Comments on Mariner

[txadmin2]

My DH and I have scheduled a 10 day cruise on the Mariner because our Cozumel plans fell through.

 

Would love to hear the pros and cons of the Mariner from those who have been on her.

 

What do we need to make sure we do and what can be excluded? We have cruised on NCL, Carnival and RCI but never on a 10 day.

 

We enjoy dressing for dinner, love the sun, and enjoy meeting people.

 

Thanks in advance.

[HighLordDave]

We did the 7-day eastern Caribbean on the Mariner of the Seas last year. It's a great boat and you'll have a great time.

 

Pros:

It's a big ship and there's a lot to do.

 

Cons:

It's a big ship and you'll wear out a pair of shoes by the end of the week.

 

The food is good, the service is above average, the public areas are spacious, there's lots of stuff for kids to do (if you're taking kids), the folks in the spa are top notch and there's an ice cream machine by the pool.

 

If you like the big mega-ships, Mariner is the way to go. Be sure to eat in Portofino's and go to the "adult" entertainment at night.

 

I would have loved to have done a 10 day cruise on her.

[Bribrittmom]

Great analysis!

[JohnR49er]

Agree with Dave.......

Get tickets for the Ice Show, its a very good show. Don't miss "The Quest" the night they have that, very funny. We went to Chops and had a great meal, well worth it. The welcome aboard parade was something to see also.

We enjoyed our cruise last month. I just had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't in the shopping mall. Sorry but thats what the main deck resembled. Not sure I'd book it again, but I'm glad I got a chance to experience it first hand. Nothing really to complain about, just not my cuppa tea. Thats the great thing about how many different choices we have for our cruises.:D

[Chelsea17]

Hi,

 

My husband and I have been on the Mariner twice (May 05 & May 04 - Western both times). The ship is wonderful! Don't exclude anything - do it all! There are no CONS! Chops is a must do - the food is wonderful.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Deborah

[HighLordDave]

My one word of warning is this:

 

If you don't like crowds, Royal Caribbean's big boats are not for you.

 

There are people everywhere. The public rooms are large and sometimes you feel like cattle, especially when going to dinner or the big theater. The pool decks are usually overflowing with sunbathers and the jogging track runs right through some of the prime sun spots.

 

There are some bright spots, like the specialty restaurants and the spa which have a cozy, intimate feel to them, but most of the ship is dedicated to moving and entertaning large groups.

 

As long as you're okay with that, Mariner is the right boat for you.

[WinterEscape]

I went on the Mariner last January and had an excellent time! The ship definately has a lot of pros. I will admit that this ship is larger and therefore has more people, but the pros make up for and I guess I don't really mind that crowds.

 

My favorite thing about the ship was the service. My stateroom attendant was excellent and he did lots of favors for us during the cruise. Our waiter was also very entertaining! We also went to Chops....you must go!!! The food was wonderful as was the service!

[firstcruise05]

I second Portofinos..excellent!

 

Pros: It is a big ship with a lot to do. You can keep busy your whole vacation or relax and do nothing...the choice is yours. The food in the dining room was excellent. The windjammer was really good for breakfast. There are snacks available at the Cafe Promenade...they were great. It is a beautiful ship with a very classy decor.

 

Cons: It is a big ship with a ton of people and the elevators were really backed up...we took the stairs most of the time. They make you leave the ship when you dock in Port Canaveral.

[EBFURR]

We have sailed the Mariner twice and enjoyed it so much that we have a third trip booked. There is a lot to see and do and we miss a lot of it because we also spend a lot of time relaxing!

 

Try to see the parade in the Promenade on the first night. It is usually around 10:00. We second everything that has been suggested, especially Chops and the Ice Show. Try to make it up to Ellingtons in the Crown for sunset one evening. Also, don't forget to visit the bow (think Titanic). Someone said they now close it at night, not sure, but it sure is neat up there at night. You have to go to deck 4 to get to it. Hard to find, but worth the trip.

[Nliedel]

I just put a, very long, review on my blog page (you will need to page down to get it). I am waiting for it to be posted on the review page here.

 

I loved her. She is big and there are not enough windows to the outside but those are my only real complaints. The food was good. Portofinos was excellent and Chops was more than outstanding. Best meal I have ever had in my life, but that might have been the company. The people I went to Chops with are some of the best people I have ever known :)

[Cruising Jedi]

If you are going on the Mariner could you do me a favour?

