The 2003-built Mariner of the Seas cruise ship is the 5th Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sisterships Adventure OTS, Explorer OTS, Navigator OTS, Voyager OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9227510) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311493000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCCL's largest fleet as both numbers of vessels and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities). All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 3300-passenger ship Mariner OTS is largely the same as her siblings, but was the first of its class to get Royal Advantage upgrades as part of RCI's USD 300 million fleet renovation program for adding Oasis-class features to the older boats. As such, cruisers who sail on a Voyager-class ship are able to experience a number of twists beyond the signature ice rink, rock wall, and Royal Promenade.

Decks and Cabins

Mariner Of The Seas staterooms (1667, in 33 grades) include 119 Suites, 638 Balcony, 226 OceanView, 138 Promenade View, 546 Inside. Most cabins are sized 150-160 ft2 (14-15 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 50 ft2 (5 m2). The largest is Royal Suite (1090 ft2 / 101 m2 plus 215 ft2 / 20 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 26.

Mariner OTS also has 2x single-occupancy cabins (for solo travelers) located on Deck 2, behind the Loyalty Desk.

Unlike the other three VOYAGER-class boats (Voyager OTS, Explorer OTS, Adventure OTS, Navigator OTS), on Mariner OTS the connecting balcony cabins have balcony dividers that can be removed as they are not attached to the hull.

The boat has 15 decks, of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Mariner of the Seas features a 3-deck main restaurant with music-themed design. Each of its three levels has an appropriate musical name. The von Trapp family tableau adds charm to the room. A nice touch is also the live music on the upper landing of the ship's staircase. However, the primary dining experience aboard Mariner includes two alternative restaurants. A steakhouse atmosphere is offered at Chops Grille. Giovanni's Table is an Italian themed restaurant that serves Caprese salad, herb focaccia, pasta, and braised meat dishes. Both are reservation-preferred eateries (book up early, since reservations can be made pre-cruise, online). Giovanni's levies a US$20 surcharge; Chops Grille is US$30.

Follows the complete list of Mariner of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Rhapsody In Blue Restaurant (735-seat aft Dining Room with fixed seating for Dinner; offers reservations-only DreamWorks character-themed breakfasts)
• Top Hat and Tails Restaurant (502-seat aft, dinner only Dining Room, with two fixed seatings)
• The Sound Of Music Restaurant (544-seat aft, dinner only Dining Room, with Club Dining at 6 or 8:30 pm and "Your Time Dining" 6-9:30 pm)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (348-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Johnny Rockets Restaurant (72-seat burger bar, the extra fee applied)
• Giovanni's Table (88-seat Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Chops Grille (80-seat steakhouse/seafood)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Wig and Gavel Pub (29-seat traditional English/Irish pub bar)
• During refurbishment 2018 were added Jamie's Italian Restaurant (Mediterranean cuisine specialty dining venue), The Bamboo Room (Polynesia-themed cocktail bar lounge), Izumi Restaurant (Japanese cuisine specialty dining venue), Playmakers (sports bar / Arcade Games).
• Bamboo Room's specialty cocktails are at USD 14 each. Signature glassware costs USD 10. The most popular drinks are named Royal Zombie, Bamboo Swizzle, Navy Grog, Saturn Landing.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Mariner of the Seas ship's drydock in April 2012 added the RCI's signature venues Royal Babies and Tots Nursery (for toddlers/kids under 3 years), the casual, surcharge-free Boardwalk Dog House, the family-style Italian eatery Giovanni's Table (replaced the more stylish Portofino), the huge outdoor TV screen (by the swimming pool), as well as shipwide Wi-Fi, flat-panel TV's (in all staterooms), the Diamond Club (exclusive lounge for Diamond-level loyalty program members), interactive digital Wayfinder system (touch screens listing all onboard facilities, activities and customized directions).

