Mariner of the Seas Review: 20 FEB 2005

[Sailfish]

Part One

I sailed aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas Eastern Caribbean itinerary on February 20, 2005. We had a great cruise and would sail on this ship again in a heart beat. With that said, if you cruise often, you may take issue with some things, like we did. But I can honestly say our cruise aboard the Mariner far exceeded my expectations in most areas, and if this is your first cruise, you will most certainly be “blown away” by the sheer size of the ship and all that it has to offer.

 

Our cruise aboard the Mariner was our 15th cruise with Royal Caribbean and 25th overall. I took my first cruise in the mid-80’s and have watched the cruise industry evolve into what it is today. My husband and I are avid scuba divers and prefer vacations where we can be active, both on the ship and off. Our first Voyager class cruise was aboard the Navigator of the Seas in 2003; we were hooked!

 

The Mariner of the Seas alternates Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries; she departs from Port Canaveral. The Mariner is the newest Voyager class ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet of ships. Voyager class ships are the ones with rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, miniature golf courses, inline skating tracks and sports courts. They all have a “mall” or promenade in the middle that’s lined with shops, a pub and other public venues. Our President’s week sailing had 3470 passengers – a fully booked ship.

 

I will do my best to give you an idea of what our vacation aboard the Mariner was like. I will try to be fair and objective, but no doubt, will report on some things with a slightly critical bent, as that is what veteran cruisers tend to do. If this is your first cruise, I recommend you take my criticisms with a grain of salt, as I doubt you will take notice once you are on the ship. Those of you who cruise often will probably understand more where I am coming from. Remember, this review is simply an accounting of my experiences!

 

Getting to the Port

 

We left California on the “red eye” the day before our cruise and arrived in Orlando around 11am. We checked into the Amerisuites Hotel Northeast at MCO, an airport hotel about 5 minutes by free shuttle. We had basic accommodations for the night and spent with tax $124. We made the decision to spend the night in Orlando, as we opted to take the cruise line’s shuttle bus to the port the next day. The first shuttle to the Port Canaveral departed at 10am, so on Sunday morning, we asked the hotel’s shuttle driver to drop us off at “A5” – the location of Royal Caribbean’s personnel. Inside the terminal, cruise line personnel are ready to direct you to this location, but we found it easier to simply go to the main waiting area around 9:15am. Upon arrival, we were issued luggage tags (thanks to our e-documents, we didn’t get any in advance), a boarding “number” and our Bahamas Immigration forms, which we filled out and had at the ready when we checked in. We waited about 15 minutes inside the comfortable waiting area before our number to board the shuttle was called. The bus departed for Port Canaveral promptly at 10am.

 

We arrived in Port Canaveral just shy of 11am. Our bags were immediately unloaded by a team of porters who whisked them away. By the time we got off the bus, our luggage and porters were gone. I had tip money at the ready, but there was no one around to tip! We then immediately proceeded to the check-in counters. We went to the Diamond Members counter (but all the other counters were just as fast) and checked in. After establishing our shipboard account and turning in our paperwork, we simply left the terminal and walked onto the ship. It was now 11:30am and boarding had begun.

 

Our Stateroom

 

Staterooms on the Mariner were ready to occupy at 1pm, so we had lunch up in the Windjammer and walked around the ship until then. Our cabin was a low end E2 balcony on the port side of deck 6. It was room 6562 and was considered mid-ship, but it was closest to the aft elevators. Deck 6 had the first level of balconies on the Mariner, but each balcony along the port and starboard side of the ship was very much the same. Our room was pretty much identical to most inside and outside cabins on the ship, except that it had a small balcony. The room was tastefully decorated and had a small sitting area, a small bathroom and enough storage space that could accommodate all our stuff. To get an idea of what our room looked like, check out this link:

 

http://www.klcruises.com/images/ships/adven-explor-navig-voyag/voy%20deluxe%20oc%20view%20balc.jpg

 

We had an aft balcony on deck 8 in 2003 aboard the Navigator, and although the room was very much the same, the balcony was huge! Our E2 balcony was small, but easily accommodated the two of us. Like most people, we didn’t spend much time in our cabin. Here is a great link to more stateroom pictures so you can see the different types of rooms available on the ship:

 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&&fr=FP-tab-web-t&imgsz=all&imgc=&vf=all&va=mariner+seas+stateroom&fr=FP-tab-web-t&vm=r

[Sailfish]

Part Two

 

Dining

 

There are two seating times for dinner aboard Royal Caribbean ships – main and late. Main dining passengers eat at 6pm, while late dining passengers eat at 8:30pm. As we are from California, we opted for late seating, which has always worked out well for us. I find that with main seating, I am always rushing to get ready for dinner. If you have kids, you will be encouraged to go to main seating, as the ship’s kid’s programs revolve around main seating.

