Mariner of the Seas

First Time Cruiser gives their thoughts!

June

Pros: AMAZING staff, smaller ship makes it easier to learn the decks, adult only pool area, bars in nearly every entertainment space, designated child areas

Cons: Staterooms looked and felt outdated, not a huge variety of shows onboard, hard to find the Freestyle machines for refillable cup

Recommended: Yes

We enjoyed our first cruise on the Mariner of the Seas. Most of our time was spent exploring the ship and relaxing on the pool deck. It is an older ship, so take that into consideration. We didn't want a "party" atmosphere so the smaller size worked for us. The specialty dining was TOTALLY worth it since the buffet repeated food from the dining hall.

Mariner Spring Break

March

Pros: Warm weather & lots of activities

Cons: Over too soon

Recommended: Yes

Loved spending time with my two adult kids

Relaxing cruise

January

Pros: Smaller ship and very relaxing

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

We had a great relaxing vacation. Thank you, Heather, for making the planning easy and stress free.

Fabulous

December

Pros: Amenities, food, service, entertainment.

Cons: None!

Recommended: Yes

Absolutely amazing cruise. First one I've ever done and it was everything I wanted it to be. I will be booking another when able and hope to travel like this more often. 10/10

Awesome

December

Pros: Very clean, staff very personable, great food, awesome entertainment

Cons: Prices a little high on some items

Recommended: Yes

I had an awesome vacation for my birthday

Spring break

March

Pros: The staff were very efficient with the onboarding and departure process

Cons: Much smaller ship

Recommended: Yes

This has been the smallest royal carribean ship I have been on so far; I felt that the evening entertainment was more amateurish than I had seen in the past. Overall it was a great vacation and the staff was excellent as always.

Smaller Ship but Lots of Fun!

February

Pros: Easy to see shows and do activities

Cons: Pool Deck on Sea Days can be crowded

Recommended: Yes

Even though this is a smaller ship compared to all of the newer larger ones it is not lacking. We had fun being able to just go to shows and do activities without having to be there 45 minutes early. Most of the time the elevator waits were reasonable. The only issue we had was that seas days were very crowded in the pool areas and the smoking area seemed very large for this size of ship.

Fun Cruise but Separate the Smokers

January

Pros: Fantastic servers and staff, excellent drinks

Cons: Smoke from the casino permeates all connected decks.

Recommended: Yes

We had a wonderful time on Mariner of the Seas despite our Costa Maya stop being skipped due to weather. Our serve Iliya in the main dining room was wonderfully attentive and kind - going above and beyond to grab us a bowl of our favourite soup from the chef's table menu, making sure we had a quick turnaround to catch our next activity, or just putting up with the antics of our 16 person group. We were able to rebook our ATV adventure in Cozumel and had an awesome time driving ATVs in the mud. Snorkeling in the clear blue waters around the island was also amazing to see all the way to the bottom - tropical fish were super curious and kept swimming up. Chef's table was also a lot of fun meeting other cruise folks and trying all the wines. Only cons were not all dinner dishes or desserts were on point, some lacked flavour like the scallop dish at Chef's Table and the Boston Cream Pie/Cake; also the smoke from the casino needs to be separated off with automatic doors or better venting. Decks 3-5 were tainted with the smell of cigarettes the entire cruise. Would've spent a lot more time at Boleros but couldn't stand the smell and itchy throat feeling. Skating show and the girls vs. guys game were definitely worth seeing. And it was fun to skate in the middle of a cruise ship! The escape room was fun but would recommend RC limit the max. number to 8 participants as you maybe got 1.5 puzzles to solve with some people hogging larger puzzles to themselves. If RC can fix the smoke issue and some of the under-seasoned dishes, this would be a 5/5 cruise!

Great Time/Great Atmosphere/Great Crew

January

Pros: Easy to use Royal Caribbean app, embark and debark was very easy, Food was great, Staff was great

Cons: N/A

Recommended: Yes

We really enjoyed the ship, and all it had to offer. We couldn’t say one negative thing about the trip! There was something for everyone, and plenty to do.

Anderson

November

Pros: Great food service in my time diner. Had a couple great servers

Cons: The extra fees they dont tell you about

Recommended: Yes

We appreciate the great first cruise!

Favorite RC Ship So Far

August

Pros: Size

Cons: Length of a couple stops

Recommended: Yes

Of the six RC ships we’ve been on, the Mariner has been my favorite. It has some of the big ship feel and activities without being too big and having too many people. The ability to open the partitions between balconies was game changing as well. Great shows, and ice skating as well. Food was wonderful as always, and the central promenade fun. Would not hesitate to take a cruise on the Mariner again! For the cruise stops: Tortola - definitely get an excursion. Not much to do otherwise near the ship. St Kitts - Beach excursion was fun Puerto Rico - great location would love to visit again. Our surf excursion was a tad “discombobulated” but overall fun. It’s also the shortest stop, which was frustrating. We needed a whole day there. Again, would go back in a heartbeat. Cococay - great stop, would definitely like to go again!

Our first cruise experience was amazing!

July

Pros: Great food. Wonderful and friendly staff. Very clean.

