How I Spent 2/26 Week Sailing the Mariner

Hello RCCL cruisecritics! I just got back last night and thought I would write how I spent my week sailing the Mariner of the Seas. I write my reviews day by day and I rarely finish in one post. Please keep in mind I write from my perspective and I will try to answer questions along the way. This was my 26th cruise but only my second on Royal Caribbean. I usually sail Norwegian but have also sailed Carnival and Princess in the past.

Pre-Cruise:

I flew into Orlando on Saturday, rented a car from Budget (40 dollars) and drove to New Smyrna Beach to stay over night at Cruisecritic Dbarry's fabulous beach home! I met Dbarry two years ago on cruisecritic and on a Sovereign of the Seas sailing. Both of our husbands hate cruising (too bad for them) so we decided we would cruise together someday! That day finally arrived! We were psyched about the Mariner but we were somewhat apprehensive about her 3500 passenger capacity.

Embarkation/Sunday:

We dropped off the rental car at Budget in Port Canaveral which is 1/2 block from the Radisson that many pre and post cruisers stay at. Budget gave us a ride to the ship. The Mariner looked like a Behemoth as we neared her! We arrived at 1:30pm and were checking out our balcony cabin by 1:50pm. The balcony cabin was similar in length and the bathroom was similar in size. A noticeable difference for me was that the width was narrower than other balcony cabin experiences. No big deal. We rearranged the furniture to our liking and our cabin appeared bigger by the time we were done! A very cool thing about this ship's shower is that they have a circular door that closes. No more shower curtain attacks! I still had to stick my leg out of the shower in order to shave, but that is too much information for now!

The weather was windy and cool on embarkation day. It was warm in the sun out of the wind. We went to the dining room to find our table. The dining room has three levels and we concluded the design did not make it seem like 1750 passengers could fit there. The decor was absolutely beautiful as was the rest of the ship. We were in the middle level (Top Hat and Tails) and each section had about 8 tables each so the dining atmosphere was more intimate.

We explored from top to bottom for a few hours and agreed the Mariner's interior was tasteful, classy and beautiful. For me, the Mariner replaced the Grand Princess as having the most beautiful interior. NCL ships still have the most beautiful exteriors. We took the stairs for 90% of the week and the artwork in each stairway was interesting. Well, it was interesting enough whenever we needed a rest!

Our appetites were present after all that exploring. We went to the Windjammer buffet for a late lunch. The buffet was similar to all others on my previous cruises. The food selection was great for all ages and every meal tasted good. I thought Royal Caribbean had a great idea by serving the lemonade, ice tea, and coffee instead of passengers having to pour it themselves. Something about 3500 fingers touching the juice buttons on a daily basis just does not appeal to me! Kudos to RCCL for figuring that one out! I suggested we eat lunch at the outside tables only to discover there really were not any outdoor tables to eat at. The back of the Mariner is mostly enclosed. Not sure if all RCCL ships are like that but the NCL and Princess ships have outdoor buffet areas to dine in the sun/outdoor shaded areas.

The sail-away party was not well attended due to the wind and cool weather. We watched it inside from Ellington's on Deck 14 that overlooked the pool area. I concluded all the northerners were freezing in the sun and all the southerners were watching in Ellington's! During the evening, Ellington's was a jazz club or a ballroom dance club or had some type of venue going on. The two bartenders Kevin and Irwin were a riot. They kept the passengers entertained while they listened to good music.

Regarding drink prices, I noticed they were the same as other cruise lines. Looks like the entire industry raised their prices which makes sense to me. It had to happen sometime! What I noticed on this ship, is that they are free pour experts! Although the price has risen, you get a decent drink, sometimes more than you bargained for!

Prior to dinner we went to Coinnoisseur Club Cigar Lounge. This is a great hideaway spot for a quiet moment to smoke. I do not smoke cigars but I knew a couple of teens on the ship who did not need to find out that I smoke cigarettes. If you smoke, the cartons of cigs are about 22 dollars for one or 38 (?) for two. Not a bad deal if your state charges 55 per!

At dinner we met our waiter Rozurio from India and his assistant Arnell from the Philippines. They were excellent, attentive and fun. We were at a table for eight. Two told us the first night they were switching to early seating and the other two never made it all week. The last two were empty to begin with. We did not mind because we gabbed all week long and caught up on so many stories you just cant write in emails or through Internet Messaging! As a "freestyle" cruiser for many years, I really enjoyed the set time dining experience during this week. The service was impeccable, the portions were huge, the presentation was impressive and the quality of food was excellent. Believe it or not, I ate all week long as if it was my first cruise!

