Mariner 5/30 Review - Extra Long

[CrimsonCruiser]

Travel to Port Canaveral/Radisson

Our group of 15 included three families from our neighborhood south of Birmingham, AL. All of us have 16-year-old sons who play on the High School baseball team. We picked this date, ship and itinerary because of the window we have between when school is out and the beginning of summer baseball. My family had been on the Voyager-western two years before. Additionally, the Port Canaveral location allowed us the opportunity to drive to the port and save a little on airfare.

In addition to my 16-year-old son, I have a 13-year-old son. The other families also had a 13-year-old daughter, a 14-year-old daughter, a 15-year-old daughter, an 18-year-old daughter and her 18-year-old boyfriend. We left Birmingham just before 8:00 am central on Saturday May 29 in three vehicles with passengers and luggage mixed to ensure the most enjoyable trip. We arrived 10½ hours later at the Radisson at 7:30 pm eastern. Had I been driving alone I feel I could have made the trip in 9 to 9½ hours. With this group, we seemed to have to stop about every two hours. Each car had a walkie-talkie, which made for some fun and seemed to speed up the trip

Check in at the Radisson was a breeze and they informed us of where to park the next day and confirmed our shuttle reservations that we had made 30 days prior. We proceeded to the Grille’s restaurant for dinner just a short drive away, but didn’t want to wait the 2 hours it would have taken to be seated. So, plan B was broken out and we drove to Cocoa Beach and found an IHOP. After a glass of wine at the pool we retired. Incidentally, my family had a room with two double beds for $104 a night and the free shuttle and parking. I was not the most popular person in my family when my sons saw the suites that the other families had for just a few dollars more. Other than that the rooms were just fine.

The Radisson has a Saturday night seafood buffet for about $22 and a Sunday morning buffet for $7.95 as well as a more extensive Sunday brunch but I can’t remember the price. I would just say, check out the buffet before you make the final decision to eat there. We were not impressed by the value and selection.

I awoke at 6:00 am on Sunday morning and walked around the balcony to see if the Mariner had arrived yet. Sure enough, there she was, but my picture didn’t turn out that great because it was still dawn. Later that morning we began to see arriving guests from the previous Mariner sailing and later still we began to see guest for the Disney Wonder and Carnival Fantasy begin leaving the Radisson. This initially concerned me because I had requested the first shuttle, but was told the other two ships allow earlier arrival than the Mariner and that we were confirmed for the first Mariner shuttle at 11:30. Our group decided to be ready well in advance of 11:30 when they saw the crowds so we got all of our luggage together and checked in with the guys directing the shuttles. 11:30 came and went and we were told of traffic problems delaying our shuttle’s return from the port but that we would be next. Just before 12:00 our shuttle arrived and we loaded up and were on our way.

However, after turning of A1A/528 to the port, traffic was at a standstill. Our driver got a radio message that the port was shut down due to a problem with a disembarking passenger from the 5/23 Mariner. While we were in the air-conditioned comfort of the shuttle bus, we could hear through the radio traffic that other Radisson guests still back at the hotel were not quite as comfortable. The shuttle employees were doing the best they could to calm everyone, and twenty minutes later the traffic started moving again. One other traffic snarling issue with this port is there is a drawbridge between the Hotel and the Port. Every fifteen minutes or so the traffic has to stop while the drawbridge allows a sailboat to pass. More about this later.

Embarkation

Embarkation was extremely quick and efficient. After we made sure our luggage was unloaded and taken care of we went to the terminal, through the security and were directed upstairs. On our way, we received a survey form to be filled out that included questions about travel arrangements at the end of the cruise. Obviously, your answer on this survey will determine your luggage tag color for disembarkation, more about this later as well. When you get upstairs you are directed to a queuing area by deck number. Less than 5 minutes later we were in front of an agent checking in. A couple of months before we had gone online at royalcaribbean.com and filled out the guest information forms. I’m told that this speeds the embarkation process tremendously. If you don’t do this, the agent has to manually type this information during your check in. This probably explains why we leaped ahead of several families who were in line ahead of us but still standing in front of an agent by the time we were in line to board.

