Thread: Information about the Mariner

Mariner 3/29
Ports of Call:

1. Cabo San Lucas-This was our absolute favorite. I couldn't stop taking pictures of the rock formations! If you go on Mariner make sure you are out on deck for the sail into the harbor. Beautiful! Cabo is a tender port, and the ship was cleared and we were on our way over by 9am. We did not need tender tickets and there was no huge line or wait. They really had it together, plus the tenders held a good amount of people.
Our plan for the day was to go to Medano Beach. We enjoy the beach very much and so do our teens. We decided to walk all the way around the Marina
fantastic! My kids went on a banana boat ride with some of their friends and got to go out by the ship, as it was parked right in front of us. Jet skis and other activities were available as well at the many places along the beach. After we had fried ourselves sufficiently, we hopped a cab to make a quick stop at Cabo Wabo. The HOGS group had a function here, so the entire place was open and rocking! We stayed for one beer and then left, as we had had plenty of Sols over at Mango Deck. Some Cruise Critic friends were with us and they had margaritas which were very strong! Cabo rocked. Our kids want to go back here to stay for a few days, so we may have to look into that.

2. Mazatlan-This was a complete 180 from Cabo, in our opinion. I booked a Stone Island excursion using a company I found over on the Mexican Riviera board, I believe it was Johann and Sandra. For $36pp we had transfers to Stone Island, lunch, open bar, 2 activities per person and a cruise around the area. Things didn't start out well. We met at the pre-arranged spot and checked in with the others on this excursion. Then we waited and waited on the last party to show up, something like 45 minutes! A group of people who were on the Sapphire Princess got tired of waiting and said they were leaving to go on their own. This apparently convinced the guy in charge to get moving, so we were divided into open air taxis for a short ride over to the boat that would take us across to Stone Island. More waiting here, don't know on what, but finally we got there and got on board
these wagon-like things attached to a tractor. This took us to the beach bar and on the ride there we could immediately see that this was going to be a very laid back day. No loud music, no contests, nothing fancy. My family was frustrated with the long haul over
and my kids were not really impressed. We did stay, and actually had a fun time with a group of others from Mariner/Sapphire playing beach volleyball. This was a really good workout too, my legs were sore the next day! I think this made us all feel better about the day. We then had lunch, which wasn't 5 star cuisine, but decent enough, and then we walked the beach a little. My son went kayaking, which was one activity you could do. The others were horseback riding, boogie boarding and for extra $$ you could rent an ATV.
We left about 2pm and did the long haul in reverse, except it was a little quicker. We went out past the breakwater and got to see some sea lions and the coastline where the high rises are. When we got back to the ship all we wanted to do was lay by the pool, so that's what we did. DH and I got in the hot tub in the solarium and enjoyed the quiet and a couple more cervezas until sailaway. While the day was not the greatest beach day ever, we still managed to make our own fun. If and when we go to Mazatlan again I would go into town and then maybe hit one of the cruiser-friendly resorts.

3. Puerto Vallerta-This was a close second in our port rating! We docked here and were cleared at 8am. You stay on the ship's time, but PV time is one hour ahead, so keep your watch like the ship's clock! For today's adventures, we headed over to Krystal, a resort within walking distance of the port. My DD and I had booked massages and my DH and DS were going to wait by the pool while we were doing that. The massage was absolutely the best 75 minutes of bliss and relaxation! We were in a tent outside(covered of course from prying eyes) next to the beach area. $75 for the two of us, what a bargain! I gave a nice tip too, they did a great job. Afterward we found the guys by the pool and joined them.
There was a swim up bar and I decided to have my first margarita of the trip. We cooled off in the pool and chatted with some people who were staying there. They spoke very highly of it. This might have to be a repeat too, but just DH and me Around 1130-noon
we headed back to the ship and got cleaned up. After grabbing a quick lunch we grabbed a cab downtown to the Malecon. We browsed in the shops and walked along the sidewalk by the beach. Took lots of pictures! We ended with a trip to Senor Frogs, and surprisingly, it was not wild at all. They were doing a couple's dance contest, but no shots or conga lines going. We did end up with some silly balloon hats and much to my dismay, yet another souvenier glass. What will I ever do with them all?! We grabbed another cab back to the ship, it's only about a 10-15 minute ride tops and headed to the pool deck for
sailaway at 6:30pm. Got a great sunset photo here! and enjoy the sights instead of taking a taking a taxi. Beach access was at the end of the marina area and then it was only a short walk to the Mango Deck, our chosen spot for the day. You may use the beach chairs and umbrellas or be seated at tables and chairs. We chose to sit on the beach. The wait staff was great and kept us supplied with cervezas and water. There was a DJ and he had a few fun games. It started out tame, with Name that Tune, then got a little bit crazy with a beer drinking contest. The people watching opportunities were


