Decided to take an easy cruise for Spring Break. Since we are driving distance to Los Angeles, we avoided the cost of flying which, when you add the cost of luggage, can make the trip price increase almost 50%.

We arrived at San Pedro at 12:30. The check-in line was long and took about 40 minutes to get onto the ship. Since only a few months ago we were on the Navigator of the Seas, some of the wow factor of seeing a Voyager class ship was lost. Still, the Mariner looked in better shape then the Navigator. Our balcony was the 2nd one from the front of the ship on deck 9. The balcony had a great view and also let us see into the glass wing which extends from the bridge. The first balcony at the front of the ship also has a glass window looking towards the front of the ship and would be a better selection if given a choice. Still, our cabin was very clean and one of the best we ever had. The only negative thing about the room is that the attendant never put away the sofa bed that our daughter slept on. Cabins are very small and why the attendant did not refold the couch we do not know.

A new change we saw on Mariner is that at breakfast, and at lunch, the table attendants place a card with their name on the tables they service. Since everybody now knows who is responsible for cleaning that table, it seems to get the tables cleaned faster. It also lets you select to sit with the same attendant if you like their service/personality. Even though the ship was full with 3596 guests, we never had a problem with tables being stacked with dirty dishes. We also never had a problem finding an empty table. The food was great as usual. The lobster (Friday night)was delicious. The only disappointment with the food is that the soft serve ice cream machine did not open until noon every day. Read more