Mariner of the Seas Live Blog – Day 7 – Sea Day

Even though it was a day at sea, my mother and I had a busy day!

We both slept in every day of this sail, and today was no different. Patty wanted to try breakfast in the main dining room, so she rushed to deck three before it closed at 9:30. On the other hand, I went to the Windjammer because I needed to eat quickly.

Patty told me she was very impressed with the speed of service in the main dining room as she arrived, ordered and ate in just 25 minutes. She started with a bran muffin and a plate of fruit. For main, she had eggs your way with sides of bacon and cheese grits. She was shocked by the size of a bowl of cheese grits. The food was very good, she said. Patty loved being served and would do it again even if she had little time for breakfast.

At 10 a.m., the group cruisers gathered in the conference room to hear Matt record a podcast for his channel. He described what he’s done in each port and his overall group cruise experience so far. After that, he answered a few questions about the cruise that people had emailed him. It was fun to be part of his episode.

I had looked at the frappuccino drinks at Café Promenade, so I ordered a caramel to try. I didn’t know if there would be coffee in it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. There was coffee in it, but it wasn’t too strong a taste, so I was happy with it.

While I was having my drink, the Veterans’ Gathering was taking place. It was a special event, and I could tell many felt the same way.

Next on my agenda was the Ladies Pamper Party in the living room. I have attended this event many times on past cruises because I like to feel a little pampered once in a while! The event was packed, as all the seats were taken when my mother and I arrived.

The employees sampled various cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc., and walked us through how to apply them to our face and neck. I have the same old skincare routine, so I liked changing it up and experimenting with new products.

One of the products they used was sunglow bronzer, which I’ve been using for at least 10 years when I bought it on a previous cruise. Employees applied it to those who wanted to try it, so Patty and I did.

At 1:00 p.m. the group cruise held a private ice skating event at Studio B. After signing a waiver and getting ready, we were able to hit the ice. I was very rusty at first and had to get used to the skates before I was comfortable moving slowly around the rink.

Even Matt came on the ice for a short while!

Love & Marriage was at 2pm, which I thought was odd since it’s usually nighttime during production. Nevertheless, we attended the event with a strawberry daiquiri and a lava flow in hand.

This show is one of my favorites, so I was excited. I’ve seen the show so many times that I can predict almost every question they ask couples! The newlyweds won this time around.

We had some free time before the afternoon trivia, so Patty and I relaxed on deck four and watched the waves. Deck four has become one of our favorite quiet spots on the Mariner.

Patty likes to do tricks and she said she prefers walking on deck four rather than deck 12. Deck 12 is busy with bathers and group gatherings which prohibit her from walking constantly.

Deck four is much less crowded; even without a walking path, she trains well. Another advantage is that for at least half the time she is in the shade rather than the sun on deck 12.

Patty and I hadn’t yet taken part in general knowledge questions on this cruise, so we were intrigued to see how we would do. We actually didn’t do too badly (I thought) and got a score of 9/20. We knew we didn’t win so we left before they announced the winners (who got a perfect score).

Since we were right next to the casino, I wanted to try my luck. My family says I’m the lucky one of the bunch, but that wasn’t the case today. I didn’t bet much, but lost everything and ended up with a measly 0.24 cents. I left the casino without bragging, but still had fun.

At that time, we had to get ready for dinner. Tonight was “dress your best” night, which is the equivalent of the old formal night. I find it interesting how they changed the terminology, but I can understand why, because maybe people don’t want to dress to perfection for dinner. I would estimate that only 25% of the guests were dressed in formal wear while most of us were casual.

Once seated at the table, you must scan a QR code and use your phone to view the dinner menu. My phone was not easily accessible so I asked for a physical menu which I appreciated. On this cruise, I realized that I missed the physical menu every night, but I understand their reasoning to limit germs.

I started with the roasted tomato soup while Patty took the Asian style pork tacos. The main course was chicken cordon bleu for me and tagliatelle pasta for Patty.

She told me she ran out of meat during her dinner, so she also later ordered the grilled lamb chops. I helped her finish her pasta.

Dessert was tres leches, creme brulee and apple blossom a la mode. They have apple blossom every night, but I just had to order it because I know how good it is. It was an excellent choice!

By the time we finished dinner, it was already time for the 7pm “Center Stage” headlining show. I thought it was just the singers and dancers, but there was also a juggling and comedian act in the middle – The singers and dancers opened and closed the show. It was good that we got to see a variety of entertainment that everyone could enjoy.

Right after the show, there was an 80s party on the Royal Promenade. Similar to 70s disco hell, there was music and dancing going all the 80s. Patty and I watched the show for a little while then went to the Bamboo Room to share a mojito. The Bamboo Room mojito is excellent in my opinion.

I had some time before the 10 p.m. game show, so Patty and I went to the solarium to relax in one of the daybeds. These are always busy during the day so we were happy to finally enjoy one tonight. We couldn’t even feel we were moving forward and it was peaceful to hear the rhythm of the waves.

The game show was Adult Majority Rules. They had regular majority rules earlier this cruise I attended. Tonight’s was a completely different version. It was so funny; I think I’ve laughed the most of my life on a game show.

Immediately after, there was karaoke for adults. I listened to a few singers – some were great and some not so much. I can’t judge because I can’t sing myself!

Tomorrow we will visit one of Royal Caribbean’s private islands, CocoCay.