 

There are three restaurants on the ship and a buffet. You’ll also find snacks, pizza and sandwiches in the Promenade and Johnny Rockets near the kid’s center. The main dining room consists of three floors and each floor has a name. We happened to be in the Top Hat & Tails dining room. Each floor is identical to all the others, and has tables for two, four, eight and ten; we sat at a table for four.

 

There are two alternative restaurants, that require a $20pp cover charge (wine and drinks are extra) called Chops and Portofinos. Both get rave reviews, and although we have eaten at both in the past on other ships, we opted to not visit either this time. Johnny Rockets also has a cover charge of $4pp; it’s a popular hamburger place, though I couldn’t see what the fuss was all about – I was not impressed.

 

I thought the food served in the main dining room, in general, was good, but nothing special. The lobster and the beef tenderloin were outstanding, however, the rest of the week proved to be somewhat challenging for me. Did I eventually order things I liked? Absolutely! But it was hit or miss much of the time. Our waiter was very kind and made recommendations, but I soon learned his tastes were different from mine. There is no fillet mignon on the new menu, and no soufflé for desert. The Crème Brule is very good and available three or four times a week on the dinner menu, and everyday on the lunch menu.

 

Food served in the main dining room aboard Royal Caribbean ships is NOT as good as it used to be. Oh well; that’s the way it has been for some time. Don’t go expecting 4 star cuisine, and you will be fine. On the other hand, I have noticed a big improvement in both the quality and selection of the items available in the Windjammer and in Jade’s, the all-you-can-eat buffet on the ship. I found things like cold (peeled) jumbo shrimp every night, freshly made vegetarian entrées, and lots of international and unusual Asian selections. I found more to choose from and things I liked (a lot) at dinner up in the Windjammer (which I used to avoid going to) than in the main dining room. I still ate most dinners in the main dining room, since we enjoyed the company of our tablemates. But I would not hesitate to recommend that you check out the buffet.

 

We received two gift bottles of wine at embarkation, which we took to dinner with us. It was served at no additional charge and what was left over, was saved for next time. There is a coking fee of around $12 if you bring your own. Only water and ice tea are served for free at dinner, but you can get juices free of charge in the morning and lemonade up in the buffet all day and night.

 

The Concierge

 

People with suites or who are Diamond level members of Royal Caribbean’s past guest program (Crown & Anchor Society) are able to visit the Concierge lounge, where there is an open bar from 5pm-8:30pm every night. The Concierge, Yury, a young lady from South America, is also there to assist you with Ice Show tickets and alternative dining reservations. People with main seating at dinner were seldom seen, so to take full advantage of the Concierge lounge, you need to have late seating.

 

Not all ships have a Concierge Lounge, but the ones that do (all Radiance and Voyager Class ships) are usually on the top of my list of ships to visit! We stopped by just about every evening to play some cards and have a drink before dinner.

 

The Cost of Drinks

 

Alcoholic beverages and soda pop are expensive; you will pay about what you would expect at a land based resort. You can go to http://www.cruisecritic.com and do a search and find a bar menu with prices if you’re interested. Smuggling on some alcohol so far has proven to be easy and very common, as long as you pack it in you checked baggage. I brought 3 small water bottles filled with rum and vodka, which I proceeded to mix with juice or soda. We brought a couple of sport bottles with us to conceal our drinks. You can also pack along some wine, but remember, if you plan to have it served in the dining room, you will have to pay a coking fee. Otherwise, you can open your bottle in your cabin, and take a glass with you to dinner.

 

An average glass of wine is around $5 and bottle of cabernet can be had for around $25 (an unfamiliar – cheap, I think – bottle). Better wines were about $35-$40 a bottle. Like us, even if you bring a little alcohol with you, you will no doubt end up buying a few if you drink. I found the prices high, but as long as you watch your consumption, you won’t check out with a huge bar tab. While in line at the Purser’s Desk (Guest Relations) there was a person in front of me with a four page print out of charges. I didn’t look carefully at what he “bought” but it totaled close to $2500 – that’s more than what we paid to go on the cruise!

