At a look
- A big (however not gigantic) ship with loads for households to do on board
- Onboard eating contains Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver, sushi and steak
- Incredible leisure lineup: stage exhibits, ice skating and music pop-ups
Mariner is over 20 years previous, nevertheless it was upgraded in 2018, including an escape room, laser tag and a tiki bar. The ship is right for vacationers searching for a great mixture of leisure and enjoyable.
Some extra 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 mountaineering wall and an ice skating rink (open for daytime skating periods and night ice exhibits).
The vessel, primarily based in Galveston, Texas, by January 2026, is nice for households searching for a Caribbean getaway. Cruises vary in size from 4 to seven nights. After I sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on the ship, I noticed loads of households with youthful youngsters, multigenerational teams and mates touring collectively. I sailed with my mother on a women getaway, and Mariner of the Seas is nice for that kind of trip, too.
Despite the fact that the ship is on the smaller facet for Royal Caribbean, the one locations that usually 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 counsel getting a chair by the pool early.
On board, you may select from a number of actions when you do not need to spend the complete day on the pool deck. Yow will discover reside 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. It’s also possible to dance the evening 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 among the finest 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 fundamental eating room, and specialty choices like Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. The movie star chef companion restaurant is my favourite Italian specialty possibility at present out there within the Royal Caribbean fleet.
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If you happen to’re enthusiastic about reserving a cruise on one in every of Royal Caribbean’s smaller vessels, here is what you want to find out about Mariner of the Seas.
Mariner of the Seas cabins and suites
Mariner of the Seas provides 4 fundamental lodging types on board: inside cabins with out home windows, ocean-view cabins with home windows, balcony cabins with personal out of doors sitting areas and suites with extra facilities and a luxe really feel.
Choose rooms can sleep three, 4 or 5 folks, supreme for households with younger youngsters. Bigger teams or households with older youngsters ought to take into account reserving connecting cabins for more room and extra loos. If you happen to’re searching for a less expensive room with a view, take into account the Promenade View Inside, which has a window going through the Royal Promenade (an indoor thoroughfare stuffed with retailers, bars and eating places) for excellent people-watching (however not a lot privateness).
Solo vacationers on a price range 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 selection 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 provides 198 sq. ft of house within the cabin, plus a further 46 sq. ft of balcony house. The three-person cabin incorporates a king mattress and one fold-down or couch mattress. A few of these room types 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 loos 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 incredible spot for catching a sundown if the pool deck was nonetheless busy.
Cruisers searching 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 biggest 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 giant 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 rest room thresholds, roll-in showers, seize bars, accessible balconies and extra.
Cabins are nicely maintained and have impartial colours, pops of blue and light-colored wooden accents. King beds can cut up into two twins upon request, and shelving and nightstands provide a spot to retailer or cost electronics. Every cabin has a small rest room with an enclosed bathe (warning: this could really feel very claustrophobic if in case you have towels hanging on the bathe door), a small self-importance with a sink, and a bathroom. Suites even have a bath within the rest room.
Suites provide more room and facilities, together with entry to the Concierge Lounge, which is accessible to suite company apart from these in junior suites. Right here, you’re aware about 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 incredible 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 will admit that I am a sucker for movie star chef eating places and can all the time attempt one if it is out there 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 usually 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 evening and tried the chianti-braised quick ribs.
Different extra-fee specialty eating places on board Mariner of the Seas embody a chef’s desk venue (intimate, upscale eating), Chops Grille (steakhouse), Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, and Johnny Rockets. I dined in any respect however the chef’s desk. Chops Grille is a skip for me since it has been disappointing on a number of ships, and whereas Johnny Rockets is a enjoyable spot for higher burgers than you will get on the Windjammer buffet, it is not a must-do. I did like my meal at Izumi, the place I paired a number of sushi rolls with a traditional hibachi meal.
The onboard Starbucks and room service (besides continental breakfast, which is included) are a further price.
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Mariner of the Seas has all kinds of included eating places past the buffet and fundamental eating room (the place you may take pleasure in desk service three meals a day). The Canine Home options traditional scorching canine and sausages, plus a build-your-own possibility due to an enormous self-serve toppings bar. Cafe Promenade is the onboard deli serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The buffet, referred to as the Windjammer Cafe, is stuffed with a wide range of choices from breakfast till late at evening. You will discover all of the American breakfast classics there. Since I usually get up with the solar, even on trip, mornings within the Windjammer have been often peaceable, as folks filed in sporadically. The buffet can get busy later within the morning as soon as households and the late-night social gathering crowd begin displaying up.
