Mariner of the Seas
Marilyn
Seas, Dec. 7-14th.
Is anyone else from this group sailing at that time?
Has anyone been on the ship already and can let me know how they liked
the ship or have a review to send me?
Thanks SO MUCH!
15 days until cruise time,
Marilyn
Stuck in Central Florida
review.
M & H Pelican
Look forward to seeing your review when you get back. Which itinerary are
you on?
"Stuck in Central Florida" <for...@space.com> wrote in message
news:33wvb.22904$KI4....@twister.tampabay.rr.com...
Stuck in Central Florida
Tammy
> review.
My husband and I just returned from the Mariner of the Seas Inaugural
Cruise. Now mind you, this is our first cruise so I have nothing to
compare it to. We travel frequently to the Caribbean and have stayed
at every imaginable type of hotel … from dive lodges to The Four
Seasons on Maui. I am 39 and my husband is 48. We had cabin 8300
(8th deck).
The ship was booked full which first made me feel as if it was going
to be a crowded feel. It wasn't at all. My husband and I frequent
the Caribbean yearly and chose not to sign up for any shore
excursions. We did however get off the ship in the Bahamas and St.
Maarten. The ship was originally scheduled to stop at St. Thomas but
this was changed a few months ago to Puerto Rico. I understand that
future cruises will be to St. Thomas.
We arrived via bus from Orlando airport to Port Canaveral around 2 PM
and the Check-in line was enormous. Surprisingly we only waited about
45 minutes in line. It seemed as if it was going to take longer due
to the enormous line. Luggage didn't get to our room till around 7 PM.
It appears they were trying a new luggage delivery method and maybe
that led to the delay. After talking to some experienced cruisers,
this seemed like a typical occurrence. The amount of luggage that has
to be moved is mind-boggling and we went ahead and explored the ship
and didn't get too hung up on the luggage issue. This is something I
think you have to accept and plan accordingly.
We ate in Portofino's and Chops Grille. It was comparable to a fine
restaurant and the service was excellent and well worth the extra $20
per person. There is no doubt that the food served in these two
restaurants is superior to the dining room but that is not to say that
the dining room food is bad. Some people I spoke to labeled it as
"disappointing" while others thought it was spectacular. I am a
realist and the reality is that serving that amount of people at one
sitting isn't going to yield you the dinner of a lifetime. The food
was well prepared, hot and again the service was excellent. There are
three dining rooms and we had the late seating. First seating was a
full house based on the comments from our waiter Madan from India in
the Top Hat & Tails dining room.
I have to say if you are bored on this ship then you have a serious
problem. I was amazed at the amount of wheelchair bound people that
cruise. The ship is easy to get around and there is plenty to do for
all ages. We even had 3 blind guests traveling on the ship with their
seeing-eye dogs. I think a few of the dogs had one too many ice cream
cones given to them by children!
We played mini golf, tried out the inline skating track, took in a
little ice-skating, and climbed the rock wall. Again, I was surprised
at how well spread out everyone is and you never seem to be waiting
too long for anything.
The gym is spectacular. Again, I have no other ship to compare it to
but speaking with others and the staff, it was the best they have
seen. Plenty of machines and a great view of the sea. You have
treadmills, elliptical machines, free weights, weight machines, stair
steppers, etc. My husband and I even took our first Spinning Class!
I treated myself to two massages … Mo from Yugoslavia was excellent.
Best massage I had since The Spa at the Grand Wailea in Hawaii. They
are very much into selling you on their line of products they are
using onboard, which is Elemis. I could do without the sales
pitch/pressure. I guess this is typical of cruises or any Spa for
that matter.
There are no shortages of places to sit on this ship. There must be
at least 3 deck chairs for every guest. There are plenty of hot tubs
and even a larger tub just beyond the entrance to the gym. There is
also a steam room and a sauna, both of which I tried.
Deck service is great if you wish to plant yourself in a chair for a
day. There are bars everywhere on this ship! Our favorite was
Ellington's and the Bolero. The bartenders at Bolero are quite
entertaining.
The Promenade Deck is incredible. Again, this is my first cruise so I
was quite awed by the beauty of the ship. There is a great coffee
shop and serves tasty croissants and Danish. The coffee on board is
strong … be prepared for that. I guess they want to ensure the guests
stay up late and spend lots of money.
We took in a few shoes … don't miss the acrobats and the ice show.