 

Public Areas of the Ship

 

I found the Mariner to be very clean and in good repair. It was a huge ship, and I got frustrated the few times I got lost or “turned around”. But by weeks end, I found it to be very easy to navigate. The main dining room (three stories high) is on one end of the ship and the production show theater is on the other. The Promenade, or Mall, connects the two. Here is a link to a picture of the Promenade:

 

http://www.cruiseweb.com/RCIIMAGES/RCI-ROYAL-PROMENADE.JPG

I thought all the lounges (there were many) and show rooms were nicely decorated, but found the art work (if you notice such things) to be not as nice as that aboard the Navigator. The Mariner had a “transportation/discovery” theme to its art work, and I grew a little tired of the many choo-choo train displays on deck 6 (our floor). The Champagne and Schooner’s Bar and Casino are standard on most Royal Caribbean ships.

 

The Mariner, like her sister ships, is famous for it’s rock climbing wall (which I climbed four times) it’s ice rink and sports court. The volleyball/basketball/sports court is regulation size and constantly in use. There was volleyball and basketball scheduled every day. Sports equipment and facilities were all in good repair.

[Sailfish]

Part Three

 

Sports & Activities

 

Well, the main reason we chose the Mariner was on account of all the activities this line of ships is famous for! We did everything! I climbed the rock wall, went ice skating, played miniature golf, skated around the small inline skating track and participated in a volleyball tournament. My husband, a competitive volleyball player, played every afternoon; he was in heaven. There were lots of dance classes, napkin folding, arts and crafts (I made an ankle bracelet one afternoon), guest lecturers and movies. There was bingo, movies, the casino was open while at sea, shopping and port lectures; the list goes on and on! One thing you won’t be is bored. And compared to other ships, I find only these types of ships offer as much.

 

There are five ice show performances scheduled – two in the evenings (one pre-dinner show twice a week for late seating dinner guests and one later one for main dining guests) and one matinee towards the end of the week that anyone could go to. Because seating is limited, you have to pick up your free tickets in advance. Lines are long and people get cranky, especially those who have been waiting a while. But it’s definitely worth the wait. The ice show was by far the best show all week long.

 

The Original Drifers and Ben Vareen were that week’s celebrity entertainers. Both shows were excellent. If you are curious as who will be on your cruise, you can email Royal Caribbean and find out. You can send a message through their website at http://www.rccl.com.

 

Ports of Call

 

The Mariner of the Seas called upon Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten; it does so every other week. This is a typical Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Twice a month, the ship calls on the Western Caribbean. I’ve done both itineraries on different ships, and find I prefer the Western Caribbean over the Eastern as we are avid scuba divers. The best diving is to be found on the Western Caribbean, although one can dive in all the ports of call we visited. But as it’s been at least 10 years since we last visited St. Thomas and the rest of the ports, I was happy we chose this itinerary.

 

We sailed in February, a first for us, so I don’t know if this is typical for the Caribbean, but air temps were in the low 70’s. That was fine if you were out and about in town, but as we made the decision to go to the beach in Nassau and St. Maarten, and to go scuba diving in St. Thomas, we found it to be a little cool.

 

Nassau

 

W got into Nassau early in the morning the second day of the cruise. As we had to be back on the ship by 1:30pm, we booked a shore excursion. The Yellowbird Party Boat Tour, which we booked on line prior to our departure, was cancelled, so we made arrangements to go to Blackbeard’s Cay, another shore excursion. Blackbeard’s Cay is a small off shore island with a nice beach, where we spent much of the morning shivering from the cold. Around 11am, another boat load of people from the Disney ship (what appeared to be 75% kids) descended on the island. We returned to Nassau on the same boat around noon. Would I do this shore excursion again? No, but maybe the weather and the boat load of kids had something to do with it. I would recommend you research your options. You’re not in Nassau very long, so we didn’t want to go it on our own. No, we didn’t do any shopping, but did so the first time we came 10 years earlier – I was not impressed.

 

St. Thomas

 

We made arrangements to go scuba diving on our own here, and afterwards, went up the tram to take pictures; we got tram tickets through the shore excursion department – same price on shore or on the ship.

 

Before you can exit the ship, everyone has to go through US Customs and Immigration. Long lines of people were already assembled even before the ship docked in St. Thomas. I was among the first 200 or so people in line; my total wait time was 90 minutes! I spoke with a couple later that day who waited in line close to three hours! With 3470 passengers, everyone had to go through this line – even those who remained on the ship. There is no way around this. Like you, I knew prior to our arrival about having to do this through my research. I also read numerous reviews and went online to various message boards to learn as much as I could before we left. Suffice it to say, all ships calling on St. Thomas, a US territory, who stopped at a foreign port (for us it was Nassau) had to go through this.