At check-in we received a slip of paper informing us that boarding time was not until 1:00, but we were welcome to board early. It included information that the Windjammer was open from 12:00 – 3:00 and that the rooms were not available until 1:00. Since it was about 12:50, we went right to our rooms on deck 6 after welcome aboard picture and the Sea pass picture.

Cabin stewards were standing by and I found Roberto from Honduras and asked him to empty our mini-bar and notify him that we had four in our cabin and would need the Pullman beds lowered this evening. He said he would see to it and informed me of the team approach they are using. Instead of just one cabin steward we actually had two that were jointly responsible for our room. In actuality we had three, because Roberto was not one of the two assigned to our room. During the cruise, most hours of the day, either Roberto or Samuel (Trinidad & Tobago) or George (St. Vincent) were on station near our room. Using this team approach they had greater coverage for longer hours and were always available if needed. I mentioned that I was a Crown & Anchor member and Roberto informed me that they had a sheet of paper listing the C&A members and that there would be several nights they had responsibilities for delivering items to C&A members. I couldn’t have been more pleased by the service from Samuel, George and Roberto.

Day 1 - Sunday

After lunch (the most crowded meal of the cruise) our group of 15 explored the entire ship. We bought the drink cards for our kids and arranged for each of my two sons to have $50 charging privileges on their sea pass card. My older son mainly used his for Johnny Rockets and virgin strawberry daiquiris at dinner. My younger son bought a watch on board after running up to Guest Relations to pay the $31.00 of his own money on his account to keep from going over.

I had laminated a card with the ships locations on it with their corresponding deck, port or starboard, and fore or aft. One side was in deck order; the other side was in alpha order. These were helpful for navigating the ship in the first few days. At about 3:00 we headed back to our rooms to find that our luggage had arrived and the mini bar was emptied as promised. After unpacking and organizing it was time for the muster drill. We had used calgon’s packing list for guidance in our over packing: [url="http://www.geocities.com/Calgon1/Ultimate_Packing_List.html"]http://www.geocities.com/Calgon1/Ultimate_Packing_List.html[/url]

The sail-away festivities on the pool deck were fairly crowded and space along the rail closest to the terminal (starboard) was at a premium. Our group congregated to the port side and ordered drinks and relaxed while the ship sailed out. The crowd dwindled quickly as main seating guests began to leave to get ready for dinner. Dinner that night is listed as “come as you are” in the Windjammer, but many people mistakenly believed that also applied to the main dining room. Despite the fact that the main dining room policy is not to allow shorts and flip-flops, there were several in view. It’s possible that people’s luggage hadn’t yet arrived, but many just plain were confused by the Compass.

The show the first night was at 7:30 and was for both main and second seating guests. We got there early with our whole group and got seats together. I wasn’t expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. Here was our first introduction to cruise director Becky. The guitar-impressionist-comedian was an absolute riot. One of his jokes involved a reference to one of the Carnival ships he had performed on. He said there was so much white trash in the water that week that Greenpeace was mobilizing a protest. We made plans to be sure to see his late night adult comedy routine the next night.

Dinner the first night for second seating was at 9:00 and was disappointing in terms of selection but good otherwise. The parade that night at 10:45 was well attended and entertaining. Went to the casino the first night and won a little, mostly at craps. The blackjack tables were jammed and filled with novice gamblers. I don’t usually have much of a problem with novices and enjoy helping them, but this was too much to handle so I stuck with craps.


Day 2 – Monday - Nassau

Breakfast in the Windjammer was good and not too crowded before 8:00 am.

