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Mariner of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Mediterranean

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 6

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Mariner of the Seas

11 Night Eastern Mediterranean (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 18, 2011

Ship: Mariner of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

The ship offered a lot of entertainment options. Whether rock climbing, swimming, fitness center, spa, lounges, enrichment lectures, cuisine, or shows, there was something that would appeal to anyone, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. The boat was easy to navigate, and everything felt close. The staff was friendly, and my fellow traveling companions were fantastic.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Catering to an international crowd is quite difficult, as language can become a barrier. As such, entertainment consisted primarily of music-oriented shows in order to have the broadest appeal.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
From the stateroom attendant (Marcelle) and our dining room waiters (Rudolpho and Henry), every person with whom I interacted was top-notch.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

3 out of 5
Stick to the Parthenon, as everything else looked questionable. Street vendors can be irritating.
Don't Miss: Parthenon

Istanbul, Turkey

3 out of 5
The original stop was supposed to be Alexandria, Egypt, so this was a bit of a let-down from the start, although it was surprisingly enjoyable. The Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque were amazing, but the street vendors became incredibly irritating.
Don't Miss: Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque

Rhodes, Greece

3 out of 5
Pretty island with pristine beaches. Numerous shopping opportunities. Some historic sites related to the templars.
Don't Miss: Museum and the templar fortification

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

5 out of 5
The surprise hit of the itinerary. Kusadasi was pretty, vendors were respectful, and the tour of Ephesus was really cool.
Don't Miss: Historic Ephesus and the Terrace Houses

Naples, Italy

5 out of 5
See Pompeii. If you have time, definitely make a point to see the ruins of Herculaneum, a better preserved city that was "frozen in time" by the same eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.
Don't Miss: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mt. Vesuvius

Pros: Sampling of exotic cultures without worrying about hassle of traveling in/around them

Cons: When we had to leave the ship

Recommends Mariner of the Seas? Yes!

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