Overview and Issues to Do

A member of the Voyager class, Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas is on the older facet, however it nonetheless gives a cruising expertise that can attraction to some. 

It’s slightly on the smaller finish, so it gives a extra intimate setting. It’s undergone intensive refurbishments, as of 2018, to convey the ship as much as near-modern requirements, with quite a lot of the facilities you anticipate on cruise ships today. It additionally gives a spread of brief Caribbean cruises, making it excellent for fast getaways for these with restricted time. 

So, for those who’re planning to take a Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas cruise within the close to future, what are you able to anticipate? What must you do? What are absolutely the can’t-miss actions that you simply’ll need to make certain you add to your itinerary?

Right here’s what you’ll have to find out about this ship’s staterooms, suites, eating, actions, itineraries and extra.

Mariner of the Seas Stats

Enjoyable reality? The Mariner of the Seas that you simply see right now wasn’t precisely the identical Mariner of the Seas that launched in 2003. Whereas, sure, most ships of this age have undergone some refurbishments, this ship’s refurbishments had been so intensive that they really bumped up its dimension.

In 2018, refurbishments elevated the ship’s authentic gross tonnage from 138,279 to its present gross tonnage of 139,863. Right here’s how the ship measures up:  

• Gross Tonnage: 139,863
• Size: 1,020 ft
• Complete Decks: 14
• Passenger capability: 3,344 (double occupancy)
• Crew: 1,185 members
• Cabins: 1,675

Building

This final Voyager-class cruise ship was initially launched in 2003, in-built Finland at Kværner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard for about $650 million. The ship was christened in November 2003 by godmother and American paralympic athlete Jean Driscoll.

Technically, Mariner of the Seas is a second-generation Voyager-class ship. The Voyager class is break up into two generations as a consequence of barely differentiations. 

The primary technology contains Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Journey of the Seas, with the primary of the three launched in 1999. Then got here the second technology, with Navigator of the Seas after which Mariner of the Seas wrapping up the category in 2003. So what made the Voyager class stand out?

Initially, the Voyager class was supposed to attraction to as many vacationers as potential, even non-cruisers. As such, the category launched options which have turn out to be staples throughout all of Royal Caribbean’s ships, such because the Royal Promenade. Moreover, the Voyager class introduced a number of trade firsts with it, resembling a rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink. 

The second technology of Voyager-class ships are similar to the primary technology, however with a couple of minute variations, resembling within the public venues and staterooms.

Mariner of the Seas Refurbishments

Mariner of the Seas has undergone a number of refurbishments over its lengthy life. Notable modifications occurred in 2012, when the ship obtained an outside film display screen and new lounges. 

Then, essentially the most main of the refurbishments occurred in 2018. This was the refurbishment that modified the ship’s general dimension. The ship was dry docked and refitted with new facilities and extra passenger cabins over the course of a month, to the tune of $120 million.

The newly renovated ship supplied friends the entire actions, eating places and leisure venues that they’d come to anticipate on a few of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships on the time.

New additions included the Sky Pad, Excellent Storm waterslides, laser tag, the FlowRider browsing simulator and some eating places which are Royal Caribbean staples, resembling Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, Playmakers Sports activities Bar and Jamie’s Italian.

Learn Additionally: Issues to Do on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas

Most lately, Mariner of the Seas wrapped up a dry dock in early 2023. This dry dock was shorter and never as intensive, and included a paint job, elimination of the SkyPad and small beauty modifications. 

Mariner of the Seas Itineraries

Mariner of the Seas has supplied a spread of cruises, however many have caught to the Caribbean, with sailings out of varied ports in Florida. In current historical past, as of early 2024, Mariner of the Seas supplied 4 and five-night Western Caribbean cruises out of Galveston, Texas, and Port Canaveral, Florida.

Staterooms

Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas gives a number of totally different staterooms throughout its 1,675 cabins and suites. These embrace: 

• 669 inside staterooms
• 246 ocean view staterooms
• 638 balcony staterooms

Inside staterooms are budget-friendly and properly adorned, with spacious ground plans that may match quite a lot of wants. Ocean view staterooms characteristic large, round home windows that offer you unparalleled seems to be at each passing wave or island.

Balcony staterooms afford you and your loved ones your personal little personal house to take pleasure in some contemporary air and watch the world float by. There are not any digital balcony staterooms on this ship. Whichever stateroom you select, although, it can include facilities resembling:

• Luxurious bedding
• Both two twin beds or one queen-size mattress
• A siting space
• A toilet with a bathe, vainness space and hair dryer
• 24-hour room service
• 24-hour attendant service
• Nightly turn-down service
• TV 
• In-room protected
• Cellphone and voicemail

Suites

There are 121 suites on Mariner of the Seas. Suites choices embrace royal suites, grand suites and proprietor’s suites.

Grand suites may be damaged down into one or two-bedroom choices. Royal suites include a lot of ground house and particular touches resembling a child grand piano within the dwelling house, plus a giant balcony. The proprietor’s suite is likewise extra-large, with a separate eating space and ample house for big teams or households to unfold out.

Value Studying: Royal Caribbean The Key – What Are the Advantages?

Free Eating

Whereas Mariner of the Seas actually doesn’t provide as many eating choices as a few of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships, it does provide sufficient complimentary eating places that you could possibly feasibly not get bored or annoyed throughout the very brief cruises that this ship focuses on.

Your free eating choices throughout a Mariner of the Seas cruise embrace:

• The ship’s predominant eating room, for a sit-down, normal, three-course expertise
• Cafe Promenade, an informal café that’s open all day and all evening
• The Canine Home, for fast bites and — what else? — sizzling canines
• The Windjammer Café, the ship’s buffet 

Room service can be out there, although you could obtain an additional cost, relying on what you order. 

