Mariner questions...

[lysolqn]

How long is the trip from the airport in Orlando to Port Canaveral and how would you rate the inconvenience of having to make that trip? If we decide to book Mariner, what time is the earliest flight we could make on the return?

 

How would you rate the condition of the ship? I recall seeing something on the CC homepage which I think noted something about the ship showing some signs of wear but still being fine.

 

Thanks!

[ckrobyn]

How long is the trip from the airport in Orlando to Port Canaveral and how would you rate the inconvenience of having to make that trip? If we decide to book Mariner, what time is the earliest flight we could make on the return?

 

How would you rate the condition of the ship? I recall seeing something on the CC homepage which I think noted something about the ship showing some signs of wear but still being fine.

 

Thanks!

 

Sailed the Mariner in November and loved her!

 

Takes a bit under an hour from MCO to Port Canaveral. Too excited about boarding the ship to notice the time it took to get there!

 

The Mariner is in excellent condition is very well taken care of by her crew - you can see evidence of it all over the ship :)

 

Cruising on the Mariner again in November 2008 and I can't wait!

[jandjfun]

If you plan on driving yourself, it is soooooo easy! Just mapquest it and go, go, go! The drive was just under an hour. I wouldn't book anything before noon. Just because there is no reason to be stressed now, you just finished a relaxing vacation. I would think it could be a relaxing morning, nice breakfast, a stroll off the ship, get a rental car, and go to the airport. You will be there by 11:00 am, and still relaxed.

[deckgirl]

Yep, just about an hour or so. I think it's better to use a shuttle service to get to the pier so you don't have to worry about parking and all that. Our service pulled into the parking lot and was met by an attendant who took our luggage and we just breezed right into check in. We were onboard within 1/2 hour (as opposed to 2.5 hours in Honolulu on NCL). I agree about not booking any return flight before noon. We didn't fly home until the next day, so went through the regular disembarkation process and we were off the ship, checked into our hotel in Cocoa Beach and at Kennedy Space Center by noon. Easy-breezy. We were on Mariner 6/07 and she was in great shape.

[Inshape]

Depending on how many people you are, rent a car. It is so easy. The shuttle takes you right to the rental location about 5 min away. That is how we do it. I book early and get great rates. Our trip for november I am using thrifty and got rates of 42 for going and 36 return rate. That is inclusive of all taxes. And that was for a full size car. I used the orlando magic code rate I think.

[suwaneedad]

The only thing we noted on Mariner in Sept 07 was that carpets in the main areas (stairwell landings) need a replacement due to staining. They need to drop in carpet with a pattern to it so the inevitable stains are better hidden. These are not small stains though; they are often about 10 feet in diameter like a big huge bucket of water got spilled or something.

 

Don't get me wrong. Gorgeous ship. This carpet thing is the one element that struck me as odd, since the rest of the ship is absolutely perfect.

[JanineM]

It's not an inconvenient trip at all ... we find the commute from MCO to the port much easier than the drive from the airport to downtown in any sizable city. It's typically 45-55 minutes, and is a very easy drive. I'm a super skittish highway driver and have no problem with that trip.

[veryhotred]

On the Sovereign we left from Port Canaveral and it was an easy drive. We hired a private car and for the RT it was $125 with one stop to buy me some diet Pepsi..lol..

[lysolqn]

Thanks for your responses - much appreciated!

[GldnRm01]

it's a 40 minute drive.

[katiel53]

We have been on Mariner many times and to tell you the truth, I never noticed anything that needed replacement or repair. It's our favorite ship.

 

The drive from the airport to Pt Canaveral is very simple. It's one road, 528, known as the Beachline. There are tolls on it, but it's a straight shot.

 

Enjoy.

[RJHeller]

just off the Mariner 6 days ago. It is BY FAR the nicest ship I have been on. You will not be dissapointed. If your going down a day early, get a rental car. If your flying in the same day as your cruise, get a shuttle.