Mariner Of The Seas

The 2003-built Mariner of the Seas cruise ship is the fifth Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, along with Adventure OTS, Explorer OTS, Navigator OTS, and 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-based passenger shipping company and travel brand, owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG). Founded in 1968, RCI currently accounts for over one-fifth of the global cruise market and operates RCG’s largest fleet by both vessel number and total tonnage.

All RCI ships have names ending with “of the Seas.”

The 3300-passenger Mariner of the Seas closely resembles her sisterships but was the first in her class to receive Royal Advantage upgrades as part of RCI’s USD 300 million fleet renovation program, which introduced Oasis-class features to older vessels. This modernization allows guests aboard a Voyager-class ship to experience enhancements beyond the line’s hallmark ice rink, rock-climbing wall, and Royal Promenade.

Decks and Cabins

Mariner of the Seas staterooms (1667 total, across 33 categories) include 119 Suites, 638 Balcony, 226 Oceanview, 138 Promenade View, and 546 Inside cabins. Most measure 150–160 ft² (14–15 m²), with balconies averaging 50 ft² (5 m²). The largest accommodation is the Royal Suite (1090 ft² / 101 m² plus a 215 ft² / 20 m² terrace with Jacuzzi). There are 26 wheelchair-accessible cabins.

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

Unlike her Voyager-class sisters, Mariner’s connecting balcony cabins feature removable dividers, as they are not attached to the hull.

The ship has 15 decks, of which 14 are accessible to passengers and 9 contain cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Mariner of the Seas features a three-deck main dining room designed around a musical theme, with each level named accordingly. The elegant space includes a von Trapp family tableau and live music on the grand staircase landing. In addition to the main dining venues, the ship offers two notable specialty restaurants: Chops Grille (steakhouse) and Giovanni’s Table (Italian trattoria), both requiring reservations. Giovanni’s carries a US$20 surcharge, while Chops Grille is US$30.

Below is the complete list of Mariner of the Seas restaurants and food bars:

• Rhapsody In Blue Restaurant – 735-seat aft dining room with fixed dinner seating; features DreamWorks character breakfasts (by reservation).
• Top Hat and Tails Restaurant – 502-seat aft dining room offering dinner with two fixed seatings.
• The Sound Of Music Restaurant – 544-seat aft dining room offering Club Dining (6 or 8:30 pm) and “Your Time Dining” (6–9:30 pm).
• Windjammer Café – Lido buffet restaurant (348 seats) offering early breakfast (6:30 am), breakfast (7–11:30 am), lunch (11:30 am–3:30 pm), and dinner (6:30–9 pm).
• Johnny Rockets – 72-seat burger bar (extra charge applies).
• Giovanni’s Table – 88-seat Italian specialty restaurant (reservations recommended).
• Chops Grille – 80-seat steak and seafood restaurant.
• Boardwalk Dog House – complimentary fast-food venue.
• Wig and Gavel Pub – 29-seat English/Irish-style pub bar.

During the 2018 refurbishment, new venues were added: Jamie’s Italian (Mediterranean cuisine), The Bamboo Room (Polynesian-themed cocktail lounge), Izumi (Japanese restaurant with teppanyaki tables), and Playmakers (sports bar and arcade).

Bamboo Room specialty cocktails are priced at USD 14, with signature glassware available for USD 10. Popular drinks include the Royal Zombie, Bamboo Swizzle, Navy Grog, and Saturn Landing.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The ship’s April 2012 drydock added several of RCI’s signature amenities, including the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery (for children under three), the complimentary Boardwalk Dog House, the family-style Giovanni’s Table (replacing Portofino), a large outdoor movie screen by the pool, shipwide Wi-Fi, flat-panel TVs in all staterooms, the Diamond Club (exclusive lounge for Crown & Anchor Society Diamond members), and interactive digital Wayfinder screens for onboard navigation.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, supervised youth programs, Internet/Wi-Fi access, and laundry service.

