Mariner of the Seas evaluation: All of the enjoyable on a just-big-enough Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Mariner is over 20 years outdated, however it was upgraded in 2018, including an escape room, laser tag and a tiki bar. The ship is right for vacationers on the lookout for a very good mixture of leisure and enjoyable.

Some further highlights discovered on Mariner and its sister ships within the Voyager Class (Voyager, Explorer, Journey and Navigator of the Seas) are the FlowRider surf simulator, a mountain climbing wall and an ice skating rink (open for daytime skating classes and night ice exhibits).

The vessel, based mostly in Galveston, Texas, by way of January 2026, is nice for households on the lookout for a Caribbean getaway. Cruises vary in size from 4 to seven nights. Once I sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on the ship, I noticed loads of households with youthful youngsters, multigenerational teams and pals touring collectively. I sailed with my mother on a ladies getaway, and Mariner of the Seas is nice for that sort of trip, too.

Despite the fact that the ship is on the smaller aspect for Royal Caribbean, the one locations that always felt crowded have been the swimming pools, which is typical of many of the line’s ships. If you wish to bask within the solar on heat Caribbean days, I recommend getting a chair by the pool early.

On board, you’ll be able to select from a number of actions in the event you do not need to spend the complete day on the pool deck. You could find stay music and trivia video games within the inside lounges or deal with your self to a spa day. Because the solar units over the horizon, the ship’s indoor areas come to life. Do not miss the astounding exhibits within the theater and ice skating rink. You can even dance the night time away within the ship’s golf equipment and bars, or just people-watch with a drink in hand.

The meals on Mariner of the Seas is a number of the greatest I’ve had on a Royal Caribbean ship. My mother and I made some extent to dine in a mixture of free eating places, just like the buffet and primary eating room, and specialty choices like Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. The superstar chef associate restaurant is my favourite Italian specialty possibility at the moment accessible within the Royal Caribbean fleet.

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When you’re enthusiastic about reserving a cruise on one among Royal Caribbean’s smaller vessels, this is what it’s good to learn about Mariner of the Seas.

Mariner of the Seas cabins and suites

Choose rooms can sleep three, 4 or 5 folks, splendid for households with younger youngsters. Bigger teams or households with older youngsters ought to contemplate reserving connecting cabins for more room and extra bogs. When you’re on the lookout for a less expensive room with a view, contemplate the Promenade View Inside, which has a window dealing with the Royal Promenade (an indoor thoroughfare crammed with retailers, bars and eating places) for nice people-watching (however not a lot privateness).

Solo vacationers on a finances can keep away from paying the solo complement by reserving a Studio Inside, which is sized for singles with a double mattress.

Within the ocean-view class, the Extremely Spacious Ocean View is nice for bigger teams because the rooms can accommodate as much as six folks on two king beds and two fold-down beds. (You will need to value out whether or not this feature will save bigger teams cash over reserving connecting rooms.) Panoramic Ocean View rooms provide floor-to-ceiling home windows for much more unimaginable views.

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On my Mariner of the Seas crusing, I stayed in an Ocean View Balcony cabin, which gives 198 sq. ft of area within the cabin, plus a further 46 sq. ft of balcony area. The three-person cabin includes a king mattress and one fold-down or couch mattress. A few of these room kinds can sleep 4 folks with a double couch mattress.

Despite the fact that the room was a bit cramped and had one of many smallest cruise ship bogs I’ve seen shortly, I wasn’t in my room that a lot. I did like with the ability to have a morning cup of espresso or a glass of wine within the night on the balcony. The personal veranda was additionally an awesome spot for catching a sundown if the pool deck was nonetheless busy.

Cruisers on the lookout for an expensive cabin with more room can select from a choice of suites, the smallest of which is a junior suite at 277 sq. ft inside and has a 46-square-foot balcony for 4 folks. The most important suite is the Royal Suite, a one-bedroom, 1,260-square-foot cabin for as much as 4 folks, with a 224-square-foot balcony. For large households, the Grand Suite, a two-bedroom cabin for as much as eight folks, is 547 sq. ft inside and has a 192-square-foot balcony.

Mariner of the Seas has 26 accessible rooms throughout classes. These rooms characteristic doorways with wider openings, ramped lavatory thresholds, roll-in showers, seize bars, accessible balconies and extra.

Cabins are effectively maintained and have impartial colours, pops of blue and light-colored wooden accents. King beds can break up into two twins upon request, and shelving and nightstands provide a spot to retailer or cost electronics. Every cabin has a small lavatory with an enclosed bathe (warning: this may really feel very claustrophobic when you have towels hanging on the bathe door), a small vainness with a sink, and a bathroom. Suites even have a bath within the lavatory.

Suites provide more room and facilities, together with entry to the Concierge Lounge, which is accessible to suite company aside from these in junior suites. Right here, you might be aware of a nightly cocktail hour, plus hosts who can organize particular requests like specialty eating reservations or spa appointments.

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Mariner of the Seas eating places

Mariner of the Seas has an awesome mixture of included free eating and extra-cost specialty eating. I attempted most of what the ship needed to provide. Price range-conscious households might simply get away with consuming on the included eating places and be pleasantly shocked by every meal.

I kicked off my cruise with lunch on the additional-cost Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. I am going to admit that I am a sucker for superstar chef eating places and can at all times attempt one if it is accessible on a ship. I liked the charming aesthetic of Jamie’s, and the meals was equally as delish with dishes like prawn linguine and lasagna. Even higher, I watched the chef make the pasta in-house, a welcome change from the sometimes not-so-great pasta dishes that grace a buffet. I liked Jamie’s Italian a lot that I dined right here once more for dinner one night time and tried the chianti-braised quick ribs.

