Whenever you book a cruise, you want it to be the best experience possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll always book the very best cabin on a ship, because you have to balance your budget too.
But some cabins are better than others, even without spending more. There are also certain cabins you should try to avoid, whether due to their location on the ship or just a particular quirk. That’s as true on Marella Discovery as it is on any ship.
In this guide, I’ll help you understand all of the cabin options available to you on Marella Discovery. I’ll also tell you which cabin numbers you should avoid booking where possible. You can check out the Marella Discovery deck plans if you want to see specific cabin locations.
Some of this advice is subjective, and will depend on your personal tastes. Be sure to read everything then make your decision carefully, based on the type of cruise you want.
Cabin Types on Marella Discovery
There are broadly four main types of cabins available on Marella Discovery.
- Inside – including Inside Plus and Single Inside
- Outside – including Deluxe and Single Outside
- Balcony – including Deluxe Balcony
- Suites – Junior Suites, Family Junior Suites, Family Suites, Grand Suites, Executive Suites and Royal Suites
Let’s delve a little deeper into each cabin type, so you can understand more about the options available.
Inside Cabins
Marella Discovery has multiple different types of Inside Cabin that you can book:
| Cabin | Size | Sleeps up to |
|---|---|---|
| Decks 2 & 3 Inside Cabin | 12 square metres | 2-4 |
| Decks 6, 7 and 8 Inside Cabin | 12-13 square metres | 2 |
| Inside Plus Cabin | 15 square metres | 2-4 |
| Single Inside Cabin | 12 square metres | 1 |
Inside Cabins are always the cheapest accommodation on any cruise ship (unless there are special upgrade offers). They’re windowless, but it’s always a short walk to an open deck if you want to enjoy a view, especially on a smaller ship like Marella Discovery.
Inside Cabins are a great choice if you’re on a tight budget, and don’t plan on spending much time in your cabin apart from sleeping and getting ready. They’re the smallest rooms, but you can save money for your next cruise if you’re comfortable in one of these. They typically come with twin beds, that can be converted into a queen-sized bed if you prefer.
Marella Discovery breaks down its Inside Cabins by decks.
A few important things to note:
- Some of the cabins on Decks 2 and 3 sleep two guests, while others sleep up to four.
- Inside Cabins on Decks 7 and 8 have been recently refurbished, but those on Deck 6 in the same category have not.
- Inside Plus Cabins either sleep two guests or up to four. Those that sleep up to four were refurbished in November 2022.
- Single Inside Cabins come with a queen-sized bed, which is pretty nifty. Most single cabins on other ships have a single twin bed.
The cabins that sleep more than two guests have fold-down beds.
These are Pullman beds which are hidden in the ceiling during the day, so that they don’t take up valuable space. They’re also better because you’re less likely to hit your head on them when you’re in a lower bed.
Outside Cabins
There are three main types of Outside Cabin on Marella Discovery:
| Cabin | Size | Sleeps up to |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Cabin | 14 square metres | 2-4 |
| Deluxe Cabin | 20 square metres | 4 |
| Single Outside Cabin | 14 square metres | 1* |
Outside Cabins are a good choice if you want to keep costs low, but don’t like the idea of being completely enclosed with no natural light. They’re also a better choice if you tend to get seasick, since focusing on the horizon can help.
The standard Outside Cabins on Marella Discovery are all on Decks 2 and 3, and have either a porthole or a picture window. Unfortunately, the categories aren’t split. I’ll cover that in a little more detail in the section below on cabins to avoid if you don’t want a porthole.
Deluxe Cabins are higher up on the ship, on Decks 7 and 8, and they’ve all been newly refurbished. They have a floor-to-ceiling window that offers a much better view, but that comes with a higher price for your booking.
Finally, Single Outside Cabins are available to book on Deck 3. Again, these have either a picture window or a porthole, and really they’re just a standard Outside Cabin sold at a special rate.
The Marella Cruises website even says they come with ‘twin beds that convert into a queen-sized double bed’. Why would you want twin beds if travelling alone?
Balcony Cabins
There are two different options for Balcony Cabins on Marella Discovery:
| Cabin | Size | Sleeps up to |
|---|---|---|
| Balcony Cabin | 13-14 square metres | 2 |
| Deluxe Balcony Cabin | 15-16 square metres | 4 |
A Balcony Cabin is a further step up from an Outside Cabin. It gives you your own private balcony space, where you can sit and soak up the view with the fresh sea air. On most cruise ships, a Balcony Cabin will also be larger than an Outside Cabin, but that’s not really the case with Marella Discovery.
Deluxe Balcony Cabins are larger though, so feel a little more luxurious. They also sleep up to four guests. Not with Pullman beds this time but with a double sofa bed, which is better for smaller children.
