Weekend Cruisin': Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas

First. Let me just say it’s been a while. Life has been busy, to say the least. And it’s been difficult to feel inspired to write about travel in the middle of a move that happened in the middle (well technically probably the beginning…) of a pandemic. But today I am taking a day off work. Just because. And I’m currently sitting on my back deck, drinking coffee as I write while intermittently staring out at the river. Amid the chaos and stress and uncertainty of the past months, this feels like a good moment to recall the little getaway Brandon and I had at the end of January, little knowing that it would be one of the last opportunities to travel we would have for a long time. I’ve cancelled a work trip, a trip home to Arkansas (that was heartbreaking), and multiple summer camping trips. We’ve reconsidered our tentative plans to take our first family vacation to Hawaii in September and my favorite conference, which was supposed to be in Philadelphia in October, has already shifted to a digital format. Because my life needs a few more Zoom meetings… I know cancelled trips are the least of the things that have been lost. And if this moment in history can be the beginning of change - a move toward letting go of the relentless busyness, a deeper understanding of what connects us, and, perhaps most importantly, movement toward genuine equality, then the loss of a few trips and the near loss of my sanity during a month of working from home during which daycare was closed, are unequivocally worth it. But the disappointment persists. And is why, I think, I’ve been avoiding writing about travel. Well, that and Brandon has insisted that we spend every spare moment working on the new house.

Today, join me for a trip back to January, when we boarded the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas for a weekend cruise to the Bahamas. This was also Brandon’s first ever cruise. I had chosen this particular cruise because it was short and because of the port from which it departed. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have taken a longer trip, but it was our first trip away from Harrison and all. Anyway, I felt like this 3-night cruise would be the perfect intro to cruising. With planned stops in Nassau, Bahamas and at Perfect Day at Coco Cay (RC’s private island in the Bahamas), it seemed like it would include just the right balance of new places, fun experiences, and relaxation. I had enjoyed cruises in the past and hoped Brandon would, as well.

Getting There: Port Canaveral is a quick drive from the Orlando airport. We found that one way rental cars were the easiest, most affordable, way to get to and from the port. We picked up our car upon arrival at the airport. Having our own transportation gave us the greatest flexibility (if you’re arriving at a time other than 6 am, definitely sign up for the loyalty club - it can help shorten the notoriously long line to pick up your rental; funny enough, there really wasn’t a line a 5:45 am). And it was simple to drop it off and take the shuttle to the port. For embarkation, we did the expedited check in, which I would definitely recommend. We arrived as early as possible and check in was quick and painless. Expedited check in doesn’t cost anything except the time it takes before the cruise to quickly answer a few questions in the app, but it gets you on board quickly. We were allowed to board just after all the people who had RC status or were staying in suites. Not too bad for never having cruised RC before. This had the benefit of us getting to enjoy some of the pool spaces that were usually pretty crowded the rest of the cruise (bring your swimsuit in your carryon).

Disembarkation was equally painless. We elected to carry off our own luggage, so were able to quickly get off the ship first thing. In fact, we didn’t even have to wait for a shuttle to the rental care agency and there was hardly a line when we got there. This all happened so quickly that we decided to rebook our flights home to the 11 am flight. We were initially booked on a 5 pm flight, knowing that we couldn’t commit to the earlier flight. We planned to spend the day exploring some of the coast before heading to the airport. However, we were both ready to be home with our squishy baby and were easily able to rebook our flights and get home sooner. Honestly, getting on and off the ship was the part I was dreading the most and ended up being one of the easiest parts of the entire cruise.

The Ship: The Mariner of the Seas is designed for short cruises. Alternating between 3-day weekend and 4-day weekday cruises, the ship was meant for partying and fun. We saw lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties, groups of friends, and several families. Whatever you were looking for in a weekend cruise, the Mariner had it. There were multiple pools, special attractions such as waterslides and the FlowRider surf simulator, and a variety of shows. There was even an Escape Room that could be booked as a group, an ice skating rink, and laser tag. If you happened to be cruising with children, there were the various included kids’ clubs, although Harrison would have been too young at this point for anything other than paid childcare.

