Mariner Japan Cruise - March 22-30 Review

Hello! While this was by far the worst cruise I have ever taken (my 7th), we did have some very remarkable and wonderful experiences peppered in. We met some interesting people who I hope to keep in contact with for future meet-ups. Japan is awesome and we plan to return...maybe for Christmas!

Our family is me, DH, and twin sons, who turned 9 on the 18th. We travel a lot and love cruising. The boys have already been to Europe twice, done the Panama Canal, Alaska, and plenty of mainland US trips.

Pre-embarkation

Arrive at 7pm in Shanghai. Get ripped off by car service since we need either two taxis or a minivan for all our stuff. I am so tired I just pay the $104. Arrive at Lanson Place Jin Qiao Residence. Gorgeous. Staff friendly. 2BR apt. huge. DH tries to get dinner x3. Nowhere takes American visa cards. End up getting McDonald’s with the limited cash we have. Not happy with that but at that point it’s late so just go with it.

Next morning we get up and I go to Starbucks in the mall across from our hotel. Very nice mall. The Chinese milk is different from American. More creamy or something. The cappuccino is great. Our American visa works!

The hotel is kind enough to get us a minivan taxi. We get to the port smoothly….then the hell begins.

Embarkation

We arrive around 10:30. The place is a mess. No direction. No staff. The luggage drop-off is in some sort of annex building outside of the terminal to the left. No porters. No signage telling you what to do. I finally have to stop someone, who directs me to the health forms and the arrival/departure forms EVERY passenger must fill out EVERY time we enter/exit China. Total pain in the butt. It is totally unorganized (I’m used to the very structured Port Arrival Times at DCL), and the Chinese do not queue. Instead, they form giant clumps, squishing themselves in even when it is clear that others are waiting ahead of them. There is a “special” line for suite guests/D/D+/P, but it really serves no purpose. We don’t get to go first, and everyone goes through the same security area. In fact, the “regular” line seems to move more quickly.

We are in the RS and are by far not the first to board. Hundreds board before us. By the time we get on, it’s 12:30. No joke. We eat at WJ and go to the room.

The Royal Suite

The room is phenomenal. We normally cruise in the biggest balcony on Disney that is not a suite. This is obviously way bigger. One thing that was a super bummer was that plenty of things were broken or not as promised. For example, we couldn’t even control the temperature of the shower in the master bath. Maintenance had to come twice, and the second time, the guy had to call another guy to stand outside so they could talk back and forth while adjusting some knob to control the temp. It’s just “on” or “off” for the guest. Weird. The second bathroom shower was broken, too. The handheld showerhead didn’t work. They were “waiting on a part” for it. The balcony door wouldn’t close all the way, so it made a whistling sound. There was a DVD player and PlayStation, but no movies, games, or controllers. Also, Mariner is the only ship in the Voyager class without a hot tub on the balcony, and that was disappointing. Also, the couch kept leaning in toward the middle when it was opened up as a bed. Again, not a huge deal but what if our sons weren’t only 9?

They had decorated the room for their birthday (a few days prior). Was disappointed that I had to order the whole shebang (including a cake that we threw away since no one ate any – I knew that would happen), but it was worth it.

More photos:

Entry bathroom:

Balcony:

Bedroom:

Master bath:

Day 1

Muster Drill was horrible. Chinese pushing us everywhere and they are just so loud and so rude. Yelling away during the English part of the safety instructions. Then the Mandarin part comes on and oh, they get quiet. I am already pushed too far by their rudeness and say “Oh NOW you’re going to be quiet?” and start yelling “BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!” DH starts singing the Star Spangled Banner haha. Yes, that was immature of us, but you truly cannot understand the level of rudeness unless you have experienced it yourself. I was already pretty frustrated with it all.

Joel (the Concierge) comes to our room to introduce himself. So does Aldrin, our Stateroom Host. They are both very gracious and kind.