Most of our group got off the ship in Nassau for a leisurely stroll around the straw market and neighboring shops. First you have to go through the gauntlet of private tour operators offering trips to Atlantis. When we mentioned that we were not interested and were just going to stroll around Nassau, each of them told us that this was a holiday and all the shops were closed. This turned out to be a carefully coordinated lie, as we did not encounter anything that was closed. A couple of hours later we headed back to the ship, ate lunch and made it to the pool by 12:30. Lounge chairs were readily available on this first day.

The rest of the afternoon involved the pool, bingo and the casino for some. The first two performances for the ice show were tonight, but since this was a formal night, we elected to wait until Wednesday.

The most crowded time on the ship is between first and second seating dinners, especially on formal nights. Lines for pictures are very long at this time and despite getting ready an hour early we only had time for one family picture before dinner. The Royal Promenade has the Captain’s reception including free Champaign and was very crowded.

The dinner menu improved from the first night. Our group of 15 was split between two tables on the second level of the dining room (deck 4) in the corner next to the windows. We had the adults at one table plus the two 18 year olds, and the kids at the other table. The same assistant waiter served both tables but a different waiter was assigned to each table. Both tables were very pleased with the service from the wait staff, no request went unfulfilled. The Maitre d (Merrick) made an effort to drop by our table every night and even helped out now and then at times when necessary. I also saw him several times at the Windjammer, he was the best and most visible head waiter of any of my cruises so far.

We saw the headliner entertainer, a song impressionist, and the guitar-comedian from the night before for his late night adult comedy. Unfortunately, there was a group of recent H.S. graduates from South Carolina who were more interested in drawing attention to themselves and disrupted the show several times with their yelling. This group was talked about all week all over the ship, as they also were disruptive at the Karaoke Idol competition.

Lost big in the casino during the day and evening. In fact I finally left the casino at 2:30 am.

Day 2 – Tuesday – At Sea with the Chair Hoggers

We had our usual breakfast in the Windjammer, this time without our two boys who were still sleeping. After finishing up we went out on the pool deck about 8:15. Our original intention was to sit and read but I found myself entertained by the antics of the Chair Hoggers. Yes, the Chair Hoggers were out in force laying out their towels on as many chairs as they could snag. Pool staff members were there and kept an eye on things but waited until after 9:00 to begin making their rounds. If you left your towels on more than two chairs and left them unattended, the pool staff would gather them up (including personal effects) and consolidate them to a single chair. This was in progress of happening at 9:30 when one of the 8:15am chair hoggers returned and confronted the staff member. The staff member told the guy that saving of chairs was not permitted, showed him the sign indicating as such and told him if he left his stuff it was at risk of getting moved. These guys have a tough job on sea days and are continually harassed by guests who don’t like being caught. I talked to two of the staff members and they told me about an incident from a few weeks before when two guests got into a nasty disagreement about a lounge chair. The staff members got their supervisor who took the guests to the captain who informed them that if they wished to continue their childish behavior that he could arrange for them to be off the ship at the next port. The bottom line is that the crew and captain appear to be fed up with the situation and are doing their best to control the situation. Good for them.

One of our group was entered into the Mr. Sexy Legs competition and actually won one of the awards. It was presented to him by a well-endowed female judge and was captured by the ships photographer and videographer.

In bingo, one of our group won one of the preliminary games, but had to share the $200 prize with another guest.

I used the Royal Caribbean Online center on deck 8 to communicate by email back to my office. For .50/minute I could check my hotmail.com account and reply back. It worked out rather well. My company offered to reimburse me, but it was less than $10 for the week and I can handle that.

That night we were entertained by the Mariner singers and dancers who put on a pretty good show.

Day 3 – Wednesday – St. Thomas

You have to go through immigration in the dining room which amounted to nothing more than walking through the dining room and showing your sea pass card on one side and your passport/birth certificate on the other side. Total elapsed time for us at 8:20 was less than 3 minutes.

