Review of Mariner - Sept. 17-24 - LONG!

[JanineM]

Mariner of the Seas

Eastern Caribbean

September 17 to 24, 2006

 

We were dropped off at the terminal around 12:15 pm and moved quickly through the lines. By 12:55 we were on our deck (7) and heading to our stateroom to drop off our carry ons.

 

A note here --- if you have not completed your Bahamas Immigration card, you are shuttled off to the side to complete the paperwork. You may also have to complete a form on whether or not you have been sick, and when you intend to depart the following Sunday.

 

STATEROOM: We were in Stateroom 7390, which is the second aft balcony on the starboard side of the ship. The stateroom had the usual amenities, but was a bit smaller than our last room (8350) so it had only a loveseat (not a sofa), and fewer shelves in the closet. We had plenty of room for our two large rollaboards, 1 carry on and 1 garment bag. The balcony, however, is really large. There were two regular chairs, a lounge chair, a chaise lounge and a small table. The bonus of having one of the aft balconies is the larger balcony size, however the down side was the lights from the crew balcony – they were left on all night, so you couldn’t leave your curtains open at night. Still, it was a great place to sit during the day – little wind, some sun, and always the sound of the water behind the boat. The aft balconies on the 7th deck are shaded most of the time. If you want sunshine, pick the 8th or 9th decks … they are better for suntanning.

 

Our stateroom attendant, Earl, was pleasant and very quiet but took good care of us and our cruise monkey.

 

RCCI is now filling the mini bars with different kinds of soda, bottled water, candy bars and snacks (all available at a price). We had extra Diet Cokes added, and ignored everything else.

 

 

FOOD: We were assigned table 568 in the Sound of Music Dining Room for early seating. This is a table for six, and we felt really lucky to be seated with two couples whose company we enjoyed. Plus, this table is beside the window, so we had beautiful views of the sunset many nights. Our waiter was Peter, and assistant waiter was Daniel. We did not see the Headwaiter even one time. On our last Mariner cruise, in March, our headwaiter was over every single night, answering questions and ensuring that I didn’t eat anything that I shouldn’t (I’m allergic to shellfish). This time, there were two of us with shellfish allergies and the only one who noted anything was Peter.

 

The food was good – some things were very good, other things were so so. But food is subjective, so I won’t go into much detail.

 

To avoid the shellfish, we ate in Chops on Lobster night, and it was excellent as always. Our only disappointment was when the waitress told us that they had run out of Mississippi Mud Pie. Guess we’ll have to eat there earlier in the week if we want our pick of desserts.

 

We had room service for breakfast two mornings, and ate in the Windjammer the rest of the time. We also tried the Brasserie 30 for lunch on Saturday, and they had some different things. The only complaint about lunch in the dining room is the time it takes. Brasserie 30 is designed to provide lunch in 30 minutes or less. And they would have made it if people weren’t ordering two or three entrees. One entrée would be brought as the appetizer, then the soup, then finally the lunch, and then dessert.

 

Johnny Rockets is always on our list, and we had a feast of their french fries and onion rings one day. I think I will have to run 100 miles to lose the calories from that one.

 

My husband really enjoys the Promenade Café, and he picks up coffee and sweet rolls for us each morning. He also likes their pizza. It’s not New York style, but it is pizza!

 

PORTS OF CALL:

 

Coco Cay: A nice island, and it was very hot with little wind. There were many jellyfish in the water, but they were harmless. I was stung under the arm and it was just a bit itcy and uncomfortable for a few minutes. The water is crystal clear and really warm. The barbeque lunch was good, but it was just too hot to stay on the island all day.

 

St. Thomas: We wandered around the stores and bought a couple of shirts. Then we took the gondola up to the top of the mountain and took pictures of the beautiful view. This can be purchased at an excursion price on the ship. Since we’re not big jewellery or watch shoppers, there wasn’t much to hold our attention on the island. Instead, we went back to the ship and used the gym.

 

St. Maarten: I took the Butterfly Farm tour and did some shopping in Marigot (French side). My husband was scheduled to take the America’s Cup Sailing Excursion and was looking forward to it --- but it was cancelled due to lack of wind. :( He was quite disappointed, and by the time he found out about the cancellation, I was on the other side of the island.

