This review is for a reunion cruise that I took with a GREAT group of friends that I made last year on the Mariner. Most of us spent the night before the cruise at the Best Western or Days Inn in Cocoa Beach. the rates were good and it was right on the beach and next to the Cocoa Beach Pier which has a wide assortment of restaurants and shops. Of course, the best thing is that it is only a 5 minute walk from the hotels. They also had a park and cruise option so that you could keep your car parked there during your cruise. The shuttle was $8.00 round-trip between the cruise terminal and the hotel.

Embarkation was very smooth and quick. From the time we got to the port to the time we were on the ship was no more that 15-20 minutes. I have to admit that Port Canaveral seems to be the easiest port to get in and out of.

Once on the ship, we headed to the Windjammer for lunch and the cabins were ready by 1:00pm on the dot. Ours was cabin 7688 aft which had a huge balcony. You could have 20 or more people out there (I know...we did it). Since it was a corner aft, we also had the advantage of a cross breeze most times. Read more