Our problems with Marella Cruises started just after booking: we didn't realise that when we booked through the cruise hotline we were automatically diverted to a store location (which was nowhere near us). Not only were the staff at Stockport ill-trained, but their computer system didn't even link up with the Cruise dept. I later had to give up adding an additional week hotel reservation because they could not provide live pricing and by the time they got back to me with details, the property had sold out - this happened 3 times over! I also believe the agent knowingly misinformed me about cruise details in order to secure a sale.

We booked a week cruise for 7 people over 3 rooms. Even 10 months advance booking could not secure us a family room nor adjoining rooms, meaning our 10-year anniversary cruise had to be spent in separate rooms in order to chaperone the children.

We decided to take our children on our anniversary cruise because the cruise was advertised as having Kids' Club from 9am until 2am each day, so we assumed we could have a couple 'date nights'. Once aboard we learned that the nearly fully booked ship considered the October school half-term break a low season, thus cancelling the vast majority of kids club. They offered 3 awkward 2-hour sessions instead of the original promise. Read more