Later that night we went to the Royale Promenade area which is cool to see. Never saw anything like that on a ship yet! We saw the Island a Go-Go Parade and it was cute. Bring your kids or grandparents. Everyone will enjoy that parades they put on throughout the week.

We ended the night at the Dragon's Lair to see who the diehards were going to be all week long. I figure anyone who shows up to dance into the wee of the morning on embarkation day are going to be the ones there all week long. It was not very crowded but we danced until 2:00am anyways. When we figured out we burned off the daily consumed calories we headed off to bed.

Well, that is all for this post. My husband is wanting me to go ICE FISHING with him. I need to think of an excuse and this review is not going to cut it! Bye for now!

Coka

Anxiously waiting for more. Leaving on 3/26. Great review

hehehe, got out of icefishing...

We woke up in the morning at about 8am and I could not wait to feel that humid salty air on the balcony. Stepped out and it was freezing! What was up with that? Maybe it would get warmer later. We ate made-to-order omelettes in the Windjammer and planned out our day since laying in the hot sun sipping cool drinks was not going to happen!

We spent most of it in the Mariner Day Spa and Gym. Dbarry did an aerobics class but it was too wavy to do the steps. We met up at the Detox for Weight Loss clinic run by Brian, and Irish cutie from Dublin. What a salesman! He could not get money out of me for products but he got 30 from me to find out my body fat (20%), to find out how many calories I could eat daily without doing any physical activity and not gain weight (1750), and some other stuff that I accidentally threw away when I was packing to go home. Dbarry can speak for herself with what she did, but she was pleased with her outcome. It was still too cold out, so we attended a Color Me Beautiful seminar so they could sell us products and a skin correction clinic so they could sell us services. If you plan on having spa services, then be sure to attend these seminars because they sell you the services at a discount. Likewise, the services are less as the week goes by (if enough people are not signing up for them) and while the ship is in ports.

The cruisecritic Meet N Mingle was held in Ellington's at 1:00pm and I counted about 20 of the original 30 or so who signed up. They had cookies and juice for us. Some of the staff met us and told us new things about Royal Caribbean such as the Freedom of the Seas and sailings. Afterwards we mingled. It was neat to see faces of the cruisecritic names!

We stayed inside Ellington's to watch the men's bellyflop contest as it overlooked the main pool area. You could not see the adult pool solarium area which is quieter and has nicer chairs. Afterwards, we went to the Royal Promenade to go through all the shops. The liquor and general store was the same as other cruiselines. The perfume and makeup were the same as other lines. Nothing really better or worse from other lines with exception to the fine jewelry. I was surprised that it was not that big. I think the only difference is that there are a few bars scattered between the stores where you can sit at and take a break from shopping.

Formal night we met Captain Johnny Faevelen. I told him that he has quite the following on cruisecritic (he had no idea what I was talking about...he answered maybe he should start a fan club but I told him he already had one). If Constantinos Favaleos is one of the best Captains for Norwegian Cruise Line, then Johnny is probably one of the best Captains for Royal Caribbean. He was funny, personable, and could entertain a crowd...not an easy thing for a Norwegian man to do! I was not sure if I thought it tacky that Johnny had a book about his life for sale in one of the stores. Then I remembered that most of these guys have side businesses or other ventures they do while on vacation, so if he can make some extra money through his book, then kudos to him!

The welcome aboard reception in the Lotus Lounge was well attended and they gave out free champagne. Other cruiselines offer other cocktails in addition to champagne. Maybe I was sitting in the wrong section...The hor's d'oeuvres were the regular ones seen and eaten before. We were in the Wig and Gavel bar by the time the Captain spoke on the Royal Promenade. I could not see him but I could hear him. Again, he charmed the crowd with his humor.

After dinner we went to the main show featuring Two Funny Guys. They were two funny guys who gave an astounding performance considering a cruise ship. I always look to see if people leave (because I sit in the back) and not one person left. We did laugh a lot. I would recommend them as a must-see (because they end up doing some tricks along humor towards the end).

Souled Out was a band playing in Ellington's and we watched them for a bit. The singers sang a variety of songs with a different theme each night. We saw the jazz night and the beatles night. Every now and then the female sounded like Cher.