Our shore excursion was through Godfrey’s tour which you can find info about here: [url="http://www.godfreytoursvi.com/info.html"]http://www.godfreytoursvi.com/info.html[/url]

Our entire group of 15 went on this tour and Godfrey arranged for us to have one of his tour busses to ourselves for a small extra charge. The normal charge for the tour is $20 per person. Our driver, Uella, drove us through several parts of the island, stopping for pictures occasionally and at Mountaintop which has excellent views of Megan’s Bay, Mahogany Bay golf course and St. Johns as well as the British Virgin Islands in the distance. From there she dropped the men off at Coki Beach for a couple of hours of swimming and snorkling and the women were taken downtown for some shopping. After lunch on our own she picked up the men and then the women and we headed off to Megan’s Bay for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time she dropped us off at the ship it was about 4:45 or almost eight hours after we had begun. I had been to St. Thomas before, but never had the appreciation for the island that this tour provided and all at a fraction of the cost of a similar ship provided tour. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I highly recommend this tour!

We saw the ice show that evening which was much improved (primarily in theatrics and lighting) from what I had seen on the Voyager two years before. The skaters do such a great job on such a small surface and on a moving ship.

Win-a-cruise bingo was just before late seating that night.

Won some money back in the casino

Day 4 – Thursday – St. Maartin/St. Martin

Two of us did the America’s cup excursion in the morning while the whole gang went on the afternoon beach bash to Orient Beach in the afternoon. Having followed the America’s Cup competition since the early 1980’s but never having sailed much, this excursion was a treat to me. They divide you into two teams, one of which gets to sail the 1987 Stars and Stripes and the other gets to sail Canada’s True North. On the way out to the boats they assign you a job, mine was back bay winch grinder on the True North. They teach you and let you practice your job on the boat and a little later the 6-leg race on a shortened course begins. It was exciting because the race is close and there are alternating periods of exhilaration followed by a little time to take in the sights. They also give you unlimited drinks including beer, but I’m not an early morning beer drinker so I stuck with the water. At the end of the race you are dropped off at a gift shop and then given a water taxi back to within a short walk of the ship.

That afternoon we headed over to Orient Beach on 6 large buses. Awaiting us were padded lounge chairs and unlimited rum punch. Orient Beach has large waves suitable for body surfing as well as water sports including jet skis and para-sailing. Not too much nudity other than a 60-year-old man walking down the beach without a stitch on (holding a small towel in front of his waste, thank goodness) and a few topless women. My kids seemed not to notice. I think I must have seen at least 17 bare breasts.

The evening was themed and the dinner attire was listed as colorful beach attire. Still, some guests seemed not to grasp the message that flip-flops and shorts are not permitted in the dining room. Late that evening they had a buffet on the pool deck, but with late seating dinner we were not that hungry and it started to rain a little shortly after we got there. Off to the casino where I won some more to get my net loss for the cruise down to a very acceptable level.


Day 5 – Friday – at sea

Chair Hoggers vs. Pool attendants, the rematch. Slight advantage to the pool attendants but people started figuring out that you could save chairs if at least a couple of you remained with the chairs. Lots of people stay up very late on this ship and are in no shape to get up early in the morning. By 11:00 the pool area was at capacity and the upper deck chairs were becoming filled as well. But, shortly after 2:00 there were plenty of chairs available.

I played in a soccer game vs. a team made up from the crew at 2:45. Our passenger team tied the score at 1 to big cheers from the crowd surrounding the basketball court but we ended up losing 3 - 1. This game was an experiment and the sports staff limited the participation to those over 18 and were extra careful in warning the participants to keep it safe and friendly.

After a late afternoon nap, I found out that my wife had won at bingo but had to split the winnings with another guests for a total of $145.00.

This was a formal night and Lobster night so we got an early start in getting ready for dinner. Our group met at 7:00 at Vintages Wine bar to take advantage of 2 for 1 coupons we had. I skipped the show that evening and got to positive territory in the casino.