 

Our shore dive from Coki Beach was enjoyable, but I would have preferred to go diving somewhere else, had we had more time. Thanks to a medical emergency in Nassau, our arrival time in St. Thomas was later than expected. The tram ride up the hill was also very enjoyable, though $15pp is a lot to pay for a good view; we took a lot of pictures!

 

St. Maarten

 

We slept in and again made arrangements to go to the beach in the afternoon; we booked the Orient Beach shore excursion. It was a very nice beach, but too cool to really enjoy. On the way back we did a little shopping. If you’re in the market for alcohol, St. Maarten is the place to buy it. Prices were a lot less than on the ship or in St. Thomas. A liter bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum was only $6. We also purchased Filandia Vodka for $6 and Crown Royal for $11 (the same size on the ship was $16).

 

Final Thoughts

 

I can honestly say we had a great week aboard the Mariner; the cruise exceeded my expectations. With that said, I thought the food in the main dining room could use some improvement. And the long lines on the ship for US Customs and Immigrations in St. Thomas were a pain. But I would not hesitate to book another cruise aboard the Mariner.

[shipknotshore]

Wonderful and informative review. Thank you for all your time in posting this - we appreciate it. Sounds like you had a great time.

[DEERINH2O]

Thanks for the great review, going on Mariner in Oct and can't wait.

 

Kathy

[randallcruiser]

Thanks for the review. Can't wait to go myself in a couple months.

 

Randall

[bevo]

GREAT review...very thorough. Thank you for taking the time to write such an informative review.

[Sailfish]

You guys are very welcome.

 

If anyone has questions, let me know.

 

I had a great time and so will all of you. I for one know how it is, even though I have cruised a number of times, to be hungry for information. I posted this review in the general review section, but from what I understand, it takes a while to have it posted, so I cut and pasted it here.

 

Here are a few tips:

1. Unpack when you get your luggage. It's definitely a pain, but with space at a minimum, you'll find you'll have a neater and less cluttered cabin if you do. I used to think that leaving some of my stuff in the suit cases would make packing up the last day easier. Not so! I was always running into and stumbling over my bags and my room was mess constantly. Do yourself a favor...unpack completely (there's plenty of closet space) and store your bags under your bed.
   
2. Pick up Ice Show tickets the first day they become available, and have one person only in your party get them for everyone. Even if your group is large. You can buy that person a drink later. The lines on the first day are not bad, ad you'll have your choice of shows, as they do sell out. You can also go to the ice show more than once.
   
3. If you have kids, keep in mind that the kid's program coordinates with main seating. If you opt for late dining, you'll have to feed your kids before dinner on your own if you plan to drop them off at Adventure Ocean. Also, make sure you register your kids the first night for the kid's program. You don't have to go to the orientation to do so, but they do need to be enrolled in the program.
   
4. If you plan to go rock climbing, make sure you do so early in the week, as by the last day at sea, there will be long lines of people waiting to do so. I found the lines non-existant the first two mornings at sea.
   
5. Finally, remember, tee shirts and other souvenirs go on sale the last day of the cruise.
   

Have fun and enjoy your cruise!

[rngdfan]

What time would you recommend getting in line for immigration in St. Thomas?

[Sailfish]

By the way, our group's forum is still up and has tons of great information on the Mariner. I don't know how long it will be there, but you might want to check it out.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=173

[UGADawg579]

Thanks for the review, my wife an I are sailing on the Mariner on 4/3 to the same ports. We both are wanting to go to Chop's on one night. I was thinking of doing it the first night, but I don't want to miss a "good menu" night in the main dining room. What night would you recommend going?

 

Also, since the lines are so long to get onto St. Thomas, I was thinking of ordering room service for breakfast, and then proceeding to get in line. What time would you recommend getting down to get in line?

 

Lastly, how much are the soda cards now?

 

Thanks for your help,

[Sailfish]

Thanks for the review, my wife an I are sailing on the Mariner on 4/3 to the same ports. We both are wanting to go to Chop's on one night. I was thinking of doing it the first night, but I don't want to miss a "good menu" night in the main dining room. What night would you recommend going?