Suites
There are six different suite options on Marella Discovery:
| Suite | Size | Sleeps up to |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Suites | 21 square metres | 2 |
| Family Junior Suites | 39 square metres | 6 |
| Family Suites | 40 square metres | 7 |
| Grand Suites | 32 square metres | 4 |
| Executive Suites | 47 square metres | 4 |
| Royal Suites | 92 square metres | 4 |
On any cruise ship, suites are considered the best accommodation, but there are usually a few different choices. That’s true of Marella Discovery, where there are six suite types available.
Junior Suites
Junior Suites are the entry-level suite option on Marella Discovery, designed for two people. They’re essentially a larger Balcony Cabin, with twin beds that convert into a queen-sized bed and a private balcony to enjoy.
Family Junior Suites
Family Junior Suites are much larger, and designed for up to six guests. There’s a bedroom that has twin beds. In the living area are two more twin beds, which can convert into a queen-sized bed, and finally a double sofa bed. Like all suites, there is a balcony too.
Family Suites
There are very few cabins at sea that can sleep seven guests, so if you’re travelling with a large family these could be ideal. There are two bedrooms with twin beds/queen beds in each, one of which has a single fold-down bed. The sofa in the living area also converts into a double bed.
Grand Suites
Grand Suites have been newly refurbished with a modern style, and are aimed at two to four guests. They have one bedroom, with a double sofa bed in the living area. Although the Family Suites may be larger, a Marella Discovery Grand Suite is more about offering spacious, mid-level suites for couples or smaller families.
Executive Suites
A Marella Discovery Executive Suite is the second-best accommodation option on ship. These revamped suites are really spacious and very light, with massive doors to the balcony that really help make the room feel open. They have a bedroom and a queen-sized sofa bed in the living area.
Royal Suite
The best suite on the ship, the Royal Suite, is almost twice as large as an Executive Suite and almost eight times the size of an Inside Cabin. They’re huge! The master bedroom has a king-sized bed, while the living area has a large sofa bed, so the suite sleeps four guests. It also has a whirlpool bath and a baby grand piano.
Premier Service
All of the suites on Marella Discovery – from Junior Suites up to the Royal Suite – come with Premier Service. This is what you’d call the ‘suite perks’ on some other ships. The list of benefits isn’t huge though:
- Free pressing service for up to three items of clothing per passenger in the first 24 hours onboard.
- Free continental breakfast in bed per guest, once per week.
Adapted Cabins on Marella Discovery
There are Marella Discovery adapted cabins you can book, even though they are not mentioned on the cruise line’s own website where the cabins are listed.
This means I can’t give you exact room sizes, since they’ve not been measured separately. They are larger though, since they are designed to accommodate wheelchair users.
There are 17 adapted cabins available to book on Marella Discovery, including:
- Six Inside Cabins (3 on Deck 2, 3 on Deck 7)
- Six Outside Cabins (3 on Deck 2, 3 on Deck 3)
- Three Balcony Cabins (Deck 6)
- Three Junior Suites (Deck 8)
How to Choose the Best Cabin
There are a lot of different things to consider when choosing your cabin on Marella Discovery. Even with this guide, you’ll need help to go through the steps when making your selection. You need to know where to avoid, what to do if your first choice is available and so on.
To make things easier, I’ve created a checklist that you can use for Marella Discovery or indeed any ship. Just pop your email address and name into this form, and I’ll send it right to you. You can keep it to hand when you book your Marella Discovery cruise.
Cabins To Avoid on Marella Discovery
Here are the cabins to avoid when booking a cruise on Marella Discovery.
Remember that these depend on what kind of cruise passenger you are, so some might actually be better suited to you.
1. Cabins with a porthole
2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2500, 2502, 2504, 2506, 2600, 2602
When you book an Outside Cabin, you’re paying a little more than for an Inside. You can enjoy some natural light during daytime hours, and hopefully a bit of a view.
Although most Outside Cabins have a picture window, there are a handful towards the front and aft of the ship on Deck 2 that only have a porthole, and the difference is significant. The portholes don’t really offer any kind of view at all, and they let very little light through.
I’d recommend getting a picture window room instead. Otherwise you might as well save some money and just go for an Inside Cabin.
2. Rooms that are not ideal if you get seasick
8000 to 8016, 8060 to 8086, 8500 to 8516, 8566 to 8590
Inside Cabins on Deck 8
Marella Discovery is not a huge ship, which has both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to seasickness. Larger, more modern ships tend to have the latest stabilising technology, but they need it more because guests stay on higher decks.
The higher you are, and the closer to the front or aft, the more you’ll feel the motion of the ship. This is what can trigger seasickness. Marella Discovery only has cabins on Deck 8 and below, so you’re never too high. But avoid anything on Deck 8 near the front or aft of the ship if you’re concerned you might feel sick.
