Just back from MARINER: 12/11-12/18 - My LONG review inside

[SaraUCF81]

This is very long, sorry. Scroll to the last paragraph if you just want a quick synopsis of my opinions of this cruise. If you have any questions, just ask!!:)

 

Mariner Review- 12/11/05 to 12/18/2005

Travelers:

Myself (24), husband Jeremy (26), daughter Katie (1), my Mom and her boyfriend Ralph, and Jeremy’s brother Josh (22) and his girlfriend Mandy (24). We all stayed on Deck 10. Mom and Ralph and our family were in D1 cabins and Josh opted for a JS.

Captain was Captain Gerry and Cruise Director was James Andrews. Both were great. We saw Captain Gerry (pronounced with a hard “G” like Gary) singing and playing his guitar in the Wig and Gavel once night and he was great and I also enjoyed his daily Chinese proverbs.

Day 1- At Sea

We arrived at Port Canaveral around 11 am. Check in process was very smooth and quick as we were allowed to use the elevators because of Katie’s stroller and we all went in the Priority check in line because Josh and Mandy were staying in a Junior Suite and the guy was nice and let us all go together. No wait whatsoever. We walked straight up to the counter and were on the ship in about 10 minutes! Very easy, painless process. We were all assigned to the Top Hat and Tails dining room (deck 4) at table 416 to ourselves. It was right next to the window and we had a nice little corner to tuck Katie’s high chair into. Lynell was our waitress and Ebony was our assistant waitress. Both of them did a wonderful job.

We headed straight up to the Windjammer Cafe for lunch since our rooms weren’t ready yet. We found a table and ordered drinks from the bar.:) Lunch was fine, not great but typical buffet food. No complaints. The food was hot and we were excited to finally be onboard. The ship was spotless and beautiful. All week it was impeccably clean, the staff do a great job making this ship look beautiful.

After lunch we headed straight to Chops and Portofino to make reservations. We ate at Portofino on Wednesday and Chops on Saturday. Both were excellent, more about that later. After that I think we headed to our rooms to drop off our carry-ons. Our room, 1670, was great. Very clean and spacious enough for all 3 of us and all of our stuff (which was a LOT with all of the baby equipment). The luggage started arriving soon after we got to our room and I started unpacking. There is so much storage in the room that even with the crib and the stroller and everything else baby related we still had plenty of room to move around (Ok, not plenty…but enough). RCCL provide the Pack N Play for us which was in good shape and very helpful as we didn’t have to bring our own from home. Per the recommendations from another poster on this board, I ordered the Roll-a-Table from www.altrec.com before we left and took it with us so we could dine on the balcony. We knew with the baby needing to take naps we would be spending lots of time in our room and wanted to be able to eat and hang out on our balcony. We ate breakfast every morning on the balcony and it was wonderful! Room service was great and on time every morning. There is nothing like coffee on the balcony as you arrive in port. Anyway, I think this was a great investment.

After I unpacked we headed down to deck 4 for the muster drill. This wasn’t fun but it was over fairly quickly. Climbing back up 6 flights of stairs carrying the baby was no fun though. Ugh. After taking the life vests back to our room we headed up to the Sky Bar on deck 12 for sailaway at 5pm. It was gray and chilly outside so we bundled up and then ordered our tropical frozen drinks which we enjoyed while leaving Port Canaveral on the open deck at the front of the ship.

