Ultimate Restaurant Guide Marella Voyager - Part 1
Included Restaurants on Marella Voyager
All You Need To Know About Food & Dining on Marella Voyager - Part 1 Included Eateries
Latest Comprehensive Marella Voyager Restaurant Guide with Menus - Part 1 Included Restaurants
There is always a lot of interest about Marella Cruises food. Marella Voyager, the latest ship to join the Marella Cruises’ fleet, has elevated dining options for you to enjoy. Past Marella guests will be pleased to know that some of their established favourites are still onboard, as well as several new eateries.
For those of you who are non-meat eaters, you will be pleased to see the improved plant based, vegan and meat free options on most menus. There are more than 37 new vegetarian and vegan dishes available on-board. In total, 25 per cent of the new menus feature vegetarian dishes and 15 per cent will account for vegan options, There is even a fully vegan roast to enjoy!
Many of the restaurants onboard Marella Voyager are included, whilst others attract a supplement. Part One of this guide looks at which restaurants are included in your cruise for free. I will cover speciality restaurants, including how much they cost, in Part Two of this guide to be published separately.
The Kitchens - Included
Image: Tui/Marella Cruises taken from the Navigate App.
OK I am going to start off with this one as it is a BIG change, and was quite controversial on our voyage. Whether you are familiar with other Marella ships, or have travelled on other cruise lines, you will no doubt be aware of the ubiquitous ‘24 hour buffet’ where you can pile your plates high with a multitude of different food and keep going back for more. It is, after all, the reason cruising got its reputation for excess and over-indulgence. Well not on Marella Voyager - at least not in the same way.
In the revamp of this new ship, Marella have veered away from the buffet, and moved towards a more contemporary ‘food hall’ concept. Let me introduce you to ‘The Kitchens’.
This area is of modern design with extremely spacious with plentiful seating. There are nine different food outlets in The Kitchens:
The Gravy Boat
Bamboo
The Dressed Leaf
Banyan Leaf
Athena’s
The Pastry Crust
The Pantry
Patisserie
Cherry on Top
Breakfast in The Kitchens
Weirdly (but conveniently), all the outlets serve breakfast items in the morning, unrelated to their branding. With the exception of The Dressed Leaf and Patisserie which serve continental choices, they all offer a very good, comprehensive full English Breakfast (plus microwaved sausage or bacon baps) and plant-based alternatives between 6.30 and 11 am.
Lunch in The Kitchens
Between 11.30 and 2 pm each outlet reverts to type and serves their own signature dishes.
The Gravy Boat
The go-to for the revolutionary and portable roast dinner in a Yorkshire pudding wrap. Ingenious! These little hand-sized wraps are filled with chicken, potato and veg and served with an optional pot of gravy. Admittedly the novelty wears off after a couple of days but they are quite tasty and it makes you wonder why no one has thought of it before. Alternatively, you can have roast meat/chicken in a roll.
Bamboo
This outlet offers Asian delights such as freshly prepared Vegetable Chow Mein, Japanese Raman (noodles), Cantoneses style Sweet and Sour Pork/chicken with accompaniments of egg fried rice and prawn crackers.
The Dressed Leaf
The Dressed Leaf will prepare fresh salads to order and have some pre-prepared standard such as a Greek Salad (tip: pick up one of these before getting your kebab from Athena’s for an authentic Greek meal), Caesar Salad (although beware that this comes with hard boiled egg), a Cobb salad (?), or you can customise your own from a range of options and dressings prepared in front of you. They also serve jacket potatoes to which you can add cheese. There is always a long queue for this outlet so if you are having a salad as an accompaniment to a hot dish, my advice is to get the salad first.
Banyan Leaf
For all curry lovers, Banyan Leaf serves a mild, tasty curry (usually chicken) replicated in a paneer curry (as in same sauce) for non-meat eaters. It would have been nice to see a different veggie option rather than one so similar. Accompaniments include poppadom and rice - although bizarrely if you ask for mango chutney you will be told it is only available at dinner.
Athena’s
Greek inspired dishes can be found at Athena’s, which at lunch consists of shredded chicken loaded onto a warm pitta and topped with optional extras: hummus, tzatziki, tomato and onion salad and a mini veggie kebab. Absolutely delicious and reminiscent of the gyros in the Greek Islands. Tip: Pick up a Greek salad from The Dressed Leaf before queuing for your hot food.
TBF I never saw the dinner kebab pictured in this promo photo (I forgot to take a photo) - but maybe it’s planned for the future.
The Pastry Crust
Who ate all the pies? Well lots of Marella passengers apparently. This outlet basically produces pies and mash (no liquor): Cornish (style) Pasties, Chicken & Mushroom Pie, and Moroccan Chickpea & Sweet Potato Pie for example. Whilst it didn’t appeal to me in hot weather, my husband tried a chicken pie but found it a bit dry and not to have very much filling. It was still a very popular choice amongst those wanting a hearty lunch.