 

I would not rent a car in St. Maarten unless you are pretty familiar with narrow mountainous roads – it reminded me of driving around Ronda in Spain. Good thing I was on a bus!

 

The Butterfly Farm is very interesting and they have some gorgeous specimens that you may not see other places. If you are interested in horticulture or butterflies, it is worth a visit. Shopping in Marigot was a disappointment to me. There is a nice new mall, with super expensive shops and hauty shopgirls. There is a straw market that had some different items, but again, the prices seemed high. I finally found good prices on shirts and tableclothes in the booths right by the ship.

 

ENTERTAINMENT:

 

We actually saw several of the shows.

SUNDAY: Welcome Aboard Show: John Wing was the comedian, and he was pretty funny. Wish we could have stayed up late enough to see his late-night show on Monday.

 

MONDAY: Coco Cay, Bahamas & Formal Night

Judy Kolba was the headliner. She’s not much of a singer, but she is very entertaining. We also went to the Captain’s Welcome Aboard reception and watched part of Monday Night football in the 19th Hole. Go Jags!!! We met some interesting folks in the Connaisseur Club – which is no longer just a cigar bar, it is the site for the Texas Hold-Em games.

 

TUESDAY: Sea Day

Our Cruise Critic group had a cabin crawl after the Meet & Mingle. :p This was great – we met everyone and saw so many different cabins. It was terrific to see familiar faces throughout the week. Surprisingly, every one made it through all of the cabins, although I think several people had a pretty long nap that afternoon.

That evening we went to the Front Row show with the RCCI Singers & Dancers. They are okay, but not really our favourite type of entertainment.

Tuesday is also Quest Night and that was a riot. Very funny. Leave the kiddies in the stateroom and be prepared to laugh.

 

WEDNESDAY: St. Thomas

I think the Crown & Anchor Welcome Back reception was on Wednesday – the days all seem to blur together. Love & Marriage was on late in the evening. It was funny. Well worth seeing. The elder couple, married 50 years, were very sweet.

 

THURSDAY: St. Maarten

Hal Frazier was the headliner. He has a lovely singing voice and is a good entertainer.

 

FRIDAY: Sea Day & Formal Night (Lobster)

A busy day at sea. We walked a mile in the morning, then went to the Ballroom Dance Class to “Learn to Cha Cha”. The poor instructor --- there were about 45 people there and 42 of us had left feet! I took a scrapbook workshop in Ellington’s in the afternoon. We also attended the Wine Tasting in the Rhapsody in Blue dining room in the afternoon. Unfortunately, probably 200 people showed up and they were set for maybe a hundred. They kept on setting out more glasses, pouring more wine, and people kept walking in. THEN those who arrived 20 minutes late spent the whole time loudly complaining about the wine. I felt for the Wine Steward – it was her birthday and she was only trying to accommodate all of the rude latecomers. Anyway, once she got started it was interesting and I learned a bit about wine.

 

We went to Ice Under The Big Top that evening, and it was good. There was a comment made that this was the last week for this show. Those cruising next week may have something different!

 

SATURDAY: Sea Day

We walked another mile or two to try to burn off one or two slices of pizza. Then we sat through part of the Art Auction, watching with disbelief as people paid thousands of dollars for prints. I guess I know nothing about art …

 

We did attend the Farewell Show and it was fine. A lot of the show revolved around Kirk (Cruise Director), then Captain Johnny spoke, then there was a comedian, and finally a big song and dance piece with member of the cast and crew. All in all, the last show was probably the weakest, but it seemed like people were stuffed to the gills after seven days of food.

 

DISEMBARKMENT:

We chose to self-disembark. We left the ship at 7:30 am and were through Customs by 7:40 am. If you choose to do this you must be able to carry your bags, or take the elevator. They will not allow you to roll your baggage or place it on the steps of the escalator. Just another reason to pack light!

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

 

No Hurricanes during the week that is known as the height of hurricane season! All that knocking wood, crossing fingers and prayers worked. The weather was lovely. Yes, it was hot and humid - but it is still September and we were in the tropics! We had no rain, but some cloud on Saturday.

 

Cruise Director Kirk really seemed to be everywhere. He’s got a lot of energy! Most of the staff were wonderful and friendly.

