Dcl Vs. Mariner Of The Seas

[MO64RN]

After going on five Disney Cruises our family decided to give RCI Mariner of the Seas a try. We went on the Western Caribbean Cruise out of Port Canaveral for 7 nights with stops at Orchos Rios- Jamacia, Labadee- Hispaniola, and Cozumel-Mexico. We were also to stop at Grand Cayman but had an extra day at sea instead. I wanted to give some comparisons to Disney vs. The Mariner.

EMBARKTION
Disney was much better in this dept. Although check in itself at RCI was quick and painless the whole baggage drop off was very disorganized. We arrived at port early and there was already a long line of cars waiting to pull head in to about 5 parking spaces to drop off luggage. People were allowed to double park. If you were head in at the curb you had to wait for the car behind you to pull out. IMO this could have been much better organized.

APPEARANCE
Both ships are beautiful. The Mariner is a newer ship and more modern with a nautical motif. Both ships are impeccably clean. The Mariner is a much larger ship but appeared more crowded at times .I have sailed on both at full capacity. The elevator wait on the Mariner was much longer. I used the stairs a lot. The corridors on the Mariner are much wider than Disney.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
On the Mariner our stateroom attendants and waiters were great. Contrary to reports I have read all the personal on the ship were super friendly. This has been my experience on both ships.

FOOD
I enjoyed most of the meals on the Mariner. A couple of meals were just OK. I had the same experience on Disney. I just think this is a hit or miss topic depending on your selection. Overall the buffets and desserts on Disney were better. Plenty of food availability on the Mariner. You must also pay for sodas at dinner unless you have the soda plan. Frozen yogurt on the Mariner not that great but I don’t really care for scoops ice cream much either. Ben and Jerry’s is available for a fee. Ice cream is also offered at dinner and is good but no Mickey bars. Coffee is also good and strong on the Mariner. I had read elsewhere it wasn’t good but we loved it.

ACCOMMODATIONS
It was me and DH, DS14 and DD11. We had 2 Cat L inside staterooms. The rooms were slightly smaller than Disney’s Cat 11. Larger outside staterooms are available but this worked out great for us. Each room had a small stocked refrigerator and the overall storage space was about the same. No laundry facilities on the ship but I packed really well and did not need to use my travel iron. Our room was a queen bed and the kids had theirs split to 2 doubles. We paid for the 2 rooms what we would have paid for one on Disney the same time of year with a FL resident rate.

ENTERTAINMENT
Disney’s shows are great. But I have seen each one many times. Mariner’s shows were refreshing. The overall nighttime entertainment was great on the Mariner with much better attendance than on Disney probably because family’s with smaller kids on Disney do not attend. They had the Love and Marriage show which was in the theater and similar to Disney’s Match your mate. It was packed. They also had a show called Quest which was an adults only scavenger hunt. It was hysterical.They also had Karaoke Idol. Which was fun. The Ice show was also spectacular. The Mariner also video taped some of the main events on the cruise and offered it to be purchased for $20 which I thought was a great idea.

KIDS/TEEN CLUB
Mariner had more to offer the older kids but there was also lots going on for the younger ones. My kids enjoyed the clubs better on the Mariner.

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS
There are two Adult restaurants Chops (steakhouse) and Portofino’s(Italian). We went to chops for a $20 surcharge per person which includes gratuity. I had filet Mignon and I can honestly say it was the best I ever had. The service was excellent and we had a spectactular view. IMO I enjoyed it better than PALO.

Johnny Rockets for a $3.95 pp surcharge plus drinks was a nice alternative to the lunch buffet.

LABADEE
RCI’s version of Castaway Cay. It was beautiful, tropical and a bit more shady and larger than CC. Did not seem as crowded. There were mountains in the distance and the natives playing music. It was equally as nice as CC if not nicer.I love them both.

ACTIVITIES
Much more to do on the Mariner. Rockclimbing, Iceskating, minigolf, inline skating, huge arcade, game room, etc. Always something going on.

GYM
Blows Disney’s away. Was huge. About the size of a Gold’s or World gym. There is also a steam room and sauna for use as well as a huge whirlpool spa.