 

Could you please get down on your knees and kiss the floor boards while saying "I love you! I miss you!" and tell it that the message is from Cruising Jedi who was onboard in October? LOL

 

I love this ship, and I loved the crew. Oh, go to Bingo and try and win a Royal Caribbean key chain...everyone go "oooooo", "ahhhhhh".

 

*sniff*. good times, good times.

[HighLordDave]

Is Chops really that good?

 

On our first night, we asked our waiter, Nickolay, which of the specialty restaurants he recommended.

 

He said the steakhouse was good, but doesn't really serve anything that could not be had at an upscale steakhouse anywhere else.

 

On the other hand, Portofino's offers high end Italian cuisine that we most certainly do not get in the wiles of West Virginia (where Fazoli's passes for Italian and The Olive Garden is considered "authentic").

 

We ate at Portofino's an loved it. We thought about going to Chops on another night, but since we can get steak at home, decided against it.

 

Should we try it the next time we cruise on the Mariner?

[jdkey]

Hi, Don't know if you remember us, Jerry & Debbie we met on the Mariner in 04.

Good to see you around. We are booked for the Freedom next Oct. I liked the oct. time for sailing we just did the 2nd on Mariner 10-16-05. I still love this ship. Didn't really feel crowded often. We would go on it again in a heartbeat.

Debbie

[jdkey]

We went and it was the best! I know you can get a steak at home but this was more than that, I didn't want to try Chops, said I'm not paying extra,..but I had the best meal out I think I have ever had. The food is sooooo good and the service even better. We went with a group of 7 and none of us could finish the 10 oz filet but when they brought the desert we made a little more room. If you can go try it. They also had salmon and lamb but definetly go.

Debbie

[Chelsea17]

Hi,

 

Chops is comparable to the upscale steak restaurants in Charleston. For comparison - we paid $50 (plus $10 tip) for Chops and $125 for upscale steak dinner locally (did not include salad or desert). Chops is well worth every penny! With that being said, if you only ate in the dining room you would think that was very good too, in my humble opinion.

 

Deborah - who hopes my next cruise on the Carnival Miracle can compare to the Mariner.......

[eddeb]

We had an awesome time in Both Restaurants. :)

Did Chops Leaving St. Maarten.

(Carribean Night Menu)

Did Portos Last Night>

Turkey On Menu that Night.

 

If you think about it, you are very lucky

to be able to dine in either restaurant,

as they seats book quickly once aboard.

Keep that in mind as it is a very unique

experience. Lucky you!

We had people at our next table in hysterics,

and had a fun time.

(we almost missed the ship , as there were

two extra ships is Port Due to Wilma (5,000 extra people)

and we were on the far side of the Island

coming from a Private yacht Day sail

to St. Johns... and there were NO TAXI's! 5PM!

A guy waiting almost an hour for a taxi

gave us his when it came to Pointe Pleasant Resort,

and that is the only reason we made it back in time...

We felt like honeymooners that night,

as missing the ship is not a fun thing

when you are in your bathing suits...with two kids)

Our Waiters were a little upset that we were

going two nights, but we made sure

they got their tips, which is what they work

12 plus hours a day, 7 days a week for.

We have some pics of our waiters

at chops and portos...and other pics of the ship... :)

Captain Johnny, ice show, etc. Check em out>

You can do a slideshow to view them:

 

Click>

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/EdDeb2005

 

May your Seas Be Flat...

And Your Tummies be fat...

 

The Moore Gang

Ed, Deb, Sean and Amy

[firstcruise05]

Nliedel:

 

Your review was very accurate and well written. I agree that the traffic was terrible and we were turned away at the port as well. We were in a bus and they made us go over to the Fantasy...we waited (Port Authorities said it would be an hour) for about 5 minutes when the bus driver decided to drive to a 7-11 (about 20 minutes away) so we could get food. Right when we got to the 7-11 the bus driver got a call that we were cleared to come into the port again but we were 20 minutes away and had to sit in that traffic. It was a nightmare...the whole thing.

 

We were also at Martini Madness...we got there a little late and had to sit at a table next to the door. We did get a chance to have all the martinis though...were we not supposed to? :confused: We got there as he started making the first one (the French as I recall).

