Mariner of the Seas Review

South Carolina invades the Caribbean

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Mariner of the Seas
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alerocgs
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Nov 2008
Cabin: Superior Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

We sailed 11/16/08 on the Mariner of the Seas. Our group consisted of 12 adults from mid twenties to mid fifties. We arrived by car after a 6-7 hour drive from South Carolina. Drop-off for luggage was quick and efficient, parking was a breeze. By noon we were on board and enjoying our first refreshing adult beverage, served by Hari in the Sky Bar poolside. Throughout the week we tried many of the DoD (drink of the day) and found them all to be tasty and refreshing. Our rooms were ready as promised at 1:00pm and we all went to do a quick inspection and drop off our carry-ons. My room was 7216 a D-1 balcony, others in our group had 7th floor promenade rooms. I have heard it said that once you have a balcony you can never go back. I have to say, I think this may be true. This being my 5th cruise and first balcony, I was delighted!! When out to sea the sound of the breezes and the waves lulled me right to sleep. Well that and the rocking... We had some fairly actives seas throughout our trip. With a room so far forward we probably felt the motion more; however we felt a lot of movement all over the ship. I found it to be amusing and enjoyed it actually. Our room steward, Erlinda introduced herself right away and asked if we had any special needs. I asked for ice and extra towels. We were never without either. She kept out room neat and clean, all the while being friendly and pleasant. We tried the Windjammer for our first breakfast and we were not impressed. Anything that should have been hot was cold, and anything that should be cold (juice) was warm. All other breakfasts were in the dining room which was good. The only exception was the breakfast we had in our room as part of our romance package. The omelet was terrific and the French toast was great. Not to mention the Mimosas! Hubby did not care for the Bloody Mary. We all also tried room service for an afternoon snack. The drumettes were good as was the dip with chips. Don't miss the dining room for lunch. The salad bar was wonderful- made to order. We ate every dinner in the dining room. The steak that is on the menu daily was very good. Hubby really enjoyed the lobster and shrimp. I found the onion tart to be very nice. Most of the dessert only okay, the strawberry meringue on the first night was exceptional!! LOVED IT!!! The chocolate desserts were apparently tasty as well; however I am not much of a fan of chocolate, so I really did not try these. The few dessert they labeled as cheesecake had an odd texture. Definitely not cheesecake. Wow! I did not realize how much I had to say about food! Honestly we did other things than eat. We were scheduled for 4 ports, however rough seas prevented the tenders from running in Grand Cayman. So we were able to enjoy Labadee, Ocho Rios and Cozumel. On Labadee, we found a great place to view the zipline and enjoy the water. We explored the island and the Artisan's market. Lot's of great crafts, just not sure how people transported some of the larger items back to their homes. The tenders ran smoothly both for arrival and departure. Lunch on the island was provided by the ship and was rather good for a buffet. Do not leave the island without trying a Labadoozie, with or without alcohol, these were scrumptious! The next day we docked in Ocho Rios. We had arranged an excursion on our on for ten in our group. We got some incorrect info on the boat regarding local time, but it worked out all right and we were able to leave on time. We booked a trip to Dunn's River Falls by Catamaran through Island Marketing on line. We were met at the port by a representative and along with another group of 6 she escorted of to the catamaran COOL JAZZ manned by Heave-Ho Charters. It was an overcast day and the seas were quite rough. The crew advised that any items that needed to stay dry should be stowed below, and they were not kidding! We attempted snorkeling, but the water was very cloudy and the current was tough. Then it was on to Dunn's River Falls. WHAT A RIDE!! We loved it! Well, most of us did. 8 of our group walked up the falls, two of us took the walkway. We were approached a few times by "vendors", but a polite no thank you and they moved on to other potential customers. The ride back was even rougher, but the crew forewarned us, we held on and took great pleasure in the near roller coaster experience. Arriving back in Ocho Rios we grabbed lunch at Margaritaville. We had an outstanding time! Food was a good value and don't miss the WATERSLIDE!! Our next stop should have been Grand Cayman, but as mentioned before, tenders could not run. The cruise director put out a revise schedule and tons of alternate activities were available. We found some deck chairs and enjoyed the sun, if not the very windy conditions. After a restful day, we were really looking forward to Cozumel! And it did not disappoint. Again we had arranged our own tour through Island Marketing. Finding the taxi stand was interesting, but once there we found our guide. However he had our original reservation info for 4 people and we had updated to 12 people about 10m days before we sailed. Another contact for the tour company was found, I showed him my updated reservation form and within minutes a larger van was located and we were off. Crisis adverted!! Our guide told us his name was Jose, but advised us to call him Apple, since Jose was quite common. If you can get him, get Apple~!!!! He was amazing! He showed the local sights, city hall, a kindergarten and high school, some local neighborhoods, and some typical shopping areas. Then we were off to San Gervasio. The ruins were remarkable, not as large as the mainland, or Tulum, but impressive nevertheless. At our leisure we explored the ruins and shops. Apple took some group shots for us, and then it, was onto the Tequila Factory. THE BEST $10 I EVER SPENT!! For $10 you get a margarita, a guided tour explaining the history and process, and then a tasting of dozens of different tequila varieties. I though it would difficult to top this but Apple was up to the task! We arrived at Playa Planacar and for a fee of $10 we had use of a clean private beach with bathroom facilities, snorkel equipment, kayaks, and restaurant. Words escape me! It was so beautiful and tranquil. I could have stayed there forever!! A few in our group had a helmet dive scheduled for the afternoon. God Bless him, Apple, took them back for their excursion, which was not with his company, and allowed us to enjoy the beach for a couple of extra hours!

Back on the boat our group took in several of the shows and activities. We are proud to say that a member of our group was named Belly Flop champion!! We of course insisted that he wear the medal to the formal dinners! The Solarium was very restful. Only once while we were there did anyone attempt to bring children in this Adults Only area, a crew member quickly pointed this out and they moved on. Several in group took advantage of the larger showers and more therapeutic Jacuzzis, they really raved about both! Three of our ladies tried out the Ladies Special on our last day at sea and liked it. The ice show, special musical guest, and comedian received Kudos as well. A few of our group also tried Chops; they may never be the same! They looked euphoric afterwards! Our dinning room waiter was first-rate, the head waiter was personable and informative, the assistant waiter could have been a little more outgoing, but he did his job well. Y Everywhere we went on the ship we found crew members helpful and responsive. Leaving was very uncomplicated. We arranged to have the same luggage tags as our travelmates and were one of the last groups called. We waited in Studio B for our color to be called where they had water, coffee, and juice available. The lines for security and customs moved smoothly. The luggage area was well organized and it was very easy to locate a porter. We are in our car and headed out of the parking lot by 9:45. We are sorry that the Mariner will be moving to the West coast, but I have no doubt that we will be equably happy on another royal Caribbean ship and anticipate booking again soon!!

Cabin Review

Superior Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin d1

closet was not quite large enough, but we loved the balcony. and although it was a long haul to any of the dinning areas our hallway was not very busy and the extra walking came in handy for the excess calories!

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