Trip Report – Just Back from Mariner 4-night Sailing

[Gatordad815]

Hi all! I just got off my first post-Covid shutdown cruise today on the Mariner of the Seas (4-night CocoCay and Nassau) and had a really nice time!  I enjoyed learning about both the ship and the new protocols for cruising through reading reports of others, so I figured I would share a brief report in hopes of helping others.  If you are interested in the Cruise Compass, skip to the bottom and I will post my pictures of them.  If you want to read a little more about my impressions of the trip and Royal Caribbean in general, I will post a probably too-wordy version of those thoughts below.  Here goes….

[Gatordad815]

BACKGROUND:

 

I am a slightly overweight and balding mid-40’s husband and father of two kids (ages 6 and 8), and prior to this trip, the 4 cruises we have taken have all been on Oasis-class ships (Oasis twice, Allure and Harmony).  We have grown quite fond of Royal Caribbean, in particular because of how well they have handled our daughter’s dietary restrictions (she has Celiac disease and they have always accommodated her need for a strict gluten-free diet very well and been so kind and professional about it).  We also love the Oasis class ships because they have a carousel and that is just too cool.  Just like the rest of you, when Covid hit, we had several booked cruises cancelled and we have been wanting to get back on a ship in the worst way.

 

About a month ago, the Club Royale Casino program started scraping the bottom of the barrel of their membership and found my name.  They sent me an offer for a free interior cabin cruise for 2 people on basically any 3, 4 or 5-night sailing from Florida through the end of the year (and maybe other places too – can’t remember).  This was pretty shocking to me, as I am not a high roller in any way – particularly since our past cruises have all been family cruises and the only time I can sneak away to the casino is the early morning while everyone else is sleeping in, and for about 2 hours in the evening while the kids are in Adventure Ocean.  While I was certain they had mistaken me for someone else, there was no way I was turning this free cruise opportunity down!

 

I tried to convince my wife to take a weekend family cruise (and pay for the kids only), but since they are not vaccinated and have missed a ton of school due to one of them having Covid and the other being exposed at school, she just wasn’t ready to have them miss more school for a cruise (she’s so rational).  I invited both my sister and my best friend, but neither were available.  So in the end, not willing to turn down a free cruise, I booked a solo cruise (my first solo cruise).  It felt a little awkward to me booking a solo cruise, but honestly, I wanted to get on a ship so bad I was willing to take the risk of being bored and lonely for 4 nights in exchange for seeing the ocean from a cruise ship again.

[Gatordad815]

PRE-CRUISE SERVICE/EMBARKATION:

 

I love Royal Caribbean cruises.  I really do.  But their pre-cruise service is the pits.  Long story short: my reservation was automatically cancelled not once, but twice because their computer system thought I owed them money and failed to make a final payment.  One of the things inherent in a “free” cruise, however, is that no final payment is due (after the taxes and fees are paid, which are, of course, paid at the time of booking).  

 

After the typical hours-long conversation with a reservation agent (because nothing is simple or quick on the phone with them), I finally got a hold of a knowledgeable and helpful supervisor who confirmed that my reservation was “corrupted” from an IT perspective and she needed to cancel it and rebook the entire thing.  Of course, this was after I already had my set sail pass and early check in time (noon) which would no longer be valid with a new booking a week before the cruise. 

 

Interestingly, she mentioned to me that it’s very rare, but every so often they have a “bad” reservation from an IT perspective and it does something crazy like this.  I mentioned to her at that point that I have had IT/Reservation issues 3 out of 5 cruises with them, so perhaps it’s not as rare as she thinks.  But in the end, she was very nice and helpful and got it all resolved for me (except my check-in time – I was stuck with a later 1:00 check in time).

 

The morning of the cruise I was up super early (like drive over and watch the ship sail into the port because I am a dork and watching this makes me happy early), so I decided I would try for an earlier check-in.  I figured if I arrived before the crowds, and explained what happened nicely, maybe I could get into the noon group?  And if not, I could walk next door to one of the restaurant/bars and eat and drink until 1:00 if I had to…

 

I got there around 10:45 and parked.  When I got to the terminal, it was still closed (of course), and there were about 25 people there already.  At 11:00 they asked us all to line up so they could start checking vaccination cards and Covid test results, and by 11:10, I was through security and waiting to board the ship without anyone ever mentioning I was supposed to show up at 1:00.  Not sure if this was a fluke, or just because I was there so early, so I would not necessarily expect this to happen again, but this was my fortunate experience.  I was like the 5^th person on board, and it was so AWESOME!