We go to Schooner’s to get a drink (after trying a few other bars on the ship that are closed, including Wig & Gavel, which is closed for service, but set up like a Duty Free shop). We meet Sharon from the Philippines, who is wonderful. She immediately suggests the Ultimate Package for us after we order drinks. We tell her we don’t think we’ll drink $55 worth today since it’s half over, so we’ll sign up tomorrow. She says the special price for these sailings is only $42, and DH has ordered a double Capt. Morgan and Coke, which is already almost $20. We take her up on her offer. Price is cheaper, because no one drinks. Without really even knowing us, she tells us how much the sailings from Shanghai suck. How rude the people are, and how she has to basically argue with them to not smoke at Schooner’s (they encroach from the Casino), and in the end they don’t listen to her and do what they want anyway.

There is ice skating, but we miss it, as we are exploring the ship. It’s freezing outside (well, freezing for us). We go to dinner, which is very underwhelming. Seems disorganized. The food is really weird and very much catered to the Chinese. I’m very accustomed to different types of Asian food (I’m Japanese-American and live in Hawaii, which has many, many different Asian cultures so I have plenty of experience with the food), but this stuff was just not impressive. The servers are okay. Take way too long with our drinks. Then they finally explain that they can’t make the cookies and cream shake my son ordered FROM THE KIDS’ MENU. Someone has to go to Ben & Jerry’s on the Promenade and get it! Whaaaat? By this time, DH and one son have left. DH is disinterested in the food, and DS is falling asleep. Other DS and I finish dinner and go back to the room.

So sorry to hear that.

Mariner was also the worst cruise I have taken. So far I've taken 5 with RCCL, 2 with NCL, and 1 with HAL.

That is why I am avoiding taking cruises that is RT China.

2 Voyager class ships are in Asia... Mariner and Voyager... Voyager is way better than Mariner overall that I have booked 2 cruises for this year. The first one is the May also for Japan, then the other one in Sept for Taiwan.

Perhaps the reason is Voyager sails Australia/New Zealand on one season then Asia on other while Mariner is exclusively Asia... this prevents Voyager from becoming too Asian culture wise.

I fear for the worst in Quantum since it will be exclusively Asia just like Mariner...

Day 2

I start the morning with a cappuccino from Café Promenade. The server is friendly and makes a delicious drink. I go to the gym for yoga. Run a couple of miles on the treadmill first. Not sure if the others are just short or inexperienced, but they are slamming the weights down on the machines. Kids are running around. There is only one trainer on the ship. I was confused, because I saw that perhaps 7-8 had signed up, but I’m the only one there. Oh well, she is super nice and I have a private yoga class. It was fine, but too easy for me (she had already warned me that it was a beginner’s class, and it had some challenging positions, but I need more flow).

We walked around, checked out the sports deck, and went ice skating. It was the boys’ first time, and they loved it. It’s not too crowded, and the skaters are helpful with sizing and pointers.

Before dinner, we head to the CL. Forgot to mention that the bars all use 2L bottles of soda (or cans for soda water, tonic, etc.), because it isn’t worth it to use the gun (not enough usage). Thankfully it’s not too busy, because the overflow section is outdoors and it’s too cold to sit out there. The boys’ bedtime at home is 7:30, so we are totally off schedule and trying to adjust. This is the first time we’ve tried second seating. It’s not working well, but we wanted to enjoy the CL and early seems too early. Joel has given feedback from a Japanese guest who is D+ on the tours, and has made suggestions for Tokyo. We take them. Joel books all our tours. DH, who normally doesn’t drink, wants to remove the drink package and just pay as he goes. Joel works his magic.

It’s formal night, but we are literally part of the 2% that dressed up. I’m wearing a long gown, the boys and DH are wearing suits, and most people are literally wearing whatever they wore that day. The food in MDR is not good again. I need to clarify that I am not a picky eater, but DH is very particular about his diet now that he has literally lost 75 lbs. in 15 months. It has been hard work, and he is a little too skinny now IMO, but he eats mostly fish and chicken. The boys usually order from the adult menu, unless there is chicken fingers on the kids’ menu, then one will opt for that. It’s “open” seating in the MDR on Asian itineraries, so we get sat at a different table with different servers. One has triplets and we talk a lot about having multiples. They are very friendly and nice. The head server stops by and talks about his time on the Radiance(?) cruising to Hawaii. It’s a good experience, but seems awkward given that it feels like we are super overdressed and we don’t feel the ambiance we wanted.

