We travelled as a family of 3 - Mom, Dad and our 7yr old daughter. We chose Mariner as the itinerary worked for us and we’ve cruised Royal previously. We were also looking forward to the newer amenities offered since the ship’s recent revamp.

Embarkation: Dead easy. We booked a Jr Suite so we were swept up to the Suite lounge once we arrived at around 1:30pm. Once our docs were checked we were onboard in less than 15 minutes. Fantastic.

Cabin: Our 10th floor Jr suite - Rm 1694 - was at the very back of the ship (stern for ship folks..) with an awesome view from our balcony. This was our third time in a Jr suite but our first rear balcony and we loved it! As others have described, the room was very spacious; certainly spacious enough for the 3 of us. The pull out sofa which was made up nightly was perfect for our daughter but I imagine it would not work for a child over 10, maybe 12 years old. The bathtub was great and necessary for our daughter who still likes to take baths. It was also good for our showers. The balcony was huge... a respite from the busyness of the ship. My favorite place. Read more