[Gatordad815]

CABIN 1864:

 

I was able to upgrade from an interior to a spacious panoramic oceanview stateroom for like $85.  I am fairly certain this upgrade is what corrupted my reservation, but it also could have been evil voodoo magic.  We will never know…

 

While we have always had balconies on our past sailings, the primary utility of the balcony for us is to give my wife and I a place to snack, talk and drink after the kids go to sleep.  Since I was solo on this trip, that was not necessary.

 

When I booked, Cabin 1864 was still available.  If you are considering a panoramic oceanview on Mariner and can snag this cabin, do so IMMEDIATELY!  It has a different shape because it is located on a corner and has 5 huge panoramic windows (as opposed to 2 in the other cabins in this category).  Honestly, it kind of feels like the space of a Junior Suite with all the elbow room (albeit with no balcony and a tiny bathroom).  But, for an $85 upgrade fee, this cabin was fantastic!

[Gatordad815]

MARINER OF THE SEAS IMPRESSIONS:

 

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this ship since there is no carousel, but honestly after this trip I can tell you all that I LOVE this ship.  It was SO CLEAN, and like other Royal Caribbean cruises I have been on, people were cleaning constantly.  It is clear walking through the ship that it is well-maintained.  While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Oasis-class ships, there was always plenty to do for a mid-40’s guy with a dad bod who really likes beer, food, video poker, hot tubs and live music.  It was really a perfect ship for my needs. 

 

I dare say I didn’t even miss the carousel…

[Gatordad815]

NEW COVID PROTOCOLS:

 

In my experience, these were not too much of a bother and worth a few hoops to get on board a ship again.  I live in Florida and there is a Walgreens on every corner and they offer free drive through rapid Covid testing.  When we aren’t experiencing a crazy surge, it’s even really easy to get appointments.  The members of my immediate household have done this test for various reasons (both travel and exposure-related) at least 20 times, and the longest we have ever waited for results is 3 hours. 

 

Other than the testing, the rest was pretty intuitive and easy to follow if you haven’t been living under a rock for the last 2 years.  Wear a mask inside.  Take it off when you go outside.  Take it off when you eat.  Take it off when you drink (another good reason to spring for the drink package!)  Take it off in vaccinated-only shows.  Take it off in the casino.  Really, for me, I only had to wear it when I was walking from my room to the stairs/elevator, in the elevator, and walking from a place where I was drinking a beer to the next place I would be ordering a beer. 

 

Easy-peasy lemon squeezy…. 

[Gatordad815]

DINING:

 

OK, so I for sure thought eating main dining solo would be awkward, but I like main dining on cruises and I hoped I could get in and out relatively quickly each night.  I also know the tables are spaced so that it’s easy to talk with neighbors if they are inclined to talk (and it’s also easy to stop talking with them if they just aren’t your type of person to talk with).

 

I was right - it was a little awkward sitting by myself.  My table location didn’t make it easy to make friends, but I asked my serving team the first night to please not pace my meal slowly and they were great about getting me in and out in under an hour.  I probably could have requested to be seated with others, but between the risk of feeling awkward being solo and the risk of sitting with someone who smells bad and irritates me, I chose the awkward risk.  It was fine – I survived – I would probably choose to sit solo again if I ever do a solo cruise and just hope for a better table location to make conversation.

 

The food was good as always.  It’s a bit repetitive (mostly the same food I have had on the Oasis-class ships), but it’s good food for being included and I do like that it’s consistent.

The Windjammer was open for dinner on my sailing, which I know is new since it hasn’t been open much for dinner on recent sailings (especially sailings like mine where there were only 1300-1400 guests), but Royal must have heard people want it open for dinner.  And while that was an option, I really did want the main dining and I am glad I did it.

 

Breakfasts and lunches were standard offerings – a mix of Windjammer, Main Dining Room and Café Promenade.  And of course, late night pizza daily and a random hot dog snack on day 3.  I have no complaints about any of it – liked it all!

