Arrived Orlando Airport day before cruise rental car from Budget - stayed at Cocoa Beach Holiday Inn a wise decision. Embarkation seemed organized despite a technical glitch delay. On board around noon for lunch and tour. Rooms were available about 1:30 pm. Luggage arrived mid-afternoon.
Much of our first RCI experience will be compared with previous cruises on Carnival Liberty & Glory. The Mariner of the Seas is a large and truly beautiful ship. Overall, there was an elegance and quality on MS that exceeded Carnival. The artistry and dEcor was varied and spectacular compared to the garish, in your face of Carnival.
The balcony cabin (1234) was comparable in size with Carnival, however overall Carnival excelled with superior beds, bedding and comfy robes included. Our cabin steward Martinus was the best we've experienced in 6 cruises.