The midnight buffet in the dining room is this night, but I was winning in the casino so I’ll have to wait for our pictures. Besides, with late seating dinner I’m just not hungry.

I did take advantage of the Café Promenade several times for late night chocolate chip cookies. Except they don’t always have chocolate chip.


Day 6 – Saturday – at sea

More pool and relaxation as well as the two big bingo sessions which were held in the theatre. That afternoon the winner took home over $13,000. We received our luggage tags and found out that our group had different colors. We gathered the men together and went to Guest Relations at about 11:00 to see about changing them to the same color since we were traveling together. Earlier in the week, I checked with Guest Relations to see about how to handle this and was told it should be no problem to get the white color and be one of the first off the ship. By the time we got to Guest Relations the earliest time left was yellow, which they expected to be called by 9:15 so we that’s what we ended up with.

I played in the blackjack tournament for $20 and ended up entering twice. The first time I bet the farm and was out of the game after two of the seven hands dealt. The second time I stayed in the game but got nowhere near the money needed to gain a seat at the final table.

After bingo that afternoon, I proceeded to lose my shirt in blackjack. After dinner I added considerably to those losses at the craps table. Heading into the day I was $40 ahead for the week, down to even after the blackjack tournament and down about $250.00 by the time I finally called it quits.

We got pretty well packed up that afternoon and put the finishing touches on the job after dinner. We tipped our cabin stewards and waiters all much higher than the guideline to reward the good service we got all week. For the last several days we had talked about the things we wanted to make sure we did before the end of the cruise. The list included going to the hot tubs on deck 11 after dinner and getting a shake or malt from Johnny Rockets. We just couldn’t fit Johnny Rockets in and on our way to the hot tubs on that last night, the captain announced that the outside decks were closed due to a lightning storm we were headed into. That lightning storm probably cost me $150.00 in the casino.

Day 7 – Sunday – Disembarkation

After an early (crowded) breakfast we vacated our room at 8:00 and met our group in the theatre. They tell you not to wait near the gangways, which seem only to ensure that many people crowd around the exits on deck 4. However, the theatre was very comfortable to sit in while they show re-runs of Friends and Travel Channel shows about Royal Caribbean ships. But the best part is after they call your color, its only one deck up and out the gangway to the exit. I hope the people who disregarded the message to not crowd the exit spent their waiting time in agony as opposed to our comfort. We got through customs and found our luggage in no time and our porter found where to meet our shuttle back to the Radisson. Unfortunately, due to communication problems we had to wait for the shuttle longer than was probably normal. During that time I was able see the traffic-jamming drawbridge, and I swear I saw the same sailboat going back and forth causing the drawbridge to open three different times. I think someone is getting a perverse thrill out of pissing off the arriving and departing cruise ship passengers.

Back at the Radisson we loaded up, gassed up and headed out by 11:00 am returning to Birmingham by just after 8:00 pm central.

Sorry for the length, but let me know if you have any questions.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[CrimsonCruiser]

A couple of more things: be sure and ask about drink prices at the pool. My wife ended up with a drink that costs $9.95 and even though you get to keep the glass there were other drinks available for $5.95 that also included a glass.

The police at out in force around Cape Canaveral on cruise ship departure and arrival days. We saw several people pulled over on each of our arrival and departure days. Don't want to begin or end your vacation with an expensive ticket

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[39august]

Was your captain Tor Olsen (sp)?

[mafig]

Thanks for your review. It was especially helpful to me since we're leaving on Sunday.

Question about Grills. Are there other restaurants nearby if the wait is too long. Without getting in your car, I mean.

[CrimsonCruiser]

There is a restaurant right next to the Radisson. We, unfortunately did not notice it until too late. I can't give you any indication of how it is though.

I would check in with the front dest for their advice.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[CrimsonCruiser]

Captain Johnny.