[Gatordad815]

CASINO:

 

I was pretty lucky for 3 days.  Unfortunately for me, however, this was a 4-night cruise…LOL!

 

I had a LOT of fun in the casino.  And I spent a lot of time in there (by my standards anyway).  I met a lot of really nice people and talked to the same folks every day.  Just a fun place to be…

 

One comment though – the casino is really small compared to the Oasis class ships.  It was pretty crowded too.  Maybe because they sent people like me free cruise offers???  I hope so, because I couldn’t imagine how busy it would be on a full sailing when it was pretty packed on my sailing at under 40% capacity.  Also, the nonsmoking section in the Oasis class casinos is so much bigger and better – it’s half the casino.

 

Overall, I liked this casino because I had so much fun and some decent luck, but the Oasis class definitely wins in the casino department in my opinion.

[Gatordad815]

SERVICE:

 

OUTSTANDING!  EVERYWHERE!

 

I have nothing else to say about that…

[Gatordad815]

THEATER ENTERTAINMENT:

 

OK, I have to say the carousel is not the only thing I like about the Oasis-Class ships.  Hello - can you say Aqua-theater???  That place is so awesome.  In addition, all of the other entertainment on the Oasis-class ships has been really good in my experience, so I was kind of expecting a bit of a downgrade on Mariner. 

 

I have to say, I was actually pleasantly surprised with the show options and quality on Mariner!

 

Comedy: Alvin Williams was the comedian and I saw both his clean show and the adult show.  I laughed a lot at both, though I think I laughed more at the clean show!

 

Production: The production show was called Center Stage and the Royal singers and dancers were joined by a comedian/juggler named Adam Kario.  I know it all sounds so cheesy, but it was actually very fun and entertaining!  I was surprised that I enjoyed this.

 

Magic: The last night of the cruise was opening night for a magician named Chris Dugdale.  He seems like a really talented and nice guy, and a lot of people seemed to enjoy the show, but it just wasn’t my jam.  There was nothing bad about the show, but I really wanted to keep playing in the casino, so I left about 30 minutes into the show.  Just not for me…

 

Ice Skating: This is just cool.  Ice skating on a cruise ship.  Who thinks of these things??? The two couples/pairs skating were particularly impressive.  I don’t even really like ice skating all that much, but I thought the whole thing was neat and a nice way to spend 45 minutes during the afternoon.  The people performing are undoubtedly extremely skilled and talented and I admire them.

 

Music: There is a new headliner called GODDESS.  When I first saw that it was basically a celebration of iconic female singers, I wasn’t sure if it would have much appeal to a hairy mid 40’s beer-drinker on a gambling cruise, so I decided to skip it. 

 

But, serendipitously, the night this show was playing, I needed a break from the casino at around 9:43 and walked randomly towards the forward of the ship from the casino and saw people straggling into the theater.  I checked the app and the show started at 9:45. I had zero plans at this point, so I wandered into the fairly empty theater and took a seat in the back, fully expecting that I would be getting up to quietly leave 10 minutes into the show and go find live music somewhere else on the ship (I love live music).

 

All I can say about this show is WOW!  Not only did I not quietly sneak out the back as I fully expected I would, but I actually moved up to the front so I could see better about half way through the show.  If you have the opportunity to see this, do yourself a favor and go see it!  The lead singer is apparently quite famous from a TV singing competition in the Philippines, and she blew me away (along with everyone else in the audience).  Seriously people - at the end of the show, as I was leaving filled with pure joy, I felt sad for everyone else on the ship who (like me originally) didn’t think this show would offer much.   They missed out.  It was one of the highlights of my trip!

 

The lead singer’s name is Monique Lualhati (yes, I am referencing my Cruise Compass because I couldn’t remember that), and she is beyond amazing.  Any woman that can take on Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston (among others), and get a resounding standing ovation from a theater that is only filled to about 20% capacity, is a star in my books.  I’m not kidding – GO SEE THIS if you get the chance.  You won’t regret it…

[FlyOverGirl]

13 minutes ago, Gatordad815 said:

We have grown quite fond of Royal Caribbean, in particular because of how well they have handled our daughter’s dietary restrictions (she has Celiac disease and they have always accommodated her need for a strict gluten-free diet very well and been so kind and professional about it). 

