Mariner Review: 8/21-8/28

This was my first cruise after more than half a dozen land based trips to the Caribbean. Husband and I are 28 and 30, both working professionals with no children. We drove to the port, since we were visiting relatives elsewhere in FL the weekend before the cruise. Overall, getting into and out of the cruise ship was a bit more of a hassle than I normally like. Here was my favorite part: you get in line to check in, and only once you were at the front of the line would the attendant ask if you'd filled out your forms for the Bahamas. No sign, no directions... you had to get out line, fill in the form, and get back in line. It was pretty chaotic, and we saw this happen again and again.

The ship was really nice - we had a PR room, #7609. No complaints about size, etc. I slept really well on the ship, not sure if it was the "cradle" effect or because the room was so dark. I couldn't even read my book for 30 minutes without drifting off to sleep on sea days. Here are some random observations from a first time cruiser (good and bad):

1. Pools/Pool Deck - more crowded than I would like. I think my husband enjoyed the vacation more than I did, b/c I prefer the beach or uncrowded pools. Some people on the ship were complaining that it was overcast for part of the cruise, but I thought it made sitting on the upper decks much more comfortable when there wasn't direct sunshine.

2. Smokers - WOW, a lot of people on this ship smoked. I am a non-smoker, and had to move several times when people kept sitting down right beside me and lighting up, with no regard to where the smoke was being blown.

3. Casino - we had some luck initially, and then the casino took it all back. I hit $200 on slots the first sea day, and my husband made about $200 on blackjack that same day. After that... well, let's just say we didn't come back winners!

4. Food - overall, we were happy. Portofino's is pretty good - the halibut I had far exceeded any piece of fish I got in the dining room. During our normal 8:30 seating, we had a table for six at dinner and got placed with two couples who were very nice - one our age and another celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary! We really got lucky and enjoyed our dinner conversations.

5. Shows - only saw the adult late night comedy and the "love and marriage" game. Very funny on both counts - though the motion in the theatre took some getting used to! I really wanted to go to "The Quest" but had to leave dinner due to a queasy stomach that night. Only time I felt bad on the whole trip.

6. Bars - we hung out a lot at Bolero's on the 4th floor. Sly and Dosrell were awesome bartenders and we had a good time getting to know them.

7. PORTS - we didn't get off the boat in Nassau as we didn't have much time. In St. Thomas, we went over to St. John, and had about one hour of sunshine before a major rainstorm hit. It was comical. St. John is beautiful, and I saw enough to know that I really want to go back some day. Can't say the same about St. Thomas - my opinion is that their cruise ship port needs a major overhaul, especially when compared to St. Maarten. St. Martin was, no surprise, my favorite port. We've been there on three land-based trips, and I've probably spent about a month of my life on the island. We decided to rent a car and drive to Orient Beach. We were in our beach chairs by 9AM and I'd taken a nap by 10:30. Had a lovely day, left around 2:00 and went to Phillipsburg to buy some liquor. We got two bottles and some beer and it was not confiscated when we got on board.

8. Seasickness: I felt okay most of the trip. But, Thursday night after a full day in St. Martin, I woke up from a nap feeling terrible. Then, when I got to dinner, I sat down, felt the boat moving, and said "excuse me, I don't think I can eat tonight." I went to my room, laid down, took a muscle relaxer, and felt much better after an hour. My husband brought me food (the dining room waitstaff were so nice and sent me food despite my husband's protests to the contrary), I ate it, and felt better. I was impressed that our waiter, the head waiter, and our room attendant all asked me the next day how I was feeling, etc.

9. Overall: I was impressed with the ship, the crew, and the service. However, I think cruising is just not for me at this time in my life. I think it's a great thing for people with children, or big groups traveling together. I like being on the beach and having SPACE to myself. I got tired of seeing melted ice cream all over the pool deck, smokers galore, and obnoxious 18-year olds lift up their shirts and "dry hump" each other on the dance floor. Sometimes going to the Windjammer felt like vying amongst wild animals for the last desperate scraps of food. Then again, I never got tired of reading a book and taking a nap on Deck 4. I had a fine time on this vacation, and there were some things I really liked. But, ultimately I think it's back to land-based vacations for the near future.

Any questions?

Did you feel the alternative dinning was worth the $20.00 per person?

We are going on the Mariner next April and thought to try it. How was the food in the Windjammer? Also, did they have a "chocolate fountain" anywhere on the ship (one day thing)?

I did feel the quality of the food was worth $20/person. Our entrees and dessert were definitely better than the main dining room, in my opinion. No, I never did see a chocolate fountain, though they could have had it at the midnight buffet - we were asleep and didn't make it.

Food in the Windjammer was fine. Better than a Golden Corral, but still a buffet - know what I mean? Breakfast was good - all except the scrambled eggs! Lunch was okay - they do have great fries and pretty good cheese pizza. One day they had leftover chicken marsala from the dining room the night before - and it was really good.

alw1977,

We were on the same cruise as you, yet it's funny how many things affected you that didn't affect us, and vice versa, I am sure.