After the sailaway we headed down for dinner in the dining room. The food was wonderful in the dining room all week. Absolutely no complaints here. The service and food were amazing. We ate in the dining room every night except the nights that we went to Portofino (Wednesday) and Chops (Saturday). Katie was an absolute angel. Never a peep out of her the whole week. I was nervous that we wouldn’t be able to eat in the dining room because although she never throws temper tantrums she sometimes squeals when she is excited and happy and I didn’t want to bother other guests. We fed her her dinner as we waited for our food to arrive and then we let her watch Baby Einstein DVDs (her favorite!!) on her portable DVD player while we ate. She is perfectly quiet and happy when she watches her Baby Einstein DVDs…they are a Godsend and we are VERY lucky to have such a wonderful, easy going baby. A lady at the table next to us (who we never talked to) went up to my Mom on the promenade while she was babysitting Katie for us one afternoon and told her that she had been on 21 cruises and had NEVER seen/met a baby as good as Katie. She said they didn’t even notice she was there. The whole week we got so many complements on how good she was and how cute she was. The crew was great with her. I definitely couldn’t have wished for a better baby and while this cruise was a lot more work than our honeymoon we still got to enjoy a lot of stuff due to my Mom helping out occasionally and the in-cabin babysitting which we used on 3 nights for just a few hours so we could see a few shows. Jeremy and I also switched off taking care of her so we could do stuff on our own.

After dinner we put Katie to bed and Jeremy stayed with her while I went to watch the Island a-Go-Go Parade on the promenade which I enjoyed. (Mom and Ralph were supposed to meet me but they fell asleep) After that I went to bed since I was tired and Katie would be up early in the morning.

Day 2- CocoCay

We order room service and had breakfast on the balcony which was great. I started off Day 2 with a hot stone massage which was very nice. I am not sure it was worth what I paid for it but it was very relaxing. Jeremy took Katie to Aquababies which they both enjoyed. Katie got to play with toys and make some new friends.

After that we decided to get off the ship and go onto CocoCay. It was beautiful. Blue water, white sandy beaches and lots of palm trees with hammocks. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and probably about 75 degrees. Absolutely perfect. Tendering was very easy. We rolled the stroller right onto the boat and it was a short (about 5 minutes) ride over to the island. We headed straight for the Wanderer’s beach near where the BBQ lunch is served and found some loungers. Katie loved the sand and water. We relaxed under the palm trees with our Coco Locos while Katie played and then we had lunch which was great. BBQ ribs, chicken, burgers, salads, corn, desserts, etc.

After lunch we headed back to the ship because Katie needed a nap and the ship was leaving soon. We all took a nap and then got ready for our first formal night. I went to the spa to have my hair put into an updo. It looked nice but wasn’t worth the money I spent because she only took about 10 minutes to do it. I wouldn’t do it again. We all had formal pics done at various locations around the ship. They came out great. Dinner was delicious. I had Escargot for the first time and they were tender and delicious!

After dinner we went to the Captain’s Reception on the promenade to have some free champagne and watch the Captain’s speech. The ship had about 3200 passengers and about 1200 crew members. I think I heard there were about 400 children onboard. We very rarely stood in line for anything and most of the time marveled at where everyone else was. It definitely didn’t feel like there were almost 4500 people onboard!! I stayed and watched Katie tonight and Jeremy went out with everyone else and had a fun night of drinking. They played mini golf in their formal attire and visited several bars as well as Dragon’s Lair. They also saw a few minutes of the show in the Savoy Theater. It was a tribute to the Temptations and they said it wasn’t good. I think they had a good time as he didn’t get back to the room until about 2:30am!

Day 3- At Sea

Josh proposed to Mandy this morning on their balcony during breakfast!! We were very excited and I of course knew all about it since I had been keeping the ring for him. She said YES (of course)!! :D

After we finished breakfast, I went to get tickets for the Ice Show on Friday at 5pm this morning right at 9am and there was a long line but eventually it started moving and we managed to get tickets. I also went and rented a DECT phone from Guest Relations so that the rest of our group or our babysitter could get in touch with us if needed. Also, this way Jeremy and I could get in touch with each other when one was watching Katie in the room and the other was out and about. It worked out very well and they only charge me $15 since I got it today and not the first day (it is usually $25/week). It is just a regular cell phone and it is assigned an extension number just like your cabin number and can be called from any phone on the ship. It does not work off the ship.

