The ABC islands are the best in the Caribbean, clean and charming, much to offer in the way of beaches and shopping. We are RC fans and while Mariner is an older ship we found it to be clean and comfortable during our vacation. The shopping onboard (except the fine jewelry store) could be better stocked with appealing items.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Well, if you book a concierge-level suite, there is nothing better than bypassing the crowded lines and moving right on through!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Finally, the Windjammer is back up to snuff! Great offerings including many fresh and healthy items. The only negatives would be the desserts, as they are mostly bland. Yes, sugary.... but bland.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Great live music by the pools and an abundance of waiters to take your drink orders. What could be better? Well... maybe an umbrella or two? So hot on deck, hard to spend more than a couple of hours in the sun.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We only partook of the live music offered on deck during the day. The bands were wonderful.
Children's Programs
No kids with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As usual, the staff was great. RC does a great job providing service with a smile.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was cleaned constantly - but the refrain of 'washy washy' before entering the Windjammer is still with me like a bad song you can't get out of your mind:) I wonder about the offerings in the onboard shops... there is a lot of vacation money waiting to be spent, so why not provide more than gaudy trinkets? The makeup and perfume shop was small, could have been stocked with a wider array of makeup goodies. There was a smaller offering of sunglasses, and no Mariner-branded tote bags in the shops. Maybe RC has a marketing department that chooses merchandise, but I can't believe the trinkets and cheesy costume jewelry they offer has many takers. I would think some freshwater pearl jewelry or ankle chains - beach type jewelry - would be more appealing on a cruise. They are free to contact me for more opinions. LOL.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Huge balcony, clean and comfortable, always stocked with ice and coffee. Heavenly to relax there.
Ship tip
Enjoy the casino, but never expect any kind of payout :) Those are the stingiest slot machines ever!
We only stayed overnight, but Cocoa Beach was charming. We had breakfast before boarding at Joanne's Beachside Cafe and it was old-school charming, a dive that impresses with efficient waitresses and perfect basic breakfast food.
PortoMari is the beach we like best. Lovely water, a clean beach with umbrellas and chairs, and of course the pigs, if they decide to show. The cab ride is $60 bucks each way for the two of us, but well worth the ride for a magnificent beach that has never been overcrowded when we have visited. The crowd is international and the vibe is relaxed. There is a small fee to enter the beach area. Food and drink is available there though we took a couple bottles of water and waited to return to Willemstad to eat there at La Boheme.
Oh we love it here! It is our favorite port. Eagle Beach, though crowded, is lovely. We were lucky to go beyond the first group of umbrellas to the palapas and found one that was available to rent. It is necessary if you plan to spend any time on the beach... so hot! An iguana came looking for food, I suspect he knows there are easy pickings daily. We got drinks from the heavily crowded bar, and we tipped in advance to get our drinks faster. Later that night we went to Yemanja Woodfired Grill and it was gorgeous food and cocktails. Make a reservation way in advance.
Blah, we finally decided the RC-manufactured ports are not for us. At least ten crowded rows of chairs next to the manufactured beach, there is not much for us there. Not big drinkers, and we shopped in Curacao and Aruba, so the beach shops were not appealing. Had we kids in tow, perhaps the water park would be a draw.
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