Cons: Pool area was extremely crowded.

Recommended: Yes

Our first cruise experience was better than we could have imagined. Everything was so easy and it felt like a true vacation. For the ship to be an older one in the fleet, the amenities were nice and everything was clean. The food was amazing and we looked forward to every meal!

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Family Vaca

June

Pros: Very friendly staff, excellent food, tons of fun things to do, nice pools & hot tubs, great entertainment for adults & kids

Cons: No baby pool, drink packages & individual drinks were quite pricey, most excursions & some activities were also pricey

Recommended: Yes

Overall it was a fabulous family vacation with ou three children, their spouses & nine grandchildren!! We all loved it very much. The staff on the ship was very accommodating & patient with all the children. We will definitely cruise again with Royal Caribbean!!

Potentate Cruise

May

Pros: Food was great, had fun in the casino making new friends and coke cay was fantastic

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

Had a great time

Great time!

April

Pros: Organized arrival and departure, so clean, delicious food, great service! Lots of fun entertainment so many options! Coco cay is lovely and Cozumel was wonderful!

Cons: Pools are small so it gets very crowded.

Recommended: Yes

My family had an amazing time. The ship was beautiful, so clean and the entire staff was kind, accommodating and the service was top notch! There is so much to do on the ship, lots of great music playing at the different bars, tons of stuff to do for the kids too. The nightly entertainment options were plentiful. Both excursions were perfect! Highly recommend this cruise!

Great time!

April

Pros: Organized arrival and departure, so clean, delicious food, great service! Lots of fun entertainment so many options! Coco cay is lovely and Cozumel was wonderful!

Cons: Pools are small so it gets very crowded.

Recommended: Yes

My family had an amazing time. The ship was beautiful, so clean and the entire staff was kind, accommodating and the service was top notch! There is so much to do on the ship, lots of great music playing at the different bars, tons of stuff to do for the kids too. The nightly entertainment options were plentiful. Both excursions were perfect! Highly recommend this cruise!

Almost perfect!

August

Pros: Great staff; beautiful ports

Cons: She's a little dated

Recommended: Yes

Mariner is a beautiful ship, easy to navigate. She is, however, in need of refurbishment. Wear & tear is evident in many spots including balcony, stateroom drawers and bathroom. Didn't detract from the experience, but definitely noticeable.

Aug 13 2022 Mariner Sailing

August

Pros: Great group conference area - Gabriella is an awesome coordinator

Cons: Main dining room deck 4 crew very hard to understand - older ship

Recommended: Yes

Overall ship was good. She is showing wear in some areas. Crew were happy and always going out of way to address concerns. The food and service for group lunch was very good. Staff went out of their way to make the lunch one to remember. Also Hibatchi was the best dinner we had on the ship and the presentation was awesome.

Understaffed at this time

July

Pros: Amped up ship and great itinerary

Cons: Check in took four hours; was disorganized, poorly planned and disorganized

Recommended: Yes

We were told the ship was understaffed, and it showed in the kid's club, getting on and off, and in the buffet. Otherwise, it was relaxing, pleasant, and the weather on a summer caribbean cruise is fantastic.

Mariner of the Sea ship

May

Pros: Ship was very good, layout,balcony rooms and overall very clean

Cons: Food just okay, dinner service slow, desserts very good. theater shows poor

Recommended: Yes

See pros and cons above. Drink policy for Diamond cruisers is very very good.

Great trip

May

Pros: The staff are great very friendly and helpful. Ship not overy big. Good size

Cons: Needs some work

Recommended: Yes

We had a great time.

Great trip

March

Pros: Food, staff

Cons: Smoking in the casino

Recommended: Yes

Loved this trip on the Mariner. We went on Harmony in November and this trip was so much better. Food was excellent. Menus are pretty much the same on both trips but quality of food and presentation hands down goes to Mariner. Staff is happy and very accommodating. The only issue is that Mariner does not have a separate area for non smokers in the casino so be prepared to be smoked out.

Red hats

February

Pros: Great staff friendly and helpful

Cons: Not being able to hear announcements in room

Recommended: Yes

Group of 12 red hats treated so special. Food was the best. Our steward was outstanding as was the waitstaff.

Wonderful first cruise!

February

Pros: Loved all the friendly staff, good food and locations we visited!

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

Loved our first real vacation! It was amazing!

Great Crew

November

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

The crew was excellent. Service was awesome. Our wait staff was the best ever. Shore excursion was very disappointing.

Girls’ trip

February

Pros: Beautiful ship, lots to do, ice show spectacular, never a dull moment! Food in buffet was excellent. Stateroom on deck 9 very nice.

Cons: Food in dining room not real great. Slots tight.

Recommended: Yes

Sailed with 20 girls, and everyone had a blast! Our day at Coco Cay was excellent; plenty of beach chairs for everyone and although two ships were there, it was not crowded. The drinks flowed, and the lunch was great.

BEST TRIP EVER

February

Pros: Staff, entertainment, shopping, food

Cons: NONE

Recommended: Yes

This was the best trip ever!!! We got home yesterday and are ready to go cruising again. My wife a I are hooked!!! Everything top to bottom was excellent!!! This was our first cruise , but it won’t be our last.