DISEMBARKTION
Less organized, took longer than Disney and the Customs officers were much more thorough than Disney which surprised me because it seemed that security on The Mariner was not as tight as Disney.

SUMMARY
I would cruise on either ship again. I think both have a lot to offer but Mariner seems to have more for adults and older childen than Disney does. They also seem to have a lot to offer the younger ones as well. As far as value I would say the Mariner is a better deal and I will probably only cruise Disney when the Florida rates are offered.

I also found it interesting that the cruise Director seemed to be much more involved in the activities than on Disney. I was also surprised that I saw some of the crew using the guest areas such as the gym when they were off.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

[westjones]

What were some of the older kid activities that your children enjoyed? Did they have a 12-14 age group? I thought someone had said that they did, and I like that better than the 13-17 on Disney for when my twins turn 13 (right now they are 11).

Were your rooms connected or just next to each other?

Thanks for the report!
DJ

[AnnaS]

Thanks for the comparison report. We are going on our third Magic cruise next summer (yes, this one west coast). My kids will be 19, 17 and 12. They only reason why the oldest two don't mind is that we are traveling again with friends (kids same ages) and they are excited about CA and visiting Disneyland.

Now when the 2006 ports came out on the Magic, my friend asked if we would be interested. My 19 yr. old is willing to try another cruise line - and my 17 yr. old is dying to do an Alaska cruise. I think two cruises back to back is a bit much and three times on Disney is good for now.

I called Royal Caribbean to price the Mariner of the Seas and I think they were only 100 less than what DCL quoted me. We usually get two staterooms too. No Laundry on board - wow - I don't know if I could survive without washing a few loads during the week - even though I (we) bring tons of clothes - actually the whole house, lol. I need/like to catch up on my laundry. I would also be afraid of having that Casino on board with dh :).

When we cruise again, it will have to be another cruise line. I like leaving out of Port Canaveral though so that we can add a visit to WDW.

Thank you again. I know we would enjoy RC.

[travellady]

I've been looking forward to your review. We have only sailed Voyager of the Seas, Mariner's sister ship and will be sailing the 3 day Wonder Dec 16. Our son is 11 so may be getting old for Disney but thought we'd give it a try before he turns into a teen.

My experiences on the Voyager parallel your's on the Mariner but I didnt' have anything to compare it to. Our plan is to sample most cruiselines as one can't really know they difference until they've done them all :-)

[maminnie]

Thanks for the great report. We're doing DCL in '06 but will likely try one of the RCCL mega ships some time after that since our kids will be older.

[MO64RN]

Westjones,
They did have a 12-14 age group with two main areas for the kids to "hang out" Fuel and The Living Room. My DS 14 was a little hessitant at first not liking the Disney Club. It took him to mid week to get involved. There were many daytime activities as well as night. He spent the evenings there. There were games, dances, parties, raffles, etc. if you would like copies of the daily compasses for that age group I can copy and send them to you.

[westjones]

Thanks for the info, and thanks for the offer to send the Kid's Club information. We won't be looking to go for a couple of years, so I don't want to put you to any bother. We are looking at trying this cruise line when the girls are 13 and too old for the Lab on the Disney Cruise. The 12-14 age grouping sounds good to us.

You report was great! :p


DJ

[adisneymama]

HI! Thanks for the report. We are cruising on the Magic in a few weeks. It is our first cruise. We have a 2 1/2 yr old. Do you think there are plenty of activities for that age? I know dh will love the golf areas and such, but wasn't sure about DD. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

[MO64RN]

adisneymama,
to be honest I didn't check into anything for that age group.I grabbed the compass for the 3-5 age group (which you dd would probably be if you go) It looks like they have loads of activitities all day and evening long.They had different rooms set up for each age group and the 3-5 group were called the Aquanauts. Some of the activities are games, storytime, dancing, face painting,scuebcem etc. Lots to do in my opininion.

[adisneymama]

Thanks! That is my main fear. How were the shows? Do you think they would be appropriate for her age? Sorry for all the questions! It's nice to have some one who has experienced it firsthand.

[westjones]

Another question here too.....

