A Spectacular Cruise!
Mariner of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: September 21, 2008
Ship: Mariner of the Seas
Cabin type: Oceanview
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 14 years ago
Review summary
We cruised on the 'Mariner of the Seas' and all we can say is "WOW!" Being our first cruise we didn't know what to expect and holding it to its highest regard we wanted it to be the best vacation ever being it was our honeymoon. With the ship just in sight we were in awe. From boarding our first day to departing our last day it was smooth sailing to say the least. Every day there is a 'cruise compass' giving you events and activities occurring on the ship by the hour and/or half hour, and trust me there is always something going on for all types! The facilities from bathrooms to pools to jacuzzies to your stateroom they were clean and tidy, giving them 5 stars (in a rating from 1-5, 5 being the best). We personally scheduled 'main seating' dining, giving us plenty of time during the day for our excursions and exploratories and then after dinner time to relax in the Schooner Bar (piano bar) before going to the 'main seating' show usually starting at 9:00. All the shows were fabulous from the vocalists to Royal Caribbean dancers to the juggler to the ventriloquist; high energy, full of laughter and entertainment that will keep your conversation going for hours afterwards. We were on the western caribbean cruise stopping at Labadee (Royal Caribbean's Personal Island), Ocho Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Cozumel Mexico. All were fabulous! We had shore excursions planned for Jamaica being Dunns River Falls and then shopping afterwards which were both fabulous and interesting to see life in another country; Cozumel Mexico - snorkeling excursion aboard a catamaran, where we snorkeled, they served drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic) after snorkeling and took us to a private beach where there were plenty of 'free' activities to do. The crew members on board the catamaran had great personalities, everyone danced to music on the boat and enjoyed the ride back with the captain who drove the boat with his foot. Best suggestion for shore excursions is to not overbook yourself, give yourself something to do to see the island and what lies beneath, and relax. For Grand Cayman, I would definitely suggest a shore excursion, Seven Mile Beach is beautiful but a long walk from port and if you want to just relax on the beach, once you get into port you can take a taxi to Seven Mile Beach for $4.00/person US dollars. The staff on the cruise ship were impeccable and the service is fit for a king and queen. The Windjammer Buffet is deceiving, it might be called a 'buffet' and buffet style as in you get your own food but there is all types of food, fruits and vegetables. definitely not cafeteria style. One last informative detail, there might be small lines while waiting to get your picture taken before dinner every night but they die down after main seating dinner and they are definitely worth the time and money! All and all, hands down to Royal Caribbean for making it the vacation and honeymoon of a lifetime. We are already planning our next cruise!Ports of call
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Pros: Everything was at our fingertips to make relaxing first and foremost on our trip.
Recommends Mariner of the Seas? Yes!
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