I recently took a week of vacation to go on the world’s 3rd largest cruise ship. The Mariner of the Seas weighs a total of approximately 140,000 tons, and sails to tropical destinations like Haiti, Jamaica, The Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. My family had done extensive research prior to the cruise, but there were some things that we missed. I’m now making this guide to help you on your future cruises with Royal Caribbean Int’l, or any other cruiseline for that matter.
1. Don’t book a room in the front of the boat. There are a total of 15 decks on the Mariner of the Seas. Our cabin was located on Deck 2 forward (in the front of the boat). If you book a room in the front lower part of the boat, or anywhere else in the front, you’d better hope that there aren’t rough waters ahead. It is also much more convenient to book a room in the aft (back) of the Mariner, since most of the major activities, shops, and restaurants are located in the aft of the boat as well.
2. You are going to meet new people. Unless you spend the entire week in your cabin, you are going to make friends on the cruise. There are social gatherings in some of the bars, as well as parties and other fun activities up on Deck 11. You can also expect a chance to show off some of your dance moves, and even learn some new ones.
3. Keeping the kids busy… You’re on the cruise of a lifetime. That means your kids are probably coming along with you. If you were nice enough to foot the bill for your children, know that they will have a lot more energy than you expected once they board the cruise. Don’t fret, there are several age groups which will allow your child to be with his or her age group. There are 5 groups:
Ages 3-5: Aquanauts
Ages 6-8: Explorers
Ages 9-11: Voyagers
Ages 12-14: Navigators
Ages 15-17: Guests
Each group has college trained experienced workers that will provide fun activities unique to that age group. Young kids will enjoy having a chance to dress up and act as a pirate, as well as show off their talents in a boat-wide family talent show. Kids ages 12-17 will enjoy hangin out in The Living Room, which is a daytime party/game room that features a large television, foosball table, non-alcoholic bar, several couches, cool lights, and some awesome music. For those parents who want to stay up late, their teen can be kept busy in Fuel, a nightclub designed for teens to hang out in. Parties and other fun activities will take place here, and it’s also fully equipped with a fresh stock of pizza, drinks, music. For those who want to keep in touch with family and friends, a phone call is way too expensive to manage, sitting at about $8 a minute. If you want to contact people VIA internet, you can do that for a much cheaper $.50 a minute. Why is this part in the teens section of these tips? That is because teens can get internet access in Fuel and The Living Room for half the price.
4. Do what you want! You’re only on this cruise for seven nights, and after that you will never see 99% of the people you cruised with again. While this may be a sad thought, it is also something to take advantage of. Don’t worry about whether you should dance while onboard. If you want to do something but think there’s a risk of losing something like popularity, do it anyways! Many of the passengers love spontaneousity to keep the cruise alive!
5. The Ports… Here’s where the cruise really gets fun. You will board the ship and set sail for your first port of call, which is usually 2 days away. Therefore, you have a whole day at sea to explore the ship before you arrive at your first destination. For our particular cruise it was Labadee. Labadee is an island in Haiti which is owned by Royal Caribbean and designed exclusively for passengers. This port containes a 2 mile stretch of activities, including a waterpark, 40′ water slide, volleyball courts, shops, food, and things like massages or hair braiding.
Two things you don’t want to do here:
Wear too little sunblock – you’ll get fried. Getting sunburn on your first day of travel could ruin the rest of the cruise.
Spending too much $$$-you’ll run out. Bring plenty of $5s, $10s, and $20s for things like waverunning, shops, and tips that may take cash only.
6. There are many other ports to see, however the rest is up to you. One final tip is DO NOT book a cruise for your summer vacation. Unless you want it to be in the high 80s to low 90s with a full boat of people, I suggest you sail during the winter, which allows for temperatures at a pleasant 60-75 degrees. Those are my tips for you, and I highly recommend RCI to anyone looking to have some fun in the sun any day of the year.
