Any difference between Voyager and Mariner?

[addictedinflorida]

Im sitting here trying to decide whether to book the Voyager or the Mariner for our March trip (after the Freedom is too expensive still :( ). I know that all the voyager class ships are essentially the same, but does anyone have any opinion on whether the voyager or mariner might be a bit better than the other? Whether it be decor, activities, CD, accomodations, crew, etc? I live in Orlando. The voyager leaves Miami on a saturday and the Mariner leaves Orlando on sunday, however the voyager is $30 cheaper per person than the Mariner, but it would also require a 3 hour drive to get to. Any opinions?

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

Both ships are great, Mariner is newer, and if you are going to have a balcony cabin Mariner is nicer because they used glass panels instead of steel on Voyager. The balconys on Voyager we found a bit dark and shaded, we still enjoyed Voyager very much and the staff is very good. We are sailing on Explorer in Nov this year which is pretty close to Voyager as it was the next ship built. We have an aft balcony cabin for the first time so we will see what that is like. On the Eastern trip of Mariner it has one more sea day because it doesnt stop in San Juan. We enjoy our sea days.

 

Happy Cruising

 

Brian J

[emen822]

(I am biased because it was my first cruise). But the ship is newer and I know that the balconies are all plexiglass (?) or some sort of see through material. I think the $30 more will be well worth it. Good Luck. :)

[alynn]

We're just back from the Voyager, she is in pretty good shape considering she is an older ship than Mariner.

 

There is no Chops speciality dining on the Voyager which was a disappointment to us having sampled this on Navigator.

 

All of the bedding has recently been replaced.

 

Only have one minor grumble that the tannoy announcements throughout the ship were loud enough for a pop concert. much louder than we have ever heard before

 

I dont think you would be disappointed wither either ship

[Maxiecat3]

Didn't realize Orlando had a port:) . We all know you meant Port Everglades.

[ab1881]

I think it's actually Port Canaveral, isn't port everglades in Fort Lauderdale?

[ab1881]

I think it's actually port canaveral, isn't port everglades in Fort Lauderdale?

[Maxiecat3]

I think it's actually port canaveral, isn't port everglades in Fort Lauderdale?

You are right. I had my ports confused.

[LisaRhea]

If the cost difference is only $30, think of what you are going to spend in gas just getting to Miami vs. Port Canaveral. The cost essentially evens out. I've not been on Voyager, but I have been on Mariner and am sailing her again in 12 DAYS!!!!! You'll have fun either way. Enjoy!

[sbgrace]

I haven't been on Voyager, but have been on Explorer, Mariner, and Adventure. Loved them all! :D My favorite decor of the 3 was on the Mariner--it's fun and whimsical, perfect for a vacation.

 

Do they visit the same ports? I would probably choose based on which itinerary I preferred.

 

Have a great time whichever you pick!

Chris

[Guest Jaxmania]

We've cruised out of Port Canaveral and Miami and with these two ships being so similar our choice hands down would be Port Canaveral. It received an award in 2005 for being such a passenger friendly port.

It's easy to get to, to park, and all the port employees that we had contact with were really very pleasant.

One interesting thing we noticed about their employees was they were almost all "very" senior citizens who seemed to enjoy their jobs and helping people.

[ElvisandTracey]

Been on both, and I'd vote for Voyager-even though Mariner is newer, the crew is better and friendlier on Voyager.

 

I hear more complaints about poor service and sickness on the Mariner than almost any other ship in the fleet-the crew on the Mariner just does not seem to be up to par with the rest. The biggest complaints I hear about Mariner are an apathetic (not friendly) crew, bad food in the DR, chaos in AO, and lots of norovirus reports-who knows if it's true, but it's what I have heard on the boards.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

I hear more complaints about poor service and sickness on the Mariner than almost any other ship in the fleet-the crew on the Mariner just does not seem to be up to par with the rest. The biggest complaints I hear about Mariner are an apathetic (not friendly) crew, bad food in the DR, chaos in AO, and lots of norovirus reports-who knows if it's true, but it's what I have heard on the boards.

