It took her 46 days to get here, and she didn't look the least bit tired. Good thing too, because we (Mr. Makarma) had the wonderful opportunity to help welcome Royal Caribbean International's Mariner of the Seas to her new home port of Los Angeles last week. Among those joining us on this adventure were Buffy and Ron, our very best friends in the travel industry.
The Mariner was the last built of the five-ship Voyager class, joining the Royal Caribbean fleet in November 2003. Her older sister, Voyager of the Seas, was introduced in 1999 and brought with it a host of cruise ship innovations. These included the four-deck Royal Promenade consisting of shops, cocktail lounges and cafes along its lowest deck, along with three decks of interior cabins with a floor-to-ceiling view of all the activity below. An ice rink (yes, ice rink), three-deck dining room, multi-level main showroom and a Johnny Rockets help round up all the excitement.
Mariner of the Seas is the largest cruise ever based on the West Coast (by far) and, based on our short stay, we're planning to keep her here for some time. After a quick check-in, we enjoyed lunch in the ship's Windjammer Cafe and the "Ice Under the Big Top" show mid-afternoon. In the evening, a delicious dinner (with outstanding service to match), followed by the "Pure Energy" show in the ship's Savoy Theatre. Later in the evening, both a 70's dance party and "Enchanted Knights" parade in the Royal Promenade. It was great to see Angelo performing in the Schooner Bar following his long, successful stint on the Monarch of the Seas when the latter ship was based in LA.
Although very comfortable, we didn't spend too much time in our stateroom, as the ship had much to explore and partake in. Still, we did need a couple hours sleep, followed by breakfast in the dining room and, sadly, debarkation.
Our one minor complaint had absolutely nothing to do with the ship or cruise line but, rather, with the World Cruise Center in Los Angeles (San Pedro). We had been under the impression a new terminal would be built to accommodate ships such as Mariner. Not only has this not yet been built (it's possibly still years away), the existing terminal doesn't appear ready for its close-up. We're not sure where the blame for this situation lies, but we do hope the Mariner gets the facilities she deserves soon. Nevertheless, we know RCI will not let the situation in the port affect its guests' embarkation/debarkation process, and the terminal's not-ready-for-prime-time status will do nothing to affect anyone's enjoyment of the cruise.
Thanks go out to Mariner of the Seas and her incredible crew, led by (Super) Captain Johnny Faevelen. Welcome to Los Angeles. Enjoy your weekly visits to Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. We'll be joining you again really soon.
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