We were so busy on the ship (with 3 kids ages 15, 14 and 11) that we didn't even get to the pool/jacuzzi area til the last day! We spent almost all of our time (while not in port) at the rock climbing wall, ice rink, mini golf, in-line skate area and the board game room.

Hubby and I never even stepped foot into the casino (except when we had to to get to the other end of the ship). Maybe the fact that I had been in Vegas the week before meant that I was casinoed out by the cruise, but either way, we never spent a dime in there.

I did notice some smokers but not enough to even become an issue for me.

Maybe this just wasn't the right ship for you. I am not trying to be critical.....but there may be ships that are smaller that would suit your needs, say, a Celebrity ship to Bermuda that only has a third of the passengers. Also, this boat surely caters to teens, with the on-board activities. If you didn't cruise for the rock climbing, mini golf or skating rinks, maybe you would do better next time to choose a ship that has finer restaurants rather than non-stop activities.

You also might want to cruise at a time when schools are in session. That would exclude July and August, Christmas and Feb and Easter breaks. Frankly, if you cruise outside of the busy season, your rates will be less!

I think you might find that there are ships out there that will meet all of your needs....less crowds, finer food, more quiet time, fewer kids. Seems like this just maybe wasn't the right ship for you.

:)

Flyerwife, you might be right, but I just think I really enjoy land-based trips better. I like getting a place and investigating it over the course of a week or two. I like long days spent on the beach, trying local restaurants, and dips in the ocean at sunset. I'm an adventurer by nature and like to discover a new island on my own. Can't do this as well on a cruise ship. It's okay that cruising isn't everyone's favorite, you know. Like I said, I'll probably do it again someday. I'd cruise Royal Caribbean again in a heartbeat (if I had kids or was with a group), just not for a romantic getaway for two!

PS - why would you need to "try hard not to be critical" of me? It was my opinion. I didn't say anything bad about the cruise line, ship, or crew, I just pointed out some things that stuck out to me as negatives. I'm glad you and your family had "the time of your lives," but don't be critical of me because it wasn't my favorite vacation ever. This board needs all opinions in order to be any sort of valuable resource. And yes, I would recommend this ship to people, but I think the mega-ships are in general designed to be best for families.

very interesting observations you made. we had mixed feelings about cruising in the Caribbean on such a large ship. We finally tried the Mariner this past April and enjoyed it as a relaxing vacation with our kids. However, if I wanted a true resort/beach/hang out by the pool experience, that would not be my choice. In fact, the only time we sat by the pool was late in the day when hardly anyone else was there. We had a Grand Suite, and were able to sit and read on our balcony while our children were happily occupied. The suite also gave us access to the concierge lounge, which was great for breakfast and drinks during the day, helping us avoid crowds in the Windjammer, which we found tough on sea days. And quite frankly, there were many older kids on the ship that left a lot to be desired in terms of their behavior and manners.

I think that as a couple you might enjoy smaller ships, with different itineraries - we just enjoyed a terrific cruise on Crystal in Northern Europe. They attract a whole different crowd and are certainly much less crowded in the public areas. I try to treat each vacation as an isolated experience, thinking hard about what we are specifically looking for in that particular vacation. I have found that I don't especially enjoy going to the beach from a cruise ship, and if that's what I want in a particular vacation, I'm happier staying at a nice resort. In fact, it's too bad about the weather in St. John - we loved vacationing there a number of years back...Knowing what I know now, I doubt my husband and I would ever cruise on a Voyager class or larger ship on our own, if we weren't looking for all the kid's stuff. But, at this point in our lives - if they're happy we're happy;) .

But, as people who thought we'd never cruise again (we had been on Disney once a few years ago, and in spite of enjoying Disneyworld/land trips, did not really care much for the cruise), I would suggest not crossing out the cruise idea completely. If you think through and research what's best for you, you may surprise yourselves with how much you enjoy it.

alw1977 .... Appreciated your review and enjoyed reading it! There are never too many different opinions!!!!

:confused: Question Please: To which beach bar / beach area did you go at Orient Beach? Please tell us a bit more about it.

Thanks again! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

Well, you really cannot go wrong on Orient. We stayed there in April in a villa in the hills and had such a great time. The day we were in port, we chose Bikini Beach Bar b/c they had comfy chairs and the service is pretty good. By far the best, but most expensive, on the beach is Waikiki (maroon chairs). Be warned that the beach bars right around the taxi drop off point get so crowded at some points that I find it uncomfortable. If you just walk a few bars down you'll have less crowding. When you arrive at the beach, if you're facing the water, the naturist resort and a few smaller beach bars are to your right. To your left will be a myriad of larger beach bars. In general, the farthest down you need go is Waikiki to escape crowds, at least in the mornings. Have fun - it's such a beautiful stretch of beach (though crowded at times!).

TIP: if you want to save $ on drinks or get an inexpensive sandwich, walk up into the little village area you passed on the drive in and go to Tap 5 market. They have Caribs for around 2.5 euros and large, delicious sandwiches for about 4-6 euros. Much cheaper than the beach bars and most don't care if you bring stuff back to your chairs - after all, you paid for those chairs!

alw1977- thanks for the review!