We ended the evening in the Dragon's Lair. More people were there due to it being formal night and everyone got rid of their travel weariness from the day before. We observed The Wedding Crasher Guys, The Two Wild and Crazy Guys from SNL, Dumb and Dumber, Bill and Ted who were on their excellent adventure, and the Lost in Translation guys. Since Dbarry and I were probably the oldest in there, we were probably observed as Thelma and Louise or a couple of Mrs. Robinson's. The best part for us is that none of the above mentioned was true about anyone including ourselves. As the week went by and after actually talking to the people we observed, it turns out they are regular hard-working decent people on vacation just like us...and who love to dance!

If you do find yourself dancing until the disco closes, know that there is a pizza/cookie/dessert/coffee/juice place on the Royal Promenade for late night or early morning snacks. The pizza was yummy and the cookies were very good. After fulfilling our hunger, we went off to bed at 4:00am and we looked forward to snorkeling and fun-in-the-sun in Labadee the next day, er, in the next few hours!

Coka

We woke up three hours later to Labadee! We were psyched! Labadee! Labadee! We've never been to Labadee! I rushed out to the balcony cabin to see Labadee and to feel her hot humid salty air consume me! It was rainy, cloudy and cool. No problem for I was going to enjoy Labadee no matter what! I was going to swim no matter what! I was poor growing up and my grandmother taught me to drink pretend tea (hot water)...I was going to pretend the weather was hot hot hot! Then, an announcement came over the intercom that all tours were canceled and everyone would receive their credit. What? How could you cancel a floating mat? I crawled back into bed and slept another three hours.

By the time we woke back up and had room service, the weather was warmer and the sun was peeking out. Room service came between the half-hour we selected. If you've never cruised before, you order the night before from a menu and hang it outside your door at night. It is also good to leave a nice tip for whoever had to get up, make it and deliver it to you!

Labadee is on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti) and it has four beaches. One is really long. The other three are smaller. You see two of the three smaller ones from the ship. Tendering is no problem and you are there in minutes. We spent a good two hours walking around the entire place. I suggest you bring the map they give you before debarking. They have trails that get you to places faster.

Nothing is paved. If you are in a wheelchair or travelling with someone who is, then they do have the wheelchairs that go in the sand. I saw some handicapped people using them (being pushed) while one elderly woman in a chair just hung out by the tender area. So far, Princess' private island is the best for wheelchairs because much of their walkways are paved (I have a sister who is a paraplegic so I watch for those things).

Each beach was different so make sure you check all of them out. One of them had hundreds (if not more) well polished collectable sea shells floating into shore. I only took one but it was tempting to hoard a bunch! I kept thinking about the charge for extra luggage weight on the trip home...it is also a good idea that you have water shoes.

The ship only had 3100 passengers this sailing and they only opened up one area for the barbecue lunch. There were other little buildings that looked like bar areas but they did not open them up. No problem since there were waitstaff walking around the beaches ready to serve you a "Labadoozle" or something-like-that served in a souvenir cup.

Labadee also has a "straw market" where you can buy collectables from the locals. I was ready to leave the minute I stepped inside but we were on a search for a cane for Dbarry's hubby (not that he needed one but that he collects them). When I thought I could not stand it anymore I remembered what it was like walking through the markets of Istanbul Turkey and concluded I was not really in a horrible situation after all. So, I ended up just talking with the shopowners and finding out a bit about them.

We went to the barbecue lunch and the weather was great by that time. It was sunny and hot. Trust me, even if there is an overcast of clouds, you can still get sunburned. If there is a shadow, then you are getting sun. So, do not forget your sunscreen or block.

The barbecue was just like every other private island barbecue I have attended. There was one difference on this one. The locals put on a dance/show just outside the barbecue area. This is a must-see. We arrived a tad late and thought their dancing and music was very cool. One Haitian dancer got the crowd involved by bringing female passengers out on the dance floor and "doing the native dance thing" with them. Somewhat sexual but appropriate for all ages.

When he was done he asked if anyone had a cigarette. I waited. Nobody had one. So, I pull one out and gave it to him. Suddenly, he brings me out onto the floor with him. He put the cigarette into my mouth, eats fire and then lights the cigarette. The only thing I could think of at the moment was if those teenagers I knew were watching the show. What was going to happen to me when I returned home? As the Haitian drummers and musicians continued their sounds, the dancer starts dancing. Suddenly, the native spirits and sounds entranced me and I became consumed by the beat. Possessed faster than Linda Blair, my body quivered and my bootie shook. Really fast. He stopped in his beat and I think I threw him for a loop. Maybe he never saw a caucasian girl do that...

