Above average cruise experience. Great for adolescents to teens. RCL really caters to families with kids. If you are a couple, I might recommend Carnival if you are young, Celebrity if you are old, and NCL if you are middle aged. We felt like there lacked the couples entertainment of other lines and there were so many upcharge items that I felt like our fare was paid for the privilege to spend more. Overall, it was a great ship with fantastic staff who seemed to care alot. There was plenty to do and the included food was quite good.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Super fast embarkation. We had a foreign national exchange student with us and the additional paperwork was processed very quickly and we were on the ship in minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The only free lobster was 1/6 chunks of cold lobster tails on the buffet one day for lunch. That made my wife very unhappy and lost you a star. We really miss the days when all the food was included on cruises. Now it seems like the fare is a 3rd class ticket and you want us to pay for everything over and over on top of that.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The entertainment was OK. Other ships have shows that really draw you in more emotionally. We were highly disappointed that there were no dedicated comedy club nights. The juggler and magician were excellent and very funny but those are not a substitute.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff were absolutely fantastic except for one bartender who really was unpleasant. all of the other staff were super friendly and super engaging and attentive. Top notch!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
For the size of the ship, It was very easy to navigate. Only challenge was getting to the theater because the ice rink blocks it so you have to go up a floor and over. We liked the art. There was a bathroom issue that created a significant odor in a small section of the ship for two days. But it wasn't a highly trafficked area, so it was OK. glad we didn't have a balcony room near that.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Just needed a few more inches to get to the sides of the bed. there was just barely enough storage, a lack of outlets and their configuration left us unable to plug in a nightlight and it is pitch dark when you turn all the lights off.
Ship tip
The ship is on par with the large NCL ships. It offers more for adolescents into teenagers for sure. If your kids get bored on this ship, changing lines won't help. There is one size/class larger. If we go again, we will opt for that one because it has the zipline, dry slide and outdoor theater. But the weather was chilly so this ship was perfect!
There are actually 3 classes of ships larger than the Mariner 4 if you include the Icon. The Freedom class is larger but a very similar layout. Glad you enjoyed the Mariner.
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