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July 6 Mariner Daily Review – Great vacation!


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Hi all –

 

Just back from our cruise and the house is still rocking around me. This was our 20 year old son’s first cruise and the fourth for DH and myself; only one other cruise in the last 20 years and that was on Carnival 4 years ago to Cozumel. That was good – this was BETTER. Much better. I don’t have a lot of time to post but will try to add segments a day at a time; I will also cross post in the port sections and eventually post the full review.

 

Cruisecritic gave me absolutely wonderful help – I knew so much ahead of time that I kept giving people advice – even those who had sailed on Mariner before. All the suggestions from this board really enhanced my experience so I want to pay it back.

 

Some general overall impressions before beginning the daily summaries: the ship was fantastic – it looked great and everything seemed clean and fresh. Our D1 cabin never seemed too small for the three of us – it was so cleverly planned that there was room to store almost everything. The food was almost all good to very good, the service everywhere was excellent, the entertainment was plentiful and, well, entertaining, the use of the Promenade for events really was unusual, it seldom seemed too crowded, and there were always private places to relax. Our only real disappointment was the lack of support for our son’s age group; if you weren’t already in a group it didn’t seem easy to meet others, especially if you’re under drinking age. Maybe RCI has determined that planned activities in that age group don’t work but it would have been nice to have one or two organized events since there did seem to be a fair number of kids that age.

 

We flew into Orlando the day before the cruise and rented a car from Avis with no problems (I joined the Preferred Member program through work so didn’t even have paperwork to fill out). We drove over to Cocoa Beach and stopped at Ron Jon’s to shop for about an hour, then headed down to the Doubletree. As Hilton Honors members, we were upgraded to an executive room on the 6th floor facing south with a great view of the beach and ocean. The room was fine although the beds were doubles instead of queens and felt small. We did not notice any noise from air conditioners.

 

We took a walk down the beach and watched a guy trying to take off via kite – not sure you can hang glide like that but he did achieve some loft of a few inches. Before dinner we stopped at Publix to pick up a few sodas and juices, aloe gel, and last minute toiletries. I had researched ahead of time and we planned to eat at Fischer’s which was supposed to be the pub attached to Bernard’s Surf. It turns out that the two places were combined when it was sold last November, names adjusted, and the menu changed; the old web site had never been taken down. It was late and our hotel was not near the port so we didn’t want to find anywhere else so ate there. It was OK but nothing special. We headed back to the Doubletree in great anticipation of the next day.

 

If there are any questions when I get to the end of the review please let me know!

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Hey Tabbymom...Can't wait to read your review..I really have to agree with your comments so far..I think this cruise and especially the Mariner were both FANTASTIC...great cruising with you Referee(jay)

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Hey Tabbymom...Can't wait to read your review..I really have to agree with your comments so far..I think this cruise and especially the Mariner were both FANTASTIC...great cruising with you Referee(jay)

 

 

Hi Jay,

 

I have to agree, the cruise and the people were just amazing. It was close to a perfect week, and it was a pleasure meeting you and your lovely wife. So much so, we took our casino winnings and found a good deal and booked the Mariner again for August 3rd. I hope everyone else was able to make a few dollars as well.

Knuckles (Brett)

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Yes, please hurry!!! Have just finished reading some other reports and now has me "nervous" about our first RCCL with the Mariner next Jan.'09 (repositioning from FLL to CAL around South America - 46 days). Thank you.

 

I am SO JEALOUS! Have fun!

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Hey Brett...Great news that you guys booked another cruise on the Mariner. Is it the same itinerary or are you doing western carib?...We also checked in with RCCL Loyalty Ambassador and got a great deal on the Voyager out of Barcelona for Sept 09..a very long way off,but, still excited...take care referee (jay)

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Hey Brett...Great news that you guys booked another cruise on the Mariner. Is it the same itinerary or are you doing western carib?...We also checked in with RCCL Loyalty Ambassador and got a great deal on the Voyager out of Barcelona for Sept 09..a very long way off,but, still excited...take care referee (jay)

 

 

Hi Jay,

 

Yes, we will be doing the eastern route again. Didn't have much choice, as the kids start school mid-August, but I personally prefer the extra day at sea (more gambling time - LOL).

