First, I have to say that this ship is beautiful. And when we were in port next to other ships, Mariner looked SO much bigger and, I think, more attractive.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. We had a balcony on the port side, and it was so nice to just go outside and have hors d'oeuvres and wine while watching the sea quietly go by. We were very satisfied with our room. The bed was comfortable and roomy, and the sofa added a nice alternative to sitting on the bed all the time, which is what I've usually had to do on past cruises. I love the new shower stalls on this ship. On past cruises, the showers have had old, yucky curtains. These showers are futuristically round and have sliding doors, which is a very nice and welcome change. The bathroom itself is also roomier.

We ate 5 meals in the formal dining room. Honestly, the food did not impress me that much. It was good, but not delicious. There are all kinds of choices, though, so it is not hard to find something to your liking. We ate once at Portofino and once at Chops. I HIGHLY recommend both. Although there is a $20.00 surcharge at these 2 places, the food is absolutely delicious. I ended up having a filet at both places, and they were both outstanding. At Portofino, I ordered tiramisu for dessert. The presentation was like none I have ever seen. It came in a white/milk chocolate tulip-style cup, and there was a tiramisu-flavored shot accompanying it! Both were fabulous. We also ate 1 lunch at Johnny Rocket's, and it was good. However, we are used to Johnny Rocket's, and we could tell the food at this one was not quite up to par with what we're used to from the restaurant. The food at the Windjammer Buffet left much to be desired. Read more