 

Due to Hurricane Helene swirling around in the Atlantic, there were some moderately rough waters, and some people were sick. I am prone to motion sickness and wear the patch, so felt blessed to have no problems. We were definitely rocked to sleep every night.

 

We heard that there had been a leak in one of the swimming pools on Friday night, and forty cabins were flooded.

 

No one had Norovirus as far as I know, but they do have the hand sanitizers out at every food location. Folks – use this for your benefit and others. I saw a few ladies sneak by it because they claimed they had just washed their hands. But since then they had touched elevator buttons, stairwell railings, and so on.

 

Saw nor heard of any problems with people packing liquor, irons, coffee pots, etc. in their checked baggage.

 

Our only wish is that RCCI would start enforcing some of the rules. There were pool monitors around removing items from chairs, but the posted dress code was rarely (if ever) enforced, and people were smoking in the halls and in elevator lobbies. It was commonplace to see someone walk into Windjammer in their soaking wet bathing suit, then watch as they sat on a cushioned chair - leaving a wet seat for the next person. Most maddening was when people wandered in late to activities and the leaders would stop what they were doing and go back to the beginning, just for the benefit of one or two people who decided to show up at 3:20 instead of 3 pm.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful cruise and we do think Mariner is a magnificent ship. We’re ready to try something different, so may go on a Celebrity cruise next time.

 

I’m happy to answer any questions!

[powelweb]

Loved your review- we're sailing on the eastern itinerary in Nov and can't wait.

 

Did you have kids in the AP program? If so, can you comment on the staff and activities for your particular age group(s)?

 

really appreciated your lay out of activities for the week.

 

Happy sailing,

Wendy

[JanineM]

Wendy,

 

We don't have kids, so I can't really comment on the children's programs. There were a few families with the Cruise Critic group and I suspect some of them will post reviews in the next day or two.

 

We did see some of the children's activities and they all seemed to be having fun. Plus we never saw kids roaming the halls or hanging around with nothing to do!

[Inshape]

You made my day telling us that it is the last week of the ice show. Although i loved it once before i n jan it is great to get to see another. YEAHHHHHHH! Disappointed that you also said Front Row was the production show.... that I will skip this time and go do something else. The other entertainment seems to be different so... I am happy!

[collegekid]

I enjoyed your detailed review! Makes me very excited to sail on the Mariner!

[frogfuzz]

Water baby, thanks so much for this review it has been very helpful to me. Sorry for all the questions but I really appreciate any info

 

I am a walker also, where did you walk? the track or is there a deck where you can walk around the ship. I like to do this at night after dinner or right before bed.

 

What is Brasserie 30? Have not heard anything on this

 

Did you find the ship a crowded feeling? First time on a large ship and curious

 

Did you notice if the gondola price was the same as the ship xcursion price?

 

Was Cafe Promende 24 hour food?

 

Anything else you can think of to share would be great.

[JanineM]

I am a walker also, where did you walk? the track or is there a deck where you can walk around the ship. I like to do this at night after dinner or right before bed.

 

What is Brasserie 30? Have not heard anything on this

 

Did you find the ship a crowded feeling? First time on a large ship and curious

 

Did you notice if the gondola price was the same as the ship xcursion price?

 

Was Cafe Promende 24 hour food?

 

Anything else you can think of to share would be great.

 

There is a walking/jogging track on Deck 12 - 5.25 laps equals a mile. We always found it easiest to walk either early in the morning, or in the evening. There are deck chairs everywhere and if you walk in the middle of the day it is really, really HOT, and you also have to fight your way around the sunbathers. You can also walk on 4th deck outside, but you aren't allowed to jog there. And there are many excellent quality treadmills in the Ship Shape center. We use these on port days, just because it can be difficult to run on the treadmill when the ship is moving.

 

Brasserie 30 was new to us this time. It is in the dining room at lunch only. They have a limited selection of lunch menu items, and the intent is that it will take you only 30 minutes to have lunch. It was more like an hour for us, but I think we would have had far better luck if we were seated at a smaller table. The Brasserie 30 items are available through Room Service at lunch.

