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

At a look

• A big (however not gigantic) ship with a lot for households to do on board
• Onboard eating consists of Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver, sushi and steak
• Incredible leisure lineup: stage reveals, ice skating and music pop-ups

If Royal Caribbean‘s gigantic cruise ships really feel like an excessive amount of for your loved ones, then the cruise line’s Mariner of the Seas may be a greater match. The 139,863-ton, 3,344-passenger ship remains to be a big ship with loads of actions, eating places and bars, however it’s on the smaller finish of Royal Caribbean’s present fleet and due to this fact much less intimidating than the road’s newer megaships.

Mariner is over 20 years outdated, however it was upgraded in 2018, including an escape room, laser tag and a tiki bar.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 searching for a very good 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 mountain climbing wall and an ice skating rink (open for daytime skating periods and night ice reveals).

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 children, multigenerational teams and associates touring collectively. I sailed with my mother on a ladies 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 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 counsel getting a chair by the pool early.

On board, you possibly can select from a number of actions should you do not need to spend the complete day on the pool deck. You could find dwell 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 reveals within the theater and ice skating rink. You may as well 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 a few of the greatest I’ve had on a Royal Caribbean ship. My mother and I made a degree to dine in a mixture of free eating places, just like the buffet and predominant eating room, and specialty choices like Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. The movie star chef companion restaurant is my favourite Italian specialty choice at the moment out there within the Royal Caribbean fleet.

In case you’re serious about reserving a cruise on one in every of Royal Caribbean’s smaller vessels, here is what you might want to learn about Mariner of the Seas.

Mariner of the Seas cabins and suites

Mariner of the Seas affords 4 predominant lodging types on board: inside cabins with out home windows, ocean-view cabins with home windows, balcony cabins with personal outside sitting areas and suites with extra facilities and a luxe really feel.

Choose rooms can sleep three, 4 or 5 folks, perfect for households with younger children. Bigger teams or households with older children ought to contemplate reserving connecting cabins for more room and extra loos. In case you’re searching 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 outlets, bars and eating places) for excellent people-watching (however not a lot privateness).

Solo vacationers on a funds 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 may 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 affords 198 sq. ft of house within the cabin, plus a further 46 sq. ft of balcony house. The three-person cabin encompasses 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 a terrific 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 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 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 function doorways with wider openings, ramped rest room thresholds, roll-in showers, seize bars, accessible balconies and extra.

Cabins are properly 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 may really feel very claustrophobic you probably have towels hanging on the bathe door), a small vainness with a sink, and a rest room. Suites even have a bathtub within the rest room.

Suites provide more room and facilities, together with entry to the Concierge Lounge, which is on the market to suite visitors aside from these in junior suites. Right here, you might be 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 a terrific mixture of included free eating and extra-cost specialty eating. I attempted most of what the ship needed to provide. Finances-conscious households might simply get away with consuming on the included eating places and be pleasantly stunned 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 at all times attempt one if it is out there on a ship. I cherished 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 cherished 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 embrace 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 may get on the Windjammer buffet, it isn’t a must-do. I did like my meal at Izumi, the place I paired just a few sushi rolls with a basic hibachi meal.

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 predominant eating room (the place you possibly can take pleasure in desk service three meals a day). The Canine Home options basic sizzling canines and sausages, plus a build-your-own choice 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 evening. You may 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 normally peaceable, as folks filed in sporadically. The buffet can get busy later within the morning as soon as households and the late-night get together crowd begin displaying up.

Lunch and dinner on the Windjammer rotate in delicacies, with American classics for lunch and dinner and dishes from world wide supplied on themed nights. I at all times grabbed one in every of Royal Caribbean’s coconut ranger cookies to take to my cabin or the reveals each 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 going down.

Through the day, the pool bar is hopping with umbrella-clad cocktails lining the bar. One other nice choice 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 affords unimaginable panoramic views through 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 thought for its Outdated-Fashioneds and Champagne-based cocktails. I really like the Toasted Marshmallow Outdated Normal, which jogs my memory a little bit of a s’extra. You may discover trivia video games and nightly music there.

Boleros is Mariner’s sizzling spot for dancing to dwell Latin music. Head to the English Pub for a pint of beer or a cocktail made with beer. For extra beers on faucet, take a look at Playmakers Bar & Arcade, the place you possibly can sip your brew whereas watching the massive recreation.

The Bamboo Room is a Royal Caribbean tackle a basic 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.

Essentially the most unique spot on board is the Suite Lounge, which is reserved for individuals who have booked a Grand Suite-level cabin or increased.

Royal Caribbean sells drinks a la carte, or you possibly can buy a beverage package deal. The packages are available a variety of choices, together with water packages, smooth drink packages and packages that embrace every thing from specialty espresso and bottled water to mocktails and cocktails.

Mariner of the Seas actions

Mariner of the Seas won’t be as massive as Royal Caribbean’s newer ships, however it nonetheless affords a ton to see and do. Thrill seekers will love the FlowRider, laser tag, mountain climbing, ice skating and the twin racing waterslides. Plus, you will not miss out in your every day dose of pickleball since there is a courtroom proper on board.

Join the ship’s escape room to flex your mind muscle groups after a day within the solar. These searching for downtime or quieter enjoyable can play playing cards within the library or take pleasure in dwell music of every kind across the ship.

On the Royal Theater, catch full-scale productions with singing, dancing and dwell music. At Studio B, you possibly can 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 will additionally see loads of recreation reveals, bingo periods, 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 reveals and actions. This additionally offers 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 reveals 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 visitors who confirmed up on time), however the late endings generally induced a domino impact of being late for different issues like comedy reveals or reveals within the Royal Theater.

The ship has three swimming pools and 6 sizzling tubs. The outside Solarium space, reserved for visitors 21 and older, options one in every of these swimming pools, in addition to two shaded sizzling tubs. It additionally affords a mixture of loungers both within the solar or underneath a protecting within the shade. (It isn’t absolutely 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 range 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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Word that the climate in Galveston may be chilly within the winter and early spring, and fog can roll in unexpectedly on the port. In case you’re searching for a perfect time to sail, you will need to cruise between spring break and the beginning of summer time; 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 thought for family-friendly cruises, and Mariner of the Seas is not any exception. Moreover the enjoyable waterslides, adrenaline-pumping actions and kid-friendly eating, the ship additionally affords children golf equipment for these ages 6 months to 17 years outdated. Tiny cruisers from 6 months to three years outdated may be booked into the ship’s Infants and Tots program, which affords a nursery drop-off with actions and toys for an added price.

Journey Ocean is the children membership on board for kids ages 3 to 11. Right here, children will play video games and do actions in smaller teams primarily based on their ages. Actions would possibly embrace science experiments, arts and crafts, sports activities tournaments, expertise reveals and dance events with loads of ice cream.

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 youths can verify themselves out and in.

Mariner of the Seas accessibility

Mariner of the Seas can accommodate visitors 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 sizzling tub have lifts. The ship has 26 accessible cabins in numerous classes.

Backside line

For these searching for a incredible household cruise trip the place the leisure, meals and repair are all top-notch, Mariner of the Seas must be close to the highest of your checklist. 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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