spider731 Posted September 30, 2008 #1 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Hi all, We just got off Mariner of the Seas on Sunday and had a WONDERFUL time. I thought I’d write a quick review to return the favor for all those who have helped us with their reviews. I hope you all enjoy. I’m not much of a writer, but hope you can extract some useful info out of it… Pre-cruise: The four of us; myself (46), DW (37), DD (9), and DS (who is autistic) (5) arrived in Orlando 2 days prior to our departure (9/21/08). Being from PA we were not accustomed to the humidity and couldn’t wait to get into some air conditioned room. Whoa!! We took a Happy Limo to our hotel, the Radisson at the Port. It was very nice. The rooms and staff were excellent. We discovered there was a pay laundry room for guests, which we took full advantage of on our way back (doing laundry should be classified as one of the 7 deadly sins). DD loved the waterfall in the pool area while DS loved the kiddie pool, and DW and I could have shriveled up to the pea in the hot tub. What a way to go! :p The meals were good with the exception of the breakfast buffet. They had a difficult time keeping up with the demand and it wasn’t even that tasty. Overall however we enjoyed our stay very much. Embarkation: The morning of embarkation, we took a taxi to the port. We arrived at about 10:30 and were on the ship by 11:15. It was fast, efficient and extremely well coordinated. After check in, the line moved pretty slow getting on the ship. But when you think about it, they had to take everyone’s picture before getting on, so it really wasn’t bad at all. Maybe it felt worse than it was because of DS getting a bit freaked out by all the people. He tends to do that. Once on the ship we got the kids set up with their wrist bands and headed up to Windjammer for lunch. On the way DD looked around wide-eyed and said, “It’s like a mansion, and it FLOATS! This is so COOL!!” I think she was impressed. We all were, she was just more vocal… While the kids and I ate lunch, DW went to set up babysitting and her much anticipated spa treatment. After lunch we checked out our stateroom. It was Category F (Large Oceanview Stateroom). We found it to be plenty big for the 4 of us. I’ve read that the showers were like coffins. I didn’t think they were too bad. I’m a big guy and didn’t have any trouble. Noted it’s not big enough to shower with a friend, but…. :D We checked out our seating, and there were some issues there. We had 4 reservations linked together and the 14 of us were supposed to be seated at 1 long table. We told them of the problem and said it would be fixed the next night. They were wrong. It was fixed THAT night. We were again, very impressed. The Muster drill went off without a hitch. Because of DS disability he wasn’t required to wear his life jacket to the drill. What a relief! I don’t even want to think what would have happened if he had to sit in the Lotus Lounge for the 20 minutes with that thing on. YIKES! We found Sail Away was a little anti-climatic. I guess we were anticipating something more. Even the kids couldn’t wait till it was over. Adventure Ocean: DW and I are writing the Vatican to see if we can get the staff at Adventure Ocean canonized. They were absolutely marvelous with the kids. DD couldn’t wait to go every day and DS was the same. When we would sign him he would climb under the gate, turn around and push us away saying “Bye… BYE!!!” (one of the 3 words he can speak) Guess we’re not as cool as the staff on hand! Because of DS autism, we were given beepers in case he needed to be changed or they didn’t understand some of his signals. We thought we would be running back and forth constantly, but were only beeped maybe 5 times all week. It was a wonderful break for us (especially DW). At the end of the week, the kids put on a talent show. What a hoot! DD did a hula-hoop act with a couple of friends she found that week, and DS banged on a drum while the other kids in his group sang “twinkle twinkle little star”. Look for the video at a video store near you! We were glad the drum didn’t make it’s way back to the stateroom that night. The Food: We thoroughly enjoyed every meal in the dining room. Well almost. I made the mistake of ordering scallops with ziti one night. It tasted just like Kraft’s Mac and Cheese. LOL. Everyone else was eating lobster tail and I had my bowl of Mac and Cheese. I could have ordered something else I suppose, but decided to be gracious and finish. I was surprised I didn’t find a clown face at the bottom of my bowl! If I had to choose my favorite dish of the week, it would have to be the duck. YUMMY! The food in the Windjammer was ok. We ate breakfast there pretty much every morning. DW and I both thought the food could have been a bit warmer. We learned after a couple of days and just picked up the cold food. That way we knew what to expect. The Shows: DW and I