Mariner of the Seas Review.........WITH PICS (YEA!!!)

[T_Bone2012]

I was about to start my 1/15 Mariner review!! Looks like you beat me to it! Since there are plenty of ship pics out here - my pics are mostly of the ports and excursions. I'll post it next week. I'll post the Roatan / Belize/ Cozumel Compass' as soon as I get them scanned in.

[cruisn4bruisn]

Can't wait to see it T Bone. We wanted to originally go on that itinerary but prices got high really quick.

[BecciBoo]

As for the fog in Galveston, seems to be only the winter months, mainly Dec./Jan./Feb/ with the moisture and warmer temps. Don't remember fog any other time we've been.

[cruisn4bruisn]

Pictures of the Windjammer. It seemed to flow a little better than the Voyager. Loved the dark wood all around

[crazy4themouse]

I was about to start my 1/15 Mariner review!! Looks like you beat me to it! Since there are plenty of ship pics out here - my pics are mostly of the ports and excursions. I'll post it next week. I'll post the Roatan / Belize/ Cozumel Compass' as soon as I get them scanned in.

 

 

That's the itinerary we'll be on -- can't wait to see your scans!

 

 

-gina-

[klingoncruiser]

Oh great.... now you made me hungry.....:rolleyes:

[jdotexas]

Thank you for your review thus far. Can't wait to read more about it. T-Bone looking forward to yours as well.

 

I will be sailing aboard the Mariner on Feb 26th - YEA!!!

 

Please tell me the MDR times for dinner. I am scheduled for late seating at 8:30 but have read a few posts where the Mariner MDR times were moved up 1/2 hour.

[lrn2cruise]

My sister was just on the MOS. I have yet to talk to her because I am letting her catch her breath. I am sure I will hear real soon from her.

 

The ship looks beautiful! We were on FOS this past summer and MOS looks just the same.

 

Cant wait to read more!

[sandytxtx]

jdotexas are you on our rool call, and have you signed up for a M&M yet? We have a great group over there

[cruisn4bruisn]

@jdotexas - Yes for whatever reason the compasses show 8:00pm. They do say that the MDR doors close at 9:00pm so I guess if you wanted to come a little later you would be able to. Don't know how upset that may make your tablemates if you don't know them though. Most everyone seemed to be ready at 8 sharp though.

 

She is a wonderful ship. We already started looking at our next one. May sail on her again next January on the other itinerary (Belize, Honduras, Cozumel). JS here we come!

[BonTXNY]

@jdotexas - Yes for whatever reason the compasses show 8:00pm. They do say that the MDR doors close at 9:00pm so I guess if you wanted to come a little later you would be able to. Don't know how upset that may make your tablemates if you don't know them though. Most everyone seemed to be ready at 8 sharp though.

 

She is a wonderful ship. We already started looking at our next one. May sail on her again next January on the other itinerary (Belize, Honduras, Cozumel). JS here we come!

 

Do it!! We were on the Mariner the week of Jan. 8-15 and booked the Roatan itinerary for Jan. 13, 2013. Already started research on beach resorts for Roatan, excursions to Belize and always, ALWAYS Paradise Beach on Cozumel. Ooops, sorry to hijack your thread. Hope you can join us and I'm really looking forward to more of your review AND pictures.

[kleo30]

I'm really enjoying your review and the pictures, thanks.

[OKC Cruisers]

CRUISN4BRUISN: We were also on Mariner 1/22...I just wanted to echo the sentiment about the mob scene at the terminal. When we got there at about 4:15, the mob had already started gathering around the entry doors. Several port police and security officers were just standing there, apparently doing nothing to try to keep an orderly line. We stood in the mob which was to one side of the doors when we realized there was actually a line stretching from the other side out into the parking lot. Yet no one was directiing people where to go. Tempers were starting to flare so we stepped away and sat on the planters waiting for the mob scene to subside. Finally, one guy with the RC Port staff came out and took control. Suddenly there was a semblance of order! Wish I had gotten that guy's name, he rocked!

 

Like you said, after that Day 1 debacle, it was a GREAT cruise from there. Weather was good, crew was great. We are looking forward to our next Mariner cruise on 12/16/2012 - End Of Days Cruise! :D

 

Pete

[slvrbllt]

jdotexas, our reservation shows late dining at 8:00 and we're on the week before you.

 

I'm loving this review... it's making me oh so anxious for the next 18 days to go by quickly.