We go to sleep to try and get on Japan time.

* I want to add that we are by no means “complainers”. I was a server in a restaurant and a cocktailer at a club in my youth. I know when people are busy and are doing their best. Crew members explained that there were 3,000 Chinese nationals on board, and 400 “others”. There were probably 20 Americans, some very nice Brits we met on tours, and 62 Filipinos that were on an incentive trip. We also met some people from Mexico City and Italy. The Chinese were basically the most disruptive, intrusive, and inconsiderate people I’ve ever encountered as a group. 3,000 of the rudest, most unrefined, pushy, disgusting, loud, hoarding, bum-rushing people. Example 1: When waiting for an elevator, they don’t consider the fact that I was there first, waiting for some time. When the bell dings and the light goes on, indicating which elevator will open, they literally line up four abreast, and then shove their way in, even before those trying to exit can get out. Example 2: When in line at Guest Services, they will cut in front of you with no apologies, as I am observing the “personal space” rule and am not hovering over the person at the counter, who could be going over his/her account. I would literally yell “NO! I’m in line! You wait!” More Examples: Hocking loogies, blowing snot rockets, hacking/clearing throat loudly, letting the kids run amok (even at dinner), treating the staff with zero dignity, leaving messes all over, hoarding literally DOZENS of bananas or oranges from WJ as they leave, etc. etc. etc.

** Forgot to also mention that when we arrived, there was a bottle of chilled Moet, a bottle of cab, and a fruit bowl in the RS.

View from our room of Baoshan port (a day late). You can see how the luggage drop off is random and far away from the main building:

Ice skating:

We gave up and just went to B&J's and got our own cookies and cream shake:

We have done a cruise on Voyager out of Shanghai and encountered everything you are saying except for embarkation where the non Chinese were allowed straight on after registering. The pushiness and cutting in of lines was dreadful. You could see the staff were getting annoyed. We still had a good time and made the most of it. We have been to Japan several times and love it there.

Your son looks very smart in his suit

What a handsome little boy!!

This trip does sound dreadful. I've done a land based tour of China and experienced a lot of the same things. Amazing country and fascinating culture but rude people.

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Day 2

More Examples: Hocking loogies, blowing snot rockets, hacking/clearing throat loudly,

This alone would gross me out and completely put me off sailing out of China. We did a wonderful cruise from Singapore on Celebrity Century earlier this year. The staff who are remaining onboard were dreading going to China when the ship transfers out of the fleet.

The casino manager told me they have trouble keeping the carpets clean as guests will spit on the floor :eek::eek:

Hello! While this was by far the worst cruise I have ever taken (my 7th), we did have some very remarkable and wonderful experiences peppered in. We met some interesting people who I hope to keep in contact with for future meet-ups. Japan is awesome and we plan to return...maybe for Christmas!

 

Our family is me, DH, and twin sons, who turned 9 on the 18th. We travel a lot and love cruising. The boys have already been to Europe twice, done the Panama Canal, Alaska, and plenty of mainland US trips.......

 

 

The Royal Suite

The room is phenomenal. We normally cruise in the biggest balcony on Disney that is not a suite. This is obviously way bigger. One thing that was a super bummer was that plenty of things were broken or not as promised. For example, we couldn’t even control the temperature of the shower in the master bath. Maintenance had to come twice, and the second time, the guy had to call another guy to stand outside so they could talk back and forth while adjusting some knob to control the temp. It’s just “on” or “off” for the guest. Weird. The second bathroom shower was broken, too. The handheld showerhead didn’t work. They were “waiting on a part” for it. The balcony door wouldn’t close all the way, so it made a whistling sound. There was a DVD player and PlayStation, but no movies, games, or controllers. Also, Mariner is the only ship in the Voyager class without a hot tub on the balcony, and that was disappointing. Also, the couch kept leaning in toward the middle when it was opened up as a bed. Again, not a huge deal but what if our sons weren’t only 9?

 

Considering the cost of the suite you were in these things should be considered unacceptable. It was fine that maintenance came....but it makes no sense that 'they have to wait for a part' -- or that the temp control is either 'just on or off'. It's household plumbing (in reality), not fixing a sewer disposal system that had a major breakdown -- thank goodness.