Fun on the Mariner

February

Pros: The ship, the Staff etc.

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

All in all despite the weather we had a wonderful cruise!

Excellent time

January

Pros: Staff was Very kind and accommodating. The room was nice and food was good.

Cons: Very below average for wine selection with the Deluxe drink package.

Recommended: Yes

Overall very pleased but very disappointed on the wine by the glass selection. All my choices were from $9-$10 bottles of wine from the grocery store.

Royal Caribbean cruise

January

Pros: Nice ship. Renovated a couple of years ago and is up to date on most things.

Cons: Food was below average for a Royal Caribbean. The music was load everywhere you went.

Recommended: Yes

The food was below average for a Royal Caribbean ship. We have been on a lot of ships but this was by far the least desirable. The sound system was very load when ever they played music. We had to leave the area because the sound was so load we couldn't understand what was being sung or said and there was no way to even talk to individual next to you. Same held true to the movies they had on deck. Was so load you couldn't sit and watch any movie. Their new Island where they have the beach and the water park was awesome. Wouldn't recommend this ship but Royal Caribbean is still good.

Happy New Year 2020!!

December

Pros: 100% perfect!!!!

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Fantastic!!!!!!!! We are definitely going again next New Year!!!!!

Mariner of the Seas New Year Cruise

January

Pros: like the port of port Canaveral

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Beautiful Island Nice shows Food was very good

Thanksgiving Cruise

November

Pros: Nice Short Cruise

Cons: Crowded

Recommended: Yes

Beautiful Cruise

Another great RCCL cruise

September

Pros: Ship is in great shape, lots to see & do on board, Coco Cay

Cons: Food quality & service in the dinning room was not impressive

Recommended: Yes

We've done lots of cruises with Royal Caribbean. For the most part, they have been an excellent vacations. Maybe because this was a shorter 4-night cruise...some things weren't as great as we had experienced in the past with Royal Caribbean. Overall, the cruise was good. Nice clean ship that still looks new, good itinerary, amazing experience at the new Coco Cay and friendly ship staff in most areas. However, food quality and service in the dinning room (for both breakfast & dinner) was noticeably below our previous experiences. Based on the number of times they tried to get us to pay more money to eat in one of their specialty restaurants, I wonder if the food and experience in the 'included' dinning room is suffering as a result. I never thought I'd say this...but the food and service in the 'included' dinning room on our Carnival cruise last year was better than this Royal Caribbean cruise. Based on the price we paid to take this cruise...it was still an excellent value...just wish the dinning room food quality and experience was as good as previous RCCL cruises.

Teen Pact 25 years Cruise

August

Pros: Excellant trip, The staff worked so hard

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes

Reagan kept our room clean and was always ready to help. He is a great worker. Vikesh served us breakfast and did the picnic at Coco Cay. He kept the birds away from our food. He was most helpful. Buba and Lima served our dinner and were amazing. How hard they worked! These 4 men were fabulous workers who made our trip a success. Excellent job!

Great family time!!!

June

Pros: Everything about the cruise was great! The beach at CocoCay was awesome.

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

The only negative thing I saw onboard had to do with access to a Coke machine in a common area on Deck 5. A man in a wheelchair was unable to reach the buttons on the Coke machine to refill his glass. He had to request assistance.

Recent cruise to the Bahamas

June

Pros: Ship, activities, food, cleanliness

Cons: No cons

Recommended: Yes

Great experience

Mariner of the Seas 3 night cruise

March

Pros: There are a lot of activities for all ages

Cons: The rooms on the Promenade are noisy

Recommended: Yes

Overall, the Mariner of the Seas is a great ship. There are a lot of activities for kids and adults. The food was all good and there was way more than my group could ever eat! The stops in the Bahamas were nice and we had a good snorkeling excursion. Everything about the ship was really organized and all the staff was so friendly. The only negative was that our room was along the Promenade. While we liked being able to look out over that area and all the activities, it was very noisy late into the night with music playing.

Caribbean Cruise

February

Pros: The ship is well appointed and easy to navigate

Cons: The television shows on the ship had no current movies or shows

Recommended: No

Mariner of the Seas

November

Pros: Awesome Ship

Cons: Hard beds

Recommended: Yes

Definitely a 5 star ship. Awesome food and service

RCCL- Mariner of the Seas Review. Oct 2018

October

Pros: CoCo Cay Island was amazing if you like the beach and water sports. Cant wait to see the upgrades in 2019.

Cons: Felt there were too many food options that were not included: ice cream, Johnny Rockets, Starbucks, Sushi, Steakhouse.. people like to pay 1 price and stick to it.

Recommended: No

Too many options for dining at additional costs - these restaurant options were never busy or really utilized. Otherwise the food that was included in the cruise price was fresh, presented well and taste great. Cabins were a little smaller than CCL. The private CocoCay island was beautiful and kept very clean on the island and the beach area.

Great time had by all

August

Pros: Friendly Staff

Cons: Long wait for onboard bunging jumping

Recommended: Yes

Great experience