The Drifters were on board and we forgot about that one. I guess I
need to keep that Daily Compass on me next time so I won't forget
about what's going on. There was entertainment everywhere and
different times. By the pool, in the bars …. lots of variety.
I cannot comments enough about the service and the friendly staff.
They have a tough job. There are always those folks that seem to
never be satisfied. I witnessed a few tantrums and you have to hand
it to the staff for handling those types of situations with tact. One
afternoon, someone had a hissy fit because there was no sugar free key
lime pie left (mind you this was 2 PM). There were plenty of other
sugar-free desserts but this individual insisted on seeing the
manager. I don't think I would last too long working as a crewmember
on a cruise ship!
The Windjammer café served the best breakfast. The variety far
exceeded my expectations. Again, the service was top notch and if you
needed something, there was always someone within arms length to get
it for you. It is an incredibly organized operation.
We had about 110 children on board … I heard that the cruise that left
this afternoon has about 850. Now that is going to be interesting to
see how the Children's Programs work with that many kids. I love kids
but I am glad I am not on a ship with 850 of them!
If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask. I will
definitely take this ship again, possibly for the Western Caribbean
route.
Oh a few last tips and you experienced cruisers probably know this but
make your dinner reservations on day 1 to ensure you get your desired
time and day and remember to book those spa treatments on sea days.
Charles
<sul...@excite.com> wrote:
> If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask. I will
> definitely take this ship again, possibly for the Western Caribbean
> route.
Thank you Tammy. A very nice review. It was great to get a review of an
inaugural cruise and a review from a first timer!!!
--
Charles
Howard Garland
this ship to start coming in and yours is the first.
Howard
Eileen Garland
What you've described is very much a typical cruise experience; I think
you can see why there are so many of us cruise addicts!
Eileen
Stuck in Central Florida
Thanks for the great review. This coming Sunday is the day for us.
Becca
cruising. I enjoy these Royal Caribbean ships, there is so much to
do.
Becca <-----keep on cruising!
GGC http://www.ggc2004.com/
Norwegian Dawn http://www.cruisemaster.com/dawn.htm
Sleazy3 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy3.htm
MOAGC http://www.motherofallgroupcruises.com/
DaFlaBear
I'm glad to hear there is a Chops Grill on board. We have been on the
Explorer twice and they do not have one.
We are going on the Mariner 1/18 for the Crown and Anchor cruise.
Just a question, what was so special about the bartenders in the Bolero
bar and what was the bar like?
Also is there a Champaign bar on board?
M & H Pelican
looking forward to the trip!
M
"Tammy" <sul...@excite.com> wrote in message
news:f7e2bafe.03112...@posting.google.com...
> "Stuck in Central Florida" <for...@space.com> wrote in message
news:<33wvb.22904$KI4....@twister.tampabay.rr.com>...
> > This first passenger sailing returns this Sunday. Hope someone writes
a
> > review.
>
> My husband and I just returned from the Mariner of the Seas Inaugural
> Cruise. Now mind you, this is our first cruise so I have nothing to
> compare it to. We travel frequently to the Caribbean and have stayed
> at every imaginable type of hotel . from dive lodges to The Four
> I treated myself to two massages . Mo from Yugoslavia was excellent.
> Best massage I had since The Spa at the Grand Wailea in Hawaii. They
> are very much into selling you on their line of products they are
> using onboard, which is Elemis. I could do without the sales
> pitch/pressure. I guess this is typical of cruises or any Spa for
> that matter.
>
> There are no shortages of places to sit on this ship. There must be
> at least 3 deck chairs for every guest. There are plenty of hot tubs
> and even a larger tub just beyond the entrance to the gym. There is
> also a steam room and a sauna, both of which I tried.
>
> Deck service is great if you wish to plant yourself in a chair for a
> day. There are bars everywhere on this ship! Our favorite was
> Ellington's and the Bolero. The bartenders at Bolero are quite
> entertaining.
>
> The Promenade Deck is incredible. Again, this is my first cruise so I
> was quite awed by the beauty of the ship. There is a great coffee
> shop and serves tasty croissants and Danish. The coffee on board is
> strong . be prepared for that. I guess they want to ensure the guests
> stay up late and spend lots of money.
>
> We took in a few shoes . don't miss the acrobats and the ice show.
> The Drifters were on board and we forgot about that one. I guess I
> need to keep that Daily Compass on me next time so I won't forget
> about what's going on. There was entertainment everywhere and
> different times. By the pool, in the bars .. lots of variety.
>
> I cannot comments enough about the service and the friendly staff.
