Secrets:
I just got off a 34 day cruise on the Mariner and can offer some additional insight to the Rardisson experience.
The first secret is that over the past several years the line has gotten money hungry from is past days. Drinks used to be $3 to 5 are now $8 to 11 extra cabin liquor used to be 7 to 9 it is now $25 to 35 and more expensive than on land
Shore excursions used to be marked up 35%, now they are at 300 to 400% and not very good...Arrange your own and don't rely on the ships tarvel desk they will not give you the assistance you want if you are not on the ships tour. I was told at several ports there were no rental cars and there were scads of them. At another port they arranges a avis rental car for $320 a day.....even avis laughed at this and gave me a rate of $53
Food is outstanding in all, but Latitudes and Signatures have both slid in quality to a point that the Compass Rose is the best place to dine with the best meals and presentation.....I dined 4 times in Signatures and each time it faled to be as good as Compass Rose.. which has risen in quality under exec chef Quinn Mc Mahonn.....
La Veranda is Italian but every week goes to an Italian Steak house..... which is excellent.
The email runs 25 cents a min and it takes as much a 4 min to connect......plan accordingly
The ship is great the food is great the staff is great.... but the company is messing with success i feel
