Let's start by saying this was our 24th cruise. Ten on Carnival and fourteen on Royal Caribbean. My lovely wife had a vacation break from work and we decided to take another cruise. I am 54 and my wife is 46. We chose the Mexican Riviera mainly because Los Angeles is only a 2 hour drive from home, no flights or hotels necessary. Because of Diamond status embarkation was a breeze. There was only one couple ahead of us in the line. We were on the ship in about 15 minutes. We originally booked a balcony room but decided to upgrade to a junior suite due to a rate drop. The cabin was roomy and very nice, just what we needed. My wife was very impressed by the size and beauty of the Mariner. The ship is in fantastic ship. After a great dinner in the main dining room, we attended the show on the first night. They featured a comedian and a comic juggler. Both were great especially the juggler. The next day was a sea day. We had a great time relaxing and visiting the Windjammer during the day. That night was formal night, so we donned our best and made it to the dining room. The dining room is really spectacular. We had a table for 6, though one couple never showed up. We had a delicious dinner with our table mates from Ohio. The next day we were in Cabo San Lucas. We tendered ashore and took a water taxi to Lover's beach. The ride was $10 pp, which included a short ride to see the arches. It also included the return trip to the dock. I snorkeled a bit while the wife laid out in the sun. We then walked over to the next beach where we were completely alone. It was our own private beach for the afternoon. It was great. The next day we were docked in Mazatlan. Prior to the cruise I booked with Randi's Happy Horses to go riding on the beach at Stone Island. Randi met us at the dock and we proceeded to Stone Island. We were the only people on the tour. The guide took us for a nice ride on the beach. We ended at Victor's for lunch. We ordered a platter of shrimp and fish. When the platter arrived we were amazed at the huge amount of food on they served. There were 3 kinds of shrimp, coconut, garlic and breaded. There was also a nice fillet of wood grilled mahi mahi and all the fixings. It was scrumptious. We ate every but of it. I highly recommend Randi. You can find her on the Internet. The next day we were docked in Puerto Vallarta. Once again I booked a tour on line prior to the cruise. I booked with Canopy Tours to go zip lining over the Rio Cuale River. It is the highest, longest and fastest zip line in North America. At one point you are 550 feet above the river below. I was worried that my wife would be afraid, but she just loved it. There are fourteen zip lines over the river below. The last on finishes at the river. From there we mounted mules and rode back to the tour center. It was a blast. It was the best tour we have ever been on. It was also much cheaper than the ship's zip line tour. That evening we had dinner at Portofino's. It was fantastic. All the food was top notch. I had veal, which was great and my wife had fillet mignon. She said it was the best steak she ever had. Dessert was the highlight on the meal. We ordered the dessert sampler. There were 4 desserts on the plate. The waiter advised us to start with the lightest one and finish with the richest. WOW !!! The next 2 days at sea we spent relaxing on the ship. We went to the ice show one evening. It was beautiful. The costumes were very ornate and the skating was superb. The last night we went to the Farewell Show. It featured a different comedian and the juggler guy again. He was even better the second time. Of all the cruises we have been on, this one was the best from beginning to end. The food was also the best. Both the main dining room and the Windjammer were outstanding. The only negative thing I can comment on is the changes they have made to the Diamond program. We were no longer allowed access to the concierge lounge. It used to be nice to go there and enjoy an espresso or soda before dinner. The alternate Diamond event was of no interest to us due to the fact that we do not drink alcohol. Also there were no cabin amenities as in past cruises. No more canapes, fruit bowl or chocolate covered strawberries. But this one minor criticism in no way detracted from our cruise experience. I would do this cruise again, on the Mariner, in a heartbeat.