Mariner Review 3/25/07

[NenaCruise]

Just got back from the Mariner on Sunday 3/25/07 and wanted to give you a brief review.

 

Embarkation was pretty smooth. We were able to get on by 12 noon...it went faster especially since my aunt's in a wheelchair and we were able to bypass the long lines.

 

My first impression of the ship as we entered was "Wow this is so pretty..." However, I expected some kind of formal welcome like Disney. I know I know ...don't expect to much but you can't help that the service aspect in that welcoming regard was missing. Anyways, we went up tour room and boy the balcony was nice but the linens were pretty shabby and the room was not as spacious as the rooms on other cruises I've been on. All in all, it was still comfortable. I would love bigger closet space too:)LOL

 

Our first night into our first day at sea was really rocky...we were going away from a storm near Cuba and the winds were at 60 mph...there were quite a few people sea sick but I did fine on mybonine...I thought it was funny walking side to side. They had to rope off the pool becasue the water was make a wave pool and it was getting dangerous....

 

That night we watched Beatlemania and that was awesome!!!!!!!!!

 

Labadee, Haiti--> this island was great. I loved the beach there and the folkloric show was great. The BBQ lunch was not bad either. We bought alot of stuff at the marketplace but beware...the Islanders are truly desperate to sell their wares at ridiculous prices and will grab a hold of your are...place things in your hands as well as around your neck...just watch yourselves...they all sel the same things....our wheelchair guide was slick...he took us right to his friends and then when my aunt got out of her hcair to look at the wares...he left her and us there without a wheelchair even after being tipped.

 

Jamaica-->despite all the negative things I heard on this site about the horrors of Jamaica....I tried to go in with a positive attitude and did a private tour with Phil Lafayette...yes it was a decent tour of the Dunn's River Falls and around Ochos Rios....Phil tried his best to give us some great insight about the island. However, it all boils down to propaganda, while heading to shop, Phil bypassed all the poor people on the streets seling their crafts to take us right back to the port area to shop at island village which is ok but expensive. Also, we lunched at Margaritaville and were not truly impressed. Yes it was nice that there was a pool but the service was shabby. Overall, I will give Jamaica another chance but I think I'll just do a beach day at an all-inclusive resort there or even the reggae baby boat.

 

Grand Cayman---loved this place---it was clean and beautiful...the people were nice. Yes some souvenir places were expensive but it was not that bad. We did the Trolley Roger tour and it was great but jus a little to short for the money. It was only an hour...I would have loved to have had that tour combined with a beach tour.... We went to Senor Frogs and again that place was overated ....filled with a bunch of lushes out to drink heavily...I could not believe that they were serving teenagers alcohol regardless of age...therefore, I am sure this is probably a great place for reckless teens....

 

Cozumel---I love this placed...I felt so welcome here.....our tour guide Patricio was awaesome...we went around the entire island and went to the Hacienda where tequila is made. We tasted different flavors...we then went to the cultural museum and stopped at the beach for pictures and some coconut water. We shopped all over the place...All in all...I would love to hang out here again. The people were 100% welcoming.

 

On board ship: good things I enjoyed were: The parade, Becky the cruise director, the disco street fair, Quest, the comedy show that had a music impersonator---awesome...oh yeah how can I forget the ice show...the pools and ht tubs were great too.....

 

Also, the best hang out place betweem 10:30 and 1am is Bolero's with live music from Tropical Jam--salsa, merengue, bachata, dancing...great..kids are more than welcome to come if they are awake too:)

 

Note: Be careful with the foods though...I did not get sick but my aunt ate at Chops (not all that hot!) and she got food poisoning. She was taken out by ambulance on the day of disembarkation and now we're dealing with that...I am hoping no one gets sick on this weeks cruise.

 

The dining room food was great...I loved my waited Charlie from Thailand...he treated my son like royalty and did origami with him each night....The midnight buffet in the dining room was pretty for picture taking but I was turned off as soon as I saw people breathing all over the food and some put there fingers on things..Yuck!!!

 

The deck parties were great too:) The buffet up there was not bad....

[MariaoftheSeas]

Thanks, for the great review, I will be on the Mariner on May 20. Do you know who the new Cruise Director will be and also do you have any of the menus? Also, I hope your Aunt is OK!!

