02/22/2022
🤞As Promised here's my review on Getting back to Cruising 🛳⚓️
✍️Review for Royal Caribbean's
Mariner Of The Seas (Perfect Day at Cococay Bahamas & Labadee Haiti)
😊GOOD: The check-in process was Awesome! Download app prior to sailing for an easier boarding process. Once arrived at port, crew members enforced mask, distancing as much as you can & used hand scanners but still personable by allowing you to approach them while checking in without the feeling of you having germs etc. Very smooth flow from entering building, going through security, to scanning documents for verification (matching your photos etc, Covid Negative result & your ID) **Plenty of hand sanitizer stations EVERYWHERE you turn around. The best part, the hand washing stations right before you enter in th buffer area. Crew members are there to make sure hands are washed & mask are on because it is a common area for all cruisers. The buffet area, the members are the only ones to serve you! No other contact with your plate or silverware. You however can get your own drinks. They had a Coke product machine to refill your purchased tumbler (of course with the Soda package). Unlimited refills. All other drinks were given to you by your waiters.
For the ship---IT WAS SPOTLESS🪄 From the common area restrooms (baby wipes, lysol wipes, scent in restroom was great, to counters, mirrors & floors spot & water free!! I went to all the restrooms and NEVER saw anything overflowing or caked with grime. Totally impressed! The elevators, hallways & cabins itself were also very clean. Not soiled floors!! The common areas of pool, hot tub, bars, night clubs, show rooms, excursion desk, gift shops even the casino(Smoke free) were truly cleaned & constantly refreshed. I even took my gloves off bc I was that comfortable! Still wore my mask tho.
😐BAD: the lack of things to do after midnight for adults! The kids had curfews & there was nothing going on around the ship if you were not already in a club around 11pm. Hot tubs were roped off for cleaning. So you had to entertain yourself. The buffet food was not all good either!! No variety, same choices each day! Dining hall was better but slow service! There is NO Captain's Dinner anymore & NO dancing of the crew members while eating. Rarely saw pics being taken at tables during dinner time too.
😕UGLY: some of the Guest Service team is still selective to whom they want to help! 90% of friendly staff & the other 10% should not be on the ship if you're still not friendly, unhelpful, unhappy & it SHOWS to cruisers!! Lastly, the Duty Free protocol. They Did Not package our drink correctly inwhich they should know...we didn't know any different but TSA pre-check stopped us & we had to check the liquor in. That cost more money to do that.
So my OVERALL recommendations is to Just Go!! Be safe while doing so, choose a cruise with less capacity & still mask up. I know you want to walk FREELY around but there's plenty of unvaccinated cruisers that still must present a negative test along with Vax cruisers who must do the same! We didn't allow mask or gloves to hinder our much needed family vacation (missed a few of us there). There are non-vax areas & vaccinated areas but while attending shows together, All must wear mask & it was perfectly A-OK with us!
Share with me thoughts, questions or concers...would love to hear it!