We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets for lunch which was delicious but very filling. We used our C & A coupons so we didn’t have to pay which was nice. After lunch Jeremy went to take a nap with Katie and I went to the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle which was fun. I got to meet some of the other CC members and they were all really nice (Hi George and Lynn, Dan and Dori, Julie, Kim and Marc and anyone else I am forgetting!) Then I think I played mini golf with my Mom and Ralph. That was fun as always. After Katie woke up from her nap, my Mom watched her for an hour so that Jeremy and I could spend some time together. We went down and found Josh and Mandy and hung out with them for awhile. Dinner was great again in the dining room tonight.

After dinner we went and put Katie to bed and then the babysitter (Caroline) came up and watched her for us while we went to see a few shows. We went to the Front Row show in the Savoy at 9pm which was boring. The singers were not very good in my opinion and it came off looking like a cheesy, cruise ship show. We didn’t know any of the songs and were disappointed. On our honeymoon on Adventure OTS the shows were great! This time they weren’t. After that we went to The Quest which was a lot of fun! Very funny! Our team didn’t win but we did very well. I definitely recommend doing this. We stayed for a little while afterwards in Studio B because they had a Dancing through the Decades party. The live band, Souled Out, wasn’t very good either so we left. I think we went up to bed after this because we had to get up early the next morning for an excursion on St. Thomas.

Day 4- St. Thomas

This morning we had breakfast on the balcony as always as we arrived in Charlotte-Amalie. We really enjoyed this and luckily we had the nice view of the hillsides/harbor from our side of the ship again. It is a beautiful view. It was also beautiful as we were leaving that night all lit up. After breakfast we went down to the dining room to do the immigration. It was a very fast, easy process. After that we got off the ship and headed for our excursion. We did the Ultimate Island Experience through RCCL. It was nice. The bus took us to some great picture taking locations with gorgeous views of the island before stopping at Magen’s Bay beach which was beautiful!! We spent 2 hours there drinking my new favorite drink: the BBC (Banana Baileys Colada….YUM!!). They brought it to us on the beach and the weather was absolutely perfect. Probably about 80 and sunny. Clear blue water and white sand…perfection. Katie loved playing in the sand and water again. After that the bus took us to Blackbeards Hill/Castle which was interesting. There were several historic houses to tour but we didn’t. My Mom went up the tower to take pictures of the island and harbor/cruise ships. There were pools to swim in, a bar, gift shop and an area to lay out and sunbathe. It was very pretty. Katie was getting tired so we decided to head back towards the ship. We walked down the famous/historic 99 steps which end in downtown Charlotte Amalie. My Mom and Ralph did some shopping but we just caught a taxi and went back to the ship since Katie needed a good nap. Josh and Mandy did the Helmet dive and liked it although said it was too short. They didn’t think it was worth the money. They also did a lot of shopping and I think even managed to find some time to go to a nearby beach. They were exhausted by the end of the day.

Tonight we ate dinner at Portofino with Josh and Mandy and it was wonderful!! The food and service were amazing. We had eaten there on our honeymoon also and were equally impressed then. The Flourless Chocolate cake for dessert is to die for!! Mom watched Katie while we ate and then they ate there after we got back. They were also very impressed. After dinner we fell asleep even though we had planned to participate in the evening activities…we were so tired!! Mom and Ralph really enjoyed the Love and Marriage game show though (very funny!) and the Junkanoo deck party and buffet by the pool. They also watched the Bartender Flair show and said that was great.

