MANILA, Philippines - What has 15 decks, 10 pools and whirlpools and 17 bars, clubs and lounges and floats gloriously in the middle of the ocean?
Answer: Mariner of the Seas.
Impression: It’s a luxury ship of the Royal Caribbean International that hyperbolically resembles another world — grand and gorgeous yet refreshing and relaxing — because of its size. It’s 1,020 feet long and 157.5 feet wide. With that built, can you just imagine how skyscraping the Mariner of the Seas would be if it were standing upright on its bow?
It’s built for adventure. It defines exquisite experiences among its cruisers who choose to vacation on it, in the middle of the sea. After all, Mariner of the Seas is the largest and most exciting ship homeported in Asia and it offers its guests total pampering because it belongs to Voyager Class.
When it made a port of call in Hong Kong last month after it started its maiden Asian season in Singapore, Mariner of the Seas welcomed me to have a glimpse of it. The ship never failed to wow me from the time I entered it till the moment I traipsed around its every nook and cranny. I was actually prepared for its wow factor after having experienced a few years back the Rhapsody of the Seas, also of the Royal Caribbean, an award-winning global cruise brand with a 40-year legacy of creating many an industry first that’s never-before-seen at sea.
One feature of the ship that will surely leave a long and lasting impression to a cruiser is the Royal Promenade of the Mariner of the Seas. It’s an expansive boulevard inside the ship that is dotted with tony duty-free shops and engaging cafes. Just while you are nursing your favorite brew in a coffee shop with your family and friends, your attention is gleefully stolen by a parade of cartoon characters joyfully parading and strolling along the boulevard. So, in an instant, you and your children become friends with Shrek and Fiona, Alex of Madagascar and Po of Kung Fu Panda. (I heard these DreamWorks’ characters get so friendly at times that they sit with you for breakfast or lunch — to the utmost adulation of your little ones.)
It’s one happy parade that the characters will show you. Don’t blame yourself if you get up on your feet and dance with the cast. At the Royal Promenade, which breathes both of a European feel and a subtle hint of Asian flavor, no one will rain on your parade.
Because it is built to give a total experience of awe and adventure to its cruisers, the Mariner of the Seas also has a 900-seater in-line skating track where tableaus are performed by funny and entertaining skaters/actors every day. Or if you’re in for a more formal set-up, there’s also a three-tiered theater where you can watch enchanting shows with excerpts from many musicals.
For the Captain’s Dinner at the three-tiered main dining room, be ready to be served the best of the best cuisine. There’s also a buffet restaurant that serves a variety of international cuisine with a selection of Asian dishes. If you want to be more intimate, there are specialty restaurants like Chops Grille Steakhouse and the rustic Italian restaurant called Giovanni’s Table. There’s also the famous American diner Johnny Rockets that also gets full the minute it opens. Don’t forget to call ahead to make your reservation in these restaurants.
The immensity of the Mariner of the Seas can be gleaned from the amount of food being prepared every day. On a daily basis, 22,000 meals are prepared. Every week, 19,000 lbs. of beef; 18,000 lbs. of chicken; 75,000 lbs. of pork; 11,000 lbs. of seafood; 45,000 lbs. of fresh fruits; and 64,000 lbs. of fresh vegetables are consumed. Oh, add to that the 75,000 eggs that are consumed by the ship’s 3,807 passengers who are attended to with tender loving care by the 1,185 crew onboard the Mariner of the Seas.
And how many Filipino crewmembers are there onboard? Around 25 percent of the 1,185 crew. And you know what it means if you’re a Filipino vacationing in a luxury liner with many Filipino crew onboard. (You will be pampered by your kababayan.) These are the same Pinoy crew who told me that Kris Aquino and her sons Joshua and Bimby had a grand time when they took early June the Mariner of the Seas from Singapore, which had a port of call in Port Klang, Malaysia.
At night, darkness is indeed engulfing in the middle of the sea. But it is the same darkness that gives birth to a new day — that begins resplendently the minute you feel a restful sleep is what you just had the night before. The Mariner of the Seas, which began sailing in 2003, is also known for comfortable sleeping amenities of its 1,557 staterooms categorized into a Royal Suite, Grand Suites, Junior Suites, Balcony Staterooms, Oceanview Staterooms and Interior Staterooms.
Indeed, it’s a new day at Mariner of the Seas. Especially if you begin the day on the ship’s jogging path or taking laps at its three swimming pools or running on the treadmill at the gym. Did I mention that the ship also has a rock-climbing wall, a mini-golf course and a full-size sports court for basketball?
At Mariner of the Seas, excitement escalates every day. After all, the ship is built for adventure and relaxation and everything that comes in between.
Get ready to be wowed now.
(From second week of June until October, Mariner of the Seas will be doing China round-trip cruises visiting different ports in South Korea (Busan and Jeju Island). In the last week of October, it will be sailing Hong Kong round-trip cruises, visiting ports in Taiwan (Kaohsiung and Taipei). From November to March 2014, it will be deployed back to Singapore for the popular Singapore round-trip cruises.)
(For more information on Mariner of the Seas, call Arpan Air Inc., the international representative in the Philippines of Royal Caribbean International, at 892-2701 to 03.)