Awash with colourful flowers, Corfu is big on beauty. It’s known as the Emerald Isle, and its golden beaches, lush green landscape and colourful villages will have you constantly reaching for your camera.

Prepare to fall head over heels for this sun-blushed beauty. Santorini is the very essence of Greek charm. Sugar-cube houses cling to the cliffs. Vivid blue church domes add a splash of colour. And steep cliff-sides tumble into an impossibly clear sea. Just beautiful.

Basking in more hours of sunshine than any other Greek island, Rhodes is loved for its fascinating past, not to mention its glittering sandy beaches.

A jewel in the Aegean, this sun-blushed island is sprinkled with sugar-cube houses and whitewashed windmills. It’s a popular corner of Greece loved by everyone, from millionaires to backpackers, yet somehow it’s managed to stay delightfully unspoilt.

Souda sits just 15 minutes’ drive from Chania – one of Crete’s most charming cities. Most snap-happy tourists pin the old harbour on their maps.

Sleepy Katakolon is little more than a tiny port with a handful of dinky shops and tavernas. But more importantly, it’s your gateway to one of the most famous landmarks from ancient Greece.

Day 1: Corfu Town, Corfu

Day 2: Cruising

Day 3: Thira, Santorini

Day 4: Rhodes Town, Rhodes

Day 5: Mykonos Town, Mykonos

Day 6: Heraklion, Crete

Day 7: Katakolon (for Olympia), Greece

Day 8: Corfu Town, Corfu

The Marella Explorer steps up to the plate, with a bumper batch of 10 restaurants and 10 bars. There are fleet favourites like Snack Shack and Kora La, plus brand new spaces like The Dining Club for foodies and a swanky bar, club and casino. The highlights don't stop at food and drink, though. There's also an indoor cinema, a Sports & Family Deck and a Champneys spa, where you can sign up for everything from body-balancing acupuncture and slimming treatments to body wraps and facials.

• Decks: 13
• Cabins: 962
• Restaurants: 10
• Bars: 10
• Pools: 1
• Lifts: 10

Entertainment onboard

The entertainment onboard Marella Explorer doesn’t disappoint. Not only does it have the biggest ever Broadway Show Lounge, it also boasts the flash, new Indigo bar, club and casino. Alternatively, you can listen to live music in The Lounge – a stylish space with a bright-pink piano and colour-changing bar.

The Lounge

A colour-changing feature bar, hot-pink piano and funky, ring-shaped seats take their place in this eye-catching lounge bar. You can admire the views, while listening to the soothing soundtrack of the live pianist.

53

The clue’s in the name here. This bar is right next to Latitude 53, so it’s perfectly placed for some pre-dinner drinks.

The Shack

This deck bar provides cool-down drinks, like frozen cocktails, in between sunbathing. You’ll find it just above Snack Shack, overlooking the pool.

Bar @ The Mediterranean

This feature bar wraps around The Mediterranean – running from the inside to the outside. It’s the place to come for Mediterranean specialities, as well as your usual drinks and frozen cocktails. If you choose a seat outside, you'll get impressive sea views, since the terrace is positioned right at the back of the ship.

Indigo Bar

Indigo lays claim to the longest bar in the fleet. Flare demonstrations and cocktail-making sessions are often on the cards here. There's also plenty of seating around the bar’s edge, where you can take in the 360-degree views – day or night. After dark, the menus light up, showing off around-the-world themed cocktails, like Thai Punch and Jamaican Me Crazy.

Broadway Show Lounge

With a capacity of 1,000 people, this show lounge is big enough to rival a Broadway theatre. And that’s not all it’s got going for it. There are 12 brand-new shows on offer, plus you'll be handed a drink on arrival.

Indigo Casino

If you’re feeling lucky, you can try out the slot machines and card tables at the Indigo Casino.

Indigo Club

You’ll find the club in the middle of Indigo, flaunting a dancefloor and a DJ booth. It's where silent discos and Eighties or Nineties-themed nights take place.

Aperitif

Champagne and Prosecco are on the menu at this speakeasy-style bar. It’s a great spot to head before or after a meal at one of the speciality restaurants.

Squid & Anchor

Our first pub at sea is a modern take on a traditional British boozer. There are two bars to pick from – one deals in premium gins and whiskies, which are chargeable. Plus, this place is home to a live band and quiz nights.

Price per person is based on 2 adults sharing and includes:

• Return flights from Cork or Dublin
• Checked luggage
• Return airport transfers
• 7-night all-inclusive cruise onboard Marella Explorer, in an inside cabin
• Marella Cruises are All-Inclusive: transfers, meals, drinks, tips & service charges are all included as standard

Please ask us about:

• Travel Insurance
• Flights departing other Irish airports
• Upgrade your cabin type
• Extend your holiday with a pre- or post-cruise stay in Corfu or one of the other Greek Islands: ask our experts for more information.

Subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply. Based on travel June 2025. 

For more information please call us on 021 493 5806 or 0818 300205, email cruise@shandontravel.ie, request a call back using the red button, or submit an enquiry through the form below.