Mariner LIVE! - 09/30 to 10/04/2019 - Back to the Suite Life!

[Notaworryintheworld]

48 minutes ago, ValleyCruiser said:

For breakfast our first full day aboard we went to Chops Grille for breakfast. The thing I liked best about the experience was that I felt the service was a bit faster than in the MDR. However, DW felt that her Eggs Benedict was a little too crisp ("like it was done in a steakhouse," said she) and DS didn't like the syrup they used for his pancakes; I don't know where he got to be such a food critic suddenly!

 

Anyway, we made the decision that we'd try the MDR for breakfast the next day.

 

For lunch, DS and I went back to the Suite Lounge, which by the way was a great venue to catch up on email and sit in a quiet place. DS liked the snacks and things there, and always came with me went I decided to go there. Later in the day, I had a Coney Dog (#1) from the Boardwalk Dog House with grilled onions, mayo, mustard, and relish, along with a side of potato salad. That worked for me as hungry as I was. This food venue was aft of the main pools on the port side of the ship.

I didn’t know chops was open for breakfast! Is it only for suite guests? Does it cost extra? Thanks for the awesome review! 

[GTO-Girl]

7 hours ago, ValleyCruiser said:

The next day was our first stop at Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and according to our Concierge, Sukriti, this was the first sailing for the ship stopping at the private island twice in one sailing. We had originally planned this as our sea day before Royal made the itinerary change, so we opted to stay on board and relax, first in the Suite Lounge, and then in the ship arcade and at the waterslides. DD had a bit of time in the ship's main pools open to everyone, but didn't like it as she prefers freshwater pools to saltwater.

 

We discovered a bit of an issue later that day in our stateroom. DD has very long African-American hair, which she inherited from her mother, but also very thick, curly, and easily tangled African-American hair, which she inherited from me. The result is long, beautiful, think African-American hair that is NOT strait and is a handful to tame! Unfortunately, the weak hair dryer in the suite was unable to do much for DD's hair, and DW took over 2 hours trying to get it back to a manageable state, and spent the next few hours lamenting that we weren't able to bring our own, much more powerful, hair dryer onboard! Royal, y'all need to change this policy or at least make an exception for those of us who need it! LOL!

 

Anyway, we didn't go to the private island, but had a nice relaxing day aboard. I did get a shot of the island from the ship, though.

love your review...but FYI...you can always bring your own hairdryer 

[STANMELB]

2 hours ago, Notaworryintheworld said:

I didn’t know chops was open for breakfast! Is it only for suite guests? Does it cost extra? Thanks for the awesome review! 

 

No cost. Open for Full Suite guests and Pinnacles.

[ValleyCruiser]

58 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

love your review...but FYI...you can always bring your own hairdryer 

Yep, I was notified earlier in the thread. CC always comes through! We should've asked ahead of time.

[ValleyCruiser]

Here is a pic of the little dog our suite attendant set out for us upon returning to our suite at the end of Day 2. The children have always enjoyed the towel animals we've had left in our staterooms whenever we've cruised, and this cruise was no different. They were always excited to see what was created.

Edited October 4, 2019 by ValleyCruiser

[perfect match]

Great review! I really have to get us booked on her while she’s still here in Port Canaveral.  😀 🛳

[loverofpv]

Thanks for sharing your trip so far..we will be on the Mariner on the 14th of October, we were on her last year in October too and loved it.  

 

[ValleyCruiser]

On Wednesday, Day 3 of our cruise, we were due to dock in Nassau, Bahamas around 8:00 a.m., and get clearance to go ashore at 8:30. As usual, with our pre-teens dragging their feet, we were running behind. I wanted to go ashore as early as possible so our self-guided walk from the pier to the Queen's Staircase, which I had visited before, wouldn't be during the hottest portion of the day. I also intended to do a little shopping to help the local economy since the Bahamas were hit really hard when Dorian passed through a few weeks ago.

 

Being that we were running behind, our decision the previous day to get breakfast in the MDR on Deck 3 seemed like a sound one. We got to the MDR about 10 minutes before they closed the doors at 9:30 a.m. They had a sign upon entering that pointed patrons to either the "A La Carte" section or the "Buffet" section. We chose the "A La Carte" section, understanding that while we could order certain foods hot, the majority of the items available would be on the buffet which had been set up in the middle of the room.

 

We were seated quickly, a waiter brought us our choice of juice, among the choices apple or orange, already poured in these tiny glasses, and another waiter took our order of eggs made to order, either Eggs Benedict or Omelets. Everything else was at the buffet: assorted pastries, toast, parfaits, fruit, assorted yogurts, cereals, including granola, pancakes or French toast with syrup, along with fruit and whipped cream topping at another station, as well as other hot items served buffet-style like bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, pre-made cheese omelets, and hash browns. In perusing the menu it appeared that if we had gotten there earlier there additional items we could have had made to order, including pancakes and French toast.

 

Either way, we got our orders in and I again ordered Eggs Benedict. Overall, the buffet items were decent, but I prefer my breakfasts customized, the way I like them, and the Eggs Benedict in the MDR seemed a bit too bland for my tastes, and like they weren't made with precision and possible as part of a batch along with other diners. I don't know this to be true, I'm just stating how I felt about them. I then decided I would probably give Chops Grille another chance for breakfast and chalked DW's experience the previous day to a one-time issue.

 

I did like the selection in the MDR, though, and here is a menu of what was available.

[TPCRUISER2]

ValleyCruiser: If you get a chance could you please find out How long your Cruise Director Dan will be on the Mariner? Thanks in advance! Just realized you are getting off in the morning. 

Edited October 4, 2019 by TPCRUISER2
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[kelbell]

Do you know if the Mariner has the "late night snacks" in windjammer

I know some ships are trying this.

Great review we have a family tripped planned 12/2/19 (15 of us)

[loveg]

This is a great review and helps me. We are Suite guest for the 1st time on Mariners and was wondering about the experience. We have been Suite on other ships including Oasis class.