[dagadget]

Just got back from the Mariner on Sunday 3/25/07 and wanted to give you a brief review.

 

 

My first impression of the ship as we entered was "Wow this is so pretty..." However, I expected some kind of formal welcome like Disney. I know I know ...don't expect to much but you can't help that the service aspect in that welcoming regard was missing. Anyways, we went up tour room and boy the balcony was nice but the linens were pretty shabby and the room was not as spacious as the rooms on other cruises I've been on. All in all, it was still comfortable. I would love bigger closet space too:)LOL

 

 

Cozumel---I love this placed...I felt so welcome here.....our tour guide Patricio was awaesome...we went around the entire island and went to the Hacienda where tequila is made. We tasted different flavors...we then went to the cultural museum and stopped at the beach for pictures and some coconut water. We shopped all over the place...All in all...I would love to hang out here again. The people were 100% welcoming.

 

On board ship: good things I enjoyed were: The parade, Becky the cruise director, the disco street fair, Quest, the comedy show that had a music impersonator---awesome...oh yeah how can I forget the ice show...the pools and ht tubs were great too.....

 

Also, the best hang out place betweem 10:30 and 1am is Bolero's with live music from Tropical Jam--salsa, merengue, bachata, dancing...great..kids are more than welcome to come if they are awake too:)

 

Note: Be careful with the foods though...I did not get sick but my aunt ate at Chops (not all that hot!) and she got food poisoning. She was taken out by ambulance on the day of disembarkation and now we're dealing with that...I am hoping no one gets sick on this weeks cruise.

 

The dining room food was great...I loved my waited Charlie from Thailand...he treated my son like royalty and did origami with him each night....The midnight buffet in the dining room was pretty for picture taking but I was turned off as soon as I saw people breathing all over the food and some put there fingers on things..Yuck!!!

 

The deck parties were great too:) The buffet up there was not bad....

 

 

Interesting review, Like my 3/18-25 the seas were rough and the winds were high going out. At least you made all of your ports. The Food Poisoning in Chops rather surprised me. did you figure out waht it was on the menu that caused it? The midnight Buffet was pretty but as you observed it's not the most sanitary thing after a few hundred people have been looking at it and taking pictures. I did not see anything touched on our cruise though. I also noticed your thoughts on the welcome aboard and after 4/16/06 on Millennium (Celebrity) and the welcome aboard champaign and escort to our rooms I have to agree that Mariner could do a better job with that. Becky, the cruise director is a real treat and she deserves her vacation that she is now on. I will Never forget the Hello luv that she uses. A true star she is. Anyway thanks for the review I always like to compare other reviews to mine to see what is changing.

[NenaCruise]

Well I believe Becky will still be cruise director because she did not mention anything different...besides she loves the Mariner...I don't have any menus but I can give you an idea of what was served throughout the week that I ate:

 

Sunday---Prime Rib with mushrooms...baked potatoes and veggies...strawberry shortcake....

 

Monday---Mahi-Mahi---yummy....choclate mousse

 

Tuesday---Chicken Marsala----tiramasu

 

Wednesday---Cheese Tortellini

 

Thursday---Grilled Steak

 

Friday---Lobster and Prime Rib

 

Saturday--NY Strip Steak

 

Appetizers consisted of shrimp cocktail; soups--onion/cream of asparagus/spinach dip with nachos; fruit; always had a salad available....

 

everything was good that I ate and there was obviously other choices but I do not recall all of them...don't waste money on the specialty resteraunts....

[dagadget]

Well I believe Becky will still be cruise director because she did not mention anything different...besides she loves the Mariner...I don't have any menus but I can give you an idea of what was served throughout the week that I ate:

 

Sunday---Prime Rib with mushrooms...baked potatoes and veggies...strawberry shortcake....

 

Monday---Mahi-Mahi---yummy....choclate mousse

 

Tuesday---Chicken Marsala----tiramasu

 

Wednesday---Cheese Tortellini

 

Thursday---Grilled Steak

 

Friday---Lobster and Prime Rib

 

Saturday--NY Strip Steak

 

Appetizers consisted of shrimp cocktail; soups--onion/cream of asparagus/spinach dip with nachos; fruit; always had a salad available....

 

everything was good that I ate and there was obviously other choices but I do not recall all of them...don't waste money on the specialty resteraunts....