Mariner 3/29, Con't.
Miscellaneous: I thought that the crew was great. Very friendly, always a good morning or good evening. Those we encountered were wonderful. Anne was our stateroom attendant and she was great, especially putting up with my messy teens. Our waiter and assistant were Remy and Jane, both from India. They were fantastic! Always anticipating our needs and going above and beyond. We also enjoyed talking with Vanessa at the Wig and Gavel, and the gentlemen bartending at the pool bar. The captain was very visable and personable, as was the cruise director and his staff. Ken Rush was the CD, he will be taking over on Oasis when she sails later this year. He announced it at one of the C&A functions and it is in the Compass. The Loyalty Ambassador was Melissa and her appointment book filled up quick, but she still found some time for us

I did not use the gym or spa, but it did look very nice. I am more of a runner/walker so I used the track. Surprisingly it got crowded earlier. There were yoga and pilates classes for $12 held at several times, plus the usual beauty seminars.

There was organized basketball, mini-golf, roller skating and the rockwall. There was always a line for the rockwall. On Saturday the crew vs passenger dodgeball games were held. This is always fun to watch. Plenty of activities to keep you moving!

My daughter did not grab any of the compasses for her age group, but I do remember them
somewhat. They are on a square shaped paper and it lists the activities they have. Lots of dancing parties and music for the 15-17 year old crowd. One night they let this group dance in Dragon's Lair for a couple of hours then they had another session for the 18-20 group. The little ones looked like they had fun. One day there was a parade down the Promenade for them, they were dressed like they were in the circus. A few kids got to be in the ice show, also a circus theme. They rode around in a clown train and you should have seen the smiles on their faces!

Mariner 3/29, con't.

Food: One thing is for sure, a person will never go hungry on this ship! Let me start with the Windjammer. We ate most breakfasts/lunches here. The food we ate was very good.
Pasta stands out as my favorite, and the burgers and fries were also good, except I wish they would get better buns, mine kept falling apart. Salads were very fresh and desserts were abundant. Lots of mousse and creamy type things. Breakfast was just as good. It was hot, fresh and plentiful. I ate my grits everyday and was happy] Service was well done, the crew was always quick to bring drinks and clear the table.
I persuaded my DH to have breakfast in the Dining Room one morning. (I would eat here every day if it were just me) The breakfast special this day was eggs, ham and cheese in a puff pastry. Very nice! My husband had an omelet that was really good. Breakfast is served on the 3rd level of the Dining Room, Rhapsody in Blue. We also had some delightful breakfast partners, a couple from England and a couple from Colorado. This was an enjoyable start to our day.
We ate lunch with the kids at Johnny Rockets one day. Really good stuff! Don't forget to look in you C&A coupon book for the coupon to use here.
DH and I ate dinner in Chops Wednesday night. This was the best meal of the week in our opinion. He had the T-Bone and I had the Petite Filet, and both were cooked perfectly. Dessert was Mud Pie. Awesome service and a great atmosphere made this a very nice evening. We were sorry we didn't book Portofinos this trip.
We had the late seating for the main dining room. Our table was 552 in The Sound of Music. As I stated previously, our waiter and his assistant did a really nice job. However, we all felt that the food itself was hit or miss. There were some very good items, such as the Fisherman's Plate on the 2nd formal night. My DH and DD said it was very good. The chilled soups were terrific, and the New York Strip they served on the last night was very flavorful. Desserts were pretty good, everyone found something to enjoy. There is the option to purchase a Chops steak for $14.95, but we didn't. The hit or miss on the DR food was our only disappointment. We have had really good food on past RCI cruises, so this was a bit of a letdown. Also, our kids didn't like the late seating as well as we did. When we cruise with them again we will most likely try MTD if it is available. This should keep everyone happy

A couple of other items about food...


Don't miss the Cafe Promenade food. The sandwiches are incredible and so is the pizza. The sweets on display were mouthwatering, but I only ate a couple of cookies with my coffee. There is water available from a cooler here as well.

As far as choosing one night to go to Chops or Portofinos, I would recommend one of the nights after being in port, and go later. This will give you a chance to rest and get cleaned up. I reserved online a few weeks before we sailed and just randomly chose the middle of the week. I did hear from reading prior Mariner reviews that Tuesday is a good night to "miss" the DR.

We were brought a small plate of hors d'oeuvres in Vintages and in the Champagne Bar, Tiny sandwiches with spreads.