Mini Review Mariner 3/5 3/12

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Mini Review Mariner of the Seas 3/5

 

Well a bit of a background, this was our 14th cruise and we have cruised with Holland America, Carnival, NCL, Princess and RCCL We are platinum members of the crown and anchor society.

 

So let me start off with embarkation and disembarkation, both outstanding

 

Embarkation, very smooth, we got there about 1045 and there was a line of folks but as platinum members we went right to the front, a nice touch. Had done all our paperwork on line, presented our sign and sail paper work, credit card and passports and we were finished. Got on board by 1115 and the Windjammer was going to start serving lunch at 1145 started about 1130 actually.

 

Disembarkation, it goes by colors and by your flight times, travel arrangements. A couple of points here. Platinum members can choose the time they want to depart, you go to the guest relations desk, tell them the time and they give you the color tags. 0700 they attempt to get the first folks off, 720 we were off the ship. Oh a side note, around dinner time at the guest relations desk, they put out additional tags if you need them so if for some reason you don’t like when you are departing, just change them. They do have baggage come out by color with the exception of the folks who desire to lug their own luggage off the ship, they actually go first.

 

FOOD ok it has been my opinion in all my cruises that the food has been good, not great but good. I have always enjoyed the various options, selections and quality. If you are preparing 10000 plus meals a day, this is not gourmet dining. A couple of minor gripes here, we ate in the dining room one morning for breakfast, ( we don’t normally as we swim, and use the club and then go to the buffet breakfast), but opted for the eggs benedict, they were the worst I have ever had. From the sauce to the eggs. Most of the steaks, beef was good but rather bland tasting. Again this is my view of the world, not significant issues but an issue nonetheless. Overall, the dining experience was good, we did not eat in CHOPS or Portofino’s

 

SERVICE Dining room was ok, waiter was ok, we have had much better. This is said based on our knowledge of what is what, the asst, waiter was outstanding. The headwaiter was no where to be seen, not a bad thing but I don’t think we had one assigned to our area. Room steward team did a fantastic job.

 

SHOWS Good with the exception of the second show that the RCCL dancers and singers perform, rather sluggish never really seemed to get going. One funny aspect of the shows, performers. They have the groups playing music in some lousy locations, for example they will play music to dance to in the promenade area, but it becomes tactical dancing as you have to weave in and out of the folks walking through. Ellingtons has a small floor whereas the Lotus lounge was an excellent locaton

 

Ship staff, cruise director, Capt all where outstanding

 

Ships photographers, we thought they always seemed rushed and did not take great photos, in this day an age of the digital cameras, the can quickly see the results and then snap a new one, I saw many pictures of folks with eyes closed etc but I guess they are going for volume

 

Ship itself OUTSTANDING great concept, plenty to do and even with all the folks thee never seemed to be a long line for anything.

 

PORTS of Call we did san juan, st Thomas and st Maarten San Juan was a back up, back up port , we got there at 4 and left at 11. In my humble opinion, that was a lousy port of call and other folks echoed the same thing. The other two ports, outstanding, we went to st johns for snorkeling and rented a car in st Maarten Very windy the day we were there.

 

Well as I mentioned it is just a mini review, would we go again with RCCL you bet, would we cruise again on the Mariner You bet.

 

Overall cruise vacation outstanding