I just returned from escorting a group of 35 people (ages 15-70) on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas, Western Caribbean cruise, March 21-28, 2004.

Transfers/Embarkation: As everyone in my group was from the Tampa area, we chartered a bus with Cruise Connection. They picked us up on-time at 8:45am and drove us non-stop to Port Canaveral, arriving at the ship at 11:20am. The bus was new and very comfortable for the 35 of us. They had TV monitors and showed movies to help pass the time. I had made arrangements prior to departure to bring refreshments onboard. I loaded an assortment of juices, coffee and muffins to serve while en route to the ship. Upon arrival, the terminal was not yet open for check in- we waited about 10 mins outside and the doors were opened at 11:30am. Once past security we headed upstairs for check in-- there must have been 30 lanes open and the wait was no more then a few minutes. I had pre-registered my group online which expedited the check in process. We were on the ship and in our cabins by 11:45am. Royal Caribbean now allows early boarding, however you are requested not to proceed to your cabin until 1pm as they may still be cleaning. We went right to our cabins to drop off the carry on luggage and most were clean and ready for occupancy. A lunch buffet was set up in the Windjammer/Jade Cafes and the food and service was excellent.

Ship: The ship is the 4th and last ship in the Voyager Class. The ship sailed its inaugural cruise in Nov. 2003 and being only 4 months old everything is still shiny and new. The Voyager class offers more options and amenities then you could possible do in a week. This ship is perfect for families and large groups as there's something that would appeal to everyone. You board the ship on Deck 5 which is the Royal Promenade-- here you'll find an assortment of bars, lounges, cafes and the duty free shops. Decks 3, 4, and 5 house most of the bars and public rooms. Deck 11 is where you'll find the expansive Ship Shape Center and Spa, the Solarium Pool and Whirlpools (Adults Only), the Main Pools and Whirlpools as well as the casual Windjammer and Jade Cafes offering daily buffet breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon snacks. Deck 12 houses the Adventure Ocean kid's area, Teen's areas and Johnny Rockets. FYI, RCI is now charging $3.95 to dine at Johnny Rockets--Crown and Anchor Diamond and Platinum members receive a coupon for 1 free meal. Deck 13 is the main sports deck and is where you'll find the Basketball court, In-line skating track and mini-golf course as well as the famous rock wall. Deck 14 contains the Viking Crown Lounge which is broken up into several smaller venues-- Ellington's Jazz Club, The 9th Hole Sports Bar, The Crow's Nest lounge and Cloud Nine card room which is also used for private functions. On deck 5 in the Royal Promenade, there is Cafe Promenade which serves hot pizza, assorted sandwiches, cookies, cakes, coffee, and tea 24 hours a day. Adjacent to this area is the Seattle's Best Coffee bar and Ben and Jerry's ice cream (both provided at a fee). There's also a self serve frozen yogurt machine which is open most of the time. Read more