Did you reach out to the Hotel Manager onboard?

wow. Your cruise doesn't sound like it was very relaxing. The spitting part...:eek:

What a handsome little boy!!

 

This trip does sound dreadful. I've done a land based tour of China and experienced a lot of the same things. Amazing country and fascinating culture but rude people.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rude people can be found everywhere....cultural differences notwithstanding. But some of the health matters described are unforgivable and difficult for the crew and staff to get a handle on, when the sheer number of passengers to crew is overwhelming. Add to that a language barrier.

I will ask my son when he returns from a business trip to Beijing, next month, what he encountered.

We have done a cruise on Voyager out of Shanghai and encountered everything you are saying except for embarkation where the non Chinese were allowed straight on after registering. The pushiness and cutting in of lines was dreadful. You could see the staff were getting annoyed. We still had a good time and made the most of it. We have been to Japan several times and love it there.

Your son looks very smart in his suit

Thank you! I think he's adorable, but I'm biased. :D

I wish I had a photo of the "special" line. It was so disorganized. When the line started moving, people started funneling in directly from the counter instead of going to the end of the line. Which meant those of us standing there for 30-40 minutes or whatever, stood there for nothing. We were absolutely not expecting what we encountered. I wish I had been better prepared.

What a handsome little boy!!

 

This trip does sound dreadful. I've done a land based tour of China and experienced a lot of the same things. Amazing country and fascinating culture but rude people.

We tried to make the most of it, but it was hard considering we were crammed into small spaces with these people.

This alone would gross me out and completely put me off sailing out of China. We did a wonderful cruise from Singapore on Celebrity Century earlier this year. The staff who are remaining onboard were dreading going to China when the ship transfers out of the fleet.

 

The casino manager told me they have trouble keeping the carpets clean as guests will spit on the floor :eek::eek:

Yup, several crew members made comments about it. They are all very unhappy. I have never seen morale so low.

wow. Your cruise doesn't sound like it was very relaxing. The spitting part...:eek:

Right??? So gross.

Considering the cost of the suite you were in these things should be considered unacceptable. It was fine that maintenance came....but it makes no sense that 'they have to wait for a part' -- or that the temp control is either 'just on or off'. It's household plumbing (in reality), not fixing a sewer disposal system that had a major breakdown -- thank goodness.

 

Did you reach out to the Hotel Manager onboard?

I absolutely agree. I don't get how it wasn't adjustable. The knob merely controlled how much water came out at what pressure. The weirdest thing I've ever encountered for plumbing, especially since the jacuzzi tub (which the jets didn't work in either) could be controlled temperature-wise. Perhaps because there were two separate knobs for hot and cold?

And no, we didn't contact the HM. Like I said, we try not to complain. The rudeness of our companions on the ship was so overwhelming that we tried to let many things go. It gets much worse on Day 3, and then starts to get better.

Rude people can be found everywhere....cultural differences notwithstanding. But some of the health matters described are unforgivable and difficult for the crew and staff to get a handle on, when the sheer number of passengers to crew is overwhelming. Add to that a language barrier.

 

I will ask my son when he returns from a business trip to Beijing, next month, what he encountered.

Agreed. It wasn't as noticeable when we were in the city touring around. Maybe because there were much more open spaces and everyone wasn't trying to get to one venue. Also, the guys we met and hung out with at trivia and in the evenings told us that Beijing is much more organized and less offensive. Their explanation was that people have to walk the line more.

OH, all I can think now is "poor Diogo." :( He was my stateroom attendant on Freedom five years ago and I've kept up with him ever since. I cruise the Freedom frequently, so I saw a lot of him - went to chat even when he wasn't my room attendant. He said I made him feel like he had a relative aboard. He's on FB and a friend. He's miserable on the Quantum and just wants to go home. It hasn't even gotten to Asia yet! He used to be such a happy young person (he's now 28 years old, from Goa, India). He says he never smiles anymore and is just counting the days til he goes home again (AUGUST!). No, there is no work for him in Goa... He was on the Freedom for four years and then moved to Quantum (they have no choice in the matter). He's going to be SO miserable working Asia. Makes me heart-sick for him. He's such a good kid.