Day 5- St. Maarten/St. Martin

Today we got up and had an early breakfast on the balcony since our excursion left at 8:30am. We did the St. Maarten Sensation with BBQ lunch excursion through RCCL. We really liked St. Maarten better than St. Thomas. It is much prettier. Both islands have very poor areas, which is sad to see, but the islands themselves and the views of the ocean are beautiful. We boarded our air conditioned bus and stopped at a few places again for some great pictures and then they dropped us off in Marigot on the French side of the island for 1 hour. We did some shopping and had a cold drink at one of the cafes. It was nice. We would have liked more time here though, 1 hour wasn’t enough. After this we got back on the bus and headed for Orient Bay beach. They took us to the Boo Boo Jam beach/restaurant which was neat. When we arrived they gave us rum punch (yum!) and then we got a table in their open air restaurant while we waited to be served our BBQ lunch. Jeremy and I had BBQ ribs and french fries and salad and Ralph had BBQ chicken and French fries and salad. Mom just had salad (she is vegetarian/fish only). The food was good but it could have been warmer. The beach was gorgeous. It is a nude beach so that was interesting. ;) After lunch we went and got our reserved loungers and paid a little extra for cushions and umbrellas. We spent 3 hours all together at Boo Boo Jam and it was great. Katie again really enjoyed the sand and water. Josh and Mandy did the America’s Cup sailing Regatta and enjoyed it but I don’t think they would do it again. They said they would rather do snorkeling next time or the beach or something.

Tonight we ate in the dining room again and then put Katie to bed. A different babysitter (I can’t remember her name…Beatrina or something) watched Katie for us. We watched a little of the Savoy show (Headliner Showtime-Paul Boland- The Man of 1000 Voices) and weren’t expecting to enjoy it but he was actually very good. He sung songs in all different voices like Elvis, The Beatles, Kermit the Frog and got the audience involved. We enjoyed it. After that we went to the Battle of the Sexes in Studio B. It was fun. The boys won. (BOOOO!) I wanted to play Win-A-Cruise bingo tonight but no one else did so I didn’t. I didn’t get a card in time anyway. After that I think we went to Dragon’s Lair for awhile and then went to bed.

Day 6- At Sea

Today we had breakfast on the balcony again. It was VERY rocky today on the ship. The water was flying out of the pools. I don’t ever get seasick but even I took a Bonine today. We were going through a cold front and the water was very choppy. My Mom gets VERY seasick but she took ½ Bonine in the morning and ½ before bed every day and had no problems whatsoever. I was so happy because we were both nervous about whether she would have a good time or not. She had never been on a cruise because of her seasickness and because of Bonine (we think anyway, on port days she didn’t take any Bonine in the morning and was fine also…) she had a wonderful time and plans to cruise again. She tried taking 1 whole Bonine before bed a few days before we left for the cruise and it made her feel loopy and drunk. I knew this would happen because she is very sensitive to medications so we switched to ½ pills twice a day and she was fine after that. We had every seasickness remedy imaginable ready for her to use but the Bonine worked fine for her.

I took Katie to Aquababies this morning and we had fun. Jeremy and Josh went to compete in the Adult Ping Pong tournament although neither won. After that we went ice skating and that was fun also. When we were finished, Katie and I went to go and take a nap and after we woke up we went to Johnny Rockets for lunch with Josh and Mandy. It was very good as always and I had a chocolate milkshake which was delicious!! I don’t remember what we did this afternoon, but I think my Mom watched Katie for an hour to give us a break. At 5pm we went to see the Ice Show “Ice Under the Big Top” which was fantastic!!! Just as good as the one on Adventure of the Seas. I definitely recommend that you don’t miss this!!! It really is amazing what the skaters can do in the middle of the ocean, especially when the seas were so rough!

After that we went to dinner in the dining room for our 2nd formal night. Food and service were great as always. Katie’s 1st birthday was on Sunday, December 18th, and since this was our last time in the dining room for the week the staff made her a birthday dessert and put a candle in it for her. It had a little chocolate sign that read Happy Birthday. It was so nice. They all sang Happy Birthday to her and she loved it! After dinner we went and put Katie to bed and Caroline came to babysit for us again.

