Royal Ripoff
Mariner of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
8 Night Southern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 18, 2022
Ship: Mariner of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 8260
Traveled as: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
I was very annoyed, having booked this cruise a year and a half in advance, and paying extra for the day at Cococay, to be informed a month after booking, that they were changing all the ports that we were supposed to visit, to a lame cruise where we were at sea for 5-1/2 out of 8 days, no Cococay, and no compensation for the downgrade of the cruise. Simply put, BAIT AND SWITCH. Plus, the port charges which were 103.00 when I booked turned into 137.00. I questioned this and didn’t get a response for months, only to be told “that’s just how much it is”. FALSE ADVERTISING? I also did not appreciate being charged 29.00 per day for gratuity. A gratuity is voluntary. By my calculations, the cruise line took in an additional 348,000.00 that week for gratuities that may or may not have actually gone to the employees. I felt ROYALLY RIPPED OFF. This was not an experience I wish to have again.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Windjammer Café
Full of fried SAD (Standard American Diet) tasteless crap. It’s no wonder Americans are in such poor health. I walked by hoards of people with plates stacked high with garbage. Thank God they at least had a teeny tiny salad bar, as scantily stocked as it was or I’d have starved.
Main Dining Room
Long waits, slow service, tasteless food
Onboard Activities
Spa and Fitness Center
Gym was great. Spa was ridiculously expensive. My daughter got her toenails painted(no foot massage, soak or anything that usually accompanies a pedicure) for $79.00, plus 18%”gratuity”….pardon me, but a gratuity is VOLUNTARY. Plus, my daughter didn’t realize she was going to be charged the “gratuity”, and gave the girl cash. The girl was too dishonest to say that she was already getting a mandatory tip.
Logo Souvenir Shop
Not much variety
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Adventure Ocean
Childcare was absolutely astounding
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Get travel insurance, so that when they bait and switch you by selling you one cruise, then changing up your ports to a lame cruise where you are at sea for 5-1/2 out of those 8 days, you can switch or get a refund