Flavours of the Caribbean

Cayman Cultural Express

This half-day tour lets you get to grips with Grand Cayman’s main cultural hotspots in one fell swoop. After leaving from the pier in an air-conditioned coach, you’ll take a scenic drive along the south coast, as your guide fills you in on the history of the island and its people. Your first stop is Pedro’s Castle – an 18th-century plantation house that went on to serve as the meeting place for Grand Cayman’s first elected parliament. After a guided tour, you’ll head on to the original capital of the Cayman Islands – Bodden Town. Here, you’ll stop at the Botanical Gardens. This real-life Garden of Eden is bursting with exotic plants and reptiles – even the endangered blue iguana lives here. Once you’ve had a good stroll around the grounds, it’s time to head back to the pier and meet your ship.

• Find out More

Atlantis Submarine

On this trip, the phrase sub-standard views has a positive meaning. After boarding the Atlantis Submarine, you’ll dive to a depth of 100 foot to explore the sea bed. This is deeper than any beginners’ scuba dive would take you. From the portals on either side of your vessel, you’ll be able to look out on Grand Cayman’s marine park. Shoals of mercury-coloured tarpon and schools of silverside fish make regular appearances in the water here, as do muscly grouper fish. If you’re lucky, you’ll also catch a stingray or a sea turtle cutting a course through the water. The highlight of the trip has to be the World Famous Cayman Wall. It boasts to be the best dive site in the world, with a host of different coloured coral. And with moray eels, lobsters and plenty of tropical fish its pretty impressive stuff.

• Find out More

Surf & Turf Steakhouse

As its name suggests, this à la carte eatery specialises in the likes of marbled steaks and meaty lobster tails. You’ve also got other meat and fish options, as well as plenty to satisfy a vegetarian palate. This is one of the ship's speciality restaurants, so there's a charge to dine here – plus, we recommend you make a reservation in advance.

47°

Marella Discovery 2’s main eatery is a big, stylish venue, finished in the colours of the sand and the sea. Daytime meals here come with a side-order of sea views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand double staircase leads up to a separate eatery.

Havana Highlights

Vintage American cars purring through the streets. Mile-high murals of revolutionary icons. Camera-worthy colonial monuments. If you’re looking for Havana in a nutshell, this is the trip for you. You get the real ‘rum and cigar’ authenticity of this crumbling capital topped and tailed by tours of the best bits. Your day starts in the modern quarter where sights like El Capitolio – the bigger, younger sister of the White House in America’s Washington DC, and the Malecon – the city’s famous seafront promenade await. You’ll also see Plaza de la Revolución, Revolution Square, where Fidel Castro famously addressed millions of Cubans. Then it’s on to a cigar shop, of course cigars have been synonymous with Cuba for many years now. From here you’ll head to a viewpoint over Castillo del Moro for a cocktail in a bar before setting off on a guided walking tour of Havana Old Town, Habana Vieja. This UNESCO-protected part of town is real time warp stuff. All faded Spanish mansions and plazas lined with grand old churches, it’s a dusty 1950s nostalgia kick.

• Find out More

Cabaret Tropicana - A Paradise Under The Stars

Paris got the Moulin Rouge, New York got Studio 54, and Havana got the Tropicana. This world-famous club is the city’s epicentre of glitz and glamour and a must for theatre and cabaret-lovers. All the acts perform, sing in Spanish & dance on an open-air stage cocooned by tropical greenery. As well as your seat, this tour entitles you to a small welcome glass of sparkling wine and a bit of Havana Club rum to enjoy throughout the performance.

• Find out More

Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins

The pyramid of El Castillo was built to stop people in their tracks. And, almost 20 centuries after it was built, it’s still doing its job. You’ll get to experience the effect yourself on this guided tour around Chichen Itza. This Mayan city was built between 750 and 1200 AD. And El Castillo is just one of the ruined buildings that still stand strong here. You’ll also see the Temple of Warriors, which is gilded with statues and symbolism. And you’ll see the Great Ball Court, where the Mayans used to host spectator sports. As you walk around, your guide will explain the meanings hidden in the architecture and layout of the ancient city. Then you’ll have some time to explore for yourself. Once you’re familiar with the site, you’ll head to a local restaurant for lunch. Mexican food hasn’t changed that much since Mayan times. Rice, beans, tortillas and spice were eaten then as they are now. Your lunch will feature a few modern additions, though, like cochinita-style pork, lime soup and Yucatan barbecued chicken.

• Find out More

Tulum Mayan Ruins & Beach

This tour starts with a scenic coach drive to the famous ruins of Tulum. Centred on a soaring Castillo temple fringed by snaking stone walls, the relics once made up a flourishing Mayan port. Don’t miss the murals inside the ‘Templo de los Frescos’, an ancient observatory. Spectacular sights aside, what really sets Tulum apart from the crowd is its location. The ancient walled city was once called Zama, or ‘dawn’, and it’s a fitting title. Perched on wave-beaten cliffs, it overlooks the Caribbean Sea, so fantastic views stretch out into the horizon, and the sunsets are something else. Once you’ve taken it all in, you’ll head back to Playa del Carmen for some free time before returning to the ship.

• Find out More

Surf & Turf Steakhouse

As its name suggests, this à la carte eatery specialises in the likes of marbled steaks and meaty lobster tails. You’ve also got other meat and fish options, as well as plenty to satisfy a vegetarian palate. This is one of the ship's speciality restaurants, so there's a charge to dine here – plus, we recommend you make a reservation in advance.

47°

Marella Discovery 2’s main eatery is a big, stylish venue, finished in the colours of the sand and the sea. Daytime meals here come with a side-order of sea views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, and a grand double staircase leads up to a separate eatery.