 

I’ve been on RC but only prior to being diagnosed with Celiac. I’ve been on another line and they also handled my gluten free needs very well. I would always call and have my reservation marked and then also meet with the food director when I boarded.

 

I’m going on a New Year’s cruise on the Jewel and want to make sure I don’t get sick. Do you have any tips for what y’all do for your daughter?

[Gatordad815]

LIVE MUSIC VENUES:

 

Speaking of live music, this was a highlight everywhere on the ship!  From the Caribbean pool band, to the Pub entertainer, to the Schooner Bar piano man, to the Orchestra show in the lounge, to the band and singers in Boleros, there was fantastic and fun live music EVERYWHERE!  When I wasn’t in the casino (which I was in WAY more than my family trips obviously), I was watching and enjoying the heck out of live music!

 

Something really special happened this trip too.  Her name was Kennedy.  She was a passenger with her parents on the trip.  She was an absolutely beautiful, talented and sweet young lady who will probably be a star someday.  And even if she’s not a star, she will definitely make the people fortunate enough to be around her happy with her angelic voice.

 

On night 2 of the trip, the Boleros singers invited her up to sing with them (I think they had seen or heard her sing karaoke earlier – not quite sure).  I was fortunate enough to have just wandered out of the casino in that direction.  I stopped to watch and Kennedy actually brought tears to my eyes.  Not only was it her amazing talent, but the songs she sang took me somewhere else. 

 

I have had a really tough year friends.  I lost my mom over the summer.  And things since have just been stressful for all kinds of reasons.  In my life, my role is to be the rational rock and I love that about my life, but it doesn’t leave a lot of time for introspection, mourning, vulnerability, and the like.  And I am good with that – I count my blessings daily because I have a supportive wife, healthy happy kids, a great job, and the aptitude (and genuine desire) to be the steady rock.

 

But listening to this beautiful stranger who wasn’t even mentioned in the Cruise Compass (because she doesn’t work for the cruise line and wasn’t scheduled to be up there singing), and having her voice both impress me and touch me in ways she never could have imagined, brought tears to my eyes.  It gave me a moment for the introspection, mourning, and vulnerability that I would have never had if I wasn’t on a solo cruise.   And I didn’t even have to talk to anyone or explain why I had tears streaming down my face.

 

It was special for me and it made me so secure in my decision to go forward with the solo cruise…

 

Incidentally, by night 3, word had gotten around the ship (particularly among the crew), and Boleros was PACKED to see Kennedy sing with the band.  It was just one of those amazing, random, special experiences that happen during travels and I will always remember it. 

 

Ok that was way more than I was going to share, but it’s written now…

[Gatordad815]

RANDOM TIDBITS:     

                  

Debarkation was super easy.  I left my room on deck 12 at 7:30 this morning and I was in my car at 7:45. 

 

The weather overnight last night was awful after a really rainy yucky sea day (that I spent in the casino).  The storm woke me up after I had only been sleeping 2 hours and I didn’t really fall back asleep. The ship was really moving a lot and probably being forward on Deck 12 contributed to that for me.  Fortunately for all of us, however, the first 3 days were BEAUTIFUL!

 

CocoCay was fantastic – but you already know that, right?  We were the only ship there and I felt like I had the place to myself.  I tried out all of the free areas – I even went to the floating bar at South Beach which was quite fun!  I love CocoCay – they just make it too easy to have fun there (even without spending money).

 

I didn’t get off the ship in Nassau – just didn’t feel like it.  I don’t regret staying on the ship – it was a super-relaxing day.

 

The crowd was really nice on this sailing – friendly all around.  I only saw one potential fist fight (it was 2 drunk guys in the pub and it wasn’t cool or comfortable), but other than that everyone behaved and was super-friendly.

 

The elevator situation is GREAT on low-capacity cruises!  I tried to take the stairs a lot, but whenever I did take the elevator, I never had to wait and I usually was riding alone.  This low-capacity cruising has many benefits for us passengers, and this is definitely one of them!  If you are on the fence about taking a low-capacity cruise, I would recommend you do it NOW before the opportunity is gone!

 

The Wi-fi is spotty.  You’re warned.

 

Port Canaveral is a great place to sail from.  Easy in, easy out.

 

The new muster process is crazy easy.  I hope they keep it this way.