Coka

No problem for I was going to enjoy Labadee no matter what!

I like your attititude.

Waiting for the next chapter. It is like a good book, can't wait to see what will happen next!

Welcome back, I'm glad you had a great time. Can't wait to hear the rest of your review.

We had Captain Johnny on the Mariner in October and we loved him. He was so funny. I loved his captains addresses over the intercom. Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning :)

After shaking my bootie in Labadee I was ready to continue my workout on the ship. I love to powerwalk and was hoping the walking on the promenade deck went all the way around the ship. This was not so. The promenade deck is a quiet area to rest during the day and you can not go all the way around. I did not mind because the closed off area was for the crew to enjoy the outside (at least that is what it looked like from the top deck). Instead, I had to use the track the joggers use above the pool deck. I was glad that people were not out sunning by late afternoon/early evening for the track goes around and threw the lounge chairs. I found it odd, but I suppose they had to put it somewhere! Five times around was one mile. When I got bored with the track, I went up the stairs to the next deck and then down the others. Nobody was on the top level and it was very spiritual to stretch and yoga move up high on the bow as the sun was setting. I prayed a bit and said my thanks to God!

I was starving again by dinner. The food was so good on this ship that I wanted to try a meal that I normally hate. I hate lamb. Mary I am not. So, to truly test what I thought, I ordered the lamb entree. I loved it! I did not need a knife as I used my fork to break it apart. Whatever they put on it and however they cooked it, they got it right with me! I also usually do not eat desserts. I found myself ordering desserts at dinner "to-go" and eating them after late-night dancing. The royal chocolate flourless cake was seductively sinful. When eating it, you have to remind yourself to open your eyes and stop sucking on the utensil or you will look like an idiot!

I attended my second Quest show. The cruise staff held it in the ice-skating rink. They melted the ice and used the floor for for the competition. It was funnier the first time I saw it but I laughed hard just the same. I wont tell you what goes on, but this is another must-see. We stayed afterwards for the cruise staff's Dancing Through the Decades Show along with music by Souled Out. This is where I began to notice the talent of the Cruise Director James Andrews. He is a bundle of energy, very funny and hard working. His side-kick Stevo was everywhere as well. The remaining passengers got to go out on the concrete rink and shake up their legs. We chose to watch for the most part but we did get out for a few songs. Not only do I enjoy dancing, but I love to watch people dance. Studio B provided the seating to do just that.

Dbarry asked if I was interested in attending an ice show. I reminded her where I was from and the last place I wanted to be on a Caribbean cruise vacation was in an ice rink. I invited her to my house where she could see a 126 mile long ice rink! We then finished the evening by sweating off our caloric intake dancing in the Dragon's Lair.

We headed to cabin early at around 2am for we were going to get ready for Jamaica Mon and the Zip-Line Tour in the late morning. We were always surprised at the towel animals (yes, towel animals) that were in our cabin every night. Since this felt like a very first cruise for me, I sort of became attached to the little critters and set them up on the couch. Henry, our cabin steward was great. I never thought there was an art to towel animals, but I must tell you they were the best ones I have ever seen. Who would have thought that after 26 cruises I would look forward to seeing a creature on my cabin bed when I got home at night?

Coka

Coka

Really enjoying reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Glad you got out of ice fishing... Not sure what the enjoyment level of ice fishing is,, but I know some people really enjoy.

Sounds like you had a great cruise so far. Hope you enjoyed the canopy tour in Jamaica. We did that last year on the Radiance and had a great experience.

Thanks for the review it's just great. I'm reliving my cruise aboard the Mariner through your experiences. Stevo is great isn't he He made one cute little Indian on the Dancing through the Decades show. ;)

Hey Coka,

I was also on this cruise. I think we met at the Meet and Mingle. Wasn't it just an awesome week. I can't believe its over. I am so glad no one got sick on the cruise.

My favorite part of the cruise was Captain Johnny. He could do stand up comedy on his own. Did you go to the Captain's Corner discussion on our last sea day.

Wish we were starting all over.

