Mariner June 27th Observations

I just returned from a wonderful week onboard the MOS. I read these boards continuously prior to cruising and would like to make a few (hopefully helpful) observations for my fellow posters:

PRIOR DAY ARRIVAL: We elected to fly in on Saturday, June 26th and were whisked to the Hilton at Walt Disney World. We had a beautiful suite on the 9th floor overlooking Downtown Disney. From our suite we could see Planet Hollywood and a very large portion of the Disney Parks. It was great. Flying in a day early, keeps one fresh for the 1st Day of the cruise...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! (You may prefer to stay in the Port Canaveral area, but we loved our accomodations, even though they were in Orlando)

FIRST DAY: We were taken by Atlas Bus from the Hilton directly to the Port, which was approximately 1 Hr in duration. The drive over the bridge was breathtaking as we could see the Mariner towering over the other 2 ships in Port (Disney Wonder and Carnival Fantasy). I was still in awe and I have been on 4 previous Voyager Class ships!! We arrived somewhat after 12PM and had a VERY easy and efficient embarkation!! As was mentioned several times in some posts, the cabins were not available until 1:00 PM (the fire doors were closed) NO BIG DEAL!!! We just took our carryon luggage to the Windjammer and had lunch. WHEW--the Windjammer/Jade etc looked like feeding time in a pirhanna tank. We just laughed!! You'd think that all of these passengers hadn't eaten in about a week or 2! lol After 1:00 PM promptly, all cabins were available. The rest of the day we did exactly those things that have been described by other posters.

CABIN STEWARDS: We had 1.5 (lol). One we saw every day and one we only saw working to support the main one. I asked how the "TEAM" concept was working and was told that our "team" had 40 cabins assigned. BOTTOM LINE: The cabin was cleaned promptly EVERY DAY!! NO PROBLEM!

JOHNNY ROCKETS: 3.95pp Cover Charge is correct. Those of us with C&A booklets had a "free" pass for 1 visit. GOOD SERVICE!

SHIP APPEARANCE: EXCELLENT....I think it has the most beautiful decor yet!

(for those who are very picky, they will find a SMALL amout of rust appearing on the stainless steel pillars between the balconies) Didn't bother us! The entire vessel was clean and shiny. (we were voyage #33)

CAPTAIN: Wow....Captain "Johnny" Faevelin was THE BEST I have ever experienced. He was hilarious on the daily announcements (always finished with a joke), VERY personable and seemed quite human! (he rides a Harley off the ship in some ports, and a motor scooter around the bridge!!) Don't worry, he is a VERY CAPABLE Captain as well.

POOL "POLICE": Those of you who have been commenting on the "chair hogs" will be glad to know that they are seriously cracking down on them. Chairs that appear to be "unoccupied" for some period of time, are being cleared of all items/towels and the items placed on an end chair for pickup. I don't know anything about the time involved before clearing though. ALSO: Another rule that they are enforcing involves parents of toddlers (in diapers etc) who are taking these infants into the main pools. They are watching for them and asking them politely to follow the rules as they try to assure a sanitary swimming environment. Several guests really "got into it" with several security guys which caused the Head of Security to come into the discussion. Bottom line: you won't win this argument! Also, they are watching for children "swimming" unattended in the hot tubs! (Why children are in the hot tubs in the first place is beyond me!)

SHIP MOTION: NEVER A PROBLEM on this sailing. There was some gentle rolling, but certainly nothing to be concerned with. The weather was great the entire week. The first day at sea brought us wind speeds in excess of 30 mph (sometimes higher) on the upper deck (12)

CRUISE DIRECTOR: Becky "Hello Luv" was delightful.

SHOWS: Ice Under the Big Top.....THE BEST I have ever seen on the Voyager Class Ships. The production shows were VERY good. I happen to like large ensemble singing and dancing reviews though.

TIPPING: I decided to use the option of charging the tips to my SeaPass card and was favorably impressed! Saves a lot of time hunting down 20's 10's etc on the last night.

PORTS: Nassau.....well, you know what to do here. St. Thomas-only 2 ships in port last week...not too crowded at all. St. Maarten-only ship in port. Took the water taxi to town. I really think that St. Maarten is giving St. Thomas a run for its money in the shopping arena. Had a lot of fun here. Only went to shop. I hear a trip for sightseeing to the French side is great. Shopping on the French side is no deal as they use the Euro as their currency.