We went to watch the “Pure Energy” show in the Savoy theater, hoping for a better show than “Front Row”. Nope, we were disappointed again. This show was themed around 80’s music and movies and was also very boring. Some of the lighting effects and props were good but overall we pretty much slept through the show. Only one of the 4 lead singers had really any talent, the other three sounded horrible. After the show we went to the Wig & Gavel British pub on the promenade and listened to the guitar player for awhile. Captain Gerry showed up and played and sang Sweet Home Alabama and was very good. Jeremy and I decided to go back to the room and sleep until the viewing for the Gala Buffet in the dining room. Mom and Ralph went to watch the Karaoke Idol Search. The viewing for the buffet started at 11:30pm. None of us wanted to eat anything off it, just see it and take pictures. Anyway, I fell asleep and couldn’t be bothered to go down to see it (we saw it on our honeymoon) but Mom and Ralph saw it along with Josh and Mandy and they all said it was amazing. Then they went to bed I think.

Day 7- Last day :( At sea

Well, today was the last day of our vacation and we had a few more things to do. I think we had breakfast in the Windjammer this morning because we forgot to order room service the night before. The food was good, nothing great, but there was a huge selection. I wanted to do Snowball Jackpot bingo but no one else did so once again, I did not play Bingo. Oh well, I didn’t want to play that badly. I kind of wanted to go to Captain’s Corner in the Savoy (where you can ask the Captain questions about the ship/company, etc.) but Katie needed a nap and I knew they would play it later on the TV. I started packing. The men in our group signed up to play in the Golf Simulator but unfortunately for them it was broken. After that, Mom, Ralph and Josh decided to try the rock wall. They all did really well. My Mom was so scared she was shaking but I think she is glad she tried it at least. Then the boys went and had lunch at Johnny Rockets again and the girls went to the Windjammer. I enjoyed some selections from Jade (the Japanese/Chinese/Indian/Thai section of the Windjammer), they were really good. The rest of the food again was fine but nothing great. But again, there was a HUGE selection to choose from. After that, Katie needed a nap so Jeremy and I took her back to the cabin. Mom, Ralph, Josh and Mandy watched the Ice Carving demonstration by the pool I think.

At 5:45pm we went down to the promenade to watch the Enchanted Knights parade. We couldn’t see much where we were but Mom, Ralph, Josh and Mandy had a great spot and said it was good. After that finished, Mom took Katie for us because Jeremy and I had a reservation at Chops for dinner at 6pm. It was very good. Service was excellent. The steaks and food were fine but we have had better. We liked Portofinos better. After dinner we went and returned the DECT phone and gave our tips to Lynell, Ebony and our head waiter. Then we did some shopping on the promenade and bought a digital camera. We also went to the photo gallery again and picked up a few more photos. Then we went up to my Mom’s room and picked up Katie and went and put her to bed. My Mom, Ralph, Josh and Mandy had reservations at Chops for 8:45pm. They really enjoyed it. We finished packing and put our bags outside our door. After this I was wiped so I went to bed. Jeremy went to the Casino for awhile and only lost a little bit of money, not too much.

In the morning we were up early and out of our room by 7:30am. We went and had breakfast in the Windjammer and Josh and Mandy got off the ship around 8:15am since they had a different colored tag than the rest of us. We hung out at the Windjammer until about 9am and then went down to the Café Promenade. Our color was called about 9:45am and we were in our car driving home less than an hour later. It was a very fast, easy process. We had an amazing time on our cruise and are sad to be home but after we got home we celebrated Katie’s 1st birthday by throwing her a small birthday party. She had a great time!

Overall I would say that it was amazing! The service and food were excellent, the ship was spotless and beautiful, and the ports of call were great. We really enjoyed the Aquababies program and the staff was great with Katie. I love that they also had CryBaby Cinema offered at special times in the screening room for parents who wanted to watch a movie but who were also traveling with young children. Although we never took advantage of this due to time conflicts I thought it was great that they had it as an option. I also appreciated that even though Katie didn’t turn 1 until the day we returned from the cruise, they let us take advantage of the in-cabin babysitting service. We were prepared for them to not let us use it since she wasn’t yet 1 but they did and it did help.