 

Also, since the lines are so long to get onto St. Thomas, I was thinking of ordering room service for breakfast, and then proceeding to get in line. What time would you recommend getting down to get in line?

 

Lastly, how much are the soda cards now?

 

Thanks for your help,

 

If you go to our group forum (it's posted in this thread), you can probably get an idea of the dining room's schedule. I would not go to the alternative restaurants the night they serve the beef tenderloin or lobster, as the menu is the best those two nights. But probably, any other night is fine. I have a link to the menu posted - it's easy to do a forum search to locate it.

 

I was not too impressed with the menu on the other nights. I'm sure most people will find things they like, as will you. But I would also urge you to check out the Windjammer, as some of their international food items were out of this world. We also enjoyed the giant prawns up there every night. We would take plates of it out on deck with us before dinner and enjoy them with drinks.

 

As far as St. Thomas is concerned, if you can take turns standing in line beginning at 8am, you will probably make it off the ship in good time. Otherwise, you will be among the masses stuck in line for hours. There were people in line at 7am; and our ship was running late and not scheduled to dock until 9am! Get there early. I didn't get in line probably as early as I should have - there were a few hundred people in front of me already, since I didn't think it would take this much time.

 

Good luck!

[emen822]

It was great. We are sailing on the Mariner this weekend (YEAH!) and I got goosebumps reading the review. This is our first cruise. Funny thing is, I was just talking to my mother in law who was on the Mariner in January and she mentioned the same thing about unpacking and putting the luggage under the bed. I can't wait to get on that ship! Thank you again.

[danajjj]

Great tips! Thanks!

 

I was surprised to hear it took so long to go through immigration in St. Thomas. Is this normal? Last year on the Constellation, we breezed through immigration with no waiting. We went early so I don't know if it backed up later. It was really organized.

[Sailfish]

Great tips! Thanks!

 

I was surprised to hear it took so long to go through immigration in St. Thomas. Is this normal? Last year on the Constellation, we breezed through immigration with no waiting. We went early so I don't know if it backed up later. It was really organized.

 

Honestly, this was the first time I had to go through immigration in St. Thomas, as the last time I visited the island by cruise ship was in 1997. I don't know if this is what happens every week on the Mariner. Keep in mind that the Mariner had 3470 people on board. The process was not disorganized; just slow. After discussing the process with people we met from other ships that day in port, I got the feeling other ships (much smaller ones, I might add) didn't do what we did on the Mariner. One ship had people see immigation people as they disembarked the ship, not in the restaurant, as we did. One person said that on their ship, no one waited in line - they simply walked through a check point on the ship like the one set up for us in the dining room. Why we did what we did is beyond me. Had I not been in line, I know for a fact we would not been off the ship (optimistically) before 11am!

 

Here is how immigration worked. People in line had to have their Sea Pass/Room Key card and their Passports or a photo ID and a birth certificate out and ready for inspection. Once the line began to crawl, the first check was with someone with a scanner who scanned the back of your card. Then you proceeded to an immigration official. The line broke into three or four lines at this point, and although you'd think we would breeze through, peope with birth certificates were stopped and questioned (at least from what I could tell), while those of us with passports were waved through. I don't know why the line moved so slowly. I would say it took about 45 minutes from the time the line began to move to get through immigration. Finally, you went past a cruise line employee who put a check mark on your card with a sharpie pen.

 

Since we had our scuba gear with us and we were ready to leave the ship, we went down to the exit and waited in yet another long line to get off the ship. I'm guessing how much time you wait in line probably depends on your timing. Just be patient - there's nothing you can do but insure you get in the line early so you are among the first to get through immigration. We had made arrangements to go scuba diving, but we ended up going to Coki Beach to do a few dives from shore, as we missed the dive boat. Our ship was late to begin with, but this entire ordeal in disembarking the ship would have made it impossible for us to make it to the dive shop in time even if our arrival time was a scheduled.

 

Suffice it to say, if you plan to do your own thing in St. Thomas, I wouldn't book a pre-paid tour! We did, and I am still having issues with the dive operation to get my $100 deposit refunded, despite the fact that we called them from the ship to cancel - we had a day at sea prior to our arrival in St. Tomas, where we learned the ship would be late arriving! As I didn't see too much on the immigration process in St. Thomas on these boards (I didn't do a search, though) I never imagined we would have to go through this.