And his book was well represented in the shops on board. I thumbed through it and it looked pretty interesting.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[Willie]

CrimsonCruiser....thanks for a great review.
Which side of the ship was usually 'docked' on this itinerary?? Thanks.

[CrimsonCruiser]

Port Canaveral - Starboard side docked

Nassau - Port side docked with view of Atlantis, starboard side has view of Nassau

St. Thomas - Starboard side docked

St. Maartin - Port side docked

Incidentally the starboard side is the smoking side for outside decks. On deck 4, deck 11 and deck 12 there are ashtrays on this side but no ashtrays on the port side..

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[LLM]

Thank you for sharing your review. I enjoyed it very much! I can't wait for my turn!

Lisa

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Until Mariner of the Seas


Voyager of the Seas - Oct. 2003

[Ms Jo UK]

Thank you for sharing your review, I am glad you had such a great cruise.

Just one question you saw 17 breasts, as they come in pairs what happened to the 18th?

Until we sail explorer
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[Family of 14]

Thank you for the great review and good tips/advice.[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

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Disney Wonder 3/2000 ~ Disney Magic 9/2000 ~ RCI Vision 2/2001 ~ Carnival Victory 12/2001 ~ Celebrity Millennium 3/2003 ~ RCI Adventure OTS 9/2003 ~ RCI Mariner OTS 7/18/2004 ~ RCI Serenade OTS 9/26/2004

[catwoman1]

Thanks for the great review. We are staying at the Radisson as well. Are there any grocery stores or 7-11's where we can pick up some sodas and wine to take on board?

thanks!

[Towanda]

Thanks for the great review!

[njreindeer]

CrimsonCruiser, thanks very much for your detailed review. I *almost* felt like I was losing at the casoino right alongside you! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Time 'til Mariner on 8/29/04 -- our first cruise!
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[RM]

Wow best review I've seen in a long time. Great info for new cruisers and long time cruisers. Hope my luck is better in the casino.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the ship.

Up next Mariner of the Seas
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Then Jewel of the Seas
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[JWMDCM]

What things are you charged for in Johnny Rockets?

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Mariner of the Seas - 7-Day Western Caribbean 06/19/05

[WeirdEyes]

Hi Crimson! Too bad we missed you on the cruise. We had a fantastic time. I was actually playing putt-putt golf while you were in the soccer tournament. Sounds like you and your family had a great time also. Great review!

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [B]Shelia[/B] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Mariner of the Seas-May, 2004
Carnival Destiny-June, 2002

[laurashelby]

Hi Crimson..thanks for the great review! Can't wait to be onboard!

One question about debarking...when I was on the Navigator the cruise director told us that if we waited in the top section of the theatre (like you did) that all we had to do was walk outside and exit. It was wonderful! He said that most people see the open doors on another deck and crowd there, but that's not actually where you disembark. What deck did you actually exit on?

Thanks,
Laura

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Enchanted Seas 9/93
Atlantic 12/94
Majestic 4/95
Grandeur of the Seas 8/97
Paradise 8/99
Ocean Princess 8/00
Navigator of the Seas 10/03

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Countdown 'till the Mariner 7/11/04!!
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[CrimsonCruiser]

Disembarking:

There are actually two exits, both of them are on deck 4, and most people seemed to congregate to the aft exit near the dining rooms. The Theatre entrance in on deck 3 in the front of the ship.

When our color was called we used to exit on deck 4 near the front of the ship and did not stop until we were off the ship and merged with the line from the aft exit.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[laurashelby]

Thanks Crimson. We had been told to stay at the top portion of the theatre (deck 4) which is where we just walked right out and exited. Sounds like it's the same on the Mariner.

We'll have 2 teenage girls with us, 13 and 16....did the kids that were with you enjoy the teen activities?

Thanks again for the great review!

