Flagships of the Caribbean

By Staff

updated 1:53 p.m. ET July 18, 2005

It’s a banner season for Caribbean cruising, with 11 new ships providing state-of-the-art service from a slew of U.S. ports, including New York, Boston, Louisiana, Texas and, of course, multiple spots in Florida. Today’s cruisers can expect expanded amenities such as spas and kids clubs, beyond-the-buffet dining options and restaurants run by celebrity chefs, and enough activities to keep them hopping while their ship is island-hopping the Caribbean. Larger, faster and more luxurious, these floating all-inclusives have become destinations unto themselves, and as our roundup of 15 flagships makes clear, if you’re into cruising, your ship has come in. Bon voyage.

MARINERS OF THE SEAS
On shiny silver blades, I glide across the cool, slick ice. It’s hard to believe I’m somewhere between Miami and Havana moving ENE at 20.5 knots, a balmy 85 degrees outside. Ten decks above me, a pick-up game of hoops drives fast and furious. Nearby, in-line skaters whiz past golfers lining up putts on a nine-hole miniature golf course while runners chew up miles on the outdoor jogging track. The most radical cruisers, outfitted in bright yellow helmets and safety harnesses, are even higher, scaling a 33-foot-high rock wall behind the ship’s smoke stack. This is definitely not your grandmother’s cruise ship.

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Designers of the Mariner of the Seas —Royal Caribbean’s largest ship cruising the Caribbean and last of its innovative Voyager-class series — clearly had more in mind than building a longer buffet line and a bigger sun deck. Today’s cruisers, they reasoned, want to do more than gorge themselves and park their bottoms on deck chairs. So while there’s plenty of space aboard the ship for those satisfied with sipping frosty drinks in the sun by the pool, the Mariner specializes in offering over-the-top options to people of all ages who prefer to keep their bodies in motion while floating through the tropics.

Despite its “lust for life” active theme, the Mariner is much more than a fancy seagoing gymnasium. A stroll down the Royal Promenade — a vast, glittering space that’s a full four decks high and longer than a football field — is like visiting a stylish shopping mall. With a soaring atrium on each end, this unique avenue offers an array of boutiques, a gourmet coffee-and-ice-cream café and several bars, including Vintages where I sample wines to preorder my selections for dinner. A dramatic staircase connects to the ship’s three-level main dining room, bejeweled in chandeliers. At Chops Grille and Portofino’s, Mariner’s two premium restaurants (reservations recommended and extra charges apply), the staffs compete against each other to see who can offer the most creative and memorable dining experience — the passengers are the clear winners. If you’re just climbing out of the pool after a scuba lesson or fresh from testing your swing in the golf simulator and don’t feel like dressing for dinner, not to worry: Johnny Rockets’ cooks will be flipping a classic cheeseburger with your name on it.

In the evenings, if you have the stamina to switch into party mode, there’s no limit to the action in 14 themed bars and lounges and the Vegas-style casino. On several nights during the cruise, the ship’s performers stage dazzling costume parades through the Promenade after starring in their various shows.

The Mariner’s high-energy theme extends to the excursions in port, with adventures such as climbing Dunn’s River Falls on Jamaica, scuba diving off Grand Cayman and parasailing over Cozumel. After a few days of trying to do every activity in port and on board (including 8 a.m. step aerobics classes) I’m still moving — at least to haul my aching muscles to the ShipShape Spa. Right now my lust for life is limited to a warm seaweed massage and a nice long soak in the hot tub.  — Santa Choplin Bogdon

Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas offers seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries year-round, sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida. For information call 800-327-6700 or visit www.royalcaribbean.com.

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