Marella Royal Suite Guide 2026: Which Ships Have One, Size, Perks & Cost

Three Marella ships have a Royal Suite: Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2 and Marella Explorer 2. Marella Explorer and Marella Voyager don’t have one. Their top suites are Executive Suites and, on Voyager, Voyager Suites. Since summer 2026, every Marella Royal Suite also comes with Suite Service Max: daily in-suite breakfast, Champagne on arrival, priority boarding and more.

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A Marella Royal Suite is the largest and most expensive cabin you can book with the line. There are only four across the whole fleet, so knowing which ship has which suite, and what the alternatives are, makes booking much easier. This guide covers the size, layout, perks and likely cost of each Royal Suite, plus what to book if your preferred ship doesn’t have one.

Which Marella ships have a Royal Suite?

Marella sails five ships as of October 2026. Here is how the top suites compare across the fleet, using Marella’s own lists of suites that qualify for Suite Service Max and published deck plans.

Discovery and Discovery 2 are sister ships, so their Royal Suites are almost identical. Explorer 2 comes from a different ship design, and its Royal Suites have a different layout. For a wider look at each ship’s age, size and atmosphere, see our guide to Marella cruise ships compared by size and age.

Marella Discovery Royal Suite (and Discovery 2)

The Marella Discovery Royal Suite sits forward on deck 8, and Discovery 2 has a matching suite in the same spot. Deck-plan data puts the suite at around 92m² (about 990 sq ft), plus a balcony of roughly 13m² (140 sq ft). It sleeps up to four.

Layout and standout features

• Bedroom: king-size bed and a walk-in wardrobe or dressing area.
• Living and dining space: a separate lounge with a sofa bed for the third and fourth guests, plus a dining area.
• The piano: both Discovery-class Royal Suites have a baby grand piano in the living area, a feature you won’t find in any other Marella cabin.
• Bathrooms: a main bathroom with a jetted bath and separate shower, plus a second WC.
• Balcony: a large private balcony with a whirlpool tub, according to deck-plan listings.

Who it suits

Marella Discovery takes families, so its Royal Suite works well for a couple with one or two children, or for a milestone trip. Discovery 2 is a different case: it becomes adults-only from winter 2027, so check the sailing date before you book with children. Both ships are among the older ships in the fleet, so the rest of the ship feels more classic than modern.

Marella Explorer 2 Royal Suite

Marella Explorer 2 is the only adults-only ship with Royal Suites, and it has two of them, midship on deck 10. Marella gives the size as 94m². Deck-plan data adds a balcony of around 11m², bringing the total to roughly 105m² (about 1,130 sq ft).

Layout and standout features

• Bedroom: king-size bed, separate dressing room and walk-in wardrobe.
• Entertaining space: a living room with a double sofa bed and a separate dining room that seats six, which makes it a good choice for two couples travelling together.
• Bathroom: a whirlpool bath and separate shower, plus a guest powder room.
• Balcony: Marella confirms a whirlpool on the Explorer 2 Royal Suite balcony.

The midship position means less movement in rough seas than the forward Discovery suites, which matters if you’re prone to seasickness. There’s no piano, but the six-seat dining room and the hot tub on the balcony make up for it.

Suite Service Max: Royal Suite perks from 2026

Marella announced Suite Service Max in March 2026 and rolled it out across the fleet from summer 2026, after a trial on Marella Explorer. It covers what Marella calls its Top Suites: Royal Suites, Voyager Suites and Executive Suites. That’s more than 40 suites in total. Marella and TUI list the following inclusions:

1. Chilled Champagne and handmade truffles waiting on arrival
2. Priority embarkation with a dedicated check-in queue
3. Free in-suite breakfast every day, continental or hot
4. Reserved breakfast seating in a set area of the Main Dining Room, if you’d rather eat out
5. One in-suite afternoon tea each week
6. Full-size Elemis toiletries and a GHD hairdryer
7. Two water carafes refilled daily and extra pods for the Lavazza coffee machine
8. Two free laundry bags per week
9. An internet package (announced as 3,000MB per guest per week, subject to fair use)
10. A gold cruise card
11. Late check-out until 9am on disembarkation day

All of this comes on top of Marella’s standard inclusions: tips, standard drinks and, on most holidays, flights and transfers. If you’d like premium brands and cocktails throughout the trip, our Marella drinks package guide explains whether the Premium upgrade is worth adding on top.