 

Really? :confused: I guess we must be reading different reports. :)

 

At any rate, I can only speak from my experience. We've had the best crews yet on the Mariner, dining room food as good as any we've had on RCI (Celebrity still wins). I wouldn't know about AO.

 

In any event, we love the Mariner and would recommend her in a heartbeat!

[ElvisandTracey]

Really? :confused: I guess we must be reading different reports. :)

 

At any rate' date=' I can only speak from my experience. We've had the best crews yet on the Mariner, dining room food as good as any we've had on RCI (Celebrity still wins). I wouldn't know about AO.

 

In any event, we [b']love[/b] the Mariner and would recommend her in a heartbeat!

 

Trust me, if you do a search on these baords with the keyword Mariner, you will find way more bad than good. I have no idea if it's all true or not, I am only saying what I read. For some reason, the service and crew of Mariner are repeatedly blasted around here for being terrible.:confused:

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Trust me, if you do a search on these baords with the keyword Mariner, you will find way more bad than good. I have no idea if it's all true or not, I am only saying what I read. For some reason, the service and crew of Mariner are repeatedly blasted around here for being terrible.:confused:

Interesting, but not shocking I guess. A lot of it could depend on which crew members you come into contact with, what you order in the dining room, etc. etc. No ship that size is going to provide the identical experience to all of its passengers.

 

Besides which, two different people could experience the exact same thing, down to the smallest detail, and come away with totally different opinions of it. I guess that's what keeps life interesting. :)

[bpear1600]

Been on both, and I'd vote for Voyager-even though Mariner is newer, the crew is better and friendlier on Voyager.

 

I hear more complaints about poor service and sickness on the Mariner than almost any other ship in the fleet-the crew on the Mariner just does not seem to be up to par with the rest. The biggest complaints I hear about Mariner are an apathetic (not friendly) crew, bad food in the DR, chaos in AO, and lots of norovirus reports-who knows if it's true, but it's what I have heard on the boards.

 

I've been on two Mariner cruises exactly one year apart

 

Cruise one was wonderful although the food was no better than banquet fare and the crew was certainly apathetic. We had a great time nevertheless.

 

Cruise two was extremely overcrowded and the food and crew no better than the first cruise. A third of the people on the ship had noro symptoms including us. A trip to forget.

 

Why are we going again this December on the same ship you ask? We've got a large credit from Cruise two to use up and we're thinking nothing could be as bad as the last one.;)

[addictedinflorida]

Well I booked the Mariner earlier today based on the port being closer and Ive heard better things about Port Canaveral as well as it being a newer ship. Based on the norovirus issue, I would think that RCCL would hopefully have this well under control in a reasonable time frame. Its not only a huge liability to them to have people getting sick week after week, but also causes them to lose quite a bit of money, so Im not too worried about that come March time. I will be watching though for more reviews of the Mariner from now until March! :) Thanks to all for your opinions.

[CruisingGAL82]

MY Fiance and I were on the Mariner this past January and we loved it. I have been on two Voyager class ships. I would def go with the Mariner over the Voager because like everyone is saying it is newer- and it is such a beautiful ship. We loved every min of our trip. The Decor is great on the Mariner and the crew were wonderful!!!!

[brn2crz]

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/GIlist.htm#2006

 

 

 

Have sailed on Rhapsody 4 times...Which truly is the friendliest ship in the Caribbean...:D

 

Had an absolutely great time on Mariner..Not quite the same as Rhapsody..But I would only label the service as a bit more refined..No where near rude or unfriendly....Probably the best head waiter we have ever had...And wonderfull Steward....

Only had issues with one person,and that was the bartender at the 19th hole...:rolleyes: But have also had certain "not so friendly people on Rhapsody"

But as a unit..Both ships were great..

I agree that the AO staff was the one area that would need attention...

There check-in area for one makes it chaotic to drop-off/pick up....

Very apathetic in my opinion for a kids club..