[cruisn4bruisn]

DAY 3

 

On to our first and favorite stop of this endeavor, COZUMEL! When we came last year, I did quite a bit of research on what to do. Although the ruins may have been my first choice, I didn't want to spend the majority of the time being transported back and forth, so we opted to finding a beach, and boy did we. Two words.......NACHI COCOM!!! Absolute paradise! Quite beach, clear water, white sands. Just the perfect way to spend the first shore day. We had talked this place up to our family for the past year so we hoped the weather was good. It was perfect. A little humid when we got there but once you get into the water, it's heaven. Our son loved the calm waters and swimming around with his floaties on. For $55 you get 3 course lunch, all the drinks you can handle (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and the guarantee that the beach will never get crowded. They don't allow more than 100 guests per day and there probably wasn't half that. For lunch there was only one thing on my mind, GUACAMOLE!!! Let me tell you friends, I do not like guacamole but I got some on my nachos last year and I haven't stopeed thinking about it since then. So for so much all caps but I can hardly put into words this place for us. The family had a great time and although a few of them came back quite red, it was well worth.

Sidenote - my in-laws don't drink and they said the seclusion and amenitites makes it well worth the price. Lunch alone was probably a $20 meal. They have a pool with a swim-up bar, hot tub (maybe a warm tub), and they offer massages at a great price ($40 for 30 minutes I think).

Do I sound like I work for them yet?

 

Anyways, we did some shopping at the pier before we headed back to the boat. You know I gotta get me a couple of pairs of fake oakleys.

 

We were pretty worn out so we took a little nap before dinner. We slept through the production show for the evening featuring the RC singers and dancers. It was before dinner tonight and the rest of the family said it was a great show.

 

On the menu for dinner for me was a crab cake, ceasar salad (always), and stuffed pasta shells. If i had known I was only getting 4 shells, I'd have ordered 1 or 2 more plates. It was still good though. Dessert was some type of cake I don't remember but it was good. My wife had a chicken breast (so predictable ;)).My son had........you guessed it, cheese pizza and french fries. After the second night we didn't even have to order for him. They knew what he was having.

 

The late show was the adult comedy show. Since we had the little one with us so we skipped it and made it an early night.

These were our pictures from last year but the day was identical. So was the beach.

[cruisn4bruisn]

Our lunch

 

The Liberty and Mariner side by side.

[cruisn4bruisn]

Dinner

 

Crab Cake

 

Chicken Breast

 

Stuffed Shells

 

DW's dessert

 

My dessert

[cruisn4bruisn]

@BonTXNY - Glad to hear you enjoyed that itinerary. We figure we either have to do that or suck it up and fly over to Florida and see some new sights. Would love to be able to stay here and drive though. We will enjoy it either way.

 

I've heard Belize is really a sad port. Is it best to just find a beach or do they have good land/adventure excursions?

[melika091900]

the food looks yum!thanks for the pics,

did you ever order more than one dinner????

 

 

the portions seem small and im pregnant, so you know what that means LOL!!!

 

 

cant wait to see port pics !

[cruisn4bruisn]

Yes I ordered 2 entrees a few times. Some of the portions are quite large but some can be smaller. It's always good to try something new though too. My brother-in-law ordered at least 2 appetizers and 2 entrees everynight, though he is a bit larger than me.

 

I think they expect people to try other things. Most nights our waiter had an extra "something" that he would put in the middle of the table for us to try.

[coolcat12]

Thanks for making my Cozumel decision alot easier!:)

[cruisn4bruisn]

Thanks for making my Cozumel decision alot easier!:)

 

Glad to help.

[slvrbllt]

Thanks for making my Cozumel decision alot easier!:)

 

Me too! I went and did my reservations right after reading this... told hubby "I don't care what you want to do, we're doing this!"

 

:D

[OKC Cruisers]

Hey, we were at Nachi, too! We love Nachi. When we got there, we were taken to a back row of palapas on the side near the massage cabanas. But, one of the waiters, Carlos, remembered us from last year and moved us over to a palapa nearer the water and the bar. If you go to Nachi, ask for Carlos...he's the best!

 

Seeing your food pics is making me wish I was back on board! Of course, I came back with 17 pounds extra stuck on me...was the food good? 'Nuf said! (Oh, and the adult beverages may have something to do with that as well!)

 

Pete

[OKC Cruisers]

I've heard Belize is really a sad port. Is it best to just find a beach or do they have good land/adventure excursions?

 

 

Belize City is a poor, poor city. But, there are plenty of good excursions to do there. We were there last year and just had a taxi give us tour of the town...that was a waste. For our Dec 12 cruise we are looking at seeing some of the Mayan Ruins, they have some good ones there.

 

Pete