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Mariner of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Royal Theatre (1362-seat, features two grand productions per night with dance, acrobatics, comedy, and game shows)
• Star Lounge (ship's secondary theatre, with a bar)
• Screening Room (60-seat cinema)
• Studio B Lounge (904-seat indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties)
• Disco and Nightclub (240-seat)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery (art auctions are organized in the 308-seat Lotus Lounge)
• The Centrum (social hub); Boleros Lounge (74-seat); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (26-seat; suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Jazz Club (40-seat); Diamond Club Lounge and Bar (27-seat, past guests only); Cloud 9 cocktail lounge (28-seat); Seven Hearts card room (30-seat)
• Schooner Bar (130-seat piano bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club (30-seat smoking lounge); Plaza Bar; Sky Bar
• Playmaker's Sports Bar & Arcade (complete with about 3 dozen TVs)
• Casino Royale (418-seat)
• The Golden Room (casino quests VIP lounge, invitation only)
• Cafe Promenade (105-seat, 24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffees)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); Sea Trek Dive Shop
• Ben & Jerry's (ice-cream parlor)
• Royal Caribbean Online center (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis; 4 swimming pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Park Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area); Solarium Bar
• Outdoor movie screen
• Video Games Arcade; Fuel Teen Disco club; Living Room teen lounge area; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Mariner Dunes Golf Course; Inline Roller Skating Track
• The Observatorium (Escape Room by Puzzle Break)

"Secret" facilities on Mariner OTS are the Peek-a-Boo Bridge (at the bow, in front of Vitality Fitness/overlooks the Wheelhouse) and the Helipad (bow-positioned helicopter landing area on Deck 5 forward).

During refurbishment 2018, on the ship were installed the following facilities.

RCI's signature "Perfect Storm" waterslides ("Cyclone" and "Typhoon" / high-speed racing slides.), FlowRider (surfing simulator), Sky Pad (bungee trampoline with optional virtual reality headset). laser tag ("Battle for Planet Z" / glow-in-the-dark gaming room in the Studio B complex). The new water park and the duo of waterslides (called "Perfect Storm") were first introduced on the ships Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).

"Splashaway Bay" kids aqua park / interactive water play area with cannons and geysers (replaced the Outdoor Youth Area "back deck").

"The Observatorium" (Escape Room by Puzzle Break) provides adventure game experiences (team-building exercises) for a group of players who solve a series of puzzles by using clues, hints, and group strategy. The team is given a set time limit to solve the puzzle (secret plot hidden within the room).

Itineraries

Mariner of the Seas itinerary program is based on Asia cruises with roundtrip departures from Singapore, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Feature destinations are South Korea and Japan from China and Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam from Singapore.

In 2022, RCI scheduled for Mariner OTS a unique program from homeport Port Canaveral with 8-night cruises from Florida to Bermuda and Bahamas. The itinerary visits Kings Wharf Bermuda (2-day stay/overnight) plus Nassau (late-night departure) and CocoCay Island (full day stay). This unique itinerary was scheduled for the following departures (in 2022) - May 15 and 28, June 5, August 21, September 3 and 11, October 8 and 16.

Mariner OTS was constructed in 2003 in Turku Finland at Kvaerner Masa-Yards (now part of STX Europe / division of STX Holding, South Korea). Ship's godmother was Jean Drsicoll (US athlete). She has participated in four Summer Olympic games and won 5 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals in wheelchair racing. She also won the Boston Marathon 8 times, which is a record achieved by no one else. The naming ceremony was on November 14th, held at Port Canaveral/Orlando Florida. After the ceremony, on November 16th, Mariner OTS started the Maiden Voyage to the Eastern Caribbean visiting Puerto Rico, Bahamas/Nassau, and St Maarten.

