruise lines rather than being newly-built. This means they can feel a little dated, but refurbishments help to bring a fresher feel with innovative touches – like balcony hammocks – and are complemented by excellent crews that stand out for their friendliness and exemplary service. There's definitely a relaxed look and feel to the dress code on Marella Discovery 2.
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