 

And that's great about your trip and my wife will be really jealous, as she's been dying to do an European cruise, but I'm still skittish about flying again. Well - maybe - one day.

 

Brett

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Hi Deb, Brett and Jay! Good to hear from you - we did not book another cruise because the next thing I want to do is move to California. (Not because the Mariner is moving there, although that doesn't hurt!)

 

Here's day 1; quite long since it's got all the first impressions - hope it fits into one post...

 

We woke up to a beautiful day and another great view out our window. There was a complimentary continental breakfast on the executive floor of the Doubletree so we quickly ate and packed up. After one more stop at CVS for even more last minute toiletries, we headed to the Avis return facility at about 11:00. There were several groups of people waiting for the shuttle to the pier, and more fresh off the ships waiting for a car. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the next shuttle after turning in the car.

 

After a 10 minute drive we were at Port Canaveral. Three ships were in port – the Mariner, the Disney Wonder, and the Carnival Sensation. We laughed at that last one since that was the ship we were on 4 years ago – it looked small compared to the Mariner. It was really quite thrilling to see the ship at the dock – so big and beautiful. Our driver stopped at the other ships first and there was a line waiting to get to the RCI drop off but we finally made it. We had switched cabins a few days after booking so did not use the luggage tags from RCI as they had the wrong cabin. I waited while the porter prepared new tags with the correct cabin and put them on all four of our bags. We then headed across the street to the entrance. By now it was about 12:00. There were two lines entering the building; we went to the closer one. First we passed through security showing our passports, then the X-ray machine, then up an escalator to check-in. On the way we had to fill out a little form promising that we weren’t sick. These lines moved quickly.

 

Upstairs we waited in another fast moving line and were directed to the next available agent. We showed our passports and credit card and turned in our SetSail form, and got our SeaPass cards. The staff was very friendly. We then continued on to board the ship – there was quite a backup and I later learned that they didn’t start boarding until about 12:30. We also later learned about the norovirus the week before, so I’m guessing they took extra time to totally sanitize the ship before letting new people on. We were stopped for an embarkation picture then joined the line waiting to board. While in line we saw a large group in turquoise T-shirts and confirmed that they were from our Roll Call.

 

FINALLY we were over the gangway and onto the ship. We were immediately handed cleaning wipes, a theme throughout the week at every place to eat. We entered by the aft atrium on deck 4 and were immediately impressed by the gleam and shine of the grand staircase and the decorations at Bolero’s. There was a table set up handing out wristbands for children right after you entered. We walked up the staircase to the Promenade in awe at the décor and then were hit with the “WOW” factor. We toured the Promenade then took the elevator at the far end up to deck 11 and took a few pictures at the Solarium and the pool deck on our way across to lunch.

 

On our way into WJ, we stopped at Portofino to make reservations for the last night at 8:00 – no problem. (Portofino was on the left as you entered and Chops on the right.) Our first stop was the far end of the seating area where we discovered tables all the way across the aft end with floor to ceiling tilted windows and a fantastic view of the port. After a brief wait we snagged a table and took turns watching the luggage while the others went for food. In my impression, there were a lot of different stations for food and a wide variety: Asian selections in Jade; meats, cheeses, and rolls; salads; hamburgers and hot dogs; several hot dishes including a carving station every day; pastas; and desserts. Using a tip from CC, I grabbed a glass of ice water, a plate of lemon slices, and a Splenda and made my own sugar-free lemonade. It tasted great and I did that all week – may even do it a home now! We had no problem handling plates and going to and from the buffet lines; there was plenty of staff available to help out.

 

After lunch we walked down two flights to our cabin 9320. This was a D1 cabin on the outside of the hump and it was a fantastic location. There is one long corridor on each side of the ship with an entrance at each of the two elevator bank/staircases cores. (The deck plans don’t really reflect that.) Our cabin was just a few steps from the entrance on the other side of the hall, essentially across the hall from the wall behind the elevator, and we virtually never heard any noise from either the elevator or the stairs. It was great not having to walk down a long hall (originally we were booked in cabin 1368 – I located it on the last day and counted the steps to the corridor entrance – 90 steps!). But from 9320 we could be up to WJ and the pool deck in a minute, and our energetic son could get from deck 1 to 9 and back in about 6 minutes (he actually had to do this the next day). I often walked the corridor to the forward elevators when going to the Savoy Theater since that seemed like a less busy bank of elevators. All the hallways are filled with transportation-themed art; ours was mainly cars.