How did you book your RCCL cruise? It is SO easy to get a quote from the DCL for the Disney Cruise, is there anything like that for RCCL?

Are there rooms for 4? (two adults, two teenagers)? Or if you get 2 rooms, do they connect? Or are they just right next to each other?

Thanks,
DJ

[kaykels]

Who did you book it through and is there a web site with Florida Resident rate dates or prices?

[Disneycrazymom]

Thanks for the comparison. I have 2 questions for you. Did RCCL offer any teen only excursions like DCL does? And do I understand correctly, you paid about the same for 2 rooms as you would on DCL for 1 room? That is a lot of extra space and an extra bathroom. Thanks!:teeth:

[MO64RN]

I booked directly through Royal Caribbean. RCI does not offer fl res rates as far as I know but we booked about a year ago and for 2 inside rooms it was about $2500 which is what I usually pay on Disney for one Cat 10 room with a FL res rate. I am already looking at rates for next Oct and they seem pretty close so I don't know if it makes a difference if you book early. You can check prices on their webside very easy.

Just an FYI- the rooms were a little bit smaller than Disney-but we had 2. They were next door but not connected. The do have some connected rooms available but I was not able to get one. I had a key for the kids room so I could go in any time I wanted.

It was nice to have the privacy.

[MO64RN]

one other point. I originally wanted to cruise in July and the price was double so the rate definitely depends on the time of year.

[TiggerKing]

I was intrigued by reading your report as it relates to "complaints" I have heard about non-DCL cruises...the fact that you are charged for a lot of little things for which you don't pay on DCL.

Overall, how much do you think you spent on things on RCI that would have been free on DCL? Thanks for your post!

[TheWog]

Thanks for the comparison. We are considering the Mariner for Jan 06 western over the Magic. Price is about $1,000.00 less for RCI. Appreciate your insight. Glad you had a good time.

[MO64RN]

The only things we spent more on were the soda cards for the kids. I think about $30 each for the week. Johnny Rockets was extra but we didn't have to do that. Wanted to try it though. We didn't spend the money on Ben and Jerrys.No big deal to me. Chops was $10 more per person than Palo but worth it in my opinion.

[cruisnfamily]

Thanks for the review! After 3 DCL cruises, we'll be on the Mariner in 5 weeks with DD12 and DS8. I'd love to hear lots of details on the kids programs. I know one of your kids was in the teen program but was the other in a younger age group? do they give you pagers? Just wondering how I will know if DS8 wants to be picked up. Also, I heard that the club isn't open all the time but closes and reopens...did this prove to be a problem? How were you able to keep track of where your teen was?

Also, I've heard you have to "get tickets" for the ice show. How does one do this? And do you have a choice of days to see this show? Or is it only offered once? Did your kids go to all the shows with you?

Tell me everything....I'd be interested in every detail as we'll be cruising on the mariner shortly. I'm afraid by the time we get it all figured out, we'll have missed stuff.

Thanks!

[MO64RN]

Crusinfamily,
dd11 was in the 9-11 age group. We allowed her to sign in and out on her own so no pagers. The next younger group is 6-8 and I honestly do not know if they give out pagers.

The clubs do close for short periods. Not a problem for us. Usually close to meal times.

DD went to all the shows. DS went at the beginning but toward the end wanted to hang in the teen club. I am sure the entertainment changes a lot on the Mariner from week to week as far as the Headliners.

The 80's show wasn't really that 80's to us.

They gave out tickets for the ice show the second day at 9am. I got there at 8:30 and they started giving out the tix 10 min later. I think there were 4 show options all together so it depends on what seating you have for dinner. Do not miss it.

Just alittle advise. If you want to go to chops or portofino I reccommend the first night. If you go to the dining room that night do not order the rib eye. On italian night order Ravioli if you like it because it was great. Friday night is shrimp and Lobster tail night so if you like seafood don't miss that. Please ask me any other questions you might have.

[Hans Solo]

We started with a 3 night Wonder and have sailed with the Magic on an Eastern & Western for the past 3 years. We love DCL but we are going to give the RCCL Mariner of Seas a try.