So sad to read this about the Mariner. I was on her in 2011 for Israel. I loved the ship but I have heard they have made so many changes for her in Asia. I am going on the Liberty this summer to "relive" this class of ship.

So sad to read this about the Mariner. I was on her in 2011 for Israel. I loved the ship but I have heard they have made so many changes for her in Asia. I am going on the Liberty this summer to "relive" this class of ship.

Even before she left Galveston, you could see how much was going to change. We were on the last round-trip before the repositioning, and they spent that week revamping the jewelry store to make it more high-end, replacing half of Bolero's with shopping, and working on the high-rollers area of the casino. It seemed like they were removing relaxation and socializing spaces and replacing them with shopping and gambling spaces. We heard about the plans for Vintages:(:(:(, but I didn't know they were repurposing the pub also. It sounds like there aren't many venues left for a "typical" Caribbean/Europe cruise experience.:(

Why don't they start doing some purpose-built ships for that market? It seems like a waste to even bring Quantum out for the North American/European market just to rip her apart for the Chinese in a few short months. It's pretty obvious that the habits of the two populations require very different ship facilities and venues.

I absolutely agree. I don't get how it wasn't adjustable. The knob merely controlled how much water came out at what pressure. The weirdest thing I've ever encountered for plumbing, especially since the jacuzzi tub (which the jets didn't work in either) could be controlled temperature-wise. Perhaps because there were two separate knobs for hot and cold?

 

And no, we didn't contact the HM. Like I said, we try not to complain. The rudeness of our companions on the ship was so overwhelming that we tried to let many things go. It gets much worse on Day 3, and then starts to get better.

It is true it technically would have been a complaint, but HM's want and need to hear about these kind of things. I can tell you that some HM's on ships will tell you that if a cruiser doesn't bring something to their attention, the staff may not, because they simply are doing their best to solve the problem. Yet the HM needs to know.

It is over now, but words with the HM possibly could have improved your plumbing world.

Day 3

Another sea day. I actually really enjoy the relaxed pace and ability to be flexible on sea days. By now, we have decided to eat all meals in our room. The dining table is perfect for us, and it’s much better to be alone than with the masses of pushy, cutting, inconsiderate people. I can be waiting patiently for someone to finish with a serving spoon, clearly standing there waiting for my turn, and another will swoop in and try to cut me off. Don’t worry, I am very assertive and didn’t let them actually succeed. I go to the gym, run/yoga, and hang out on the ship.

Morning trivia was in English and was fun and challenging. There were only about five teams. One of them were two guys from Maryland that we ended up thoroughly enjoying and we hope to continue our friendship with them.

My sons have never been into the clubs on DCL. They usually only go when we go to the adult restaurant or because there is a particular activity. Our last cruise in Sept. was the WBTA. They went zero times in 14 days, opting instead to spend every single moment with me. I tried my best to ditch them, but even when we went to Palo, the servers invited them to dine alone in the MDR. Anyway, they tried Adventure Ocean and had a great time. My belief is that this was because there were very few kids on the ship, and even fewer in their age range. According to DH, there were only 40 kids on the ship. Seems about right when walking around, but seemed a lot more when trying to eat quietly in a restaurant. They played Gaga Ball, and they both won medals (one today and the other on Day 4). The kids’ club was closed a lot, IMO. Most notably from 5:00-6:30, which would have been a good time to go instead of going to the CL.

The boys tried rock climbing and loved it. The staff was really supportive and helpful. But it was super windy. This was the day that I forced myself to go into the Solarium hot tub. Not a soul in sight. It was freezing outside. The water wasn’t warm enough, so I only stayed for about 15 minutes, but it was peaceful.

At lunch, I went by Chops and asked it change our reservation for tonight, as eating so late isn’t working well for us. The manager was sitting at the front desk, eating behind the computer. I walk up and apologize for the inconvenience but ask to change our time, he puts his plate down on the counter, looks at the schedule on the computer, and says it’s not a problem. Easy. I thank him and walk away. I’m telling you this, because tonight at Chops is when the wheels fall off….