Hey, hey everyone. I just love reading Coka’s reviews! I was going to do one myself but I think that I will just hang out here and add to her’s. What an awesome ship and what an awesome cruise this was! I really loved meeting Coka a second time and getting to know her better this cruise. We really did have a blast! Our next shared vacation will have to start in Coka’s state, Vermont. Who knows where we may end up!:D

As for the “free seminars” offered on the ship, they were interesting. All who attend must first realize that they (spa and shipshape crew members) are selling a product or procedure. If you understand that before you go, you can enjoy the show (especially on a cold, windy sea day ). Or, if you are like me, and plan on spending a little money on the ship for “beauty” or other advice, you will not be disappointed! I had two appointments while aboard. The first one was the “How old are you on the inside?” Already sounds like a sales pitch. For a mere $99 they ask you about a hundred questions about your lifestyle and eating, exercising, and stress management. They hook you up to electrode leads and measure such things as ratio of fat to lean tissue, breathing capacity, and blood pressure. Also they test your cardio endurance, strength and flexibility. Then an eighteen page report is printed out with recommendations on diet, exercise, and stress reduction . In my opinion, and probably just for me, $99 wasn’t too much to find out all of this. Now came the sales pitch. “You know that you have been building up toxins in your body for ………..years and we have this program that ……. And only $425 for the three months worth of supplements”. After letting this Irish cutie know that I too knew a little about body chemistry, he really didn’t push too hard to sell me. I did leave the shipshape center with a comprehensive program to help me live a healthier lifestyle. I’m happy. By the way, the day that we stepped aboard the Mariner, I celebrated my 52nd birthday. According to the test results my “internal age” is 55, but if I would have bought the supplements it could have been 42. I was tempted to spend the money on the supplements and after three months go back and be retested without telling them that I was on their “program” just to see what they thought I needed! But I came to my senses, realizing that cost of their program was a good chunk of money better spent on another cruise.

The second appointment was for a microdermabration treatment. Because I attended the “free seminar” the cost was dropped from $169 down to $120. I have absolutely no regrets about having this done. I could see the difference in my skin tone immediately. But again, they had a sales pitch. I don’t even remember how much all of the recommended products totaled, but I ended up spending $100 on the treatment and another $100 on products. Oh well, I had to spend some money on something.:eek:

I would have to say that every one of our fellow passengers that we met were the best! I think it is a real cruise fun booster to meet and get to know a few people while aboard. I think Coka and I met just about everyone on the ship. I’m sure there may be a few of them still talking about those “two crazy women” that seemed to be everywhere on the ship!:o

Okay Coka, you still have another day at sea and three ports of call to write about. I’m going to bed early tonight but I know that you probably won’t be up dancing until the “wee hours” tonight, so you could probably write all about our adventure in Jamaica!

Darlene

We arrived to Jamaica with clouds and rain. No problem mon, because I did not need to be nervous in a hot humid rainforest jungle. Nerves and humidity do funny things to my tummy. I was thankful it was cool. Since zip-line tours began I always wanted to go. I was a bit apprehensive because I always wanted to go cave tubing too...and when I finally did, it was quite the surprise...never new I was claustrophic in the middle of a Belizean cave!

Would I have a fear of heights too? No, I did not think so. I was afraid of being hooked onto a rope in a harness in a Jamaican rainforest! What if my equipment failed? What if the rain did something to the ropes and they slipped off the trees? Just who is running this organization? It reminded me of the rides at the local fair when I was a little kid. The ride itself was not scary...it was knowing that a carny put the darn thing together that was scary!

A van took us to some place about 30 minutes away from port. Here we had the opportunity to use the bathroom. Since the road up the mountain was "washed out," we had to switch over to Land Rovers to make it up the one lane road. You know the road...the one that has a turn every ten seconds and the raving driver sounds the horn in case someone is coming from the opposite direction...everyone screams when another vehicle IS around the corner...! I thought I got my money's worth just heading up the mountain.

It took about 30 minutes to gear up the 20 people on the tour. We got harnessed and were given gloves and a plastic helmet. As if that would protect my head after falling 200 feet through trees...They explained to us that we really only had to jump off, hang and slide! Dbarry was excited once geared up and wanted to take my picture. Why? So everyone back home could see what I looked like before I died? Thank goodness for the couple in their seventies who were ahead of Dbarry and I for they were my inspiration! If they could do it, then so could I.

To get to the first canopy we walked through the jungle. Bring crappy and sturdy sneakers. You walk along long steep slippery trail. It was slippery due the rain the night before and morning of. Do not expect to bring a backpack and all your belongings. They really get in the way. A camera is about the most that I would recommend. I had my passport and identification in a little purse with a string around my neck and stuck it into my shirt. I wanted to make sure they could ID my body...