Lunch and dinner on the Windjammer rotate in delicacies, with American classics for lunch and dinner and dishes from around the globe supplied on themed nights. I all the time grabbed one in every of Royal Caribbean’s coconut ranger cookies to take to my cabin or the exhibits every time they have been out there 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 may be extra full of life than others relying on the time of day or exercise happening.
In the course of 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 in search of out is the Viking Crown Lounge, which serves cocktails and provides unimaginable panoramic views in the course of the day and turns right into a dance membership at evening.
The Schooner Bar is a staple throughout the Royal Caribbean fleet. The nautically themed bar is understood for its Outdated-Fashioneds and Champagne-based cocktails. I really like the Toasted Marshmallow Outdated Usual, which jogs my memory a little bit of a s’extra. You will discover trivia video games and nightly music there.
Boleros is Mariner’s scorching spot for dancing to reside Latin music. Head to the English Pub for a pint of beer or a cocktail made with beer. For extra beers on faucet, try Playmakers Bar & Arcade, the place you may sip your brew whereas watching the massive recreation.
The Bamboo Room is a Royal Caribbean tackle a traditional tiki bar, full with frozen and on-the-rocks cocktails. I really 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 individuals who have booked a Grand Suite-level cabin or larger.
Royal Caribbean sells drinks a la carte, or you should purchase a beverage bundle. The packages are available a spread of choices, together with water packages, mushy drink packages and packages that embody every part from specialty espresso and bottled water to mocktails and cocktails.
Mariner of the Seas actions
Mariner of the Seas may not be as large as Royal Caribbean’s newer ships, nevertheless it nonetheless provides a ton to see and do. Thrill seekers will love the FlowRider, laser tag, mountaineering, ice skating and the twin racing waterslides. Plus, you will not miss out in your each day dose of pickleball since there is a court docket proper on board.
Join the ship’s escape room to flex your mind muscle tissues after a day within the solar. These searching for downtime or quieter enjoyable can play playing cards within the library or take pleasure in reside music of all sorts across the ship.
On the Royal Theater, catch full-scale productions with singing, dancing and reside music. At Studio B, you may watch an ice skating present themed to the circus, full with jaw-dropping results, lovely costumes and loads of methods.
All through the cruise, you will additionally see loads of recreation exhibits, bingo periods, trivia, dance lessons, sports activities competitions and spa seminars. Simply know that on sea days, actions are likely to refill shortly. I all the time attempt to arrive 10 to fifteen minutes early for exhibits and actions. This additionally provides you adequate 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 recreation exhibits that both began early or ended late. As a result of I attempt to arrive early for occasions, beginning early wasn’t a difficulty for me (although it was for different company who confirmed up on time), however the late endings generally triggered 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 scorching tubs. The out of doors Solarium space, reserved for company 21 and older, options one in every of these swimming pools, in addition to two shaded scorching tubs. It additionally provides a mixture of loungers both within the solar or below a overlaying 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 heart, a full-service spa and a miniature golf course.
Mariner of the Seas itineraries and pricing
From January 2025 by 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.
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Observe that the climate in Galveston may be chilly within the winter and early spring, and fog can roll in unexpectedly on the port. If you happen to’re searching for a super time to sail, you will need to cruise between spring break and the beginning of summer season; you will 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 understood for family-friendly cruises, and Mariner of the Seas is not any exception. In addition to the enjoyable waterslides, adrenaline-pumping actions and kid-friendly eating, the ship additionally provides youngsters golf equipment for these ages 6 months to 17 years previous. Tiny cruisers from 6 months to three years previous may be booked into the ship’s Infants and Tots program, which provides a nursery drop-off with actions and toys for an added price.
The Teen Lounge is the best hangout for these 13 to 17, although the actions are generally 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 teenagers can test themselves out and in.
Mariner of the Seas accessibility
Mariner of the Seas can accommodate company in wheelchairs. All decks, besides Deck 15, may be accessed by way of an elevator, and all eating and bar venues have wheelchair seating. Most deck areas have automated doorways, and gangways are extensive sufficient for many wheelchairs and electrical conveyance autos. The primary pool and scorching tub have lifts. The ship has 26 accessible cabins in numerous classes.
Backside line
For these searching for a unbelievable household cruise trip the place the leisure, meals and repair are all top-notch, Mariner of the Seas ought to be close to the highest of your listing. The family-friendly ship is an effective way to expertise what Royal Caribbean has to supply with out the large crowds of the biggest cruise ships within the fleet.
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