In addition to the dining room, there were several specialty restaurants. And there were bars. So many bars. The use of the ship for shorter cruises was both a pro and a con. Of course it was designed to pack a lot into just a few days. However, because of the frequent turnarounds, I think the ship looked more worn than similarly aged ships. And the shorter cruise attracted a certain type of cruiser that was not necessarily compatible with our idea of a romantic getaway. Almost every public space was consistently crowded. I was so glad we had splurged for a balcony room to have our own space (more on the budget in a future post). Even if it wasn’t the perfect cruise for us, it could be just what you’re looking for. Overall, though, it was a well-designed ship packed with activities.

The Room: We had decided to splurge on a balcony room and I am so glad we did. Of course, I had found a great deal on a “guarantee room” that cost less than some of the oceanview rooms, even if it meant we didn’t have control over the exact location of our room. The room was comfortable with good storage space and plenty of outlets. The bed was comfortable enough and the staff was great. There were certainly signs of wear. Again, I think turning the ship twice a week is likely the cause, but everything was functional and it really is hard to beat sitting on your balcony drinking mimosas as you pull into a port. Who cares about the color scheme when outside your window is the ocean and the possibilities of a new place.

The Food: If you’ve read, like, a single blog post, you know that one of my favorite things about travel is food. This is where most cruises fall short. This cruise was no exception. Don’t get me wrong, the food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t fantastic. And really, it would be really difficult to make excellent food on a large scale. We mostly ate in the main dining room, but there were a handful of specialty restaurants available for an additional charge.

Unsurprisingly the best food on the ship came with an upcharge. Brandon thoroughly enjoyed his surf and turf and we splurged for lunch at the hibachi grill one day (it’s cheaper at lunch if you’re looking to save money). These were the best meals we had on board.

Room service was an extra charge except for a light breakfast. This was good enough most mornings, especially when we added in the bubbly that we brought to make mimosas. And the balcony.

We also sprung for the drink package on the ship, which included anything up to $13. This covered most cocktails and a decent selection of wines by the glass in the dining room, restaurants, and bars. Bottles of wine were available at a discount with the drink package, as well. The food may have been mostly okay, but I have zero complaints about the beverages.

Perfect Day: What I was looking forward to the most about the cruise were our two days in port. Nassau was amazing and deserves its own post. Our second stop was supposed to be RC’s private island - Perfect Day at Coco Cay. It looked amazing. We had purchased day passes to the upscale beach club and were looking forward to a day spent relaxing on the beach, sipping strawberry daiquiris, and snorkeling. If that wasn’t enough, the island was packed with other activities. Spoiler alert: it was not the perfect day. We knew something was wrong over breakfast. The ship, which was supposed to be docking soon, was just sitting there, rocking slightly in the choppy and windy ocean. Throughout the morning, our captain made a handful of attempts to dock, but the conditions were not safe. We ended up with an unanticipated day at sea that resulted in both of us, but especially Brandon, going a bit stir crazy. The weather wasn’t great and everything was pretty crowded. The experience did help clarify that what I actually enjoy about cruising mostly happens off the ship. To be honest, we were both really disappointed and try as we did to salvage the day, the cruise did not end on a high note. We would later learn that this is a relatively common problem (although it was even more common before the large docks were built and getting to the island required tenders). Had I known this, I may have reconsidered the cruise entirely. Perfect Day looks incredible, but just know that missing it is a possibility, one that has an outsized impact on a shorter cruise.

It was not a perfect trip. I pride myself in planning perfect trips, even when they don’t go exactly as planned, and this time it just didn’t happen. I blame mommy brain and exhaustion. What I learned from this trip is what I do and don’t love about cruising. I learned that I don’t necessarily LOVE the ship experience - crowded pools, too much time at sea, mostly mediocre food - there are other things I would rather be a part of my vacation. What I do love is the opportunity to be on a boat (yay balcony) and to explore new places in an accessible way. Cruising allows you pack a lot into a short trip in a relatively affordable way. I’m sure we will cruise again, especially when Harrison is a bit older, but will probably focus on cruises with unique ports and, if we can afford it, smaller ships.