DISEMBARKATION: We were Lavender2 tags which is #7 and we moved VERY efficiently(NO PUSHING/SHOVING/CROWDING) right off the ship, through Immigration, baggage pickup and U.S. Customs! We received our announcement to proceed ashore at 8:00 AM and were at the busses by 8:35AM!! GREAT!!

Well, enough for now. I hope I have provided some information that will be helpful to you on your forthcoming Mariner cruise. As always, should you have specific questions, please don't hesitate. I'll try my best to recall my cruise experience for you.

Phil

Thanks for the great review! I really enjoy reading about other peoples experiences. What kind of cabin did you have? We will be on the Mariner in September and this will be our first time on the voyager class.

You should really be looking forward to your Mariner sailing!! We stayed in a Junior Suite (9606) and this cabin sleeps 3 very comfortably. 4 can be accomodated, but it's a little tighter, but not impossible!

Phil

Thank you for your nice review. I have a question about using your SeaPass card for tips. It seems that the room steward and waiter look for their envelopes on the last night of the cruise. Do you explain to them that their tip has been charged? I would not want them to think I forgot them. Thank you for your reply.

Studiowind,

Did the JS have the double balcony like the GS? How many lounge chairs were provided for you without asking? Thanks.:) Oh, glad you had a great cruise.

Thank you for taking the time to write a very enjoyable review!

Lisa

Trucruz:

The charging of the tips to your SeaPass results in the Purser sending to your cabin vouchers imprinted with: Your Waiter/Your Asst. Waiter/Your Cabin Steward and Head Waiter. There are no amounts printed on these. You simply separate the 4 tabs and place one inside each of 4 envelopes that they provide with those 4 titles on them. You then simply seal the envelopes and hand them personally to each as you would with cash. Very simple. If you want to add extra cash to the envelopes you can as the prepaid only provide the standard tips. (3.50/3.50/2.00/0.75) or $68.25 per person. Hope this helps

dreamscometrue2: I'm not sure about the GS balcony, but our JS was 3 glass railing panels wide, had one double sliding door and one side window. We only had 1 lounge chair, 2 regular chairs and a small round table. It was fine for 3!

Hope that info helps!

Phil

Thank you so much for the review!

How was the dining in the main dining room? I have heard so many stories of how it was not very good. Do you remember which night was "Caribbean Night?"

Great review....thanks in advance!

How was the dining in the main dining room? I have heard so many stories of how it was not very good. Do you remember which night was "Caribbean Night?"

 

Great review....thanks in advance!

The dining in the main was good. We had an especially teriffic waiter this last week. That can make a big difference in your satisfaction rating! The dining in the specialty restaurant, Chops, was superb!! I have been on 20 RCI cruises now and find the food in the main dining room to be very satisfactory for me. However, if I want that gourmet feeling, I need to treat myself to Chops!! Portofino is also very good, but Chops in my opinion is THE restaurant.

For the Eastern itinerary last week, "Caribbean" night was Wednesday. Of course, that was the night we went to Chops!

I am beginning to think that Chops will be packed with Cruise Critic posters on Caribbean Night!!!

Studiowind...sounds like you guys had the same great weather we had the week before your cruise (6/20 sailing). It was hot/humid but windy so it was bearable to be out in the sun most of the time. We had calm seas w/ more noticeable rocking on Friday night but only lasted a few hours. Heavy, strong winds on Saturday ..so strong that you it was very difficult to walk on top deck w/out feeling like you're falling over! All in all, it was still perfect weather for a cruise in the Caribbean. HOpe it continues for future cruisers!

We have grandchildren 9 and 10. Does everyone pay the tips for the kids as well?

Thanks for the great review! We're thinking of this same cruise at about the same time next year so really glad to hear you had good weather. I'm having fun thinking about it already!

Sounds exactly like our Feb. Mariner cruise. This review really makes me look forward to our next adventure this fall.

The "Pool Police" is relatively new though. It was just trying to be implemented back then but glad to hear it's better enforced now. I need to make up a "No Pool Chair Hogs" T-shirt to wear on deck. :cool:

1.5 room stewards is not uncommon. Our steward on deck eight had his wife come down (Captain's steward) and help him during certain shifts. I don't know the number of cabins they serviced, but it appeared to be most of the hallway. The only cruise I can remember where we never saw him "once" in our rooms. Always prompt and made up.