Specialty Eating places

Okay, we all know — the above 4 complimentary choices are going to get boring for those who take into account your self even barely to be a foodie traveler with a refined palate.

So, for that motive, take into account springing for among the specialty eating places that do include per-person or a la carte charges, however that may very well be properly price it, in terms of elevating your cruising expertise.

Specialty eating places aboard Mariner of the Seas embrace:

• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, for an entertaining hibachi expertise or contemporary sushi
• Starbucks, so you will get your caffeine repair
• Jamie’s Italian, an idea created by movie star chef Jamie Oliver
• Chops Grille, the usual steakhouse on all Royal Caribbean ships
• Johnny Rockets, the diner model that’s well-known in vacationer places

There’s additionally Royal Caribbean’s Chef’s Desk, the place you take pleasure in a chef-led, prix fixe eating expertise with a restricted variety of different cruisers. 

Bars and Lounges

Mariner of the Seas’ bars and lounges embrace acquainted choices that you simply’ll acknowledge from different Royal Caribbean ships. Count on classics resembling:

• Boleros, a Latin membership with reside music and dancing 
• Playmakers Bar, a sports activities bar and arcade
• Schooner Bar, a nautical watering gap
• Solarium Bar, for drinks and views
• The Suite Lounge, for suite friends solely
• The Viking Crown Lounge, for Royal Caribbean’s loyalty membership members solely
• The Bamboo Room, a novel characteristic on Mariner of the Seas, with tiki vibes
• The English Pub, a comfortable spot for brews

You’ll additionally discover bars on the pool deck.

Actions and Leisure

Simply as there are simply sufficient eating places and bars to maintain you fed and watered throughout a brief cruise on Mariner of the Seas, so are there simply sufficient actions to pack your sea days earlier than you head ashore.

The ship’s overhaul in 2018 added a lot of basic Royal Caribbean actions and venues, and lots of actions are catered to households and youngsters.

Swimming pools and Water Slides 

Mariner of the Seas has three complete swimming swimming pools and a number of sizzling tubs, however the water enjoyable hardly begins and ends there.

Mariner of the Seas additionally options the Excellent Storm waterslide. The Excellent Storm is definitely made up of two particular person slides, the Hurricane and Cyclone slides. These three tales of waterslide enjoyable depart you zipping alongside above the ship’s prime deck, swirling out over the open ocean and again in, for heart-racing thrills. The slides even characteristic translucent panels so you will get a glimpse of the ocean throughout your experience.

Then, you possibly can take to your surfboard with out ever setting foot within the ocean, due to Mariner of the Seas’ FlowRider surf simulator, a 40-foot-long browsing simulator that’s an unique expertise you’ll have a tough time discovering elsewhere. Take to this difficult exercise and take a look at your browsing, physique boarding and wakeboarding abilities. You’ll have an superior time with this included exercise. 

The Spa

If you happen to’re in your cruise and trip with a purpose to take pleasure in slightly self care, then you definately’ll positively need to make the most of all of the ship’s wellness alternatives. The spa is the place to go for a full menu of therapies, from wonderful stone massages to revitalizing facials.

Royal Promenade

As talked about, Royal Caribbean first launched the Royal Promenade on its Voyager-class ships and now it’s laborious to even think about a Royal Caribbean ship with out one.

This house is your one cease for folks watching and moving into the center of all of the motion. You’ll discover bars, eating places, purchasing and extra inside simple attain, as you stroll up and down this central thoroughfare. 

Ice Skating Rink

One other characteristic that made its debut on the Voyager class, the skating rink on Mariner of the Seas is a enjoyable contact. Strap in your skates and revel in chilling out earlier than you get again to your enjoyable within the sizzling, Caribbean solar. 

Sports activities

Mariner of the Seas’ sports activities court docket gives the possibility to get slightly aggressive on one of many prime decks, whether or not you favor volleyball or basketball. Nevertheless, if you wish to get aggressive in different methods past the volleyball or basketball court docket, you possibly can nonetheless discover different choices within the arcade, on the ping pong tables, on the mini golf course or within the laser tag enviornment.

Laser Tag and Escape Room

Talking of, it’s been some time because you final performed laser tag, now’s your likelihood to dive into an immersive expertise and battle your fellow cruisers in a glow-in-the-dark enviornment.

If you’d like an immersive expertise however one thing rather less laser-focused, attempt a flip within the escape room, the place you’ll end up with an hour to uncover clues in a space-age “observatorium” setting.

Youngsters Venues

Royal Caribbean offers dad and mom their very own areas away from the kiddos, but in addition offers kids and teenagers their very own areas the place they’ll play, study and join with their fellow cruisers of the identical age in a protected, enriching surroundings.

The Journey Ocean program caters to kiddos ages 3 to 11, with a lot of deliberate actions all all through the day, geared at three totally different age teams inside the bigger 3–11 group.

Babysitting for this group can be out there, after hours, in case you’re planning a parents-only date evening or simply need slightly peace and quiet. Preteens and youngsters additionally get their very own areas, with actions deliberate for these ages 12 to 14 and 15 to 17.  

Mariner of the Seas FAQ:

Ultimate Ideas

Whereas Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas is a small ship and it might not provide as many eating places, bars and staterooms and suites as you’re accustomed to on newer ships, it does provide a lot of the most recent and best actions and leisure choices.

Learn Additionally: Are Royal Caribbean Cruises All Inclusive?

If you happen to’re simply taking a brief cruise, you probably gained’t even discover that this ship doesn’t provide 20-plus eating places and bars. In brief, if it’s an intimate cruising expertise, a lot of household enjoyable and a brief getaway that you simply’re searching for, Mariner of the Seas delivers.