Carnival Glory or RCCI Mariner

[JAKcruiser]

My husband and I (both in our early 40's), along with our 12 year-old son, are trying to decide between the Mariner or the Carnival Glory for the Eastern route on the 10/26/08 sailing.

 

The Mariner will cost us $1,000 more. We know the Mariner has the skating rink and the rock climbing wall, but besides that, is it worth the huge difference in price? Is there much of a difference in the kid's club?

 

Thanks!

[newlu]

The Mariner will no longer be at Port Canaveral at that time...

 

newlu

[JAKcruiser]

Oops, I should have proofread my post. It is the October 26, 2008 sailing - only 6 weeks away!

[DocF]

We cruised on the Glory on the eastern itinerary last October and enjoyed ourselves immensely. I think there is more than enough to do on that ship to keep a 12 yo boy entertained. Save the $1000.

 

Also, if he is adventurous, book the 12 Metre Challenge in St. Maarten. You race real racing sailboats with real racing history. The boy will also enjoy the topless beaches, no doubt;). Sorry, I remember being 12 a long time ago.

 

Doc;)

[nawlinscruiser22]

I have been on both Mariner and Glory. There really is nothing wrong with the Glory [i am going on her sister ship in 10 days:p ] but I would have to vote for the Mariner! She is literally jaw-droppingly beautiful with so much to do! Well worth the extra $$ IMO! Since the Glory will be easily accessible for a while, this is your chance to experience the Mariner before her move to the West!

 

Either choice is a great one!

 

Happy sailing!

[EydieG]

It's true, the Mariner is awesome. We have sailed on her three times. But having said that, $1000 is a lot of money. You could do quite a lot of excursions and things with that extra money. I've never been on the Glory, but Carnival ships are great too. Unless your son is really into ice skating, he won't be in there for long. Our daughter skated for about 15 minutes and that was it. Also the rock climbing wall is always very crowded so he might only get to do that a couple of times during the cruise. The Mariner has a super staff and you will love it should that happen to be your choice.

What ever you choose, have a great time!

[pauline664]

Just got off the Glory sailed the Mariner last year and i have to say i preferred the Mariner. The glory IMHO had better food but i felt the ship was a little to worn out for my taste, I will sail again on CCl but i have to say i absolutely enjoyed the Mariner it was very beautiful and the service was the same on both ships. The crew IMHO was extra friendly on CCl but you have to choose. My grandDD's enjoyed the kids programs on CCl never tryed them out on RCCL. And i know i will get flamed for this comment but....ask yourself if you want more down to earth? choose Glory....if you want more upscale choose Mariner. I liked both but liked Mariner more. Oh and the rooms seamed larger on Glory. But Mariner is leaving the port and headed for Los Angeles ....try it out before she leaves....worth it.

[Georgiagolfer]

Sailed Glory 3 times and Mariner 1 time, and love both ships. Mariner is larger and has a rock climbing wall and ice rink. Mariner also has the Promenade area. Glory has the fish & chips and deli area.

 

Mariner more up scale and posh, while Glory more muted. Had a Cat. 11 on Glory and a JS on Mariner. Mariner room was larger and had a huge walk-in closet. Price was within $50pp difference for each cruise, so not sure what rooms you're looking at for $1000 difference.

 

We would sail either again, but for $1000 difference, we would sail Glory each time as can't justify Mariner for that price.

[velvetred]

I have not been on Carnival yet (but have a Carnival cruise coming up in November) but I have been on Mariner's sister ship the Explorer of the Seas. Explorer is a beautiful ship but IMHO the food was not as good as on the other cruise lines we have been on. Windjammer has limited hours for the buffet and more than once when we were hungry the Windjammer was closed. Of course, we could have ordered room service as it was always available. We also did not like paying for Johnny Rockets. It was 3.95 per person for the burger and fries and the milkshakes were an additional charge. We had two teens along and needless to say, we spent quite a bit of money at Johnny Rockets because it had the type of foods they like to eat. We also experienced a lot of waiting for elevators. Our balcony cabin was very comfortable on the Explorer. Owen, our room steward, was great overall (teens loved the towel animals and Owen showed my son how to make one). I did have a snafu in the shower with the shower chair collapsing under me but I took it all in stride. The ice show was fantastic. The bridge viewing area was a plus. Our teens did not get much mileage out of the rock climbing wall and they (boy and girl, both 15 at the time) complained about being bored and not liking the teen's club. Of course, this could have been because of the time of year we sailed (early January) and the lack of a lot of other teens on board. The promenade area was nice (just like your hometown mall) but I find I prefer a ship with more views out to the sea. Bottom line, we paid more on RCI for our cruise and, while our cruise was great, I did not feel the we received the same value as on other cruise lines dollar for dollar - so, for what it is worth, my recommendation is take the 1000 dollars and run to another cruise line - LOL. That being said, we would cruise RCI again for the right price and a desirable itinerary. Also, from what I have read on these boards, I am expecting a more relaxed, casual atmosphere on Carnival and that is what we are looking for on a vacation - you may prefer something different, of course. Regardless, have a great cruise!