 

The view from our balcony was also wonderful – we could see all the way forward and aft (and down). We occasionally were bothered by smoke drifting and had to go inside a few times but that was probably less than half the time we were outside. The cabin seemed large enough for the three of us; the only time there was traffic congestion was when the sofa bed was open, or when someone was at the closet blocking the door to the bathroom.

 

The cabin itself was very cleverly designed. The large closet had lots of hangers and two swing out bars to increase the space for shorter clothes with plenty of room for the longer dresses. There was a bar on the inside of the door where you could park hangers while putting clothes in and out. There were also six wire shelves inside and a little shelf above which just fit my dress sandals. The life vests were stacked inside the closet. Other storage included shelves behind the side mirrors over the desk, six small drawers plus a center desk drawer, a two shelf cabinet over the safe, two shelves at the end of the desk, two night tables with a drawer and a cubby, and three shelves in the bathroom behind a side mirror.

 

The main bed was set up as a queen and it was very comfortable. Our son slept in the sofa bed; it was the size of a three cushion couch but wasn’t like a regular sofa bed. Normally you would remove seat cushions and pull out the bed. Instead, the seat (which was one piece) pulled away from the back, then the back folded down into the open space. So the actual sleeping surface consisted of the backside of the back of the couch and the seat together. I called room service for a foam cushion as soon as we arrived (thanks again CC) which was delivered by evening. DS reported that the bed was comfortable although he had to sleep diagonally (he’s 6’2”). We also asked to have the minibar stuff removed but our steward Roger said to just move it to the shelf above the safe so we did. We also asked for additional bath towels and had six towels every day. There were also three pool towels in the bathroom, which were changed every day.

 

We next went down to the Rhapsody in Blue dining room to find our table. The room itself was beautiful. Table 326 was in the middle of the floor, right next to the captain’s table. We had requested a large table but it was only a table for six. We decided to keep it since it seemed like a great location to see everything that would be happening. In retrospect, it might have been better to ask to be moved to a large table. Our tablemates were a very nice family from Scotland (the father sounded exactly like Shrek) with a 13 year old daughter and they advised they were skipping formal nights. So part of the time it was just the three of us; we really would have preferred more socialization at meals. This was one of the few disappointing aspects of the cruise.

 

DS went off on his own and we began exploring the ship, starting with Studio B since we were on deck 3, then all the way up to Ellington’s with a great overlook of the pool deck, the other bars and card and game rooms, up the stairs to see the Sky Chapel, down to the Sports Deck, and some wonderful views of the port. You could see the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center and even make out the launch pads. Then back into the ship to see all the bars and venues on decks 4 and 5, including the Dragon’s Lair and Casino. We peeked into the Savoy Theater and I took some close ups of the curtain with the actual jewelry attached to the figures.

 

It was almost time for muster so we got our life vests and headed down to deck 4, where the process took about a half hour altogether. We were at the back of the group against the wall so the wait wasn’t too bad. DS kindly offered to run the vests up to the cabin since our rollcall had planned to meet on the helipad. We stopped at Boleros to pick up a couple of drinks for sailaway and I met Kim and Maggie from the rollcall. It was fun to sort of already know someone.

 

It was easy to get to the helipad – just go outside on deck 4 and keep going forward. You get to a staircase, followed by a short walk past some equipment, then suddenly you’re outside the crew recreation area (big wall around it). And there’s the helipad in front of you up a few more steps. As long as you keep going forward you can’t miss it! We started looking for other people in orange and ended up meeting about eight other rollcall families. Hello everyone – it was great to meet you and run into you all week! One family had forgotten about the meet until they saw us TV – there’s a camera on the front of the bridge overlooking the helipad that’s continually broadcast in the cabins. So careful what you do out there! The Disney and Carnival ships left first then we followed, out past Fishlips and past the end of the jetty where there were dolphins playing in the water.

 

When land was just a hint in the distance we checked in at the cabin – still no luggage – and we went off to the Welcome Aboard Show Spectacular at 7:45 hosted by the Cruise Director Drew Devine. He was very energetic and fun throughout the cruise. We sat in the balcony and watched the Comedy Juggler Billy Prudhomme (as much a comedian as a juggler) and Comedian Tony Daro who had a very funny routine about being a parent. Finally there was a performance by the Mariner singers and dancers.