The Pantry
Another popular choice, particularly at lunchtime when it serves lots of freshly made bloomer sandwiches, panini etc plus gluten free options, soup and a few cakes (sorry this section is brief but I’m not a sarnie girl - they did look yummy though). At breakfast this is where you will also find croissants and other limited baked breakfast pastries.
Patisserie
The go-to place for sweet treats, fresh fruit and desserts. If you spy something you fancy, I advise you to pick it up there and then as some options seem in limited supply (the little trifles served in mini Martini glasses disappeared in a blink of an eye and were rarely replaced). I can highly recommend the little banoffee pies, which were delicious.
Cherry On Top
As the name implies this is the ice cream servery, although no sign of a cherry. Unlike in this promo photo, (which also shows Patisserie alongside it), we found that often they only served from half the cabinet - so two/three flavours - in cones or bowls Vanilla is always in demand and sometimes they run out - on one occasion the only options were chocolate or coffee. There are sprinkles and sauces that you can add if you want a topping.
TIP: For some unknown reason some items in The Kitchens are “under the counter” and only available on demand by those in the know. An example of this is that rarest of fruit, bananas, which are kept, so rumour has it, hidden away at Cherry on the Top. Another is a secret stash of blue cheese, which when not visible with the daily option, can be procured by asking the server sweetly who produces it from a stainless steel fridge at The Dressed Leaf salad bar.
The main criticism of The Kitchens by some guests, and of which you should be aware, is that unlike traditional buffets, the food is exactly the same EVERY day. This is by design, and I think needs an adapted approach by diners to maximise enjoyment and to avoid a jaded palate. Imagine you were in your local shopping centre food hall - you wouldn’t choose McDonalds, KFC and Nando’s at the same time - all are delicious but you would choose one for that particular meal. That’s what we did at lunch in The Kitchens - one day I went Greek, another Indian, then Asian etc. whilst this isn’t what we may be used to in a usual buffet, it makes sense and saves waste. If you do find it all a bit monotonous, there are other included alternatives onboard discussed below.
Afternoon Tea at The Kitchens
The Kitchen’s Afternoon Tea Menu
Served between 3-5 pm, each of the serveries turn over their offering to afternoon tea options with little open sandwiches, rolls, cake bites and scones with proper cream. Pssst! The advertised Brie & grape baguette, much to my distaste, actually turned out to be Brie & Black Olive (there had been a mix up). Their solution? Change the sign rather than add grapes!
Note, unlike on other ships, no other area within The Kitchens continues to offer lunch items during this time.
Dinner in The Kitchens
Dinner is served 6-9 pm. The options do change to a degree at this time with additional items being added, but menus are very similar each evening.
The Gravy Boat offers one or two carvery joints (the crackling on the roast pork looked amazing), with sides such as roast potatoes and yorkies to make a full roast dinner;
Athena’s offer minced lamb kebabs and chicken shish kebabs, with additional accompaniments;
Banyan Leaf has extra curries such as Beef Biryani’s, Dal Makhani, and Chicken or Paneer Korma, pakoras, bhajis, rice etc. plus that elusive mango chutney;
Bamboo has Chicken Satay, Fish Lanka Curry, Thai Massaman Curry with the same sides as at lunch.
The other outlets are pretty much the same as at lunch perhaps with a few tweaks.
Apart from at lunch, we only ate in The Kitchens once for dinner where I really enjoyed the curries and had food envy over John’s roast. In retrospect, and especially on a 14 unight cruise, I think I would eat elsewhere for lunch to enjoy the more extensive choice The Kitchens offer in the evenings.
Late-Night Snacks at The Kitchens
If you are still hungry after your dinner, you can head to The Kitchens where you will find such delights as (mild) curry and rice and burgers and chips on offer in the two hour window between 10 pm and midnight.
There are refreshment areas for tea and coffee and soft drinks at various places around The Kitchens. There are also self-serve wine taps (great if you like chilled red,) and Draught lager. There is no drinks service here so if you want anything other than the self-serve you will need to head to a bar There is nothing additional for Premium All Inclusive guests - again for fresh juices (which I never found), cans, different beers or other drinks included in your upgrade, you will need to head to the nearest bar.
Abuelas - Included
Image: TUI/Marella Voyages. Taken from Navigate App whilst onboard.
Abuela’s is a new restaurant and currently unique to Marella Voyager. Mexican vibes can be enjoyed at Abuela’s at both lunch and/or dinner. Authentic Mexican food - think tacos and nachos for example - created with authentic Mexican ingredients. This is the only Mexican restaurant in the Marella Cruises fleet.