My only complaint really about the whole cruise was the entertainment. The Ice Show was excellent but the rest of the shows were not, in our opinions. They were boring and cheesy for the most part. They were much better a few years ago on Adventure of the Seas.

Anyway, we look forward to sailing Mariner OTS again and we love Royal Caribbean! Hope you enjoyed reading my VERY long review!

Sara

[Daydrmr]

Awesome review! Thanks! We are going on the Mariner on 1/8/06 with a group of about 18 and can't wait. I'm a little disappointed to hear about the shows. A couple of the people we are going with have been on 1 Carnival cruise, but the rest are 1st timers. Glad to hear all worked out okay with your DD. We opted to leave our 2 yo home so we could enjoy ourselves. I am really having a hard time with it, (especially after reading how well yours worked out) but I don't think she would do as well as your DD. We are hoping to take her next year.

 

Thanks Again for the review.

[nanner10]

Great review Sara. After a day of the shock of being back at work, I would just lovvve to see one of those cheesy shows right now! My DH just called me from work and we discussed the issue of actually having to figure out what to make for dinner! We will probably be sitting there waiting to be served! Thank goodness for take-out!

[JULIE7]

HI, I READ that you have been on the Adventure also. I am searching for a date to book on a Voyager Class and my interest go to the Adventure because I am interested in going to Southern Carib. but to Aruba / Curacao etc. But the Mariner is a newer ship of course and being spoiled on my first cruise on a new ship (The Jewel of the Seas) Im wondering if there is any huge difference between those ships. Can you please let me know? :confused: :confused: :confused:

[SuzieQ123]

I was on the Mariner for Thanksgiving and I have to agree that te shows were BORING, they really need to spice up the Dancing and Singing...It was like 80's Music with a "showtune" sound.

 

That was really my only complaint, I was on the Mariner in May 2005 also on the Eastern route and we had Charo onboard---talk about a great show!

[SaraUCF81]

There really aren't very many differences between these two ships. They are both beautiful. Adventure OTS only has Portofino; Mariner OTS has Portofino and Chops. Mariner has Ben and Jerry's, Seattles Best Coffee, and Vintages Wine Bar on the promenade; Adventure doesn't have Ben and Jerry's (or didn't when I went on it) or Seattles Best Coffee and has a sports bar on the promenade where Vintages is on Mariner. I can't think of any other major differences off the top of my head. Each ship has its own theme also. The artwork is different on each ship. They are both great ships. We really enjoyed the Southern Caribbean route on Adventure. We stopped at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Antigua so we only had 1.5 days at sea. I liked that but the Mariner itinerary was fine also. Whichever you choose you will have a great time!

 

Sara

[SuzieQ123]

HI, I READ that you have been on the Adventure also. I am searching for a date to book on a Voyager Class and my interest go to the Adventure because I am interested in going to Southern Carib. but to Aruba / Curacao etc. But the Mariner is a newer ship of course and being spoiled on my first cruise on a new ship (The Jewel of the Seas) Im wondering if there is any huge difference between those ships. Can you please let me know? :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

 

I have done both East and West Carrib on the Mariner and both the Aruba/Curacao route and the Antigua/Barbados/St Lucia route on the Adventure----my favorite of all The Antigua/Barbados/St Lucia route. Not a big fan of Aruba at all---have been there on vacation for a week and on my Cruise--my least favorite Island --Just my Opinion--but I did like Curacao, interesting history and architecture-- so my advice, pick the Itinerary as the ships are pretty much identical --the Mariner is newer and there are afew minor design differnces

[danyelle]

Fantastic Review!!!

I loved every minute of your vacation lol.

 

Congrats to Josh n Mandy!!!

[CruiserTK]

Sara,

I read that you had a hot stone massage. May I ask how much it cost?

[ccjb]

Thank-you for sharing your vacation with us! Your review was so enjoyable to read! Looking forward to our cruise on the Mariner 2-19-06. Happy Holidays to all.