 

One last stop at the cabin where our luggage had finally arrived, a quick change, and off to dinner. The captain’s table was empty (I guess he was still driving the ship). We met our tablemates and our waiter Ernest and assistant waiter Michelle. They gave quiet efficient service throughout the cruise although not the outgoing interactive attention you read about. I was very impressed that Ernest called me by name up on the pool deck a few days later. I don’t have copies of the menus but I believe it’s the Day 1 that Eric posted in this thread; we found all of our dishes on it. And yes, it includes Vidalia Onion Tart. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=791943

 

After dinner DH and I went back to the cabin to unpack while DS explored. My watch was on the wrong time and we suddenly realized that it was Bon Voyage parade time – we raced to the elevator and could see down into the atrium where the parade was just ending. By the time we got down all we could catch was the end of the music and some of the characters in photo ops. DS assured us it was a very short parade and we didn’t miss too much. We returned to the room and finished unpacking. DH fell asleep (as I predicted on our rollcall LOL); I went back out for a few minutes just to see what was happening down on the Promenade. When I retured to the cabin there was just a bit of rocking. We later learned that the captain had to go about 300 miles out of the way to avoid Bertha effect so was speeding along to make up time. I found it quite relaxing and spent a few minutes out on the balcony marveling at where I was.

 

-Marilyn

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I love your review, can't wait for more! We have been on the Mariner 4 times already, and just love that ship! We are sailing the Mariner again on 9/21/08 and we just have interior room 9605, but we are also sailing 5/3/09 and have room 9620, same room as you, but on the port side! My parents have JS 9618 next to us, and our friends have 9622 on the other side of us. These three rooms are truly the center hump and we can't wait! Too bad the balcony dividers don't open. We will have our 15 year old daughter with us, and I really appreciated your info on the sleeper sofa. Interesting. Do you think a tall (5'8") skinny (107#) girl would need a foam cushion like your son did? What did the room steward do with the foam cushion during the day? Have a great time!!!!!!! looking forward for more! Lauren

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Thanks - Glad you like the review - it's fun to help remember while everything's still fresh in our minds since we cruise so seldom. Lauren -the sofabed came with a thin padded cushion so I guess it depends how sound your daughter sleeps; I figured it wouldn't hurt to get the extra foam pad so we went for it. The foam pad was slipped behind the couch during the day - you could see it was there but it didn't get in the way. The bedding was stored under the seat of the couch. I have about 300 pictures but it will probably be a while before I can download, edit, and post but I should have them up by next May! I did take a picture of the open sofa bed.

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I love your review, can't wait for more! We have been on the Mariner 4 times already, and just love that ship! We are sailing the Mariner again on 9/21/08 and we just have interior room 9605, but we are also sailing 5/3/09 and have room 9620, same room as you, but on the port side! My parents have JS 9618 next to us, and our friends have 9622 on the other side of us. These three rooms are truly the center hump and we can't wait! Too bad the balcony dividers don't open. We will have our 15 year old daughter with us, and I really appreciated your info on the sleeper sofa. Interesting. Do you think a tall (5'8") skinny (107#) girl would need a foam cushion like your son did? What did the room steward do with the foam cushion during the day? Have a great time!!!!!!! looking forward for more! Lauren

YES! Ask for the egg crate mattress topper.

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Thank you so much for posting this review. It is so detailed, and I feel as if I am right there. I also will be on the Mariner on August 3. I appreciate every detail that you have shared and look forward to reading more.

 

It seems as if your luggage arrived very late. What time did it finally arrive? We have the early seating, and I was wondering if we would get our luggage before dinner.

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Our luggage did arrive very late; we had late seating and it arrived just as we were getting ready for dinner which was 8:45 on the first night. We had clothes in our carryons but DS did change from shorts to pants when the bags arrived. They may have been late because we had manual tags instead of pre-printed ones, or it was just luck of the draw!