Being one of RCCL's really big ships, Mariner has the 4-deck high Royal Promenade, in size longer than a football field. This is one of the liner's most popular public places, and despite that, it has no windows it is still a breathtaking area dazzlingly illuminated all the time. The Mariner ship's decoration is "Art Noveau" style marked by beauty and simplicity.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2023 review

In February 2022, due to a scheduled drydock in 2023, RCi canceled the ship's departures (18x total) from Port Canaveral for the period January 7 thru March 27. For rebooking were offered itineraries on Jewel OTS also homeported in Port Canaveral.

Details on the planned upgrades/deckplan changes will be announced on a later date.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2018 review

Ship’s drydock 2018 refurbishment (May 8 - June 24, in Freeport Bahamas) resulted in the following deckplan changes:

• On Sports Deck 13, the RCI’s signature waterslides “Cyclone” and “Typhoon” (high-speed racing slides) were installed. Also on deck 13 was added FlowRider (surfing simulator), Sky Pad (bungee trampoline with optional virtual reality headset) and laser tag ("Battle for Planet Z" / glow-in-the-dark gaming room in the Studio B complex). The new water park and the duo of waterslides (called "Perfect Storm") were first introduced on the ships Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).
• On Spa Deck 12 (aft), the new “Slashaway Bay” kids aqua park was added. This is a new-design interactive water play area with cannons and geysers. It replaced the Outdoor Youth Area (aka “back deck”).
• On Deck 15, the "Skylight Chapel" (wedding room) was replaced with "The Observatorium" (Escape Room by Puzzle Break). The Escape Room provides adventure game experiences (team building exercises) for a group of players who solve a series of puzzles by using clues, hints and group strategy. The team is given a set time limit to solve the puzzle (secret plot hidden within the room).
• "The Golden Room" nightclub ((Deck 3 / lower level 1 of 2) was replaced with staterooms, while the upper level (Deck 4) was replaced with Izumi (Japanese restaurant at a fee, with Teppanyaki table-side grills).
• Photo Gallery was moved from Deck 4 to Deck 3. On Deck 4, replacing the Photo Gallery were added: "Playmakers Sports Bar" and Arcade Room.
• "Dragons Lair " nightclub ((Deck 3 / lower level 1 of 2) was replaced with staterooms, while the upper level (Deck 4) was replaced with Izumi (Japanese restaurant at a fee, with Teppanyaki table-side grills).
• Photo Gallery was moved from Deck 4 to Deck 3. On Deck 4, replacing the Photo Gallery were added: "Playmakers Sports Bar" and Arcade Room.
• (deck 11) Jamie's Italian Restaurant (Mediterranean cuisine speciality dining venue), The Bamboo Room (Polynesia-themed cocktail bar lounge), Playmakers (sports bar / Arcade Games)

To the ship were also added new staterooms. All existing staterooms were renovated/updated.

Refurbishment 2018 project cost USD 120 million.

Next YouTube video shows details on the ship's 2018 drydock refit in Freeport Bahamas.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2012 review

The list of deckplan changes after drydock 2012 included:

• Cabin amenities were upgraded with new flat TVs added in all cruise staterooms.
• Digital signage (way finders) on several decks were installed. These touch-screen boards allow you to know your way around the ship.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded to shipwide.
• On Lido Deck 11 (in the main pool area) a huge movie screen (outdoor theatre) was installed.
• On Lido Deck 11 (at Boardwalk) was added the Dog House (complimentary fast food bar).
• On deck 14 the “Diamond Club” lounge was added. This is a signature venue for “Crown & Anchor” (RCI loyalty program) members only.
• On deck 4 Giovanni’s Table (Italian Italian trattoria restaurant) was added.
• On Spa Deck 12 the Royal Caribbean’s signature Nursery was added.
• The onboard entertainment options were upgraded with the “DreamWorks Experience” (themed characters entertainment).
• Casino Lounge was renovated and upgraded with “Baccarat” and “Sic Bo” game tables.
• Vintages Bar was upgraded.

More shopping options were added to the Royal Promenade boutique shopping arcade (now with the “Coach” bags store).