New to RCI, Considering

[CHIEB2812]

Hello! We're Princess cruisers (4) and have sailed with Carnival also. We had a horrible trip on the Star Princess due to the Swine Flue etc. etc. Needless to say, we wanted to take a shorter 7 day Mexican Riviera in 2010 before Hawaii in 2011. We have always wanted to try RCI and the prices for March are comparable to Carnival. Is there anything you could tell me to sway my vote? It would be on Mariner of the Seas, which looks like a really cool ship, but we're not too familiar with the service, entertainment, food etc. is like with RCI. Is there anyone out there who could compare the two for me? We want a balcony and there will be 3 of us, I assume the sofa pulls out? How comfy is it? Are the balconies pretty large? And I noticed on another thread that Johnny Rockets you have to pay for, are all restaurants like that? Do they have a nice buffet? Is it 24 hours? How about room service? Princess only has a few options and almost nothing for breakfast, can you order a hot breakfast from room service, and most importantly (to me:D) how is the coffee? Is it as bad as Princess? What other beverages are complimentary? WHEW! That's a lot of questions, thank you so much in advance!!!! -The Goldston's-

[DHADEN]

Ok, I'll attempt this:

 

Hello! We're Princess cruisers (4) and have sailed with Carnival also. We had a horrible trip on the Star Princess due to the Swine Flue etc. etc. Needless to say, we wanted to take a shorter 7 day Mexican Riviera in 2010 before Hawaii in 2011. We have always wanted to try RCI and the prices for March are comparable to Carnival.

Is there anything you could tell me to sway my vote?

It would be on Mariner of the Seas, which looks like a really cool ship, but we're not too familiar with the service, entertainment, food etc. is like with RCI.

Is there anyone out there who could compare the two for me?

 

The Mariner IS a really cool ship - you will LOVE her and be WOWED by her! The reason we cruise RCI now is because the service is so much better than the other lines. The entertainment and food, etc. is going to be about the same.

 

We want a balcony and there will be 3 of us, I assume the sofa pulls out?

How comfy is it?

 

If you get the E1 or the D1, they have the sofa-beds. Look at the deck plans and the symbols for that to pick your cabin. They are as comfortable as you would expect.

 

Are the balconies pretty large?

 

Again, look at the deck plans and see - some are larger than others. Mostly they are 41 sq. ft. on the E & D catagories.

 

And I noticed on another thread that Johnny Rockets you have to pay for, are all restaurants like that?

 

There are "Specialty Restuarants" like the J.R., Portofinos, and Chops where you will pay extra. The regular D.R., Promenade Cafe, and Windjammer (buffet) are included.

 

Do they have a nice buffet?

Is it 24 hours?

 

The Windjammer is ok - not as good as the Princess, but better than Carnival. And NO, unfortunately, it is not 24 hours.

 

How about room service? Princess only has a few options and almost nothing for breakfast, can you order a hot breakfast from room service

and most importantly (to me) how is the coffee? Is it as bad as Princess?

 

RCI room service is really good, but sometimes it takes a long time to get delivery (over an hour). For breakfast, you can get eggs & bacon/sausage, etc. -- fill out a card the night before with what you want and when to deliver.

The coffee sucks like on all ships we've been on.

 

What other beverages are complimentary?

 

Iced Tea/Hot Tea, lemonade, milk, and at breakfast, they have juices (orange, apple, etc.)

 

WHEW! That's a lot of questions, thank you so much in advance!!!! -The Goldston's-

 

Hope This Helps.

[skandls]

I have not been on Carnival in many years but I can answer some questions about the Mariner of the Seas. You will be spoiled by the layout of the ship. Things are easy to find and the Promenade is a great place to do 'stuff'. Coffee (especially at Sorrento's is the best we have had on cruise ships - so much better than the Princess coffee). Food is available 24 hours. Sorrento's has a selection of pastries, sandwiches, pizza depending on the time of day. The Windjammer will close down one side to set up lunch when breakfast is winding down.

 

The buffet closes about 9 pm but Sorrentos is open until the wee hours. Johnny Rockets (4.95) has a cover charge. There are 2 other extra charge restaurants. Portofino's ($20) - Italian style fine dining and Chops ($25) the steak restaurant. The main dining room is free - you pay tips to the staff just like any other cruise. You can order breakfast - I don't so I can't tell you if there are 'hot' items on the menu. I go to the Promenade and get a couple of cups of coffee to go with a cinnamon roll or other danish.

 

I find the service to be excellent (most of the time). The staff seems to go out of their way to make sure you have a good time.

 

The Mariner has an ice rink and the ice skating show is great. The other entertainment is equal to the 'shows' on Princess. The showroom on the Mariner seems to be bigger so we did not have trouble finding seats for the shows even if we lingered over dinner.

[denamo]

We've only cruised RCI because we've been pleased. We've listened to cruisers while on board who have cruised other lines and they tell us the RCI is superior. There may be certain aspects of the various lines one prefers, but I liken it to enjoying certain foods at certain restaurants.

 

We are very happy RCI cruisers who have never had a bad cruise. Of course nothing is perfect and if you read everything on Cruise Critic, you'll be even more confused. ;) I'm often amazed at what bugs cruisers while on ship that they share here on CC. I love CC and it's source of information.

 

I say give RCI a try. We've cruised the Explorere and the Voyager which are sister ships to the Mariner. We love this class of ship. You can stay as busy or as relaxed as you choose.

 

Have a great cruise whatever you decide to do!

[fridaythe13th]

We were very surprised at how much we liked the coffee on the Mariner. It's really hard to say as everyone's taste for coffee is different. We're talking three sisters here and we all liked it. Try the coffee in the Cafe' Promenade. As you walk in there will be self serve over to your left. The pastries, pizza, etc are free and they are open 24 hours. Our morning room service was always on time or 10 minutes early. They will call you right before they arrive at the door. There are some cabins that have a pullman as opposed to a sofa bed. Johnny Rockets is a fun atmosphere. You can just walk by it to check it out if you don't want to eat there. Difinitely go exploring. There is some great artwork in the stairwells. I have pictures in my webshots link below if you are interested. Here is a link to the Navigator which is Mariner sister ship. The themes will be a little different but the ship itself is identical. http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-NOS-tour.html

[cb at sea]

Just know that unless you're in a suite with a real dining table, eating a full meal off either a knee-high coffee table or patio table is difficult!

[CHIEB2812]

Thank you everyone! Your responses have really helped. Hopefully our TA can get us a great deal on this one, I would really like to try RCI out, and the Mariner sounds like a great start! What is the difference between a pullman and a sofa sleeper? Is one more comfortable than the other? Which rooms would be your favorite for sleeping 3? And last question, do they all have covered balconies? We like covered balconies:p

[uksimonusa]

Thank you everyone! Your responses have really helped. Hopefully our TA can get us a great deal on this one, I would really like to try RCI out, and the Mariner sounds like a great start! What is the difference between a pullman and a sofa sleeper? Is one more comfortable than the other? Which rooms would be your favorite for sleeping 3? And last question, do they all have covered balconies? We like covered balconies:p

 

The pullmans, beads which drop down from the ceiling, on the Mariner balcony cabins, are above the head of the bed, a strange placement, in my opinion, I would look for a cabin with a sleeper sofa, all the balconies are covered

[CHIEB2812]

The pullmans, beads which drop down from the ceiling, on the Mariner balcony cabins, are above the head of the bed, a strange placement, in my opinion, I would look for a cabin with a sleeper sofa, all the balconies are covered

 

Ah ha, that clears it up! Nothing like climbing a ladder to get into bed! LOL. I'll take the sofa sleeper any day!:p