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I woke up bright and early at about 7:00; I actually woke up early every day but not because I went to sleep early! Probably my subconscious didn’t want to miss a minute of the cruise. I stepped out on the balcony and there was Cococay. It looked pretty small from the ship but turned out to be quite a bit larger than it appeared. There were a number of other low islands to the left and behind Cococay. There were two tenders pulling up to the ship near the aft on our side – I watched them load up hand trucks with all the supplies for the island including about 900 bags of ice; also plenty of service personnel.

 

I ran down to Café Promenade while the menfolk slept on and picked up a couple of cups of coffee (there were large urns of Seattle’s Best available all the time and it was indeed the best coffee on the ship, as others have reported). I also grabbed a couple of cinnamon rolls and a doughnut and took it all back to the room. By then everyone was awake and we snacked as we got ready for the day. The captain announced that the ship was cleared and the tenders were ready on Deck 1. We headed up to Windjammer for our real breakfast, where I discovered the made-to-order omelet stand in the middle of the back counter. You placed your order and got a number; then they called you when it was ready. I learned to place my order first, pick up everything else and take it to a table, then return for the omelet – that timing working out fine. DH found the lox and bagels, and DS the pancakes and French toast. You could take your own juice and coffee, or the servers would bring it to you at the table; they also brought around pastries.

 

We stopped at the cabin to put on sun tan lotion and pick up our pool towels and gear, including our own snap open floating mats that we had brought along. Then we went down to deck 1, had our SeaPass card scanned (this was done every time you left or entered the boat), and got on the tender. There were two double-decked tenders each of which held about 200 people. DS realized he forgot his sunglasses and ran back to the cabin to get them – he made it back before we left which is when we learned he could make it to deck 9 and back in 6 minutes. It was a quick ride over to the island.

 

The tender entered a small harbor with a statue of a mermaid and docked at a little village setting. There was a photographer grabbing everyone as they disembarked, then you were free to go where you wanted. They had given out maps of the island along with the Cruise Compass the night before. There were a number of tropical looking buildings with bars and washrooms; also cooking and picnic facilities for lunch. There was a small straw market with lots of clothes, jewelry, straw bags, and other souvenirs – this was on a cash only basis. DS and DH had booked Wave Runners at 11:00 so we settled in some chairs nearby to relax and wait and do a little floating. This was one of the small coves so I kept floating back to shore and having to paddle hard to get out, which made me glad we decided not to snorkel since we were doing that in St. Thomas. I kept hoping to wash up on Nassau but kept ending up on Cococay. There were lines to show how far out you could safely go.

 

It didn’t take long for the drink runners to appear, up and down the beach about every 3 minutes calling Coco Loco…Coco Loco…Coco Loco…it started to drive me loco! They didn’t sell too hard but it was very annoying. I had read about going on to the less crowded parts of the island and maybe the drink guys weren’t out that far, but we wanted to be near the Wave Hut. After lunch I did go to one of the bars to get a Coco Loco – took me a while to get the bartender’s attention. The drink turned out to basically be a frozen fruit punch with rum. Wouldn’t you think a drink with the word “Coco” in it should have coconut?

 

DS and DH went over to the Wave Hut and signed in; DS had to show his drivers license since he was under 21. They went through a training and safety video and other instructions and finally went out to the wave runners. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and took them in and around four other islands. The water was choppy so the ride was quite bumpy – DS said that it was a thrilling and chaotic experience that he didn’t need to do again for a long long time! While they were gone, I walked around a little and tried out a hammock. Getting in was easy; getting out not as easy! And I agreed with DH’s assessment that pillows would have been nice since the rope hammocks got a little uncomfortable after a while.

 

They served buffet style lunch with salads, hot dogs and burgers, chicken, fries, drinks, and desserts and maybe something else. The food was only so-so and the sea gulls were ferocious so you couldn’t leave it alone for a second. After lunch we settled at the beach past the Wave Hut – it was bigger and nicer and there was more room to float. There was an organized volleyball game along with all the water park and water activities. Overall, we found Cococay to be pleasant but not very exciting; of course this is a matter of personal taste. I think it would have been much nicer to go to Nassau but then of course RCI would not have made more money.

 

We left about 2:30 (last tender was 3:30) and there was already a long line waiting so maybe we weren’t the only ones getting bored! It actually didn’t take that long but you do have to wait in the sun. We had to show our Sea Pass to get off the island and again to get onto the Mariner. Once back on the ship we got some snacks from WJ and went up to the pool deck to relax and watch “sailaway” from Cococay; DS tried out the line dancing class by the pool, then back to the room to get ready for formal night.