Below is the full list of Mariner of the Seas’ lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues for guests of all ages:

• The Royal Theatre (1362 seats) – hosts nightly production shows featuring dance, acrobatics, comedy, and games.
• Star Lounge – secondary show lounge with bar service.
• Screening Room – 60-seat cinema.
• Studio B – 904-seat ice-skating rink used for shows, demonstrations, and games.
• Disco and Nightclub – 240 seats.
• Photo Gallery and Art Gallery (art auctions held in the 308-seat Lotus Lounge).
• The Centrum (social hub); Boleros Lounge (74 seats); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (26 seats, for suite guests and loyalty members); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Jazz Club (40 seats); Crown Lounge (formerly Diamond Club, 27 seats); Cloud 9 Cocktail Lounge (28 seats); Seven Hearts Card Room (30 seats).
• Schooner Bar (130-seat piano bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club (30-seat smoking lounge); Plaza Bar; Sky Bar.
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade – features about 30 TVs and gaming stations.
• Casino Royale – 418-seat casino.
• The Golden Room – VIP casino lounge (invitation only).
• Café Promenade (105 seats, 24-hour snacks, drinks, and Starbucks specialty coffees).
• Royal Promenade Boutiques – duty-free shopping (perfumes, jewelry, souvenirs, liquor); Sea Trek Dive Shop.
• Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Parlor.
• Royal Caribbean Online Center (24-hour Internet café).
• Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis; 4 swimming pools.
• Solarium Lounge – adults-only retreat with pool, Park Café, and bar.
• Outdoor movie screen.
• Video Games Arcade; Fuel Teen Disco; Living Room teen lounge; Royal Babies & Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids’ club.
• Sports Court (with golf simulator, basketball, and table tennis); Jogging Track; Rock-Climbing Wall; Mariner Dunes Mini Golf; Inline Roller Skating Track.
• The Observatorium (Escape Room by Puzzle Break).

“Secret” areas on Mariner OTS include the Peek-a-Boo Bridge (at the bow, above the Wheelhouse) and the Helipad (forward Deck 5 helicopter landing pad).

During the 2018 refurbishment, the ship received several new attractions:

Royal Caribbean’s signature “Perfect Storm” water slides (“Cyclone” and “Typhoon”), FlowRider surf simulator, Sky Pad (bungee trampoline with optional VR headset), and laser tag (“Battle for Planet Z” in Studio B). The “Perfect Storm” concept was first introduced on Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).

“Splashaway Bay” kids’ aqua park replaced the Outdoor Youth Area and features interactive play structures, geysers, and water cannons.

“The Observatorium” (Escape Room by Puzzle Break) offers group puzzle-solving adventures with time-limited challenges and themed storylines.

Itineraries

Mariner of the Seas’ itinerary program includes Asian cruises departing roundtrip from Singapore, Shanghai, and Tianjin, visiting destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean introduced a unique series of 8-night cruises from Port Canaveral (Florida) to Bermuda and the Bahamas. The itinerary included an overnight stay at Kings Wharf, Bermuda, along with calls at Nassau (late-night departure) and CocoCay Island (Perfect Day private island). Scheduled departure dates included May 15 and 28, June 5, August 21, September 3 and 11, and October 8 and 16, 2022.

Mariner of the Seas was delivered to Royal Caribbean International on October 31, 2003, by Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Turku, Finland (now part of STX Europe, a division of STX Holding, South Korea).

The ship’s godmother is Jean Driscoll (born 1966), an American athlete and wheelchair racer. She competed in four Summer Olympic Games, winning five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals in wheelchair racing, and holds the record for the most Boston Marathon victories (eight). The naming ceremony took place on November 14 at Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida). Following the ceremony, on November 16, Mariner of the Seas embarked on her maiden voyage to the Eastern Caribbean, visiting Puerto Rico, Nassau (Bahamas), and St. Maarten.