 

The ship was jam packed - 3400 passengers plus crew - but there were few times when it felt crowded. You wait and wait to get up the stairs after the Muster Drill on Sunday afternoon, and it was often an exercise in patience when entering or leaving some of the big shows or going through the Windjammer for breakfast. The ship is very well designed. The Promenade is 4 or 5 stories high, so even if there are a lot of people around and in the shops, you don't feel closed in. Sometimes there is a crush of people waiting for tenders or the gangplank, but 80% of the time you would not know that you are travelling with thousands of people.

 

It was cheaper to buy the gondola ride through the excursions desk ($15 compared to $18 for adults). If you wear good shoes, you can hike around at the top.

 

Promenade Cafe is available 24 hours a day. Pizza isn't available all the time (11 am to 3 am - I think). They did have some good desserts that I didn't see elsewhere, and the little apple turnovers and cinammon rolls are good. They also have some fruit, sandwiches, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. There is also ice water available at the back of the cafe.

 

My only tip is to read through the Cruise Compass with an open mind, and plan to try things you haven't done before. I had to drag DH to the dance lessons, but in the end he enjoyed it. It's your vacation - do as little or as much as you like!

[frogfuzz]

Thanks for the info , very helpful

 

I talked hubs into dance lessons last 2 cruises and we slept thru both of them. We very much plop and read during the sea day, Big luxuries for us we don't get to do at home.

[PirateGal]

Water Baby: Does the Bahamas Immigration and Sickness forms come with all the paperwork from your TA or is it something seperate you have to pick up at boarding time?

 

We are very close to booking the Mariner for Feb!

 

Thanks!

[jillusf]

:D I was on the Mariner in mid August and loved every minute of it. :D There was so much to do at all times. Being a college student I loved that they had a dance club on board aimed at my age group. I was there every night till close.

The food there was awesome. Must have gained 5 lbs. Our waiter was amazing as well. We really got to know a lot about her by the end of the cruise. We were in the Sound of Music dining room, which is the top floor dining room. Gorgeous.

The ports were awesome. I had never been to any of the ports before.

JAMAICA: if you want to go to dun river falls, dont book it through the cruise line. Get a cab driver to drive you there, rent water shoes. and its only 15 bucks to get in. you can go to the beach or climb the falls. plus you dont have to stay with any groups, you can do it yourself.

 

Our cruise directer was Becky. She was great, so funny and was a great host. She put on a lot of funny shows.

 

OVERALL: AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[lephysteria]

Water Baby: Does the Bahamas Immigration and Sickness forms come with all the paperwork from your TA or is it something seperate you have to pick up at boarding time?

 

We are very close to booking the Mariner for Feb!

 

Thanks!

 

 

I can answer that :)

It is handed to you a second before you go into the cruise terminal, and you have to fill it out in advance to getting through the line.

 

There are employees all throughout the line to make sure all your papers are filled out.

 

I did NOT enjoy embarkation on this cruise.

The cruise itself, however, was THE BEST I've ever taken.

My review link is in my signature, along with the pictures during the week.

 

:)

[jules815]

We thought we had filled out all the appropriate info for our last cruise -- had everything we received from RC filled out in advance (Bahamas imigration cards, etc.) and then still had to fill something out at the port. I think it may have been about illness, but I can't remember.

[Linzybrooke]

Thanks for your review! We are sailing in the Mariner in June on the Eastern itinerary and can't wait!

[JanineM]

Water Baby: Does the Bahamas Immigration and Sickness forms come with all the paperwork from your TA or is it something seperate you have to pick up at boarding time?

 

We are very close to booking the Mariner for Feb!

 

Thanks!

 

The Bahamas immigration cards (one per passenger) comes with your docs. When we got to the initial x-ray scanner, we were handed two more forms - one asking if you were or had been sick in the last few days, the other concerning your departure time the following Sunday. I managed to complete both in about a minute, using DH's back as a clipboard. :) They don't ask too many questions, but they will make you go sit to the side if you don't have them ready to go.

 

You will LOVE this ship!!!

[JanineM]

I can answer that :)

II did NOT enjoy embarkation on this cruise.

The cruise itself, however, was THE BEST I've ever taken.

My review link is in my signature, along with the pictures during the week.

 

:)

 

Gee, I'm surprised you had problems with embarkation. Port Canaveral is generally praised as one of the easiest ports to go through. We arrived during one of the busiest times - 12:30 pm - and were on board and in our cabin in 25 minutes. For our previous cruise we arrived an hour later and were in our cabin in under 15 minutes!

