Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas

Rebecca Jones11.26.19Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas was our home for a 3-night sailing to the Bahamas and their island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. It was our first sailing on Royal Caribbean, and we had high expectations for the cruise line.Upon arrival at Port Canaveral, I was surprised at how quickly the check-in process was. I had completed our online check-in, and we had our boarding documents in the Royal Caribbean app, which we had downloaded to our smartphones prior to arrival. We dropped off our luggage with the provided tags already attached, then headed into the port. After having our carry-on bags checked with security, we made our way into the port itself.The gate agent scanned our boarding documents, and checked our passports. He had a mobile tablet he was using, and used it to scan our passports into this system, and take our photos to use for facial recognition on the ship.After that, we were ready to board. Upon entering the ship, we were on deck 4 and there was a map and elevator bank for us to use and make our way around the ship. Lunch was first on the agenda, so we made our way to deck 11, to the Windjammer’s Cafe. Since everyone was trying to do the same thing, the buffet was very crowded and we ended up sharing a table with another couple and trying very hard to eat quickly and open some space for later diners.The food at Windjammer Marketplace was varied, from salads and fruit to burgers, Asian, and roasted chicken. The quality was not as high as I would have liked, but it was okay for the first day at an extremely busy buffet. They staff was doing their very best to keep up with the demand for both food and table space.After 1:00pm, we were able to get into our staterooms. My husband and I had a room to ourselves, and our three teenage children were in their own stateroom next door. That is one downside for larger families on Royal Caribbean - they don’t have a lot of staterooms that really fit my larger family of five. Since we booked later, there weren’t any connecting rooms left either, which didn’t really make me happy, but luckily, I trust my kids and know they are responsible to check in with me.Our stateroom was 6240, a Spacious Room with Balcony. There was a queen bed and pull-out sofa. We had plenty of storage, both in drawers, on hangers in the closet, and additional shelves in the closet. There was a small beverage cooler, television with a swivel so it could be seen from either side of the room, and a safe.The most disappointing aspect of the room was the bathroom. The shower stall was big enough, but still very small. The only toiletry provided at all was a 2-in-1 hair and body wash. There was no separate shampoo, no conditioner, no lotion, not even the standard items most low-budget hotels provide. It was a good thing I was prepared for this, because both of my daughters have long, thick hair, and could not have gone even three days without conditioner.We then went to explore the ship and see what all there is to do on the Mariner. Despite some early disappointments, our 3-night sailing went quickly and we enjoyed our time together. Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas offers plenty of varied activities, and we were never bored. I recommend checking out a sailing on Royal Caribbean for your next vacation.If you have a Wishes agent, please reach out to her. If not, I would love to work for you. I can be reached at Rebecca@wishesfamilytravel.com or (325) 733-8399.