[OliverTheCat]

Sara,

 

Thanks so much for your great detailed review! I sail Mariner in March of 2007, so its nice to know what to expect. It seems very similar to Navigator, which i sailed recently.

 

I live near you over in Lake Mary. I can assure you you didnt miss any good weather while you were gone!! Dreary icky mess!! I actually watched the ship leave port the day you left, and it was so gross outside. But I guess they didnt move the sailaway party inside, which is good. I remember one time when I left on Disney Magic it was thunderstorming and lightning really bad...that was a sailaway party to remember. it was odd singing songs like Hot Hot Hot and Walking on Sunshine when you are INSIDE and its crazy outside haha.

 

Thanks again for your review!! What an exciting adventure for your family. 1st Birthdays!! Engagements!!! Wow!!

[SaraUCF81]

The Hot Stone Massage I think regular price was $193 but they were having a port day special the day we left for $20 off (you had to do it either Sunday evening or Monday morning to get the special on it) so it ended up costing $173 plus tip. At my regular spa at home that I occasionally treat myself to, the hot stone massage is $125 which is a better deal but I don't always have someone else to watch the baby while at home so I decided to treat myself and take advantage of this on the cruise. It was nice but like I said, I don't think I would do it again. Maybe at my spa at home.

 

My Mom did the Ionithermie body treatment on special for $99 and said it was interesting...not relaxing...but she lost 4.5 inches I think (she is so thin to begin with she didn't need it but it help her fit into her formal night dress better). Josh and Mandy did the Couples Massage/Float treatment and really enjoyed it. I can't remember how much they paid for it...maybe $89?..and they did it on Sunday evening before bed.

 

Oliver-

 

Yeah, the weather for sailaway was yucky and they did actually move the offical sailaway party down to the promenade but we decided to brave it up on deck 12 and while it was chilly, we enjoyed it.

 

Any more questions, just let me know.:)

 

Sara

[ciship]

Do you think there was a lot of movement on Deck 10 in the cabin?

Did you feel a lot of swaying up there?

 

Did you notice if there was any bar that had karaoke each night?

 

 

Which pool is the best for adults.......quiet time??

[SaraUCF81]

Ciship-

 

As far as movement, we have only had cabins on Deck 10 so I'm not sure how Deck 10 compares to lowers decks as far as movement but most of the time on Mariner and almost all of my time on Adventure there was barely any movement. The 1st and 6th day of our Mariner cruise we were going through cold fronts and it was pretty rocky, but it was rocky all over the ship. I don't think it was any worse on deck 10 than it was on deck 5 for example. We looked like we were drunk walking down the hallways! Walking in a straight line was very difficult!!:)

 

As far as Karaoke bars I don't think there was one particular bar that had it every night but all week there was the Karaoke Idol Search that took place each night I think in the Lotus Lounge. We didn't watch any of it but my Mom did and said it was funny and that some people were really good. The Karaoke Idol Championship was on Saturday night. After that they had Rock-a-Kokie (or something, I'm sure I'm spelling it wrong...lol) in the Lotus Lounge where people could do Karaoke with a live band. I guess there were a lot of opportunities to do Karaoke all week though if you enjoy that.

 

A far as the pools we didn't spend any time there at all (I know, we are weird..) but my Mom layed out most days working on her tan. She liked decks 12 and 13 towards the front of the boat since they were quieter than right by the pool on deck 11. You could also try the Solarium which is an adults only pool/hot tub/sunbathing area on Deck 11. On our cruise there were always plenty of deck chairs available whenever we walked around. Hope that helps!

 

Sara

[hdcobur]

Sara,

 

thanks for the wonderful review. We (party of 8) are on the Mariner 1/2/06. Everything sounds wonderful, except for the shows.