only hit 3 shows; The Love and Marriage Show, Quest, and the Ice Show (took the kids to this as well). The Love and Marriage Show was a lot of fun. We both REALLY enjoyed ourselves. I was rooting for the oldest couple (married 63 years), while DW was rooting for the couple married 25 years. I lost.. she won. Typical! I believe that Quest was the strangest show I’ve ever seen. It made the Rocky Horror Picture Show seem tame! DW LOVED it. I was just scared. Without giving anything away, I knew I was in over my head when some older lady shoved her false teeth right into my hand! :eek: At that point I looked at DW and said, “I think I’ll go get the kids, have fun!” She did… The Ice Show was to die for. I’m not a big fan of stuff like that, but this was truly a spectacle to see. The kids loved it, but DD got a bit chilly, so if you do take the kids, they might want to wear jeans or a light jacket. Another note: get in line early for the tickets. I got there about 8:30 (they start passing out around 9:00ish) and the line was pretty long already. I would recommend about 8:20. Spa: DW had her spa treatment and said it was incredible. She had some spinach wrap thingy treatment. It was a bit pricey, but she said it was totally worth it. Now I know what to buy her for her upcoming birthdays!! Thank you RRCL! :) Nightlife: We are not really into this too much but there were a couple of things that really stuck out. One night we went to the Schooner bar where my sister ended up playing the piano for the crowd. I never realized how good she was. Give her a drink and she’s good for a couple more songs. :-P We brought DS down because he is really into music and thought he might enjoy it. Next thing I knew he was up on stage with my sister holding the microphone and babbling in time to the music. It was hysterical. We got him off stage pretty quick, but it was cute while it lasted. I hit the casino one night and it wasn’t bad. It seemed pretty typical. I played 3 card poker and dropped $100 in about an hour so I took that as I sign I shouldn’t be there. Oh well, maybe next time. The Ports: First stop was Haiti, where we went snorkeling. I’ve never gone before so I was a bit nervous (I have an intense fear of deep water). DW loves it (can you tell she is the adventurous one?) DD got a little scared so didn’t stay out long. DS didn’t go into the water so he sat on my lap while DW was in the water. He was happy slamming down virgin rum punches like a real pro. I finally made it into the water but as soon as I entered I swore I heard the music from Jaws. :confused: But I did it, I conquered my fear and can cross that puppy off my bucket list. Next stop was Jamaica where we spent the morning at Shaw Park Beach. This was the excursion for me! Laying out under a palm tree with a book in one hand and a beer in the other! Ahhhh! DD had a marvelous time in the water. She swam, collected seashells and made sand animals. She was disappointed the waves weren’t higher like on the Jersey shore, but liked how clear the water was. And DS went ballistic for the water. Normally he would be in for 10 minutes and then get out. Not here…. He stayed in for almost the entire time. It was great to watch. Then it was on the Grand Cayman. We did the Nautilus submarine (semi-submersible) and butterfly farm. The sub was cool. I didn’t think I would enjoy it, but I really did. We got a lot of great pictures of parrot fish and shipwrecks. The butterfly farm was pretty lame. That was until one landed on DW rear and everyone stood in line to take pictures. She had the most popular butt on the tour! :cool: And finally Cozumel. We did the Dolphin Encounter. Let me tell ya, it’s a bit pricey but definitely worth it! It was amazing. Ixchele was a beautiful animal and so good with all of us, especially the boy. The trainers were extremely helpful in getting DS up close and personal with our new maritime friend. We knew he loved it because when I got home he slept with the stuffed dolphin we bought him instead of Mickey Mouse. Disembarkation: The only thing I have to say is WHAT A PIECE OF CAKE! Simple and quick. We were off the boat in 15 minutes. Any questions, please feel free to ask… Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrp96 Posted September 30, 2008 #2 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Thank you for the wonderful review. Oh and just so your DW doesn't laugh at you, it was probably a SEAWEED wrap and not a spinach wrap.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaseyoz Posted September 30, 2008 #3 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Haha, I was going to mention the seaweed wrap too. How wonderful that you all had a great time and is a great testiment to the staff that even your son was comfortable even out of his normal routine and environment. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nanfromatlanta Posted September 30, 2008 #4 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Wonderful review. