All Things Mariner Of The Seas

[golfpccc]

We're long-time Galveston cruisers, partial to Royal Caribbean, and were thrilled to hear that a "new and improved" Mariner will be here when we sail on December 2nd. However, we may well have second thoughts as the date approaches. Here's why:

 

We drink a bit, but don't smoke (my wife has a serious allergic reaction). Our little hideway on Voyager was the Pig & Whistle Pub ... perfect, since it's a non-smoking venue, and we could enjoy the antics of Derek Lewis and his Adult Day Care at Night. We had assumed that with Mariner now in Galveston, he'd be aboard, since he lives in San Antonio ... but noooooooo!! It turns out the the Wig & Gavel (P&W's counterpart) has a "dedicated smoking section" (as if the stuff will stop at the imaginary barrier). I can't understand the difference in regulations on virtually identical ships, and apparently neither can anyone at Royal Caribbean ... no reason for it; just company policy.

 

Derek remains on Voyager out of New Orleans (we were aboard last month for his wedding) since he can no longer tolerate second-hand smoke after over 20 years of performing in "intimate" venues. After the ship leaves NOLA for Europe, the South Pacific and Australia, he wants to return to Galveston following his Alaska gig on Rhapsody, and many of us wish that he would ... he's a one-of-a-kind entertainer.

 

But just as important to us, we'll have no place to have a drink and be entertained after the shows ... there are a couple of "open" bars, but it's not the same, as there's no entertainment after a certain hour (usually before the shows), and the ambience has all the charm of the embarkation "lounge." We'd like to stay up a bit later to enjoy what the ship has to offer, but since every such venue allows smoking, there's absolutely no place for us to go. I know we're not the only such persons, since the Pig & Whistle was packed every night on every Voyager cruise we sailed.

 

Our requests to Royal Caribbean have fallen on deaf ears. With the Crown Princess and new Carnival Magic as options, we're certainly going to explore the other possibilities if Royal Caribbean continues to disappoint us (no, we haven't given up yet). Do any of you have similar issues?

Just off the Mariner. The Schooner Bar offers entertainment--Phil Anderson at the piano--he is fantastic & no smoking. Also, The Lotus lounge had musical entertainment almost every night--no smoking. Vintages, no entertainment, is non smoking.

[derf5585]

Personally, there are many other smells on a ship that bother me a lot more than second hand smoke. What about over the top perfume...can we ban that too?

 

Or service dog smell

[golfpccc]

Ok, for all you have cruised on Magic the relevant question for me is what was the smoking situation like? Is smoking allowed in the cabins and are there many non smoking venues/areas?

 

We have often looked for a last minute cruise on Mariner and not been able to find one so thanks for the info so far on Magic.

No smoking allowed in the Magic cabins. No cigar smoking except for designated area on one outside deck. Casino has smoking & non-smoking areas. No one is allowed to smoke in Casino smoking area unless they are actually playing the slots or tables. Piano Bar is non-smoking as well as the Comedy Club. One side of pool deck area is nonsmoking. I don't recall smoke bothering me on our Magic Cruise.

 

Can't believe you missed the last minute deals on the Mariner for the week of Mar 4th--they had some really good deals. Have noticed prices seem to come down around the 1 month out point--keep watching.

[joandian]

No smoking allowed in the Magic cabins. No cigar smoking except for designated area on one outside deck. Casino has smoking & non-smoking areas. No one is allowed to smoke in Casino smoking area unless they are actually playing the slots or tables. Piano Bar is non-smoking as well as the Comedy Club. One side of pool deck area is nonsmoking. I don't recall smoke bothering me on our Magic Cruise.

 

Can't believe you missed the last minute deals on the Mariner for the week of Mar 4th--they had some really good deals. Have noticed prices seem to come down around the 1 month out point--keep watching.

 

Thanks! We do committee work with the Houston Rodeo so the end of Feb and March are always out for us.

[natdalton]

We want a more upbeat cruise, rather than subdued. But the fact that the ratings on Magic have only a 68% satisfaction rate and Mariner has 88% is the deal breaker. That just really freaks me out. I've read the reviews, i'm just so torn. Please somebody, hold this first timers hand and show her the way.

[sredish]

We want a more upbeat cruise, rather than subdued. But the fact that the ratings on Magic have only a 68% satisfaction rate and Mariner has 88% is the deal breaker. That just really freaks me out. I've read the reviews, i'm just so torn. Please somebody, hold this first timers hand and show her the way.

 

Just got off the Mariner on Sunday. Fabulous!!!!! And it is upbeat. There is entertainment all times of the day. If you are "bored" on the Mariner, you choose to be bored. We are in our mid thirties and enjoy a good time and we had it for sure. I've never been on Carnival and honestly don't ever plan on it. I have too many friends who have gone once and never repeated, but they have repeated on RCI. If you have any questions feel free to email me at scredish at hotmail dot com.

[derf5585]

Thanks! We do committee work with the Houston Rodeo so the end of Feb and March are always out for us.