> They have a tough job. There are always those folks that seem to
> never be satisfied. I witnessed a few tantrums and you have to hand
> it to the staff for handling those types of situations with tact. One
> afternoon, someone had a hissy fit because there was no sugar free key
> lime pie left (mind you this was 2 PM). There were plenty of other
> sugar-free desserts but this individual insisted on seeing the
> manager. I don't think I would last too long working as a crewmember
> on a cruise ship!
>
> The Windjammer café served the best breakfast. The variety far
> exceeded my expectations. Again, the service was top notch and if you
> needed something, there was always someone within arms length to get
> it for you. It is an incredibly organized operation.
>
> We had about 110 children on board . I heard that the cruise that left
Tammy
Charles and Howard,
You are welcome!
As I do laundry I thought of a few more topics to discuss. I was
curious as to why I didn't see many American crew members. I only ran
into two and one was a person that was part of the skating show who
also supervised the open ice skating and the other was a rock climbing
instructor from Colorado. Seems that pay on board for crew members
nears (in my opinion) the slave labor category. I found out the
dining room waiters receive a base salary of $50 dollars a month. Now
I see why there are no Americans in the service jobs because they
would never be able to survive on this living in the States and
supporting families. These folks truely depend on tipping from their
guests onboard. While tipping is optional and a personal preference I
feel that if you received excellent service that the only right thing
to do is to offer a gratuity. Royal Carribbean makes it easy to do
this by charging your sea pass account. I asked our Room Attendant if
she really gets all money and she said "Yes". She even stated that
she knows which rooms gave gratuities using their Sea Pass acount.
Granted, the crew get room and board but their livelihood depends on
the passengers. We felt very comfortable in leaving the recommended
amount per person and used are Sea Pass account. These folks not only
work hard, but they work strange and long hours. They not only have
to deal with their daily job but also have to deal with all the
different personalities on board. We ran into some folks that didn't
tip at all which again is a personal preference. I feel that the cost
for our cruise was a very reasonable one and I wouldn't even mind if
they tacked on the gratuity as part of an extra, madatory charge. We
were so pleased with our Stateroom Attendant's personal service we
tipped her an extra $20 in cash. It gave us a good feeling to do so.
Just my two cents.
I think cruising is great but it is obviously not the best way to see
a country. You only have a limited amount of time but it gives you a
flavor and lets you think about whether or not you would like to
return for a longer visit someday. I think the objective of cruising
is for the relaxation and onboard activities and the port visits are a
"sprinkling on top" if you will. Well I guess I beat that topic to
death.
For those new to cruising as we are, I will definitely pack a pair of
sandals, shorts and a T-shirt in my carry on. I packed all the above
but forgot the sandals ... oops.
The formal nights ... I didn't get a chance to talk about that in my
first post. You get a mixture of folks in Tux's, gowns, suits, nice
dresses and pant suits. So if you are worried about not having
something fancy ... don't. You will blend right in. You don't even
have to do formal night and you can opt to stay in your comfy clothes
and go to Johnny rockets. But if you are looking to capture a moment
decked to the nines, go for it. There are photographer stations setup
everywhere and you will have many chances to get a picture you like.
They post them the next day in the photo shop. They start with
pictures from the moment right before you step on the ship to the last
evening. At each port, there is a photographer there waiting to snap
your image as you leave the ship. I thought the cost of the images
was fair. The formals are $20 for an 8x10 and then there are dinner
snapshots to choose from from $6-10. We got to meet the captain and
had our picture taken with him as well. I was pleased with that image
and bought that one. They have many backgrounds setup at different
"photo stations" on board. The only background I disliked was the
green grass and tree background. Being a photographer myself, it was
a hideous green and heck, you are on a cruise not out in the park at
springtime! Ha ha. I think they should burn that backdrop. ha ha!
I mentioned the breakfast buffet but forgot to mention the lunch.
Oooh the lunch. The variety was overwhelming. You won't go hungry on
this ship.
The midnight buffet on the last formal night (I think) was gorgeous.
Even if you are not hungry take a stroll by the beautiful ice
sculptures and food carvings. Again, food isn't an issue on this
cruise.
Oh for those of you going to Grand Cayman in the future ... if you are
a snorkel lover definitely take a Stingray City tour. Everyone should
do that at least once. It is a wonderful treat to interact with the
graceful stingrays. We dive and visit Grand Cayman often and never
get tired of playing with the stingrays. :-)
Thanks to all for listening!
Tammy