 

 

The Dining room had great food all week. I always took the recommendation of our Waiter and she was Johnny on the spot with it all week the food was great. We did not eat in the Chops or Portofino but from everyone during our cruise that I asked they had positive comments. I wonder if anyone else got sick from Chops during your cruise? I will be watching other posts on this to see if it happened. The food poisoning in chops I have heard about in the past but I can't recall what ship it was on. Becky stated on our cruise that both her and Captain Johnny were going to have their off time (about 2 months) and come back in late May and early June. I hope that the food poisoning problem is now a thing of the past.

[NenaCruise]

My aunt ate at chops--->steak medium rare; mashed potatoes; a salad with two pieces of scallops in it...the doctor and Cape Canaveral Hospital said it could have been the salad..since we all had lots of steak that week....thank God it happened the Friday night into Saturday..what made it bad was that she has high blood pressure and could not keep her meds in....so her pressure sky rocketed...the doctor on the hip said it was not food posioning..obvoiusly to hide any discrepancy but its been proven and documented at the hospital...I don't know if they will compensate us for anything...at least they should for the medical services on the ship...it came out to a costly $5012 but we're going through our travel insurance right now....Oh yeah, my aunts tongue turned black...she's getting better though...they gave her a shot of anti nausea medcine that they give people coming out of chemotherapy....it worked quickly and she ate a sandwich today...she lost 12 pounds since Friday....

[dagadget]

My aunt ate at chops--->steak medium rare; mashed potatoes; a salad with two pieces of scallops in it...the doctor and Cape Canaveral Hospital said it could have been the salad..since we all had lots of steak that week....thank God it happened the Friday night into Saturday..what made it bad was that she has high blood pressure and could not keep her meds in....so her pressure sky rocketed...the doctor on the hip said it was not food posioning..obvoiusly to hide any discrepancy but its been proven and documented at the hospital...I don't know if they will compensate us for anything...at least they should for the medical services on the ship...it came out to a costly $5012 but we're going through our travel insurance right now....Oh yeah, my aunts tongue turned black...she's getting better though...they gave her a shot of anti nausea medcine that they give people coming out of chemotherapy....it worked quickly and she ate a sandwich today...she lost 12 pounds since Friday....

 

 

You should forward this information to AGoldstein@rccl.com the President of RCCL I think you will get a rapid and positive response from him. Make sure you give him enough information to work on. He or his staff will call you very soon to resolve any other problems. I am shocked at the $$ figure that is quoted here for ships medical costs, it makes that insurance a great bargain at that kind of price.

[NenaCruise]

Thanks...I'll send an email and hope to see where we can go from here.....we understand stuff like this can happen but she was miserable for the last sea day as well as we were stressed that she was sick....that bill was incredible....I just about cried when I got it and paid what I could...I was able to get off with a promisary note to get it taken care of within ten days but rccl is willing to work with us...hopefully getting the info about food posioning will make them aware that they have to be even more careful....I'll still sail with them again and bring my son since he totally enjoyed but I think my aunt and older relatives were a bit put off....especially that this was my aun't first cruise.LOL

[NenaCruise]

Just wanted to clarify that although we had some ups and downs on the Mariner...it was still a good vacation in regards to best for your buck :) I would travel Mariner again next Spring Break...you just gotta learn your ins and outs the first time around:)

[SForman]

Thanks for the great review.

[NenaCruise]

Welcome...I tried to be as real and sincere as possible...just forgot to mention that the kids club is good..my son is 9 and enjoyed it..however, he only went three times the whole trip....he got tired early on....they have tons of activities for them....My son preferred going to the pool or playing mini-golf or going to the arcade at times.....there's still things I want to do but did not get to...see a movie in the screening room ....go iceskating,rock climbing....massage...etc....

[joetrizeo]

thanks for the mariner review. i'm leaving in a little bit.

 

totally do the reggae baby boat trip next time. it's awesome!

 

.I could not believe that they were serving teenagers alcohol regardless of age...

legal drinking age in grand cayman is 18, so what's so hard to beleive (or whats so wrong) about them serving teenagers, 18 and 19......?

[kittymom65]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

Hope all turns out well with your aunt's situation...I had food poisoning over Thanksgiving last year, and lost about 10 pounds and was sick for about a week total.