I had to get pushed off the first canopy. After the first zip-line, there is really no turning back which for me made it all the scarier. The second zip was a bit easier...I jumped on my own. The third was exhilerating. I was more myself by the fourth, so I screamed my best Jane from Tarzan yell for the duration of that zip. Cripes, I should have done that before I even started. All my nerves were suddenly gone! Or so I thought...

I was near the back of the line and could see everyone do their zips before me. On the fifth zip I could see people jump but I could not see where they went to the next. Were the trees blocking them? Nope! This zipline went straight down. How does a zipline work that way? I found out that a Jamaican guy was at the bottom stopping the zip manually. Great. I had a couple of choices. Do OR Die. I could do it or turn back and die alone by getting lost in the jungle. The other options were Do AND Die. I could do it and I could die because that guy is not going to catch me!

My knees were shaking from either the steep jungle trek or from fear. I work out so I suspect it was the latter. Once I got to the canopy there was only that one way to go. I looked way down at Jamaica guy and hollered, "I LOVE YOU!" I hollered, "I WANT TO MAKE LOTS OF BABIES WITH YOU!" Surely, he would not let me die while knowing this. Surely, he was going to catch me...until I looked again and he was laughing his hiney off. I thought uh-oh, what did I do? I need this guy to pay attention. I threw his concentration off! I hollered for him to focus focus focus and then I jumped. After 42 years, I finally found out what I sound like when I scream out of sheer terror. My pitch is lower than I thought.

The remaining zips were a blast as none were straight down thereafter. The only other scary part was when the guy helped Dbarry to her next jump and I was still coming in. He could not get to me as I was coming in at 1,000 miles per hour. Survival surpassed fear and I made it on my own. I was very proud of myself. At the end of the zipline, we walked further and ended up in a flat area where the van brought us back to the bathroom place. We had about 20 minutes to spare (the entire trip took 4.5 hours) and they had a spot to wash off our sneakers. They also had pictures on CD's or DVD's of all of us as we were ziplining. Great marketing method and many purchased them.

On the van ride back to the ship, Dbarry and I made some conclusions. First, that was the BEST tour we ever did in all our cruising experiences. Second, we would DEFINITELY do it again. Third, who the heck needs the expensive spa products anyways when we discovered the fountain of youth with zip-lining!

Coka

Helloooooo!

I was writing about the zip line tour while you were writing the above posts. This is the last one for today. I will continue tomorrow night. Yes, add to the posts! I am sure I am missing some things! Plus, it is good to hear other perspectives and what others did. Yes, that was Stevo!

Coka

I'm leaving for Mariner B2B cruises a week from Friday... we do Eastern first then Western.

I'm loving this review Coka but I have one wee little request... can you make sure you finish before I leave so I can hear all the good stuff of the whole cruise??? :o

Sweetpea, I will be on the Western route with you. This review is making the trip sound so wonderful. Can't wait.:cool:

coka; you have me cracking up - great review, great way to start my morning !!! cant wait to read the rest

i LOVE THIS REVIEW! I am dying laughing!!! Great job!

do any one of you ladies saved your compasses or menus? i bet alot of us would love if u share with us thank you

coka,

I only have one question... are you a professional writer? I cannot stop laughing! I'm glad you ladies had such a great time!

I was on Mariner for the eastern last May and had such a great time!

I'm glad to read about the western because I want to do that next year!

Keep the funny reviews coming!!

do any one of you ladies saved your compasses or menus? i bet alot of us would love if u share with us thank you

I didn't get the menus - but I have the Compass'. I am trying to upload both pictures and the Compass' on webshots. I thought I knew computers. There must be an easier way! It may take a while but I will keep working at it. Here are the Compass' (I think!)

Darlene

Thank you for the kind words! Once finished with review, I will mail you my Cruise Compasses. Email me your address at quest4coka@aol.com and I will send them to you. I only use this address for cruisecritic stuff.

After the Canopy Zip-Line Tour we shopped in the small area at port right off the ship. We purchased presents for our cabin steward, our waiter and assistant waiter. A mid-week gift shows you appreciate them and a mid-week tip ensures continued good service (I forgot to mention earlier that our steward "found" us a couple of bathrobes on the first evening). We took the gift and put it in one of towel animal's claws. We rolled a twenty and stuck it in its mouth (hey, we were in Jamaica mon)!

I bought a couple bottles of rum to take back to hubby. I smuggled them on...for if caught, it would not have made a difference since they were not for me and I did not plan on drinking them on board. I successfully got them on but do not ask my method. Many have tried over on the Norwegian boards...I never tell how I do it.