[plantocruise]

What night would you suggest for Portafino's or Chops? We are doing the eastern next week on her and I was wondering which night had the weakest menu to schedule Portafino.

Thanks

[Di22]

We are leaving Saturday to Orlando for the Mariner. I told everyone 2 formal nights and the rest casual. In the docs received from RCCL it stated a semi formal/or where the men have to wear a jacket. Did the men wear jackets on another night? Please let me know since it will be all my fault if I tell everyone the wrong thing lol!

[bpear1600]

3400 is nothing compared to the 3600 pax on the Mariner the second time we were on the ship.

 

It was crowded everywhere especially in the mall area at night.

[mrsdiznee]

We are leaving Saturday to Orlando for the Mariner. I told everyone 2 formal nights and the rest casual. In the docs received from RCCL it stated a semi formal/or where the men have to wear a jacket. Did the men wear jackets on another night? Please let me know since it will be all my fault if I tell everyone the wrong thing lol!

 

We are also leaving on the 10/1/06 Mariner. I had also read on the boards that there was no longer a Smart Casual night. :confused: Last year there was 2 Formal, 1 Smart Casual and 4 Casual. Is there still a Smart Casual night? Thanks for the info.

[lephysteria]

On our sailing there was a smart casual night. I did not see men wearing jackets.

 

Naren wore a long sleeve dress shirt, no tie, and docker pants. He looked dashing :)

And no one thought badly of his attire ...... until later that night when he managed to spill dinner all over himself .... but that's another story :rolleyes: :D

 

So, in answer to your question, men usually don't follow that dress code with the coat. A dress shirt and slacks will be fine! :)

 

You can check out our Mariner pics and review in the links in my signature :)

The Mariner is a great ship. You're going to have a great cruise!

[lephysteria]

Gee, I'm surprised you had problems with embarkation. Port Canaveral is generally praised as one of the easiest ports to go through. We arrived during one of the busiest times - 12:30 pm - and were on board and in our cabin in 25 minutes. For our previous cruise we arrived an hour later and were in our cabin in under 15 minutes!

 

 

Hi,

 

:)

Please don't misunderstand, it did not take long to get on the ship. I did not care for embarkation because everywhere we went, that we encountered people in the lines, we were SHOUTED at, and bossed around. We felt like we were disobedient 4 year olds being scolded by our grandparents (older folks working in the port).

 

There was one employee, a Janet Ohlsen, and she was very nice and pleasant. I wish she could have had many clones running around the port that day! :rolleyes:

 

:)

[JanineM]

We are leaving Saturday to Orlando for the Mariner. I told everyone 2 formal nights and the rest casual. In the docs received from RCCL it stated a semi formal/or where the men have to wear a jacket. Did the men wear jackets on another night? Please let me know since it will be all my fault if I tell everyone the wrong thing lol!

 

That is correct - 2 formal and the rest are casual. When we were on Mariner in the spring there was a "smart casual" night, but that is gone.

 

HOWEVER - if you plan to eat in Portofinos or Chops, the suggested dress there IS smart casual.

 

Hope you have wonderful weather and a terrific time!!!

[JanineM]

What night would you suggest for Portafino's or Chops? We are doing the eastern next week on her and I was wondering which night had the weakest menu to schedule Portafino.

Thanks

 

Well, it's pretty subjective - but I'll try to give you a bit of guidance. We went on Lobster night (Friday) because I'm allergic to shellfish and we had a bad experience last cruise.

 

Many people think that Caribbean night is the weakest - and I think that is Thursday Night. My husband wasn't entirely thrilled with his meal on Italian night.

 

You may want to stop in to Chops or Portofinos on Sunday afternoon and ask the host or hostess which night is which. They have a list of the different cuisines that are served in the dining room every night. Both of those restaurants only allow 80 guests each evening, so they do fill up. You will want to make a reservation sooner rather than later.

 

Hope this helps! If you are a member of the Roll Call for your cruise, you might want to ask those folks which nights they thought would be best for the alternative restaurants.

[whitsmom]

Great review. I like the detail. We are on the Mariner (Eastern) in November. Did you see anyone using the Segways in St Maarten? We were thinking of trying them but not sure how hard they are to use. I was wondering about dance lessons so maybe I will give it a try.