 

I was just talking to my DH today about the goat cheese souffle at Portofinos, it was beyond excellent!!! We were the opposite in terms of service..top notch at Portofinos and pretty good at Chops. But that baked potato!!!!! Not to mention all the food they give you...no one could ever say they left that restaurant hungry.

 

We did go to Orient Beach and got hit with some pretty painful pelting rain showers. They were occasional showers that passed pretty quickly but brought enough wind with it to send umbrellas flying down the beach. The final shower that sent us back to the ship was a soaker...pouring rain that lasted quite a while. We loved Orient Beach though...truly the most beautiful beach we encountered. Trunk Bay was lovely too (St. John)

 

The Mariner is a beautiful ship with more pros than cons...like I said before, my only real complaint was the elevators and that was probably a blessing in disguise as far as exercise and weight gain goes.

[firstcruise05]

Nliedel:

 

Your review was very accurate and well written. I agree that the traffic was terrible and we were turned away at the port as well. We were in a bus and they made us go over to the Fantasy...we waited (Port Authorities said it would be an hour) for about 5 minutes when the bus driver decided to drive to a 7-11 (about 20 minutes away) so we could get food. Right when we got to the 7-11 the bus driver got a call that we were cleared to come into the port again but we were 20 minutes away and had to sit in that traffic. It was a nightmare...the whole thing.

 

We were also at Martini Madness...we got there a little late and had to sit at a table next to the door. We did get a chance to have all the martinis though...were we not supposed to? :confused: We got there as he started making the first one (the French as I recall).

 

I was just talking to my DH today about the goat cheese souffle at Portofinos, it was beyond excellent!!! We were the opposite in terms of service..top notch at Portofinos and pretty good at Chops. But that baked potato!!!!! Not to mention all the food they give you...no one could ever say they left that restaurant hungry.

 

We did go to Orient Beach and got hit with some pretty painful pelting rain showers. They were occasional showers that passed pretty quickly but brought enough wind with it to send umbrellas flying down the beach. The final shower that sent us back to the ship was a soaker...pouring rain that lasted quite a while. We loved Orient Beach though...truly the most beautiful beach we encountered. Trunk Bay was lovely too (St. John)

 

The Mariner is a beautiful ship with more pros than cons...like I said before, my only real complaint was the elevators and that was probably a blessing in disguise as far as exercise and weight gain goes.

[JohnR49er]

I was on the same cruise but was hanging out with the ****** group . Sorry I didnt get a chance to meet more than just a few CCers at the meet and mingle.

The cluster...... thing at boarding didnt bother me much. I figured it would be all up hill from there and it was.

[Son of a Cruiser]

Is Chops really that good?

 

We ate at Portofino's an loved it. We thought about going to Chops on another night, but since we can get steak at home, decided against it.

 

Should we try it the next time we cruise on the Mariner?

 

As others have said.. YES you should try it - It's THAT good!! We ate there as we were leaving St. Thomas in June. Fantastic food, service and presentation.

 

As you might notice from my signature, we have been cruising since the late 70s. After DW and I had finished our meal at Chops we both commented "This is what the dining room used to be like" Back then the food quality was like Chops as well as the service. A dining room waiter seldom had more than one table. Not really a complaint, just an observation on how things have changed. I know the reason is that the cruise fare we paid back then was almost the same as now (actually a little higher in 1978 dollars than what we are paying for our upcoming Rhapsody cruise) So pay the surcharge and eat at Chops - its still a better bargain and you can experience the upscale atmosphere of years past.

[EBFURR]

Hey Debbie, we most definitely remember you guys! We had a great evening at the Radisson before the cruise and some quality "hanging out" time at the pool. We will never forget Jerry's epic performance in the Sexy Legs contest. We are very sad that we did not have our video camera handy. We did the same cruise this year and Tanya got to be a judge in the contest. I think she enjoyed it a little TOO much!

 

Brad joined the Army and did his first round of basic this past summer. I know he enjoyed talking to Jerry about the military.

 

We are booked agin for next June 18 and are counting down.

[txadmin2]

Glad to hear such good comments. Definately want to try the two speciality restaurants.

 

Thanks for all who posted.

 

Would love to hear more from those just returning.