Abuela’s is located on Deck 11 aft at one side (starboard) of The Summer House bar/lounge. The colourful chairs and tables gives the place a fiesta feel. At lunch (11.30-5.00 pm) you can enjoy loaded nachos and/or chilli. Abuela’s is also open for dinner between 6.30-9.00 pm when there is a wider menu including Soup, Nachos, Empanada, Enchiladas and Burritos. Inexplicably, there is a supplement charged for Guacamole (possibly as it is prepared at your table), and for some premium fillings such as King Prawns, Beef Short rib and Plant-based soy pieces(?).
We enjoyed a mid-afternoon shared plate of loaded nachos with a beer, overlooking the wake on the outside deck of The Summer House. It was mild, but very tasty and hit the spot
Abeula’s Menus - Click to enlarge
Nonna’s - Included
Nonna’s
This casual Italian diner is situated on the opposite side of The Summer House to Abuela’s. It is open for both lunch and dinner and is popular with families.
Location: Deck 11 Aft Port Side
Times: Lunch 11.30 am - 5 pm Dinner 6:30-9.00 pm
Lunch at Nonna’s
At lunchtime you have the choice of three pasta types, two sauces and three stonebaked pizzas. Portions are relatively small so make sure you ask if you want a more substantial plate. Pizzas at lunch are individual size, and the pepperoni and meatballs are tiny. The food is all cooked to order, and you are issued with a buzzer so that you know when your food is ready. We found that venue lacked atmosphere in the day as people are generally elsewhere, and we had to wait a little while for our lunch. We both had spag bol with an individual pizza both of which were yummy.
Dinner at Nonna’s
The atmosphere livens up somewhat in the evening as Nonna’s is a popular venue for those not wanting to dress for dinner, or who enjoy a more casual vibe. It was definitely first choice for those with children or teens who were craving their Italian carbs! My youngest daughter would have been in heaven here as she existed for 10 years pretty much on a diet of plain pasta.
The evening menu offers a little more choice with starters (bread or salad), 4 types of pasta, 5 sauces, calzone and build your own pizza (see menu for options).
Interesting fact about Abuela’s and Nonna’s - the names of each restaurant means ‘Grandmothrr’ in Spanish and Italian respectively - suggesting good, authentic home cooking.
Latitudes - Included
Location: Decks 5 & 6 Aft
Times: Breakfast 6:30-9.00 am Dinner 6.00-9.00 pm
Officially named Latitudes 53, this is the included formal main dining room, which spans two levels on Decks 5 and 6. It is a traditional space with a grand, sweeping staircase and huge floor-to-ceiling windows at the aft, flooding the space with light. Tables are dressed with white cloths, napkins and silverware and meals are waiter-served. Food is generally good and nicely presented, but not pretentious. Latitudes is an open seating restaurant operating any time dining and there are plenty of tables for two available, plus tables accommodating much larger parties. You can request to be seated at the same table every night but this isn’t guaranteed.
Breakfast in Latitudes
Whether it’s a continental breakfast or the full works, you can guarantee a good, relaxed start to your day if you choose Latitudes in the morning. The breakfast menu is fixed and doesn’t change. Every day you can choose from juices, bakery items, healthy choices, deli items, omelettes, and of course a Traditional English Breakfast customised to how you like it. There is also an express breakfast for those days you just need to scoff and off. Additionally, there are two daily specials so if you crave pancakes, eggs Benedict, smashed avocado or even kippers, check the menu on Navigate app to see which days these will be available.
You can have as many courses as you like, but beware they are likely all to arrive on your table at once. I have a healthy appetite - some might dare to say I’m greedy- so one morning I ordered juice, a fruit plate, cornflakes, toast, corn beef hash followed by pancakes and compote. John ordered a Full English and toast. Even though I had said one, FOLLOWED BY…, apart from the juice, which arrived with the weak (for our taste) tea/coffee, ALL of my choices arrived together at the same time as John’s cooked breakfast. It was quite a fete to balance cornflakes (which came with milk already poured so were soggy), and the fruit plate whilst trying to eat the hash and then pancakes before they got cold.
We ate breakfast here on several days, and John (a creature of habit) had the Traditional Full English breakfast every time. It was always well cooked and presented, served hot and was very tasty (apparently). My items (apart from the day I mentioned above) were also enjoyable - the fruit plate was as expected with slices of assorted fresh melon and pineapple, and I also tried the French Toast which was nice and thick, but could have benefited from a dusting of icing sugar as it lacked sweetness.
Generally we found the breakfast to be good in Latitudes.
Dinner in Latitudes
You can dine in Latitudes any time between 6.30 pm and 9 pm (beware they are strict on late entry). There are certain times that are more popular than others (7/7.15 pm and 8/8.30 pm) when you may have to wait for a table, in which case you will be issued with a buzzer.
