Mariner of the Seas remains one of the most exciting cruise ships ever built. The 138,000 tonne ship, which carries up to 3,114 passengers, is one of Royal Caribbean's most popular Voyager Class ships. Being one of Royal Caribbean's most advanced ships when she was launched, she still holds her own in the some of the modern cruising.
This spectacular ship was designed with enhanced staterooms, expanded dining options and state-of-the-art recreational facilities like a rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink and a basketball court.
The Mariner of the Seas combines an action-packed holiday with a superb array of entertainment facilities and a bar to suit your every mood. With Broadway-style shows, ice extravaganzas or a quiet afternoon by the pool all on offer. You'll never be bored onboard Mariner of the Seas.
Mariner of the Seas offers an incredible variety of dining options onboard, from a casual burger and fries to a gastronomic feast. You can relax in casual surroundings or dress to the nines for the Captain's Cocktail Party. When it comes to Royal Caribbean, the choice is yours.
The three main dining rooms — Rhapsody in Blue, Top Hat and Tails & The Sound of Music — offer the traditional cruise dining experience, with several courses of blissful cuisine in elegant surroundings. The Windjammer Cafe is Royal Caribbean's popular casual venue, offering a huge selection of food throughout the day.
The speciality restaurants onboard include the Chops Grille steakhouse, Johnny Rockets '50s inspired diner and Portofino, an ever popular and always fabulous Italian restaurant. From burgers and ice-cream, to filet-mignon and lobster, there is something to suit everyone onboard Mariner of the Seas.
One thing you will never be short of onboard Mariner of the Seas is entertainment. Whether it’s burning off some energy on the rock climbing wall or 9 hole miniature golf course, sitting back and enjoying one of the fantastic shows on offer, or enjoying a sociable drink with friends by the pool, you'll find something to suit your mood.
There is a superb array of bars onboard from the vibrant Dragon's Lair Nightclub or the good old English-style pub onboard, to the elegant Martini Bar of the glamorous surroundings of the Champagne Bar. If you're feeling lucky then why not try a flutter in the Casino?
Meanwhile, the theatre brings the ship to life with a selection of Broadway inspired shows and wonderful acts throughout your cruise. Alternatively, you could sit back, soak up the sunshine and relax the day away by the pool. Whatever your mood, Mariner of the Seas caters for all.
Mariner of the Seas boasts the ShipShape Spa and fitness centre, ideal for those looking to relax in tranquil surroundings while enjoying the fabulous therapies and treatments on offer or wanting to burn off some of the incredible food at the gym. If a sociable fitness class is more your thing or a session of Yoga or Pilates is in order, then you'll be well catered for in the fitness centre.
If that isn't enough for you, there’s plenty more onboard to enjoy. Take a tour of the ships artwork, escape to the peace and quiet of the library or squeeze in a bit of shopping in Mariner of the Seas boutiques for some duty free treats.
We are just back from a 12 night cruise on Mariner of the Seas, even though we are frequent cruisers, this was our first time on Royal Carribean, that being said we had been on Celebrity earlier in the year and they are very similar as regards process. Royal Caribbean were brilliant and even though Mariner is an 'older' ship we could not fault it. We had a junior suite and the extra room and walk in wardrobe were just what we needed. Quality of food was excellent in main dining room and speciality restaurants were of high quality, service across the ship was first class and the staff were all very friendly and efficient. The itinery was the best I have ever been on and the visit to the Holy Land was the highlight, we took two long tours each day we were there and they were of very high quality. The weather was an unexpected bonus and we had a really memorable holiday. The down sides were few but one of our favourite bars - the observation bar was closed EVERY day from 5:30pm to 8:30 pm for a frequent cruisers reception so the sail aways were not as spectacular as they could have been and had the weather been bad this would have been a major issue. The disembarkation on the final morning (raining) was rather chaotic and badly organised, small complaints from a great cruise in a great ship with a fabntastic crew, but the places visited were outstanding.
This was our first cruise with RCI, and it will not be our last. We cruised around the Eastern Med in September. The ship itself is a fantastic specimen. Despite it's size it never felt crowded. The facilities were excellent - loved the ice skating show and impressive theatre. If I was being ultra critical some of the shows were a bit disappointing but the Entertainment team were top notch. Food was very good with lots of choice. There were no issues with hygiene, ship was spotless. Cabin wise we had a junior suite. We booked late and strangely the suite was cheaper than a balcony. The cabin was great but I would not pay extra for a suite. The extra cost gives you about 50% more space and a bath. Overall a great holiday.
Have just returned from a very enjoyable holiday on Mariner of the Seas. We flew to Rome from Manchester and boarded the ship at Civitavecchia. The transfers to the ship from the airport were very good. We queued quite a while at the port check in and boarded about 1.00pm. The flights were early from Manchester. Our cabin was available straight away which was good however my luggage did not arrive until after the evening dinner. We were able to change our table arrangements from a 12 to a 6 near a window which we were pleased about. We sailed on Independence last year and there are one or two differences. The ship is very slightly smaller but it was easier to find a place to sit as there are considerably less passengers on board. There are no UK 3 pin sockets in the cabin, just one 2 pin European and two 2 pin US type sockets. Also in the inside cabins there are no kettles provided. The hairdryer did not have a nozzle, just the round end. We enjoyed our excursions to Nazereth and Galilee from Haifa, Jerusalem from Ashdod, The Acropolis from Piraeus and Ephesus from Kusadasi. We booked the ships tours and felt they were very good. The staff on the ship were very helpful, especially our stateroom attendant. The food on the ship was good although the steaks were sometimes tough and had to be returned. We were on the 6.30 dining and our table seemed to be the last to be served, we often waited up to an hour for our main course. The entertainment was mixed, some was very good. We enjoyed the Ice Show very much. Coming home the experience at Rome airport once we had been dropped off, was a lot of queueing and a rush to the gate which was quite stressful. Overall we really enjoyed the holiday, saw some wonderful places, liked the ship very much and look forward to our next cruise.
We went on the Mariner of the Seas Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Athens, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Istanbul and Naples, sailing on 18/4/2011 to 29/4/2011. The flight to Rome was with Jet2 and check in at the port was very smooth with the rooms available not long after we got on the ship and the suitcases arrived an hour later. We were in a Junior suite on Deck 10 which was absolutely fabulous and our attendant was lovely; she worked hard to provide an excellent service. The towel "animals" she made were great. The ship itself was huge and had everything you could want for. My daughter (aged 10) took full advantage of the ice rink, inline skating, rock climbing, kids clubs, Ben and Jerrys, swimming pools and the 24 hour food! The restaurant service for dinner was faultless and the staff could not do enough. We went on excursions to Athens Acropolis, Istanbul and Naples/Pompeii all of which were well organised. The ice show was stunning and the evening entertainment in The Savoy was also very good. Every day there was a cruise newspaper "The Compass" which gave details of activities throughout the day. All in all, this was a great cruise and we are looking to book another one with Royal Caribbean later on this year.