You definitely want to avoid the Inside Cabins on that deck too. Not only are you more likely to feel the movement of the waves, but you can’t look out to the horizon, which tends to work well in easing seasickness.
If you think you might feel seasick, then aim for a lower room, ideally in a mid-ship location and with a view. The Marella Discovery best cabins on Deck 3 – the Outside Cabins with a picture window – are a great choice.
3. Junior Suites
Some of the suite options on Marella Discovery are worth the extra money. They’re a lot more spacious, and are in some of the best locations on the ship.
But it’s harder to justify the jump in cost from a Deluxe Balcony Cabin to a Marella Discovery Junior Suite.
That’s not to say you should never book a Junior Suite. It might be that you want that extra five square metres of space over a Deluxe Balcony Cabin, and you’re happy to pay the additional money. But if you won’t spend a huge amount of time in your cabin, I’m not sure it’s worth it.
Either stick with a Deluxe Balcony Cabin, or aim a little higher and look at a Grand Suite. Then you’re getting twice the space, which really feels worth it.
The Premier Service perks and the extra five square metres of space aren’t enough to give a Junior Suite my full recommendation. I’d rather downgrade to something like a Marella Discovery Balcony Cabin on Deck 6, save the money and put it towards another cruise instead.
4. Connecting cabins (if you aren’t booking both)
Various on every deck
Connecting cabins are rooms that are side-by-side and have a door between them. Normally this door is locked, but if your travelling party books both rooms, you can have the door unlocked. This essentially open up both rooms to create a larger space.
If you are not booking both connecting cabins, I recommend you avoid booking one of them. That’s because the door that links these two rooms is thinner than the wall, so you’ll hear more of what your neighbours are getting up to. If they like to wake up early or watch TV late, you might hear them and it could be distracting.
Connecting cabins do have their uses though…
5. Family Suites if you’re on a budget
I love that there are Family Suites sleeping up to seven guests on Marella Discovery, but I wouldn’t recommend them if you are travelling as part of a group.
The difference in cost for booking a Family Suite is not just based on the extra space you’ll get. It will often be cheaper to book two separate connecting cabins than to book one Family Suite.
As a rough guide, I checked a typical seven-day itinerary that included flights. Booking two connecting cabins, with two adults and one child in each, would cost approximately £7,700. The cost for booking a single Family Suite for the same cruise, with four adults and two children, was over £11,000.
With a Family Suite you are getting more space, a better ship location and the Premier Service benefits. Family Suites are not a bad choice. But if you are on a tight budget, I’d consider booking connecting rooms instead.
6. Cabins adjacent to lifts
3055, 6061, 6561
There are plenty of cabins near the lifts on Marella Discovery, which can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s good because you don’t have to travel far to get to and from your cabin. But it can be annoying because a lot of people walk past your room in the morning or at night, which can be noisy.
But there are three Inside Cabins in particular that are directly adjacent to the lifts. So you might also hear the lift mechanism itself.
To be clear, they aren’t super loud, but if you’re sleeping right next to them then you’ll either find the noise soothing or annoying. It might not be worth the risk if you’re a light sleeper.
7 Cabins directly under the pool deck
8012 to 8072, 8512 to 8572
A common complaint from cruise ships is where the cabin is situated directly below the pool deck. There’s still a competitive element when it comes to securing a pool lounger, and guests often rise extra-early to grab one. Then they drag these across the deck, causing quite a racket in the cabins directly below.
When researching this guide, it was a complaint that cropped up a couple of times for the Marella Discovery cabins on Deck 8. This was specifically for the rooms underneath the indoor pool area, from around 8040 to 8064 and 8546 to 8572 on the starboard side. But it might be an issue under the outdoor pool area as well.
If you’re also awake early, it’s not going to bother you. But if you like a lie-in, consider a room away from the pool deck.
8. Cabins a long trek from the kids’ club
Any cabin where the second digit is 1 or 6, such as 7134 or 2600.
The Marella Discovery has a kids’ club area for families, situated towards the front of the ship on Deck 10. It has various facilities including a Baby Centre, a gaming zone, and clubs for younger kids and teenagers.
This isn’t an issue for teens, but if you have young children or babies staying in these areas, avoid having a cabin right at the aft of the ship. These have either 1 as the second digit (port side) or 6 as the second digit (starboard side). It’s worse if you’re on a lower deck too.
That’s purely from a practicality point of view – the farther you are from the kids’ club, the farther you have to travel. It’s not so bad during the day but if you’ve enjoyed dinner, and gone to pick up a child who is now napping, it can be a long walk carrying a heavy lump in your arms!