 

It's been so long since we did an eastern itinerary, I'm very happy we opted to do so this cruise. But I'm not too anxious to go back and repeat this itinerary again, especially give the hassle of disembarking in St. Thomas. I respect the need to do so, but it's such a pain. I don't like doing this sort of thing while on vacation - remember, you still end up having to go through immigration again in Port canaveral on your return!

 

Good luck.

[MikeTee01]

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful detailed information!! As a first time cruiser this is a huge help as you can never have too much info. We are sailing on the Mariner on 4/17, also stopping at the same ports.

 

Over all sounds like a wonderful ship, we cant wait!

[UGADawg579]

another question: Since Johnnie Rockets has the cover charge now, are they still charging for their milk shakes?

[Ella2]

GREAT review, sailfish, thanks for posting it! :) I'm looking forward to sailing the Mariner in late August. You made a good point about the concierge lounge, we have early seating (with a 12-year-old) so I don't know how much we'll be in there in the evening.

 

Good to know that the buffet is a good alternative, I'm not a big fan of doing traditional dining every night (I like to eat when we're hungry, not at a set time) so I'm sure we'll be there, as well as the alternative restaurants, some of the evenings.

[samemily]

I really enjoyed your review. Just 2 question, what kinds of watersports was offered at Blackbeard's Caye. We were interested in renting the snorkel gear when we get to the beach, is this doable.

 

Thanks

Emily of Samemily

[pamssanity]

I really enjoyed your review. Just 2 question, what kinds of watersports was offered at Blackbeard's Caye. We were interested in renting the snorkel gear when we get to the beach, is this doable.

 

Thanks

Emily of Samemily

 

HI Emily--

We were on the Mariner in January-- loved it all-- my suggestion is to buy your snorkel gear in one of the warehouse clubs if you have thnm nearby. I spent $18 on all mt snorkel gear-- it repaid me in spades-- including the mesh bag to carry everything in-- including adjustable flippers..I would be booking the Mariner for the Eastern trip ( we did the Western) last time but our group wants to consider other lines--the Mariner is great- if you have Captain Johnny he is a riot--shows up at the evening shows and repeats his goodmorning good morning, good morning, three times every day--and travels around the ship on a motorized scooter.. anyway enjoy--wish I was going with you..Pam- also if you have any other questions I'd be glad to answer them.:rolleyes:

[Sailfish]

I really enjoyed your review. Just 2 question, what kinds of watersports was offered at Blackbeard's Caye. We were interested in renting the snorkel gear when we get to the beach, is this doable.

 

Thanks

Emily of Samemily

 

I believe you could rent jet skis and take a ride on a power boat. I didn't see any parasailing, but maybe they had that as well.

 

There is no snorkeling on Blackbeard's Caye. Although the water is clear, there is sea grass everywhere. I didn't see any snorkeling gear rentals, but I do believe you could rent floating plastic rafts.

 

Kids might enjoy practicing snorkeling here, as the water is waist deep for a 100 yards out, and there are no waves or current to speak of - just like a swimming pool. It's very safe and perfect for kids.

 

Hope this helps. Try going snorkeling in St. Thomas. Of the stops, it's really the only place I know of that had decent snorkeling from shore.

[samemily]

Thanks, Pamsanity,

 

I will take you up on your recommendations. I have my snorkel gear already, as do my 2 granddaughters. Do you know if you can buy those really nice flotation vests. I will have to do a search on the web, probably. We are all looking forward to our May cruise. Although my DH and I have cruised a few times, the rest haven't, so it should be really fun.

 

Emily of Samemily:)

[Sailfish]

another question: Since Johnnie Rockets has the cover charge now, are they still charging for their milk shakes?

 

Yes, there was a charge for all drinks, except water. There was no ice tea or lemonade when we were there. Maybe we ate there at an off time, but the food did not impress me. I thought our fries and onion rings were terrible. I even sent them back for a fresh bunch, and they brought us more from under the warming lights! The hamburger was okay, but I won't be going back as there was great food elsewhere Kids seem to really like the place. Milk shakes were extra. But it was always busy, so I'm pretty sure I am in the minority on this!

[Dreamin]

From a balcony room, which side of the ship would you recommend for when we are in port? or pulling out of port? We are still deciding on our room location and need some input. Would you recommend towards the front or the back of the ship? Thanks so much!

[bevo]

One silly question...

Is there toothpaste, razors, etc. in your room when you board? Carnival always had welcome packs with all that stuff in them, and I learned that was one less thing to bring. Since space is a premium, need I bring toothpast, razor,etc?