 

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ was organized for charitable, educational and scientific purposes to encourage and promote the breeding, raising and marketing of better livestock and farm products at public fairs and to promote and maintain research and educational functions within the livestock industry.

from

http://www.hlsr.com/

[derf5585]

Just off the Mariner. The Schooner Bar offers entertainment--Phil Anderson at the piano--he is fantastic & no smoking. Also, The Lotus lounge had musical entertainment almost every night--no smoking. Vintages, no entertainment, is non smoking.

 

Phil Anderson Pianobar Promo 1

from

 

Phil Anderson Pianobar promo 2

from

[sredish]

We LOVE Phil! Sure hope he commits to next season. We asked and he said this was his fourth season but he wasn't on contract yet for the fifth. Fingers crossed as we sail again on the Mariner next March 3!

[BonTXNY]

Thanks, Golfpccc for your advice about my cabin question. We decided to just leave things as is and keep our cabin on deck 9.With all the talk about Derek Lewis not working on the Mariner because the pub is a smoking venue, how come he couldn't run his adult day care at night in the Schooner which is no smoking? Is it because Phil was there first? We enjoyed Phil and his trivia music games but we would still prefer Derek.

 

Glad they're making positive changes on the Mariner in dry dock. All of the competition is good for business. OUR business :D I would really love to read a comparison review in depth between Mariner and Magic. Tucker in Texas, let us know when you finalize your review. I get that cabins are larger on Carnival. When we were on the Triumph approx. 12 years ago we were pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. Where Carnival beat Mariner was in entertainment but like food it's subjective. I thought the pool deck was a bit crowded on Triumph and have read that their pools are much smaller than RCI. I can't compare Triumph an older ship to the Magic, a newer one. Our next cruise will be our 3rd on a Voyager class, 2nd on the Mariner. For us it's almost like coming home. We love the RP people watching and running into people we met and love getting that late night nosh at the cafe after late night entertainment. Still, I would love to read a true comparison. B][/color]

[joandian]

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ was organized for charitable, educational and scientific purposes to encourage and promote the breeding, raising and marketing of better livestock and farm products at public fairs and to promote and maintain research and educational functions within the livestock industry.

from

http://www.hlsr.com/

 

That is totally correct. I worked my last shift last night and my husband had his last shift today. HLSR also give millions of dollars in scholarships each year. We are done for another year :D

[Tucker in Texas]

Tucker in Texas, let us know when you finalize your review. n. [/color]

 

I haven't even started on the review but I did detail the differences in detail to another inquiry and will be glad to send you a copy of the e-mail if you send me your addy at whitlock@alumni.utexas.net

 

One thing I forgot to include in the e-mail is that on Carnival you do not have to pay your tips up front if you want your time dining. This could be a major plus if you have on-board credit due to price drops because you booked early saver and prefer your time dining which is what we did.

[Cindy]

Since this is "All things Mariner" I will note here for the record that effective May 1, 2012 (our sailing) Mariner of the Seas will no longer have Portofino as a specialty restaurant option. I have received confirmation from the Pre-Cruise Planning department at RCI that it will be replaced with Giovanni's Table during the dry dock at end of April. Reservations are not being accepted for either Portofino or Giovanni's Table and they made no mention of how existing reservations for Portofino will be handled. I was told reservations for GT would be availabe onboard if they can't be made prior to the cruise.

 

Apparently the dry dock visit will constitute the Royal Advantage "less extensive" upgrades for Mariner. Strong rumors about it getting a poolside video screen. The rest (other than replacing missing stabilizer and below the waterline machanica) will probably just be cosmetic upgrades.

 

We took the All Access tour yesterday, and there are already quite a few contractors on board doing work for the upcoming drydock. One of the changes will be the installation of wifi throughout the ship and in all the cabins. They were running cable yesterday during our tour.

 

For all you Mariner experts I hope you can help me. We have an inside cabin on deck 9, midship. I was thinking of changing to deck 6, cabin 6435 to be nearer the RP and dining room and very close to the elevator/stairs. The deck plan shows empty spaces on either side of that cabin. I asked my CVP what's there and she said nothing but there has to be a reason it's placed that way. We can also save $40 by switching. Not a deal breaker but hey why not? Any first hand info? Thanks in advance.

 

Bonnie, I went down there and took a picture for you, but I just saw you decided to stay on Deck 9. For future reference, the hallway is very quiet...we actually had a hard time finding the hallway the cabin is on! I would be a little wary of the service area/door that is right next to 6435...it seemed like there could be a lot of traffic through that door in the mornings and evenings when the stewards are on duty.

[derf5585]

Geison Costa - Mariner Of The Seas

(plus Promanade)

[derf5585]

Boarding the Mariner of the Seas!

from

[derf5585]

Video I found on youtube

 

Mariner of the Seas Casino

from

[jewopaho]

Good to hear that Mariner will have shipwide wi-fi installed. We're Realtors, and need to be tethered to our office, colleagues and clients. It's very convenient for us to communicate from our stateroom (especially if we have to concentrate on something), rather than having to drag everything to a hostpot. Of the cruise lines we sail regularly, only Royal Caribbean ships are not currently equipped with this technology. The advent of iPads and other tablets would seem to lend itself to even more people using Internet services. For us, it's part of doing business ... but between our TA and future cruise bookings, we always have a least a couple of hundred dollars in OBC, so it essentially costs us nothing.