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lionesss Posted September 30, 2008 #5 Share Posted September 30, 2008 You wrote a great review, thanks for posting. I bet you miss the Mariner as we do. Tiil next cruise 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising forever Posted September 30, 2008 #6 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Thanks for the fabulous review.....so glad that both of your kids had such a great time; makes it that much better for the 2 of you... We're finally inching closer to our Mariner cruise............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaHappy Posted October 1, 2008 #7 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Great review! Our kids are coming with us in March, and they are the same ages as yours! You've got me very excited to check out the Mariner. And I'm so glad that your kids enjoyed Adventure Ocean. They sound like mine - just loved to go there every day! RC must be doing something right with their AO program! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL-JW Posted October 1, 2008 #8 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Thanks for the well done (and funny) review. We'll be sailing Mariner when she comes around to the west coast next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin Dave Posted October 1, 2008 #9 Share Posted October 1, 2008 The Shows:I believe that Quest was the strangest show I’ve ever seen. It made the Rocky Horror Picture Show seem tame! DW LOVED it. I was just scared. Without giving anything away, I knew I was in over my head when some older lady shoved her false teeth right into my hand! :eek: At that point I looked at DW and said, “I think I’ll go get the kids, have fun!” She did… Rob Thanks for the warning. I would be leaving after this happened, too.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator0178 Posted October 1, 2008 #10 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Thanks for the review! We left her in good shape for you! We were getting off as you were getting on!!:( I know they had to restock the food and alcohol!!:eek: :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2drummerboys Posted October 1, 2008 #11 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Great review. We leave in a few weeks for our cruise. I have a few questions for you. 1. About the cab ride over on your embarkation day. Which cab service did you use? 2. Did you keep your Adventure Ocean compasses for the children? If so, would you send them to me? 3. Did you and your spouse have dinner in one of the speciality resturants? What about Johnny Rockets? 4. Did you book your tours from the cruise? Thanks for the answers. It sounds like you all had an awesome time. I am doing the countdown dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance32 Posted October 1, 2008 #12 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Hi, Just wanted to say hello. MY BF best friend, is a nurse who worked with austistic teens during nursing school. I would sometimes go along on excursions to help out. I just want to say that I am so glad that the world is learning about autism. In 1992 it seemed like the dark ages, sometimes people would freak out when the kids got loud etc. Hope all goes well, you might want to check out jenny Mccarthys new book about autism and her son. Also Animals can have a great effect with some kids. There are horseback riding programs, for the kids. Some of the nonverbal kids loved the horses and it seemed to make them very happy. Try the Fredom class on RCCLI, as your daughter sAID, IT IS LIKE A MANSION THAT FLOATS. PEACE, LANCE 32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merion_Mom Posted October 1, 2008 #13 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Rob, I really enjoyed reading your review. You sold yourself short when you claimed that you weren't much of a writer! Very engaging! :) But you really had me scratching my head at one thing: Hi all, We just got off Mariner of the Seas on Sunday and had a WONDERFUL time. I thought I’d write a quick review to return the favor for all those who have helped us with their reviews. I hope you all enjoy. I’m not much of a writer, but hope you can extract some useful info out of it… Pre-cruise: The four of us; myself (46), DW (37), DD (9), and DS (who is autistic) (5) arrived in Orlando 2 days prior to our departure (9/21/08). Being from PA we were not accustomed to the humidity and couldn’t wait to get into some air conditioned room. Are you KIDDING me? Summer = humidity here. :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxsonbrownie Posted October 1, 2008 #14 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Great Review! It brought back great memories of when we sailed on her, thank you!:) Jax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tralynn222 Posted October 1, 2008 #15 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Awesome Review!!! We'll be on her in FOUR days and reading this review has got the excitement flowing. I'm curious to know about the taxi you took over to the port as well. Did you arrange it the morning of or the night before ? Thanks again for the laugh this morning!! :) :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