 

“Meet Captain Per Kristoffersen” was scheduled for the Lotus Lounge from 7:00-7:30. We arrived about 15 minutes early; there was no line yet. We discovered the captain was having his picture taken with a group of 70 girls on a quinceanera trip from Mexico organized by a tour company. You could always recognize them on the ship by their yellow T-shirts. Finally the doors opened, the lines formed quickly, and we were ushered in to meet Captain Per. His assistant took our names, introduced us, the Captain said a few words, then they took the picture. We went on into the Lotus Lounge where a group was playing by the dance floor and were offered champagne and hors d'oeuvres, including caviar and brie.

 

After a few minutes we headed back across the promenade to wait for the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception on the Promenade. They offered more champagne, the Captain was introduced on the bridge (over the promenade), he made a speech and introduced various members of his crew, and welcomed us. After that we waited in one line to get our formal pictures taken. There were numerous stations set up at the aft atrium on decks 3, 4, and 5 starting that night through night 6. You could get a background of the ship at night, a staircase, a couch, the actual staircase, and others I can’t remember. They scanned a SeaPass card to identify your photos.

 

Then it was time for our 8:30 dinner – most of the men did seem to be dressed in suits or tuxes with a sprinkling of nice shirts and pants; the ladies were a little fancier overall. After we were seated, we got to see the grand production of the captain’s dinner. First the guests were escorted in by the aide (I’m sure she had a title; just don’t know what it is) and they sat down. When Captain Per entered, the gentlemen all stood. The aide walked Captain Per around and introduced him to each couple. After they were seated, he made red and white wine selections. The head waiter for the section waited on him personally. I could see they had a special menu but don’t know what was on it. I did ask our waiter if Captain Per had to order the pear soup LOL. We essentially had the second night formal menu in Albert’s list from my day 1 post except there was sea bass instead of trout, which DH had; I had the duck. We both had the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert though!

 

After dinner we had some more pictures taken then went up to the cabin to change and headed to the Front Row Production Show in the Savoy Theater. We found it to be very entertaining. It basically covered a wide variety of music from the 20th century, from jazz to blues to Broadway to movies to Elvis to Springsteen and much more. It was well produced with a large variety of costume and set changes and high energy, plus a decent amount of talent. After the show we wandered around a little and DS checked to see if anything much was happening in the Dragon’s Lair. We had meant to go to Tony Daro’s Late Night Adult Comedy show at 12:15 but were very tired and skipped it thinking there would be another such show. Had we known there wouldn’t be, we would have gone (our four day Carnival cruise had two comedy shows). So now we have something to do next time!

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I woke up bright and early at about 7:00; I actually woke up early every day but not because I went to sleep early! Probably my subconscious didn’t want to miss a minute of the cruise. I stepped out on the balcony and there was Cococay. It looked pretty small from the ship but turned out to be quite a bit larger than it appeared. There were a number of other low islands to the left and behind Cococay. There were two tenders pulling up to the ship near the aft on our side – I watched them load up hand trucks with all the supplies for the island including about 900 bags of ice; also plenty of service personnel.
CocoCay is Royal Caribbean's name for the island. It is one of the many small islands of the Bahamas - the Berry Islands - its previous/real name is Little Stirrup Cay.

 

I ran down to Café Promenade while the menfolk slept on and picked up a couple of cups of coffee (there were large urns of Seattle’s Best available all the time and it was indeed the best coffee on the ship, as others have reported). I also grabbed a couple of cinnamon rolls and a doughnut and took it all back to the room. By then everyone was awake and we snacked as we got ready for the day. The captain announced that the ship was cleared and the tenders were ready on Deck 1. We headed up to Windjammer for our real breakfast, where I discovered the made-to-order omelet stand in the middle of the back counter. You placed your order and got a number; then they called you when it was ready. I learned to place my order first, pick up everything else and take it to a table, then return for the omelet – that timing working out fine. DH found the lox and bagels, and DS the pancakes and French toast. You could take your own juice and coffee, or the servers would bring it to you at the table; they also brought around pastries.