Our questions are about embarkation. We have been spending the night before at the Radisson so we can get to the port early. We always are at the terminal lot by 10:00AM to get into the terminal before the crowd. Will we be able to follow our routine with RCCL? What time would you suggest for arriving at the RCCL terminal?

We have been in Cruise Terminal 9/10 once on a tour but can't remember if there was a coffee/drink shop in the waitng area. Did you see anything like the one in the DCL terminal?

Can you drop the family and baggage off first then go park?

Thanks for your report.

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :Pinkbounc :bounce:

[MO64RN]

Hans Solo,
As I stated in my report the embarktion procedure is a bit more difficult then Disney. I do not think 10am will be a problem. We got there about 11am and I was surprised how many people were already lined up so perhaps you will do better than we did. There was a long line of cars waiting to drop off the baggage. Head in double parking so it was time consuming.

You do drop the family and baggage off first then off to the parking garage. Once we entered the terminal everything went so fast and we boarded right away. I don't recall seeing a coffee shop but there were some machines outside of the terminal.

Let me know how you enjoy the trip when you get back.

[Carol36]

Hey MO64Rn!

I was on the Mariner two weeks before you! I was on 9-28 crusie, which was delayed by two days because of "Jeanne"! We still had a blast! I can't wait to go back, although I will have to!!

The food was good, especially the lobster and shrimp. We ended up in Chops and I had the filet mignon, also! I have to agree with you MO64Rn! It was superb!::yes:: I also liked the coffee, contrary to everything that I had read before leaving.

I feel the same about the shows, especially the ice show! We left the children, so I can't say anything about their clubs and activities! I know that I would love to take them on the Mariner. We are booked for the Magic next December. My DC have only been on the Wonder and loved it! I kind of feel pulled in between the Mariner and the Magic because my DC are 16, 14, 12, and 9. None really enjoyed the kid's or teen clubs, but loved the cruise itself. What do you think MO64RN?

I am glad that you had such a wonderful cruise!

Carol:sunny:

[MO64RN]

My kids seemed to enjoy the Mariner more. They are 11 and 14 and not gone to the Disney Kids clubs in many years. The programming on mariner seemed better. There was also more for them to do on the ship.

[huckster]

was checking and comparing . sounds like you drove. do you know anything about rccl transfers from airport? as we would be flying in . do they pick up your luggage, as does dcl so yo have no worries?? thanks

[MO64RN]

RCI does offer airport transfers to the pier however I do not know much about it since we have never utilized this service on either cruise line.

[ashtravel]

I am a travel agent and I have cruised on the Disney Magic 4 times with my husband and now 9 year old twin boys. We last sailed in August , 2003 and had a wonderful time. Each time was better than the last.
We are finally sailing on the Mariner on Nov. 7 and I am very excited. I have had many clients sail on the Mariner and have a wonderful time. I now find myself asking them questions about their cruise.
Thank you for sharing your experience comparing Disney to the Mariner. I have a feeling my boys will have a better time since they weren't really happy with the kids program on Disney the last time we sailed.
Do you have any other pointers that you would like to share? I do have a quick question. What type of drinks were availble at the Windjammer(I keep wanting to type Topsiders) if you don't drink sodas? Do they serve punch or lemonade? I hate for my kids to drink nothing but soda the whole trip.
Again, thank you for sharing and I will be sure to share my review when I return.
Ashley

[MO64RN]

Ashley,
Windjammer served water, ice tea, coffee, and I think some juices. It is definitely worth it to buy the soda program if your kids drink it.

Pointers:
The first nights dinner was ok. If you are going to chops or portofinos that would be the night to do it. Definitely go to one or the other or both.

Make sure you bring enough extra clothes as there are no self laundry facilities.

Bring some canned sodas and bottled water for your refrigorator in your stateroom.

Do not miss the ice show.

Do not miss Quest.

Go to one of the art auctions. Quite interesting.

Pay your tips early.

Finally, if you are shopping buy the $20 discount book. You will get a free tote bag at DelSol which is worth the $20. You will also get a coupon for a free piece of art at the auction.

