Chose this 2 week cruise for the itinerary - 12 islands with only 1 sea day. Flew Gatwick - Barbados quick transfer & luggage delivered straight to cabin. Have sales on other Marella ships but first time on Explorer 2 & quite impressed. Clean & spacious and adults only with a range of bars, eateries & entertainment. Younger vibe than some other cruises we've been on.
CABIN Inside cabin deck 8 had lots of cupboard & drawer space with a decent size bathroom with a proper shower cubicle- no getting wrapped up in a curtain! Tea/ coffee tray restocked daily & always clean. Ours was quiet with good soundproofing but friends on deck 9 had noise from show lounge, rehearsals through the day & 2 shows at night despite being 2 decks above.
EATING Latitude is main restaurant & Market Place the buffet, Vista is Italian & Nonnas a pizza place. Various places around the pool do snacks/lunches & there are several places with a surcharge, some quite hefty. Food in the Latitude was underwhelming overall. Bland at times, often undercooked veg & dried out from being too long under hot lights. Some descriptions were way off the mark - glamorous puddings turned out to be just tinned fruit & ice cream. Service varied wherever you sat - smiles & topping up drinks etc to morose waiters with long waits. Vista had a different feel, waiters often more friendly and food much better. Menu only changes every 3 -4 days so cant eat their every day unless you like repetition.Market Place buffet is a great place for lunch- hot & cold offerings, imaginative salads, also variety at breakfast & evenings. Lovely afternoon tea with proper clotted cream with the scones - top marks! Snacks around the pool were good & fresh.