My wife and I took our ninth Royal Caribbean cruise and twentieth overall on Mariner of the Seas departing on May 31.   This was a seven night trip originating in Los Angeles with a revised itinerary because of the flu issues in Mexico.   We booked the cruise after the ports of call were switched and were quite happy to visit San Francisco, Vitoria BC and Seattle, and in fact prefer these to the Mexican stops.   This trip was an anomaly, possibly not to be repeated so I will confine my remarks to the ship itself except to state that sailing into San Francisco bay under the Golden Gate Bridge was very special.

The ship seems new, very well maintained and clean.   Our interior cabin on deck eight had a window facing the promenade.   We thought that noise from the parades and entertainment would be an inconvenience but that was not a problem.   One aspect of the room which got our attention quickly was that the windows are uncoated, plain clear glass so that all activities in one's cabin as well as those across the promenade are visible.   The curtains do block all light however, so good sleeping is possible.Our interior cabin on deck eight had a window facing the promenade.   We thought that noise from the parades and entertainment would be an inconvenience but that was not a problem.   One aspect of the room which got our attention quickly was that the windows are uncoated, plain clear glass so that all activities in one's cabin as well as those across the promenade are visible.   The curtains do block all light however, so good sleeping is possible.   Bar soap was provided instead of the dispenser type although shampoo was from a dispenser.   The cabin had a small sofa and love seat.    Closet space for hanging items was sufficient although only a slight rocking of the ship started the hangers banging together, so much so that I got up and took the empty ones off the rack and laid them down to stop the noise.   I'm a light sleeper however.

The ship's employees were all friendly, courteous and eager to please.   Our dinners were in the Top Hat and Tails restaurant where we experienced excellent service from the wait staff.  As has been mentioned in other reviews the portions have been reduced and so has the quality of the food.   We think that the cuisine was at as low a level as any we had experienced on other cruise ships from the perspective of quality of the ingredients.   Preparation was good though, but as one passenger remarked, "Even a perfectly prepared taco is still just a taco".   An example of the decline in dining is that the lunch menu is identical each day.   They do provide a very nice salad bar at lunch that my wife and some other table mates greatly enjoyed. Read more