We decided to get something to eat before we went to dinner. The pizza and deli sandwiches hit the spot. In between gorging, we went down to the 3rd level to check out our photos. Not looking forward to searching through thousands of pictures, we were pleasantly surprised to see the Mariner photos organized by cabin number (so that is why the cute photographer asked for our seapass card...)! Additionally, the photo quality was excellent, if not the best seen yet. The prices were the same as other cruise lines so again, we concluded Royal Caribbean attended the same CEO board meeting as the other lines to raise them. Eight by eleven photos were about 20 dollars and the smaller ones about 15. They never had a huge line for any photo session as they were spread throughout the ship near the dining rooms. I suggest you walk around and select the backdrop you like. Or, walk around like we did and have them taken as much as possible! We did some formal ones and of course, we did some funny ones.

Dinner was never disappointing. People felt bad that we were the only two diners at a table for eight. A couple tables nearby invited us to dine with them and we thought that was very nice. Cruisers are the best people!

We caught the last part of the Love and Marriage Game Show. In my opinion, those shows are usually the funniest on the ships. I always try to attend and I have never seen a dull one yet. It is so cute how the honeymooners always come into first place and the 25 year married couple comes in second. Usually you leave the show chuckling and wondering how a couple married over 50 years get so few answers correct! I am going on 23 years and I am beginning to understand how that is so...

I was interested in attending the Dancing Under The Stars Deck Party where they have a band on the pool deck and the cruise staff entertains. Bartenders put on a show, an outdoor barbecue is cooked up and fancy drinks are abound. We stood on the higher deck and observed while shaking a leg of our own where few could see us. Dbarry taught me some line dances and it was a special moment for me! Thanks Dbarry! The party was fun but in hindsight I think nobody does outdoor barbecues better than Norwegian and nobody puts on a Caribbean party better than Princess.

We finished the evening in the Dragon's Lair with the original diehards from the first night. By mid-week everyone is family and we had a good time with our our relatives! We shared stories of the day and found out how our little brothers almost got mugged in Jamaica. That is their story to tell, not mine. Grand Caymen was the next port and we did not have to be first off the ship. The disco closed early that night. The bar manager gets to decide when to close it. We figured he must have been overtired from the Caribbean bru-ha-ha. I do want to mention that the bartenders at the Dragon's Lair, especially Charmie are a riot. They provided excellent service, excellent entertainment and excellent drinks. I drink a lot of water and Dbarry drinks virgin cocktails and they never minded getting it for us.

Coka

I can't wait to hear more. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

We got up about 8am and discovered the hot humid salty air on the balcony. Now there was that feeling I had been waiting for! The sun was shining in and we sat quietly in the deck chair. About four minutes later I went inside and turned up the air conditioner.

Dbarry discovered prior to sailing that about six ships would be in Grand Caymen the same day. We figured it would be crowded and we both had "seen it all" and "done it all" on the island. There was however one thing neither of has tried before. Riding in a helicopter. Dbarry set it up online and we paid 89 dollars each. The ship was offering the same tour for about 139. Not a bad profit for RCCL! I never mind doing private tours on islands like Grand Caymen or Cozumel. I WILL pay the extra money for ship tours in countries like Belize, Roatan and especially Jamaica. Do your research prior to booking. Cruisecritic is an excellent source of information for deciding which to do.

We got our tender ticket at 11:00am and we were called by 11:35am. The tender area is new and it worked quite well. It seemed bigger and better organized than before. I can raise my hand to being one who once stood in the wrong ship line!

We walked around a bit. Purchased the t-shirts, hats, rum cake, yadda yadda yadda for all the poor souls back home. I can not remember the restaurant's name (Breezes?) but we stopped there for frozen drinks until our tour neared. Be careful about the prices...double check first if prices are in American dollars or in Grand Caymen dollars. The GC dollar is worth much more than the American dollar. For the first time, I understood how my Canadian neighbors feel...

Dbarry can tell you more, but the helicopter company is owned by a French couple. We were picked up near port and brought to the airport about 15 minutes away. We were given the lowdown on helicopter safety. Prior to getting in, my morbid self took over. I wondered what the heck were we doing? How many times have I read about helicopter crashes and tourists dying? Wait, that is only in Alaska. Phew, adventurous self took over and we climbed in. Headphones on, buckles clipped and we were ready for lift off!