I arrive on time, but inform them that DH has been delayed and I will start without him (he timed his workout incorrectly and was still getting ready). They sit me at a table, and bring me water and bread. No offering of bottled or sparkling water with my drink package, but whatever. Then they ignore me. For 20-25 minutes. Finally, I flag down the waiter of the table next to me, stating, “I need some alcohol, please!” In the meantime, they are fawning over the table to my right, a family with young children, one of whom is climbing all over by the window next to me and banging on it and talking loudly. The parents are just eating and seemingly complaining about their food, as it is changed twice. The table to my left was seated 10 minutes after me and is already eating food. Finally, DH arrives and seeing him brought up all my emotions. I almost start crying right there because I’m so frustrated. I tell him, “They’ve just ignored me this whole time.” He’s like “What???” Then the manager, who was standing about 25 feet away, comes over and says, “Is there a problem?” Me: “Yes, I’ve been sitting here for 20-25 minutes and they are ignoring me!” Him: “We understood that you were waiting for the gentleman.” Me: “I never said that; in fact, I said I would start without him. I couldn’t even get a drink!” Him: “That’s not what we thought.” Me: (super inappropriate, I realize this) “I don’t get why you are doting over these people! I TIP! These people don’t even tip!” Him: (pointing his finger in my face) “Don’t go there! Don’t even go there!” I can’t believe he did that! OMG. I say “can we just leave?!” He replies, “Yes”, but I’m already getting up.

We walk out, and I burst into tears. So mad. So frustrated. We go straight up to the CL and see Joel. This is where everything changes for us. He looks over, and immediately abandons what he was doing and attends to us. I ask him for help – we just need to know where to go to talk to someone, but I need to talk to someone. I tell him the story, and he says “Let’s go…I’m going to take you to Guest Services.” I try to offer to go with DH so he can remain in the CL and take care of the guests. He insists on going with us. We follow him down, and long story short, get taken into some back office where we meet with Kumar, the Restaurant Operations Manager, who listens intently, apologizes a million times, and has a ton of empathy. He asks what we want. I say I just want people to be nice. If the manager had simply said, “I’m so sorry, we misunderstood. Let’s get started right away…how about an appetizer?”, or something like that, I would’ve completely let it go. His JOB is to be nice. Anyway, Kumar says he wants to take us to Giovanni’s to try to not let our Chops experience ruin our night. The Giovanni’s staff is obviously informed of what happened, but they are super nice and we enjoy our meal. We even were able to leave on time for the music trivia we wanted to go to, and that was great, because there weren’t many activities for us, and music trivia is my favorite. We win first place.

I wish that something bad didn’t need to happen to start the good. The silver lining is that we really got to know Joel given our experience at Chops. Before that, he was very kind and attentive, but this just put him over the top. He stood on the side in the office when we were talking to Kumar, then walked us to Giovanni’s. I kept telling him to go back to the CL, but he kept saying that he would stay with us. He said he felt so badly about me being so upset.

More about Joel: This is his first contract as a concierge, and he started two months ago! He is very young (like half my age), and he said he thinks he may be the youngest concierge in the whole fleet. That guy is special. A true gem. He is going to go very far in this company, or wherever his heart takes him. He is from a tiny town on the border near Russia. His presentation is impeccable, and he is gracious and takes tremendous initiative. I’ll elaborate more later.

It is true it technically would have been a complaint, but HM's want and need to hear about these kind of things. I can tell you that some HM's on ships will tell you that if a cruiser doesn't bring something to their attention, the staff may not, because they simply are doing their best to solve the problem. Yet the HM needs to know.

 

It is over now, but words with the HM possibly could have improved your plumbing world.

Oh yes, I understand completely. You are right. The HM can only know what he knows. In retrospect, I should have gone further. It was a lot of hard-earned money. The least we could get is to not either burn or freeze our butts off in the shower! :D

Why can't I edit my posts? Anyway, here is one DS rock climbing:

Why can't I edit my posts? Anyway, here is one DS rock climbing:

 

 

 

I think that CC locks you out from edit after 20 minutes or something like that...following along...glad Joel took care of you - I had been considering a cruise as a good way to see a little bit of Asia but after reading this, I am going to rethink that!