As one of Royal Caribbean’s larger vessels, Mariner features a four-deck-high Royal Promenade that stretches longer than a football field. This is one of the ship’s most popular public areas—brightly illuminated and visually striking despite having no windows. The interior décor follows an Art Nouveau style, combining elegance and simplicity.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2023 review

In February 2022, Royal Caribbean announced a scheduled drydock for 2023, resulting in the cancellation of 19 voyages (18 in 2022 and 1 in 2023) from Port Canaveral between January 7 and April 1 (inclusive). Affected passengers were offered rebooking options on Jewel of the Seas, also homeported in Port Canaveral.

The 2023 drydock (February 28–March 25) was completed at the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain. The project focused on routine maintenance, classification works, and general hotel upkeep, as well as minor steel repairs (including aft hull cleaning and painting) and propulsion system/azipod overhauls. The Sky Pad attraction was removed and the space converted into an open activity area for complimentary outdoor programs such as cornhole, dance classes, and other leisure games. The sundeck areas (Decks 11–12) received new teak flooring, the waterslides were repainted, and the FlowRider’s pump was replaced.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2018 review

The ship’s 2018 drydock (May 8–June 24, at Freeport, Bahamas) resulted in the following updates:

• On Sports Deck 13, Royal Caribbean added the signature high-speed racing slides “Cyclone” and “Typhoon,” along with the FlowRider surf simulator, Sky Pad (bungee trampoline with optional virtual reality headset), and a laser tag arena (“Battle for Planet Z,” located in Studio B). The new “Perfect Storm” water slide duo was first introduced on 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—an interactive water play area with water cannons and geysers, replacing the former Outdoor Youth Area (“back deck”).
• On Deck 15, the “Skylight Chapel” (wedding venue) was replaced with “The Observatorium” (Escape Room by Puzzle Break), offering immersive, timed puzzle-solving experiences for groups.
• “The Golden Room” nightclub (Deck 3, lower level) was converted into staterooms, while the upper level (Deck 4) became “Izumi,” a Japanese specialty restaurant with teppanyaki tables.
• The Photo Gallery was relocated from Deck 4 to Deck 3. Its former space on Deck 4 was repurposed for the “Playmakers Sports Bar” and an Arcade Room.
• “Dragon’s Lair” nightclub (Deck 3, lower level) was also replaced with staterooms, while its upper level (Deck 4) became part of “Izumi.”
• New dining and entertainment venues were introduced on Deck 11, including “Jamie’s Italian” (Mediterranean cuisine), “The Bamboo Room” (Polynesian-themed cocktail bar), and “Playmakers” (sports bar and arcade).

Additional staterooms were added, and all existing cabins were upgraded and modernized. The 2018 refurbishment project cost approximately USD 120 million.

The YouTube video below provides details of the ship’s 2018 drydock refit in Freeport, Bahamas.

Mariner OTS refurbishment 2012 review

The 2012 drydock introduced the following upgrades and changes:

• All cabins were upgraded with flat-screen TVs.
• Digital signage (touchscreen wayfinders) was installed on several decks to help guests navigate the ship.
• Wi-Fi connectivity was expanded to full shipwide coverage.
• On Lido Deck 11 (main pool area), a large outdoor movie screen was added.
• Also on Lido Deck 11 (at the Boardwalk), the complimentary fast-food venue “Dog House” was introduced.
• On Deck 14, the “Diamond Club” lounge was added—exclusive to Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members.
• On Deck 4, “Giovanni’s Table,” an Italian trattoria-style specialty restaurant, was added.
• On Spa Deck 12, Royal Caribbean’s signature Nursery was introduced.
• Entertainment options were expanded with the “DreamWorks Experience,” featuring themed character activities and performances.
• The Casino Lounge was renovated and enhanced with “Baccarat” and “Sic Bo” gaming tables.
• The “Vintages” wine bar was upgraded.

Additional retail options were introduced along the Royal Promenade shopping arcade, including a “Coach” designer handbag boutique.