The helicopter went straight up and flew over the airport. Hmmm, it felt like being in a regular ol' airplane! What a bummer! Maybe I should have had two pina coladas at Breezes! We saw GC buildings and headed towards StingRay City where tourists snorkel with the sting-rays. The water was pretty. The view was no problem even though we were in the back seats (two sit in the front with pilot and four in the back). Surprisingly, everyone had a good view...it is mostly glass, right?

By this time I am thinking "Well, I am flying in a helicopter. Kinda boring. I should be down there with the rays..." We flew around the stingray tourists, waved to them, blah blah blah and then headed over near the snorkelers/divers reef that had waves crashing over it. The French pilot politely asks all of us if we remember the show Magnum P.I. We all respond yes. Suddenly, he hollers, "We are going surfing!" A blast of Magnum P.I. theme song music comes through our headsets and he DIVEBOMBS the helicopter straight down towards the water. Seconds prior to touching the ocean, we upright and SURF inches above the waves wildly to the left and then wildly to the right! We were screaming! It was an awesome feeling as well as an awesome sight! Then he took us to see sharks. Then he asks if we want to see his office. We scream yes, yes, take us to your office! Suddenly we are on our backs as the helicopter is shooting straight up into the clear blue sky. We screamed again! He uprights the helicopter high above GC and we stop. Pure silence. No movement. Pure Peacefulness. The pilots states, "Here. Here is my office." Simply magical! And it was not even over yet! Next we go to Seven Mile Beach and it took no twisting of the pilot's arm to get him to divebomb the jetskiiers. Everybody hates jetskiiers. I own two of them so I can say that. We snuck up behind a group traveling in a large line and buzzed right on by them. We waved to them and I think they were waving something back...Finally, we get to circle our ship and clearly the Mariner is the biggest of all! Never knew the Mariner has a helipad. I almost got him to land on the ship and just drop us off but he wanted to stay in business for a while longer...We then headed back to the airport and landed. The entire ride was about 20 minutes and it was worth every penny. In my opinion, it is worth the ship's price, especially if you never flew in one and never expect to in the future.

Coka

 

In between gorging, we went down to the 3rd level to check out our photos. Not looking forward to searching through thousands of pictures, we were pleasantly surprised to see the Mariner photos organized by cabin number (so that is why the cute photographer asked for our seapass card...)! Additionally, the photo quality was excellent, if not the best seen yet. Coka

:eek: Well, that would have been nice and convenient if they were organized that way for our Mariner sailing! The formal shots were organized by "Early Seating" and "Late Seating" but not by dining room or any other marker. So we had to search through thousands and thousands of photos to find ours...candids were the same way, no organization.

I'm glad they have started to figure out a way to make it easier on people to find their pictures. I do agree with you on the quality though. We really liked the pictures they took of us, so much so that we spent way too much money on pictures. :rolleyes: But heck, it was our honeymoon so why not. :)

Okay now for my two cents worth:

I absolutely love RCCL for the people that they employ. I can honestly say in the five cruises that I have done with them I have never been disappointed with my cabin stewards or waitstaff. Never, not once. As Coka reported a few small "gifts" and a tip in the middle of the week were given, but I really don't think that played much of a roll in the quality of service that we received for the rest of the week. The receiver's of said "gifts", were very happy to be recognized for their willingness to deliver great service by the gesture.

All of the shows were great. I'm not much on the production shows, but I loved the comedians, anything that James Andrews was either in or lead, the ice show, and the headliner Greg Bonham. I was also very much so liked the group that played in the Lotus Lounge and Ellington's, "Souled Out". The female lead has an awesome sound and her male lead could make his guitar "sing". I was throughly impressed with that alone until one night when he traded his guitar for a set of bongos!

Charmie in the Dragon's Lair is awesome. He and his fellow barmates, performed "bar tricks" for us every night. It is a wonder someone doesn't get hurt! He liked to give me a hard time about me not drinking alcohol. When I asked him for some ice water he would ask "Do you want that on the rocks?" I really miss everyone in the Lair, I think my real life is a little boring compared to last week!

I also liked having a table for eight to ourselves. Razurio and Arnell simply doted on us! We never had to worry about offending our tablemates by showing up late or in the wrong kind of dress! I did feel a bit sorry for our servers though, I would think that a table missing 6 of it's guests might hurt their pocket a bit at the end of the week.

The helicopter tour was also great. Especially since you could book this one safely online and save a few dollars! The name of the company is Cayman Islands Helicopters, and you can visit their site by clicking here.

Everyone seems to be enjoying your review Coka, I wonder why there are no questions. Can't wait to hear how much fun we had at Paradise Beach!

Darlene