 

Regarding the choppiness of the water, did anyone use the motion sickness patch? I have already purchased Dramimine and I have prescription nausea medicine if necessary. I have one in our group that gets AWFUL motion sickness and I have heard that this time of year tends to have the roughest water. Just curious.

 

Congrats to all regarding engagements and birthdays. Most importantly, it is wonderful how you took such great care of your baby. I think that families forget how much rest their little ones need (because we all want to get the most out of our trip), because of that, this is why she also had a wonderful trip with you and your family.:)

 

Wonderful review - thank you very much

[SaraUCF81]

Heather,

 

I'm glad you enjoyed my review.:)

 

As far as the sea sickness patch, my Mom thought about getting it but I have heard from numerous people on here that it causes dizziness and dry mouth so she didn't get it. I definitely recommend Bonine (better than Dramamine I have heard), it worked great for my Mom and she gets very sea sick (and air sick, car sick, etc.) Most people do fine taking 1 Bonine a day before bed, but my Mom is very sensistive to medications so we switched her to 1/2 pill twice daily and this worked much better for her.

 

Whatever medication you (or the sea sick person) decides to use, try it out at home a few days before the cruise to check for any side effects. Do a search on these message boards for "sea sickness"...you will find there are many posts with tons of great advice but most people agree that Bonine works the best. In fact I think there was a post on this board about sea sickness yesterday or today.

 

The seas were rocky from Port Canaveral to CocoCay and on the way back also (because we went through a few cold fronts) but down in the Caribbean the waters were calmer. Hope that helps!

 

Sara

[txadmin2]

Sara,

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a lengthy review. We leave on MOS on Friday for a 10 day cruise. Your review has me really pumped for going.

 

I'm home from school with pink eye today. Good time to pack and catch up on the boards.

[knj1206]

Hi Sara! It's Kim. Great review! I miss the ship already. Marc and I met so many wonderful people and plan to book another trip soon. Everyone who complimented your daughter were right on the money. She was darling!!! You must be very proud of her. I missed my son so much while away and although I was sad to leave on Sunday, I was very happy to pick him up from his Dad's. Have a great week.

 

Kim and Marc

[madisonms]

Great review! Thanks.

[hardingk]

Thanks for the great review! We too are sailing on the 1/8/06 sailing! Can't wait! It will be here before we know it once the holidays have come and gone.

[atlcple2]

Thanks for the great review! We will be on the Mariner 2/18 and can't wait!

[dan&dori]

Was nice meeting you and Marc. You guys were fun to be around. Really miss the Mariner.

Dori and I are planning another cruise on her, probably on my birthday in January 2007.

Did you and Marc get of the ship early? Dori and I did not get off until almost 10:30.

I am thinking about doing the carry-off your own luggage next time.

I have heard from George (TigerMan). We have a bet on the LSU-Miami Peach Bowl game.

Hope to see you again on a future cruise.

Dan and Dori.

[knj1206]

Was nice meeting you and Marc. You guys were fun to be around. Really miss the Mariner.

Dori and I are planning another cruise on her, probably on my birthday in January 2007.

Did you and Marc get of the ship early? Dori and I did not get off until almost 10:30.

I am thinking about doing the carry-off your own luggage next time.

I have heard from George (TigerMan). We have a bet on the LSU-Miami Peach Bowl game.

Hope to see you again on a future cruise.

Dan and Dori.

 

Dori,

 

It was great meeting you too. Marc and I were off the ship by about 9:30 which I thought was pretty good. If we didn't have so much luggage, I would have carried my own off the ship. Maybe now that I know what to pack and what to leave at home I won't have so much stuff next time.:) Only time will tell when I will get to book another cruise but I want to go back NOW! lol. Talk to you soon...

 

Kim and Marc

[castle701]

Thank you for the wonderful review. We are a group of 37 traveling on 1/8 - Do you remember the nights of the ice shows and which night was the Caribbean night - we want to go to chops on that night and want to be ready to book our dining reservation while on board.

[gambler]

that was a great review!! Thanks