Suite Service vs Suite Service Max

Don’t mix the two up. The original Suite Service still applies to Marella’s smaller suites, such as Junior and Grand Suites on the Discovery ships and Balcony Junior Suites on Explorer and Voyager. It’s a lighter package: one continental breakfast per person each week, pressing for up to three items, a coffee machine, a robe and slippers, and upgraded toiletries. Only Royal, Voyager and Executive Suites get Suite Service Max.

How much does a Marella Royal Suite cost?

Marella doesn’t publish a fixed price for the Royal Suite. Fares change with the ship, sailing date and demand, and because there’s only one Royal Suite on each Discovery ship, prices for popular dates can be well above the rest of the ship. For a sense of scale, Marella’s Suite Service Max announcement quoted an Executive Suite from £1,697 per person for a seven-night Canaries sailing on Marella Voyager, including flights, transfers and tips. That was a launch-time example, and the suite category wasn’t entirely clear. Expect a Royal Suite on the same type of sailing to cost noticeably more than that.

A few ways to keep the cost down:

• Book on launch day. New seasons go on sale well ahead (winter 2027/28 opened in July 2026), and that’s often the only time the Royal Suite is available on peak dates.
• Look at shoulder seasons. Spring and late-autumn sailings, and Caribbean or Canaries winter cruises outside the holidays, are usually cheaper than August or Christmas.
• Split the space. The Royal Suites sleep up to four, so sharing with another couple or with children (on the Discovery ships) can bring the per-person price closer to an Executive Suite.
• Watch the offers. Our guide to cruise deals for 2027 and when to book covers the sale periods worth tracking.

Best suites on Marella Explorer and Marella Voyager

If your itinerary is on a ship without a Royal Suite, you still get Suite Service Max with these cabins:

• Marella Voyager – Voyager Suite: Voyager’s top category. Up to 49m², sleeps four, with a balcony furnished with a table, chairs and loungers. There are only two, so they sell quickly.
• Marella Voyager – Executive Suite: a similar size (about 49m² according to deck plans), with a separate bedroom, a living room with a sofa bed and a four-seat dining table.
• Marella Explorer – Executive Suite: the top cabin on board, with a separate bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, living area and a large balcony with a dining table and hammock. There are about ten of them on deck 10.

Not ready to pay for a top suite? The Balcony Junior Suites on Explorer and Voyager, or the Grand Suites on the Discovery ships, give you a bigger cabin and the original Suite Service for much less.

Is a Marella Royal Suite worth it?

For most people, a Royal Suite is about the space rather than the extras. Executive Suites get the same Suite Service Max perks: the breakfasts, the Champagne, the priority boarding and the late check-out. What a Royal Suite adds is roughly double the floor area, a proper separate dining space, a hot tub or whirlpool on the balcony and, on the Discovery ships, a piano. If you’ll spend a lot of time in your cabin, are celebrating something special, or are sharing with family or friends, the extra space can be worth it. If you mainly want the perks, an Executive Suite gives you the same service for less.

For cabins, dining and itineraries on the former Splendour of the Seas, see our Marella Discovery ship guide.

If a suite is out of budget, our guide to which Marella Discovery cabins to avoid shows the best-value balcony and inside cabins on board.

FAQs

Which Marella ship has the best Royal Suite?

It depends on what you value. The two Royal Suites on Marella Explorer 2 have a balcony hot tub and a six-seat dining room and sit midship on deck 10, while the single Royal Suites on Marella Discovery and Discovery 2 are known for their baby grand piano and whirlpool tub on the balcony. Explorer 2 is adults-only, so families should look at the Discovery ships.

Does Marella Explorer have a Royal Suite?

No. Marella Explorer’s top suites are its Executive Suites, which get Suite Service Max. Marella Voyager has no Royal Suite either; its top category is the Voyager Suite, alongside its Executive Suites.

What is included with Suite Service Max on Marella?

Suite Service Max includes daily in-suite breakfast, a weekly in-suite afternoon tea, Champagne and truffles on arrival, priority embarkation, reserved breakfast seating in the Main Dining Room, Elemis toiletries, a GHD hairdryer, two laundry bags a week, an internet package and a 9am late check-out. It applies to Royal, Voyager and Executive Suites.

How many Royal Suites does Marella Discovery have?

Marella Discovery has one Royal Suite, and so does its sister Marella Discovery 2. Marella Explorer 2 has two, which makes three ships and four Royal Suites across the fleet.

How far ahead should I book a Marella Royal Suite?

As early as you can. With only one Royal Suite on each Discovery ship and two on Explorer 2, popular dates such as school holidays and Christmas sailings often go first. Booking when a new season goes on sale gives you the best chance.