 

We stopped at the cabin to put on sun tan lotion and pick up our pool towels and gear, including our own snap open floating mats that we had brought along. Then we went down to deck 1, had our SeaPass card scanned (this was done every time you left or entered the boat), and got on the tender. There were two double-decked tenders each of which held about 200 people. DS realized he forgot his sunglasses and ran back to the cabin to get them – he made it back before we left which is when we learned he could make it to deck 9 and back in 6 minutes. It was a quick ride over to the island.

I've been waiting to hear you explain this! Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. :)

 

The tender entered a small harbor with a statue of a mermaid and docked at a little village setting. There was a photographer grabbing everyone as they disembarked, then you were free to go where you wanted. They had given out maps of the island along with the Cruise Compass the night before. There were a number of tropical looking buildings with bars and washrooms; also cooking and picnic facilities for lunch. There was a small straw market with lots of clothes, jewelry, straw bags, and other souvenirs – this was on a cash only basis. DS and DH had booked Wave Runners at 11:00 so we settled in some chairs nearby to relax and wait and do a little floating. This was one of the small coves so I kept floating back to shore and having to paddle hard to get out, which made me glad we decided not to snorkel since we were doing that in St. Thomas. I kept hoping to wash up on Nassau but kept ending up on Cococay. There were lines to show how far out you could safely go.

 

It didn’t take long for the drink runners to appear, up and down the beach about every 3 minutes calling Coco Loco…Coco Loco…Coco Loco…it started to drive me loco! They didn’t sell too hard but it was very annoying. I had read about going on to the less crowded parts of the island and maybe the drink guys weren’t out that far, but we wanted to be near the Wave Hut. After lunch I did go to one of the bars to get a Coco Loco – took me a while to get the bartender’s attention. The drink turned out to basically be a frozen fruit punch with rum. Wouldn’t you think a drink with the word “Coco” in it should have coconut?

It's not called a CocoLoco for its ingredients - it has that name because it's the "signature drink" of COCO Cay! The same drink is served at Labadee, where it is called a Labadoozie! :D

 

DS and DH went over to the Wave Hut and signed in; DS had to show his drivers license since he was under 21. They went through a training and safety video and other instructions and finally went out to the wave runners. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and took them in and around four other islands. The water was choppy so the ride was quite bumpy – DS said that it was a thrilling and chaotic experience that he didn’t need to do again for a long long time! While they were gone, I walked around a little and tried out a hammock. Getting in was easy; getting out not as easy! And I agreed with DH’s assessment that pillows would have been nice since the rope hammocks got a little uncomfortable after a while.

 

They served buffet style lunch with salads, hot dogs and burgers, chicken, fries, drinks, and desserts and maybe something else. The food was only so-so and the sea gulls were ferocious so you couldn’t leave it alone for a second. After lunch we settled at the beach past the Wave Hut – it was bigger and nicer and there was more room to float. There was an organized volleyball game along with all the water park and water activities. Overall, we found Cococay to be pleasant but not very exciting; of course this is a matter of personal taste. I think it would have been much nicer to go to Nassau but then of course RCI would not have made more money.

I'm sorry that you didn't enjoy Coco Cay more. It's SUPPOSED to be "not very exciting" - it's a laid-back beach day! I love CocoCay, but to each his own. I really don't think that your cynicism about RC making more money is called for.

 

We left about 2:30 (last tender was 3:30) and there was already a long line waiting so maybe we weren’t the only ones getting bored!
Why do you assume that people were bored? Leaving at 2:30 strikes me as being totally normal behavior.

 

----snip----

 

Then it was time for our 8:30 dinner – most of the men did seem to be dressed in suits or tuxes with a sprinkling of nice shirts and pants; the ladies were a little fancier overall. After we were seated, we got to see the grand production of the captain’s dinner. First the guests were escorted in by the aide (I’m sure she had a title; just don’t know what it is)
That was probably the Loyalty Ambassador
and they sat down. When Captain Per entered, the gentlemen all stood. The aide walked Captain Per around and introduced him to each couple. After they were seated, he made red and white wine selections. The head waiter for the section waited on him personally. I could see they had a special menu but don’t know what was on it. I did ask our waiter if Captain Per had to order the pear soup LOL.
That's funny!

 

I'm really enjoying your review, and am anticipating the next installment!

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