My family decided to take a cruise for the holidays this year, and chose the Mariner of the Seas since we can drive to Galveston. We also had 3 generations sailing with us, so we were excited to have a vacation for the whole family.
Embarkation: This went more smoothly than we expected. RCCL sent us an email a couple of days early stating that there would be a delay in embarking, so we didn't come to the pier until noon. We parked at EZ Cruise and used a porter to get our things checked in. We were on the ship around 2:00 or so, and quickly went to the Windjammer to have some lunch. Cabins were ready soon after, and we had all our luggage by 5.
Room: We had a balcony stateroom, and it was perfect for us. The boys (6 and 4 yrs) loved sitting out there and watching everything. We had ample storage space, and loved that our empty suitcases fit under the bed. We decorated the room for Christmas, and it was a lovely home away from home. I was surprised that there wasn't any kind of toiletries (shampoo, etc) in the bathroom. There was a dispenser of some sort in the shower with what I'm assuming was body was or shampoo. It seems like that for the amount you pay for the cruise, you could get basic toiletries. Other than that, no complaints on our room.