The onboard Starbucks and room service (besides continental breakfast, which is included) are a further value.

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Mariner of the Seas has all kinds of included eating places past the buffet and primary eating room (the place you’ll be able to take pleasure in desk service three meals a day). The Canine Home options traditional sizzling canine and sausages, plus a build-your-own possibility because of an unlimited self-serve toppings bar. Cafe Promenade is the onboard deli serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The buffet, referred to as the Windjammer Cafe, is crammed with quite a lot of choices from breakfast till late at night time. You will discover all of the American breakfast classics there. Since I sometimes get up with the solar, even on trip, mornings within the Windjammer have been normally peaceable, as folks filed in sporadically. The buffet can get busy later within the morning as soon as households and the late-night occasion crowd begin displaying up.

Lunch and dinner on the Windjammer rotate in delicacies, with American classics for lunch and dinner and dishes from all over the world supplied on themed nights. I at all times grabbed one among Royal Caribbean’s coconut ranger cookies to take to my cabin or the exhibits every time they have been accessible on the buffet.

Mariner of the Seas bars and lounges

Every of Mariner of the Seas’ bars and lounges has a definite vibe, and a few could be extra vigorous than others relying on the time of day or exercise happening.

Through the day, the pool bar is hopping with umbrella-clad cocktails lining the bar. One other nice possibility close to a pool is the bar within the adults-only Solarium space.

One other bar value searching for out is the Viking Crown Lounge, which serves cocktails and gives unimaginable panoramic views through the day and turns right into a dance membership at night time.

The Schooner Bar is a staple throughout the Royal Caribbean fleet. The nautically themed bar is thought for its Outdated-Fashioneds and Champagne-based cocktails. I like the Toasted Marshmallow Outdated Original, which jogs my memory a little bit of a s’extra. You will discover trivia video games and nightly music there.

The Bamboo Room is a Royal Caribbean tackle a traditional tiki bar, full with frozen and on-the-rocks cocktails. I like its pina colada, which is hand-shaken, and its Darkish and Stormy.

Probably the most unique spot on board is the Suite Lounge, which is reserved for many who have booked a Grand Suite-level cabin or greater.

Royal Caribbean sells drinks a la carte, or you should purchase a beverage bundle. The packages are available in a variety of choices, together with water packages, smooth drink packages and packages that embody every part from specialty espresso and bottled water to mocktails and cocktails.

Mariner of the Seas actions

Join the ship’s escape room to flex your mind muscular tissues after a day within the solar. These on the lookout for downtime or quieter enjoyable can play playing cards within the library or take pleasure in stay music of every type across the ship.

On the Royal Theater, catch full-scale productions with singing, dancing and stay music. At Studio B, you’ll be able to watch an ice skating present themed to the circus, full with jaw-dropping results, stunning costumes and loads of methods.

All through the cruise, you may additionally see loads of sport exhibits, bingo classes, trivia, dance lessons, sports activities competitions and spa seminars. Simply know that on sea days, actions are likely to refill rapidly. I at all times attempt to arrive 10 to fifteen minutes early for exhibits and actions. This additionally offers you sufficient time to order a drink from the bar earlier than actions get began.

On my cruise, not all occasions began on time. I attended a number of trivia video games and bigger sport exhibits that both began early or ended late. As a result of I attempt to arrive early for occasions, beginning early wasn’t a problem for me (although it was for different company who confirmed up on time), however the late endings typically prompted a domino impact of being late for different issues like comedy exhibits or exhibits within the Royal Theater.

The ship has three swimming pools and 6 sizzling tubs. The out of doors Solarium space, reserved for company 21 and older, options one among these swimming pools, in addition to two shaded sizzling tubs. It additionally gives a mixture of loungers both within the solar or beneath a masking within the shade. (It isn’t totally indoors like Solarium areas on different Royal Caribbean ships.)

Mariner of the Seas additionally has a on line casino, a health middle, a full-service spa and a miniature golf course.

Mariner of the Seas itineraries and pricing

From January 2025 by way of January 2026, Mariner of the Seas will sail from Galveston to the Western Caribbean on four-, five- and seven-night cruises. The ship will go to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Belize Metropolis, Belize; and Roatan, Honduras. Ports differ by sail date and size.

On the time of publication, costs for an inside cabin began at $460 per individual on a four-night crusing on the finish of January 2026. Longer seven-night sailings begin at $1,473 per individual for a cruise in December 2025.

Observe that the climate in Galveston could be chilly within the winter and early spring, and fog can roll in unexpectedly on the port. When you’re on the lookout for an excellent time to sail, you may need to cruise between spring break and the beginning of summer time; you may discover fewer crowds and nice temperatures. Within the fall, attempt reserving a cruise for September or October earlier than it will get too chilly.

Mariner of the Seas for households

Royal Caribbean is thought for family-friendly cruises, and Mariner of the Seas isn’t any exception. In addition to the enjoyable waterslides, adrenaline-pumping actions and kid-friendly eating, the ship additionally gives youngsters golf equipment for these ages 6 months to 17 years outdated. Tiny cruisers from 6 months to three years outdated could be booked into the ship’s Infants and Tots program, which gives a nursery drop-off with actions and toys for an added charge.

The Teen Lounge is the best hangout for these 13 to 17, although the actions are typically divided by age into smaller teams. Right here, teenagers can play video games, take pleasure in dance events and take part in preplanned actions. Some teen occasions happen across the ship, together with unique time on the FlowRider.

The teenager membership operates on a come-and-go foundation, and youths can examine themselves out and in.