Once seated you will be shown a menu, asked about any allergies or intolerances, your wine order will be taken and you will be offered bread or a roll (Tip: If you know you may want more bread - say to go with a soup or other starter - request it at this point as they do not return to offer more).
With regard to the wine, you have a choice of the included sparkling, red, rosé or white. However if you are on the premium all inclusive please note you will not be asked this, so you will need to ask what wines are available on the package. In our experience there are generally a choice of two whites and two reds and often they are out of one or both. I had thought there might have been more choices given the extensive wine list but this isn’t the case.
Latitudes Wine Lists
There is sure to be something to suit any taste in Latitudes. Menus include a choice of up to 7 starters, 7 Main Courses, 5 desserts or Ice-cream and/or cheese and biscuits. You can order more than one dessert if you can’t decide and have dessert plus cheese and biscuits if you want. You can also choose from speciality coffees or liqueurs to follow, most of which carry a supplement unless you are on Premium All Inclusive.
The menus change nightly but currently, unlike on other Marella ships, are repeated every 7 nights. I have only included sample menus for information. Once onboard you can check the day’s menu on the Navigator app.
We ate in Latitudes three times and were very happy with our meals, although service was sometimes lacking/slow due to being under-staffed. Water and wine were not topped up as standard, only on request if you managed to catch a waiter’s eye.
I highly recommend the deconstructed prawn cocktail which was so delicious I had it twice.
Sample Latitude Dinner Menus
Interesting fact:, The name of the restaurant stems from the geographic latitude of the shipyard where Marella.Voyager was constructed, in Papenburg, Germany.
Vista - Included
Vista is an included restaurant masquerading as a speciality venue. Whilst it is situated within Latitudes on Deck 5, it is a separate entity with its own menu featuring contemporary Italian cuisine. It is an extremely popular venue, particularly as it is included, and already has a great reputation built across the Marella fleet.
Vista can’t be booked, and therein lies a problem, as it is extremely difficult to get a table. Demand always exceeds supply - at busy times you will be issued with a buzzer and can expect a wait of up to 45 minutes. However, in our experience, if you arrive after most buzzers have been issued you will be turned away. Worse case scenario, as happened to friends of ours, if you arrive towards the end of service, this could mean that everywhere else will be closed and you will go hungry. We tried on several occasions at different times between 7 - 9 pm and were only able to get in once. Staff and the Restaurant Manager were very apologetic but it didn’t lessen the disappointment and frustration. Of course, others may have had a different experience to us I’m unsure whether you are able to secure a table on your first night for the duration - I doubt it, but might be worth asking the question if you like the look of the food options. My advice is to ask at the desk what the best times are to guarantee a table.
There are two menus in Vista which are rotated once a week. They feature a choice of starters (Primi Platti); mains (Secondi Platti) including fish, meat and pastas; and dessert & coffee (Dolci e Caffe). There is also an Italian influenced wine list offering some interesting wine by the bottle at extra cost. Otherwise the included wine is the same as everywhere else, except for those on Premium All Inclusive who have the choice of four tempting options including Chianti. Sadly neither of the PAI Red options were available on the third night of sailing and we could only have the same Bordeaux offered to us in every venue.
We thoroughly enjoyed our one meal in Vista where I had POLPETTE di MANZO e MAIALE al VINO BIANCO (Beef and pork meatballs, in a white wine sauce); slow cooked lamb and a trio of tiramisu.
Sample Vista Menu
Snack Shack - Included
For fast food options for when you don’t want to leave the pool deck or cover up to go for lunch, the Snack Shack is your go to. Serving cooked-to-order burgers, fish and chips and hot dogs plus a fridge of grab and go sandwiches and salads, Snack Shack is a good alternative to lunch in The Kitchens. If you have an excursion departure around lunchtime you could even grab a sandwich or two to eat on the coach.
Alongside the pool you will find the colourful Snack Shack beach huts which offer a shaded area to enjoy your tasty, cooked to order food.
Worth noting - all restaurants are closed by 9 pm (last entry) so if you are still hungry after this your only options will be late night snacks in The Kitchens between 10 pm and Midnight, or 24 Hour room service at a cost.
Part 2 of this Guide covering Speciality Restaurants coming soon.
SEE ALSO:
My Cruise on a Plate - Photo Guide to Food on Marella Voyager
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The amount of included restaurants onboard Marella Voyager, alongside the all inclusive drinks, means that once you have paid your fare you don’t really need to put your hand in your pocket again - unless you want some extras that is. If you have a celebration or just fancy treating yourself there are some good speciality restaurants onboard that incur an additional per person supplement. I will give details of these in Part Two of this Ultimate Guide to Restaurants on Marella Voyager, so make sure you are following my social accounts and even subscribe below.
Please leave a comment if you have found this useful, and/or if there is anything else you would like to know.