9. Inside Cabins if travelling with older kids/other adults
It’s great that there are lots of Inside Cabin options for sleeping three or four guests, but I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re staying with adults or older kids.
The Inside Cabins are not very big, so you could easily get under each other’s feet. The Pullman Beds aren’t great for grown-ups either, and can be a bit uncomfortable.
I think they’re a good choice for younger kids, though preferably not so young they could fall out. For adults or teens though, I’d look at something more spacious.
10. Rooms above the Squid & Anchor if you like an early night
6000 to 6016, 6500 to 6516
There are some rooms towards the front of Deck 6 that are directly above the Squid & Anchor lounge. If you like an early night on your cruise, I wouldn’t recommend booking these.
The speakers for the Squid & Anchor’s musical performances are on the roof, so the sound can reverberate through to your cabin. It’s not super-loud, and tends to end earlier than on other cruise lines, usually 11pm at the latest.
But still, if you’re a lighter sleeper or like to be asleep by 9pm or so, you might prefer to choose a quieter spot on the ship.
11. Tired cabins that haven’t been renovated
Various across the ship
A lot of Marella Discovery’s new cabins were fully refurbished in late 2022, but not all of them, so it’s worth asking the question when you book.
The older cabins are not bad, but some people think they look a little tired. They’re still recommended as very comfortable, but the refurbished rooms look a lot nicer.
It might not matter to you, but if it does, check whether or not your cabin has been refurbished.
The Best Cabins on Marella Discovery
Most of the cabins on Marella Discovery are great, but a handful really stand out as worth booking, depending on your travelling party and budget.
1. Aft-view Balcony Cabins and Junior Suites
6122, 6124, 6126, 6128, 6130, 6626, 6628, 6630, 6632, 7134, 7136, 7138, 7140, 7634, 7636, 7638, 7640, 7642, 8080, 8082, 8084, 8086, 8586, 8588, 8590
A lot of the most sought-after rooms on a cruise ship are those with an aft view. They tend to be the most popular because you’re sheltered from the wind, with a fantastic view of the ocean and the wake of the ship.
There are a selection of Balcony Cabins and Junior Suites on Decks 6, 7 and 8. These tend to book up quickly, so be sure to act fast if you want to enjoy an aft view.
In particular, try to book either 6130, 7642 or 8086. These three rooms are dead-centre in the ship, so not only is the view incredible but you actually get a slightly larger balcony. You can see from the deck plans that they’re angled, so the more central you are, the bigger the balcony is.
2. Royal Suite (if you can afford it)
Of course, it’s easy to pick the biggest suite on the ship as one of the best, but it really is something special – provided you have the budget for it.
The whirlpool bath is a fantastic addition, but not too uncommon on cruise ships. It’s still a great feature on warmer cruises, where you can properly relax with an amazing view.
However, there are very few cruise ship suites I can think of where you also get a baby grand piano. Even if you can’t play, it’s a very classy addition.
It’s not something I’m likely to book. I’m typically the person who would save my money to enjoy multiple cruises instead. But I can’t argue that it’s not a fantastic suite.
3. Single Cabins (Inside or Outside)
On a lot of cruise ships, single rooms are crammed into smaller spaces. They’ll usually be the smallest room on a ship, with just a single bed and a limited amount of storage.
Not so with Marella Discovery – you’re essentially getting a full Inside or Outside Cabin, with a queen-sized bed. It’s a lot more comfortable for solo travellers, and I love that Marella has thought about single passengers enough to give them this comfort.
After all, you probably aren’t sleeping in a single bed at home, so why would you downgrade for an actual holiday?
Final Thoughts
There you have it – a complete guide to all the cabins on Marella Discovery, plus tips for cabins that you should consider avoiding when you book.
I know the decision isn’t always simple. You might have your heart set on a certain itinerary that’s nearly sold out, or your budget might mean you can’t book the perfect cabin for you.
But with everything in this guide, you can at least make some informed decisions and travel prepared. For example, a set of earplugs might be all you need to make a louder room bearable.
For a closer look at all of the cabins on Marella Discovery, I highly recommend that you check out this video by Paul and Carole. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting…
In putting this guide together, I scoured the official Marella Discovery deck plans but also looked at Facebook groups. I recommend you check them out too, because people often post photos of specific cabins, and you might find yours on there before you sail.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
We pre-booked our cabin about 2-3 months ago, now with 2 days to go they have changed it
Hi Jenni please send me your checklist – thank you
My wife and I have booked the Tropical Shores cruise sailing from Barbados on 4/4/24 for 1 week and then 1 week’s stay in Barbados.
This is our first cruise – we have booked a Balcony Cabin on deck 6.
I have noted the cabins you have recommended on deck 6 and will see if these are still available and will try to select one of these I believe I can call TUI to do this I think it is about £60 to do ?