[ashtravel]

Thank you for those pointers. What is Quest and why do you say pay your tips early? And do you remember when Italian night was? I am definately going to treat my husband to Chops. He loves steak. He can't eat dairy products so I thought we would go when it is Italian night since he can't eat cheese. I like your idea of going the first night but we have early dining and I didn't think the kids program was opening during dining .
Thanks again.
Ashley

[MO64RN]

Ashley,
The Quest is an Adults only gameshow/scavenger hunt on day 3 at 10pm in studio B. It was an hysterical show. Don't miss it.

We had early seating also. You can make your chops reservation at any time so your kids can be in the club. I think Thurday night was the italian night.

The night we went to chops our kids dined in the dining room together for our regular seating. We told the waiters the day before they would do that.

For your kids ages they also had on a few nights "Adventure in Dining"where the kids that age group dine together in Johnny Rockets at 6pm. They need to be pre registered for this though.

Have fun on your cruise and let me know what you think when you get home.

[ashtravel]

Thank you again for sharing all that information with me. Since I've only really done Disney, it's a little nerve-racking to try a new ship. We made so many friends on the Magic and it always felt comfortable to go back. When the ship was in Norfolk last year in drydock, we took some of the crew members to the places they needed to go (the bank, TJ Max, Walmart) It was nice to treat them for a change. I feel a little bit guilty but , as a travel agent, I need to go on other cruise lines.
I will be sure to share my review with you. Again, thank you for all your helpful hints.
Ashley

[@GoofyNut]

All I've done is DCL and was thinking of trying another line ... Thank You for all the info.

[ashtravel]

I really believe there are other ships as nice ,if not nicer than Disney. As I've said, my family has been on the Magic 4 times and each time was better than the last. But my boys, now 9, weren't really crazy about the kids program. They were a little bored , to be honest. And I was really tired of seeing the same shows everytime. I couldn't believe Rich Pupura? was still on the ship! But it always feels like home. I love the smell of the ship when you first walk on. And Castaway is a dream. But I know we are going to have a great time on the Mariner. I'll be sure to share my experience here. This board has always been so helpful to me when I've planned my Disney cruises. I appreciate everyone's love of Disney Cruise line. It's very hard to beat.

[tezb]

Hi maureen,

Was your cruise director Becky? I agree, she was more involved in ALL activities esp the night ones and everyone knew her by name and wanted to chat w/ her! It reminded me of The Love Boat and Julie McCoy....Glad you liked the Mariner. We will probably stick w/ RCCL when we are able to cruise again.

[MO64RN]

Kirk was the cruise director. He was very nice and funny. Very involved in the activities.

[mlj'smom]

Hi! My kids (11,8,5) weren't real thrilled with the Wonder kid's clubs, either. But, they love to swim, but HATE salt water.......so, how are the pools on the Mariner? Do they have a cool slide, and are they fresh water, or salt? Thanks so much for your report and all of your answers!

[disneygatorfan]

I've never been on Mariner, but I have been on her sister ship, and the pools ARE salt water, and I don't remember any slides.. I remember two pools on one deck, and then there was an adult only pool.

[MO64RN]

No slides and I am not sure about the water. I read some where RCI was changing to Fresh water. Don't know if this was done yet or not. I didn't really notice.

[Disneycrazymom]

Are the pools like the Goofy pool, pretty deep? Or was there one that was shallow enough for the little kids to splash in like the Mickey pool? Thanks!:D

[MO64RN]

I don't think there was a pool as shallow as the Mickey Pool. But I could be wrong. I didn't really pay attention to that since my kids are older.

[princess Snow]

:wave: Thought I'd add my 2 cents to this discussion:
I work for DCL, so I have an obvious bias! However, I've also sailed Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess, so I have a lot to compare the Mariner to. My favorite part was the ice show--I went twice! It was better than ice skating on TV! My complaint was that the ship holds so many passengers that I couldn't find one quiet spot on the ship besides my stateroom. Everywhere I went there were crowds, and I was always waiting a long time for an elevator. I also thought the food in the main dining room was blah. (didn't make it to Chops or Portofinos)

[MO64RN]

princess snow,
I also found the ship more crowded as I said in my original trip report. I did find some quiet spots where there were hardley any people on the outer decks on 4 and 5. If you go again make sure to check out chops.