A question/suggestion regarding the pool- did you ever stay by the Solarium pool? We were on MOS sister ship the Navigator and loved this option, with less seats, choice of sun or shade, separate bar, and no children.....though we also sailed in January so the entire pool deck area was a lot less crowded than I had expected on our trip.

Cheers,

I was on the same sailing, and compared to my 5 other cruises i thought that the pool deck was not that crowded. I also walked through the solarium a couple of times and there always a seat and it was very quiet with people reading and sleeping. I loved the cruise and absolutly everything about it.

Thank you so much for your review. I really enjoyed your honesty and forthright approach. I found it all very balanced.

Well, you really cannot go wrong on Orient. We chose Bikini Beach Bar b/c they had comfy chairs and the service is pretty good. By far the best, but most expensive, on the beach is Waikiki (maroon chairs)..... !

Thanks so much for your reply. Would you consider posting your opinion on this thread (it's on the Cruise Critic St.Martin Ports of Call Board): Orient Beach! Favorite Beach Bar? (or just click here)

Your help with this certainly will help other cruisers on ALL cruise lines.

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

Thanks for the review!

We have this exact room booked for our kids (along with the adjoining 2 PRs beside it) in December....I have been wondering if we are too "out of the way" to enjoy the all sites from our location...it seems from the maps, that these rooms may be more over the Centrum staircase or Guest Relations rather than the Promenade itself. Is this the case or is it a really good tradeoff because we are so close to the elevator and open area of the Centrum?

Oh, I forgot...if you have any compasses to share, that would be wonderful! There's alot of us that would appreciate it-Thanks! It seems like we have been trying to locate some newer eastern compasses forever, other than what is posted on cruiseclues from a couple of years ago.

Very honest, nice and balanced review that brought back memories of our cruise last July. ;)

I went to my room, laid down, took a muscle relaxer

why would you need to "try hard not to be critical" of me? It was my opinion. I didn't say anything bad about the cruise line, ship, or crew, I just pointed out some things that stuck out to me as negatives. I'm glad you and your family had "the time of your lives," but don't be critical of me because it wasn't my favorite vacation ever. This board needs all opinions in order to be any sort of valuable resource. And yes, I would recommend this ship to people, but I think the mega-ships are in general designed to be best for families.

My words were "I am not trying to be critical", and I said that because I did not want you to take my post as anything other than a suggesion that this may not have been the right ship for you. Apparently you were offended. For that, I apologize. I simply was trying to point out that you have many other cruise ship options that would appear to suit your needs better than a 3,400 passenger megaliner.

:confused:

Tupper -

Room 7609 is a little "out of the way" in terms of seeing the action on the promenade. But, I thought it was in the absolute best location (and more private b/c people from down below don't really look up there). We almost never took the elevator b/c Windjammer and the Pool were only 4 flights up, dinner two flights down. We were one door "past the hump" towards the right of the ship. Very central room and in general felt very little movement. Which brings me to someone else's question... I have anti-anxiety meds that I take when I fly (alprazolam) and I brought them with me b/c I didn't know how I'd take to cruising. I'd never been seasick before, but there's a first time for everything. I took one, laid down flat, and in about 30 minutes I wasn't the slightest bit queasy. Don't know why. I may have been more "keyed up" about getting seasick, and might not have actually been seasick. Who knows? Maybe it was just too much sun and too many cocktails. :confused:

flyerwife... I must admit, I misinterpreted your post. Sorry! I just received a new Caribbean Travel and Life mag with an article entitled "9 Five-Star Cruise Ships" so maybe I'll check that out (and dream... $5K/person for most of them!).

Thanks for the feedback ALW...I guess the way to look at it too is, if there is anything real exciting going on in the promenade, we'll probably want to be out of our rooms and "in the thick" of it anyways. Have heard the word was to pull those curtains closed to avoid being part of the show....maybe it's best not to be "center stage".

Thank you for taking the time to write your review, I enjoyed reading it.

I'm sorry you didn't thoroughly enjoy your cruise, but I thought your review was very well balanced. You pointed out things you liked and things you didn't.

I would love to try a land-based Caribbean vacation one day, staying for a week in a private villa somewhere would be heavenly I think. Exploring, eating in the local restaurants, etc. Sounds great to me!!

I do enjoy cruising too though, we took our first for our 25th wedding anniversary and we loved it. We'll be on the Mariner in January, and I enjoy reading every review that I can get my eyes on.

Thanks again for sharing yours.

Thanks for the very helpful review. What you mentioned is my exact fear! I have always done 5 star all-inclusives and stuck to the beach, so very few kids were there (I adore my kids, but one week a year I have a break with my husband). My fear is that I will be crowded on a ship filled with crying, screaming children. We always travel with my brother and his wife and they really want to go. I don't think I can afford one of the fancier cruises which would have less people. Anyway, you gave me food for thought. Perhaps the solarium as was mentioned above would be nice.