med9114u Posted October 1, 2008 #16 Share Posted October 1, 2008 The morning of embarkation, we took a taxi to the port. We arrived at about 10:30 and were on the ship by 11:15. It was fast, efficient and extremely well coordinated. Did you arrange the taxi ahead of time, or that a.m? Did you have to call the taxi service or did the hotel arrange it for you-and do you remember the cab service? How much did it cost for the taxi also? Thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider731 Posted October 1, 2008 Author #17 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Thanx all, glad you enjoyed the write up... Since I don't know how to include the posts in this response, I'm just going to try to answer as many of the questions I saw in this one response. Hope that works. Here goes... I can't recall the name of the taxi service to the port. My sister arranged that. She arranged it a few weeks in advance and the cost was $5.00 per person (+ tip of course). I will ask her and see if I can get that info... Sorry, I didn't keep any of the compasses. I wanted to but forgot... sorry. I remembered on the flight home. :eek: We did eat one night in Johnny Rockets. Very enjoyable. DW and DD got up and danced with the wait staff. DS enjoyed it too but took one look at his mother making a fool out of herself and yelled, "ALL DONE!!" :D As far as shore excursions, we did book them through the cruise line. It worked out well. It was a lot of "hurry up and wait" but imagine it would be the same no matter how you booked. As far as humidity, I guess it was just a shock going from Sept in PA to Sept in Florida... Also thanks for setting me straight as far as the spinach / seaweed wrap. I would feel pretty stupid arranging a spa treatment and asking for a spinach wrap. They would probably tell me the deli is 3 blocks down... :rolleyes: Thanks all, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett824 Posted October 1, 2008 #18 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Great review! I'm so happy you all had such a nice vacation - especially your DS. I actually teared up a little when I read how much he was moved by the Dolphin experience. My best friend's son is autistic. I know how challenging it is. I will be on the Mariner in 11 days. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bambam2972 Posted October 1, 2008 #19 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Also Animals can have a great effect with some kids. There are horseback riding programs, for the kids. Some of the nonverbal kids loved the horses and it seemed to make them very happy. Sorry to go off topic, but I agree 100%. I volunteered at our local equestrian therapy barn and it was so rewarding. I worked with a teenager with autism and he was amazing. I said if I ever decide to go to graduate school, I'd like ABA (applied behavioral analysis) and in particular, autism to be my specialty. Topic? Thanks for the wonderful review!! I love the Mariner and am glad yall enjoyed it too! I can't wait to sail in less than 3 months! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider731 Posted October 1, 2008 Author #20 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Sorry to go off topic, but I agree 100%. I volunteered at our local equestrian therapy barn and it was so rewarding. I worked with a teenager with autism and he was amazing. I said if I ever decide to go to graduate school, I'd like ABA (applied behavioral analysis) and in particular, autism to be my specialty. We took the boy to a horse ranch with his sister and put him on one. He absolutely adored the experience. The trainer was discussing equine therapy with us. It is something we're considering looking into... I wish you luck if you decide to specialize in autism. I can see it being such a rewarding career... Good luck, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merion_Mom Posted October 1, 2008 #21 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Thanx all, glad you enjoyed the write up... Since I don't know how to include the posts in this response, I'm just going to try to answer as many of the questions I saw in this one response. Hope that works. Rob Rob, if you want to quote someone's post in your response, don't click on the "reply to thread" button on the left. Click on the "quote" button on the right. And if you want to quote more than one post in your reply, click on the *"+* button next to the *quote* button. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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