Laura [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=9883072337&p=1"]Roll Call: Mariner 7/11/04...Please Join Us![/url]

[img]http://pages.ivillage.com/laurashelby/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/palmhula.gif[/img]

Enchanted Seas 9/93
Atlantic 12/94
Majestic 4/95
Grandeur of the Seas 8/97
Paradise 8/99
Ocean Princess 8/00
Navigator of the Seas 10/03

[img]http://pages.ivillage.com/laurashelby/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ola.gif[/img]


Countdown 'till the Mariner 7/11/04!!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=228b22&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[CrimsonCruiser]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by laurashelby:
Thanks Crimson. We had been told to stay at the top portion of the theatre (deck 4) which is where we just walked right out and exited. Sounds like it's the same on the Mariner.

We'll have 2 teenage girls with us, 13 and 16....did the kids that were with you enjoy the teen activities?

Thanks again for the great review!

Laura [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Since our group consisted of three 16 year old boys who play baseball together, and their brothers and sisters ranging in age from 13 - 18, they didn't take advantage of the teen activities on the ship. This was despite our encouragement for them to do so.

Our 16 year old boys think they are "too cool" for the teen activities, and they are too young for what they really wanted to do (casino). The younger kids finally got involved with the teen activities toward the end of the cruise, and wished they had gone earlier.

My advice would be for them to go to the earliest activities beginning on the first night. If there are things they don't want to do later on, so be it, but if they go the first night they will begin making friends right away.

All over the ship, we saw other teen groups that seemed inseparable and we surmised it was because they got involved early.

If you have to, give your kids some kind of incentive ($50 charge priveledge on their sea pass card) to go to the first night. That's what I would do if I had it to do over again.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004

[laurashelby]

Thanks! I think they'll probably want to participate....but we'll have to see. They're not always real fond of each other (sisterly love! lol!)...so meeting new kids would be more fun for them!

Laura [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=9883072337&p=1"]Roll Call: Mariner 7/11/04...Please Join Us![/url]

[img]http://pages.ivillage.com/laurashelby/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/palmhula.gif[/img]

Enchanted Seas 9/93
Atlantic 12/94
Majestic 4/95
Grandeur of the Seas 8/97
Paradise 8/99
Ocean Princess 8/00
Navigator of the Seas 10/03

[img]http://pages.ivillage.com/laurashelby/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ola.gif[/img]


Countdown 'till the Mariner 7/11/04!!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=228b22&cdt=2004;7;11;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[World Traveler 81]

Crimson - I was on the Western sailing of Mariner in March and enjoyed it equally as well. Our cruise director was Kirk Detweiler and I was kind of disappointed. Now we're going back in July and Becky will be our cruise director... what did you think of her? Anything special?

waiting for... Serenade of the Seas - 11/04
waiting for... Mariner of the Seas - 7/04
Mariner of the Seas - 3/04
Voyager of the Seas - 3/03
Sea Princess - 5/02
Carnival Esctasy - 10/01
Nordic Empress - 9/00
Carnival Fascination - 11/97
Carnival Fantasy - 3/97

[mcfaddensfarm]

CrimsonCruiser,
In the beginning of your review, you mentioned a small laminated card with the deck plans on them. Did you receive this from Royal Caribbean or is it something that you did on your own?

Jane
Purple Ribbon Cruise Critic in training
Team Aubergine
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=006400&cdt=2004;10;3;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img] until Mariner of the Seas 10/3/04
Radiance of the Seas 5/27/02
Carnival Fantasy 5/13/01

[CrimsonCruiser]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by u256601:
Crimson - I was on the Western sailing of Mariner in March and enjoyed it equally as well. Our cruise director was Kirk Detweiler and I was kind of disappointed. Now we're going back in July and Becky will be our cruise director... what did you think of her? Anything special?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Becky has a tremendous amount of energy and makes you feel like the activity that you are at is the place to be on the ship at the moment. I can't make a comparison between her and Kirk D. but everyone seemed to be pleased with her.

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HAL Zandaam 06/2000
RCCL Voyager 07/2002
RCCL Mariner 05/2004