 

As for the smoking issue, I received a comminucation from Royal Caribbean indicating that no changes are currently planned for Mariner ... but the obligatory statement that its policies are "under continual review" is included. The drydock is RCI's primary focus right now ... after that, who knows? We're still working on it, though ... details at 11:00.

 

We generally cruise every three to four months. The Crown Princess will provide us with a viable alternative in the spring of 2013 ... and yes, the smoking policy is a major consideration. We might well have booked it for December, if its initial cruise out of Galveston wasn't at Christmas. Carnival is not our cruise line of choice ... but the reviews of the new Magic are highly positive, so it's certainly another option.

 

In any event, it's always nice to have choices ... 257 days and counting.

 

Al

[Tucker in Texas]

. Carnival is not our cruise line of choice ... but the reviews of the new Magic are highly positive, so it's certainly another option.

 

Al

 

Carnival was not our cruise line of choice either but we just finished a Magic cruise "lured" by friends to go on it with them.

 

Big surprise. I liked it as much as the Mariner particularly in the food and service area. I came home and listed the pros/cons for each cruise and the pros for Magic outnumbered the ones for Royal.

 

However, where Royal trumps Carnival is the Diamond+ perks with the balcony discount, happy hour, and coupon book. I don't know what the loyalty program is for Carnival since I'm not that close to attaining it. I have heard they are revamping it, though.

 

If all things were equal with price and itinerary, I would probably go with the Magic particularly if I didn't want a balcony.

 

Tucker in Texas

[jewopaho]

We're in the same boat ... pun definitely intended. We've got one cruise to go before we reach Diamond status ... and with only three cruises on Carnival, we're not even close. We're two away from Elite on Princess (includes free laundry), and the perks we now have as Platimum members include five hours of free Internet (not that we'll ever use that much, but if something unexpected arises in the midst of a real estate transaction ...). We're anxious to see the "new and improved" Mariner, though ... as I noted, it's great to have so many options in a port as small as Galveston. We wouldn't even consider Carnival if the Conquest was still here ... didn't care for the ship at all, although food and dining room service far exceeded anything we've recently experienced with Royal Caribbean. Decisions, decisions ....

 

Al

[Krazy4Kruisin']

I've never been on a RC or Carnival cruise.. just NCL. But the review for RC have an 88% satisfaction rate and Carnival has 68% satisfaction rate. Is there really that big of a difference? That alone was how i decided on Mariner, especially considering that the Carnival Magic is only a year old. Can anyone give me a comparison betweetn Mariner vs. Magic?

 

 

My parents have been on both the Mariner and the Magic and do not like Carnival line at all. The entire family (17 of us) are booked on the Mariner over Xmas week.

[BonTXNY]

I haven't even started on the review but I did detail the differences in detail to another inquiry and will be glad to send you a copy of the e-mail if you send me your addy at whitlock@alumni.utexas.net

 

One thing I forgot to include in the e-mail is that on Carnival you do not have to pay your tips up front if you want your time dining. This could be a major plus if you have on-board credit due to price drops because you booked early saver and prefer your time dining which is what we did.

 

Just sent you me email addy. Thanks!

 

 

 

Bonnie, I went down there and took a picture for you, but I just saw you decided to stay on Deck 9. For future reference, the hallway is very quiet...we actually had a hard time finding the hallway the cabin is on! I would be a little wary of the service area/door that is right next to 6435...it seemed like there could be a lot of traffic through that door in the mornings and evenings when the stewards are on duty.

 

 

Cindy, thanks for thinking of me anyway. I was initially worried about that big empty space and like you thought it might get a bit busy with early morning service stuff. We would hate to be next to an ice machine, if there is a service one, clanking and banging 24/7. We had an inside on deck 9 on Voyager and were pleased BUT I still might switch to another inside cabin on deck 6, NOT 6435. Hope you had a wonderful cruise. Review in the works??

[Cindy]

Just sent you me email addy. Thanks!

 

 

Cindy, thanks for thinking of me anyway. I was initially worried about that big empty space and like you thought it might get a bit busy with early morning service stuff. We would hate to be next to an ice machine, if there is a service one, clanking and banging 24/7. We had an inside on deck 9 on Voyager and were pleased BUT I still might switch to another inside cabin on deck 6, NOT 6435. Hope you had a wonderful cruise. Review in the works??

 

It was fantastic!:D Review is coming, but it may take a while!:o I'm in the process of editing hundreds of pictures!:rolleyes:

[derf5585]

It was fantastic!:D Review is coming, but it may take a while!:o I'm in the process of editing hundreds of pictures!:rolleyes:

 

I like your avatar "ATM":D

[BonTXNY]

It was fantastic!:D Review is coming, but it may take a while!:o I'm in the process of editing hundreds of pictures!:rolleyes:

 

Looking forward to it!

[derf5585]

Looking forward to it!

 

Me too