I also love the decor of Mariner. Colorful and alive IMHO. I know you'll hear 100 different opinions, but the pool area looks awesome and the dining areas are elegant. Can't ask much more than that. Totally agree about Chops. YUM! :D

And I think we are neighbors to your cabin. Staying in 9607 (Inside) near the elevators. A great central location (8601 Atrium on previous cruise, also mid-ship).

Just 74 more days :rolleyes:

Were there any other "themed" nights other than the Caribbean Night? Last year on the Navigator they had a 50's night with a sock-hop style dance in studio B. Is there anything like this on the Mariner? We will be sailing on the Mariner in October and would like to know if we should pack any clothes to go along with the themes.:confused:

Thanks,

Were there any other "themed" nights other than the Caribbean Night? Last year on the Navigator they had a 50's night with a sock-hop style dance in studio B. Is there anything like this on the Mariner? We will be sailing on the Mariner in October and would like to know if we should pack any clothes to go along with the themes.:confused:

 

Thanks,

CRUISEKY: Yes, there were theme nights. I do remember a "Dancing through the Ages" night where it was acceptable to wear 50/60/70's clothing! We didn't attend this, but I remember seeing the posters all around the ship as well as announcements!! Have Fun!

Phil

Thanks for the great review. I am thinking of this cruise for Jan 06...weighing it against the Sovereign 4 nighter. This is weighing the scale towards the Mariner. Now I just have to convince DH & the in-laws!

Thanks for the great review. I am thinking of this cruise for Jan 06...weighing it against the Sovereign 4 nighter. This is weighing the scale towards the Mariner. Now I just have to convince DH & the in-laws!

I have sailed the Sovereign many times when it did the full 7 Caribbean cruises. It was terrific! BUT, the Mariner has so much more open space, amenities and just beautiful decor, that I would recommend that you try to convince the inlaws and your DH to do the 7 day. TIP: Maybe you could show them some of the great pictures that folks have posted here over the last few months!! Check "RADIO"'s pictures out....they're awesome!!

Wow, thanks for the review..... it sounds like you had a great time. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! I AM GOING ON MARINER OF THE SEAS IN FOUR DAYS!!! YAY!!!

Thanks for the review. We'll be sailing on the Mariner June '05 and I can't wait. This will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise so I still have so much to learn. That's part of the fun though, right!

Thanks for the review. We'll be sailing on the Mariner June '05 and I can't wait. This will be our first Royal Caribbean cruise so I still have so much to learn. That's part of the fun though, right!

You are SOOO right!!

Studiowind: Thanks for the wonderful review. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip and that everything went well. I'm happy to read all of your positive comments. I'm sailing on the MOS in November and have junior suite 9306....on the other side of the ship from your JS cabin.

Would you tell me please, how was the length and the comfort of the sofa bed in the junior suite room? Did the cabin steward make up the sofa bed during the day and then just pull it out at night after dinner? We will have three adults in the JS and I'm wondering about room and comfort on the sofa bed.

(Also concerned about closet space as the three adults are all women with lots of luggage!) LOL.

Thanks

I see from the layout of the ship that JS cabin 9606 and 9306, (mine), are just down from the "hump" or "bump" in the ship. Did that affect your view from your balcony at all?

Thanks

Studiowind: Thanks for the wonderful review. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip and that everything went well. I'm happy to read all of your positive comments. I'm sailing on the MOS in November and have junior suite 9306....on the other side of the ship from your JS cabin.

 

Would you tell me please, how was the length and the comfort of the sofa bed in the junior suite room? Did the cabin steward make up the sofa bed during the day and then just pull it out at night after dinner? We will have three adults in the JS and I'm wondering about room and comfort on the sofa bed.

(Also concerned about closet space as the three adults are all women with lots of luggage!) LOL.

 

Thanks

AdventureGirl: The sofa bed was adequate for 2 x 5'11" adults. These 2 adults have slept on this sofa bed on the previous ships (Explorer & Navigator). However, they were forced to sleep head to toe between the arm rests. On the Mariner, the sofa bed has an extra "cushion" allowing them to sleep with their heads and feet in a normal position (facing out into the cabin) These sofa beds are quite firm though, so if you like a hard bed, you'll like the sofa bed. Yes, the sofa bed was made up (returned to a sofa) during the day and opened when they turn down the other beds. The closet space is MORE than adequate. There is a walk in closet (where you can store your luggage or get changed if you like for privacy) and many, many cupboards, drawers and shelves. You'll have plenty of room.

Phil