 

I am sure I am forgetting important stuff, but I can’t think of anything else right this second and I can’t turn this into a chapter book, so it’s time to bring this to a conclusion…

[Gatordad815]

FINAL THOUGHTS:

 

These are interesting times, right?  We all had cruises booked, we all had plans, we all thought we knew we could count on certain stability in the world around us, and then we all had the rugs ripped out from under us by Covid in one way or another. 

 

We were all affected in different ways by this mess.  Some of us lost our moms to Covid complications, some of us worked crazy hours responding to Covid because of our line of work, and some of us had kids miss school for what seemed like an eternity.  The above was just my experience and I know for many others it has been way worse….

 

I thought solo cruising would be awkward, but I was willing to take the chance because I wanted to test the waters (so to speak), and I really am so glad I did.  For me personally, it’s time to turn the page and put Covid behind me and this was a really great step in that process.  I probably needed this trip more than I thought actually. And in spite of my concerns about solo cruising, I was never really bored or lonely.  I was relaxed, entertained and happy almost every minute of every day! 

 

In addition to all of that, I earned enough points in the casino for another free cruise….LOL!  So maybe I will be back sooner than I thought!

 

Happy cruising friends!  I will post the Compass below.  If I forgot anything or if you have any questions, I am happy to answer.  Cheers!

[Gatordad815]

Now let’s see if I can figure out how to post pictures…

 

COMPASS DAY 1: 

 

 

[Gatordad815]

COMPASS DAY 2:

[Gatordad815]

COMPASS DAY 3:

 

 

[Gatordad815]

COMPASS DAY 4:

 

 

[Gatordad815]

20 minutes ago, FlyOverGirl said:

I’ve been on RC but only prior to being diagnosed with Celiac. I’ve been on another line and they also handled my gluten free needs very well. I would always call and have my reservation marked and then also meet with the food director when I boarded.

 

I’m going on a New Year’s cruise on the Jewel and want to make sure I don’t get sick. Do you have any tips for what y’all do for your daughter?

Yes! On our prior 4 Oasis-class cruises, our head waiter was the person who arranged everything! Get to know your head waiter the first day and he/she will be your best resource.

 

We haven’t been on Jewel before, but I did interrogate the head waiter on Mariner to see if it was the same food safety across ship classes, and he passed my test! 
 

I would recommend you be prepared to be patient on day 1, as everyone is getting into the swing of the trip. Your meal make take longer than it should. But once you connect with the head waiter at dinner, it should go smoothly for the rest of the trip (in our experience).

 

On the ships we have been on, the pizza places (Sorrentos or Cafe Promenade) can make GF pizza to order (in a dedicated oven). Also there are head waiters at the Windjammer buffet and they can arrange for food to be cooked separately for you (it’s a wait to get it of course).

 

We try to stick to the main dining room and they’ve done a great job. If you have any specific questions I’d be happy to answer! Happy cruising!

[MommaBear55]

1 hour ago, FlyOverGirl said:

I’ve been on RC but only prior to being diagnosed with Celiac. I’ve been on another line and they also handled my gluten free needs very well. I would always call and have my reservation marked and then also meet with the food director when I boarded.

 

I’m going on a New Year’s cruise on the Jewel and want to make sure I don’t get sick. Do you have any tips for what y’all do for your daughter?

What we did for my daughter with Celiac was to put it in the Special needs area online prior to boarding. We then reiterated it in the MDR and they were fantastic. In the WJ, you ask to speak to a chef and they walk you around and tell you what is GF. There are a few lunches in the MDR where you can also get GF chicken fingers, my 30 something daughter was delighted. We discovered the trick of taking a coffee cup and spoon from the WJ so she could have soft serve ice cream. 

[WAHMto5]

Thank you for the great review!  We are heading out on the Mariner next week and can’t wait!

[lisabbscott]

Great review,  thank you!  I enjoyed reading about your solo trip. 

[mrpayroll]

Enjoyed reading. Will be on Mariner November  30th.

[samiam0403]

Thanks for posting the trip report! I had my first post-COVID sailing on her a few weeks ago, and my experience mirrored yours. Had a great time as a solo cruiser and was just over the moon to be back on a cruise ship. It was my first time on Mariner, and I fell in love. Beautiful ship and wonderful crew!

[CaroleC]

What a great review, really enjoyed reading it. Thank you.