The Suite Life of Chris and Kellie Mariner of the Seas June 13-18, 2026 Galveston, TX (Western Caribbean)
This was a cruise for the memory books and it was... SUITE!
After 29 cruises... we are addicted and love this form of travel as we believe it holds the best overall value. This particular cruise was a chase for becoming DIAMOND on Royal Caribbean as it is our favorite cruise line. To become DIAMOND a cruiser must have 80 "cruise points" total. A cruise night is 1 point but sailing in a SUITE or HIGHER allows DOUBLE points which meant we needed to sail in a suite to become DIAMOND before Natalie's Graduation cruise in 2027. We chose this 5 night sailing out of Galveston which in turn gave us exactly 80 cruise points; a year ahead of our Graduation Cruise goal. Even sailing a Junior Suite in the middle of the summer was only $1125/ per person (which is on the lower end of "mid pricing" to be honest). This was a splurge to say the very least but we LOVED this experience and would sail in a Junior Suite again in a heartbeat. The perks, double cruise points, and the stateroom itself was HIGHLY worth this price point! I would recommend EVERY ONE sail in a suite at least once in their life!
We have cruised 13 previous times with Carnival, 12 times with Royal Caribbean, 2 times with Norwegian, 1 time with Princess and most recently 1 time withMSCCruise Line.
This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the Mariner of the Seasas well as all of the unique and awesome perks of sailing in a Suite! You do not want to miss these posts!
Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about cruising out of Galveston, information about cruising to the Western Caribbean as well as great information about Mariner of the Seas.
Morning We were woken up bright at early at 6:40AM with a phone call letting us know our room service would be delivered shortly. TIP- We ordered the continental breakfast via the brochure and placed it on our door the night before for a 7AM delivery. The continental breakfast offerings are FREE and the American (hot) breakfast items have a $7.95/ per delivery fee. We opted for the free option! Our breakfast arrived and we enjoyed a lovely, albeit very carb heavy, breakfast on the balcony. This was a our favorite morning and we were a little upset we did not do this every morning... but we much prefer the "real breakfast" foods instead of toast and bagels.
I loved the serenity that was achieved with this breakfast.
The seas were once again absolutely PERFECT!
After breakfast on the balcony Chris took a nap while I explored more of the ship before the crowds arrived for a typical sea day aboard. I met Chris at the Vitality Spa around 8:50AM for his 2nd session of acupuncture.
It's Wednesday on a cruise ship... I love it!
Time to explore more but first, coffee!
The wake is the BEST VIEW!
Another perfect view of the open ocean.
This session was more intense with less needles but more electric wires and impulses. Dr. Ling also did a small acupuncture session on his left hand which also has some tendonitis. Overall I think the acupuncture was a great learning experience and it did in fact work and Chris was not an ANY pain for about 2 weeks; however, the pain did start to come back and I will say this is not a permanent healing. We will explore Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors in Houston and look for more acupuncture sessions in the near future. Knowing all I know now about acupuncture and his condition, I am not sure I would pay the $500 again... However, like I mentioned in a previous post this is not a lot compared to other medicines and practices.
Wow... this was TOTALLY worth it! Check out the relief:
After this acupuncture session we went to The Pub for some trivia and a few slices of Sorrento's pizza. We had lunch reservations at Jamie's Italian at 1:30PM but the lack of protein from our breakfast on the balcony meant we were a little hungry prior to 1:30PM.
Traditional Buoy picture... 5 days late!
Another Royal Tradition... The Ship logo on the Pool Deck!
This one was a little hard to find and seems it has been moved to a different location than our experience with sister ships in the past.
Gotta love the Sky Lounge- Check it out:
Afternoon At exactly noon, Lauren (the CD), started the Veteran's Tribute in the Royal Promenade.Royal Caribbean does such a remarkable job with this event and it brings me to tears every single time. The recognition of each branch of service, the historical poems and other ceremonial tributes are incredible but the Taps played live makes me bawl like a baby. Thank you Royal Caribbean for honoring our Veteran's and those who lost their lives while serving our country; like my cousin Jeffery. Thank you for your service!
These Veteran's Tribute services are so well done!
These Royal Singers (and Dancers) were some of the best we have seen! What a phenomenal job of singing our National Anthem!
We made our way to Jamie's Italian in the courtyard of the Windjammer for our lunch. With this late lunch time, there were hardly any customers in there and once again, the service was phenomenal. TIP- We booked this lunch experience in Jamie's Italian prior to embarkation and only paid $13.99/ person. Even with the require gratuity and the additional tip, we enjoyed the best meal of our cruise for only $45 total and it was worth every penny!
Jamie's Lunch Menu options
The Cedar Meat Plank Kellie- 4.0 & Chris- 4.5
The Garlic Sticky Buns 5.0... This is easily the best bread on the ship!
The Penne Vodka Kellie- 4.0 (It is listed as spicy but it was very mild)
Charred Broccoli Side Kellie- 4.0 and Chris-3.0 This would be PERFECT for a low-carb/ KETO diet... We need to learn how to make this at home!
Avocado Caesar Salad Kellie-4.5 Easily one of the best salads I have ever had.
Jamie's Dessert Menu (Lunch and Dinner)
Tiramisu Kellie- 4.5 *Be warned... it is RICH!
Banana Split Chris- 4.5
After lunch we walked around the Pool Deck on deck 11 and then made our way to the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14 to enjoy the pool deck views from an chair in the AC. We stayed here for about an hour before Chris went to take another nap and I went to get our traditional ship specific souvenirs.
This is one of my favorite features on Voyager and Freedom Class ships! This lounge is just perfect for a lazy and relaxing day spent at sea.
We met up at the Star Lounge on Deck 5 for Harry Potter trivia but unfortunately, we did not win. You would think after attending this trivia multiple times we would do better but never even come close.
We then went to Playmakers to try and watch the College World Series but they were not showing the OU game due to ESPN not being available. But we watched more of the World Cup and loved the vibes, yet again, of Playmakers.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the Casino and I was quick to lose my money at the blackjack tables but Chris stayed in the game for a very long time and even came out EVEN after several hours. That in an of itself is a WIN!
Evening We went back to the room to quickly pack as much as we could before the 7PM Centerstage production show in the Royal Theater.I must say that this crew of singers and dancers were some of the absolute best we have ever seen on any cruise line and we loved this show.
We grabbed some pre-dinner drinks at The Schooner Bar and then enjoyed our last dinner in the Main Dining Room with easily the best service we have had in 30 cruises. Thank you Rommel and Anne for the best experience in the MDR.
The Taste of Italy Menu in the MDR
Arancini Balls Kellie- 4.5 and Chris- 4.0
Lasagna Kellie- 3.0
Mushroom Risotto 5.0 This is always one of our favorite dishes on board and this one did not disappoint.
Tiramisu Kellie- 3.0 & Chris- 4.0
After dinner we went to Playmakers in hopes of catching at least the ESPN scroll of the OU score but was not successful so we went to The Pub for our last sing-along of the cruise! It was great to see Raj, one of our favorite bartenders from the Jewel of the Seas 2025, one last time before getting off the ship! We called it a night around midnight and prepared for our disembarkation the next morning.
Mariner of the Seas... You've been good to us and hold a special place in our hearts!
This was a FANTASTIC experience being in a Suite for the first time and I will say this is something we are going to look into for our future cruises. We are excited to enjoy all of our perks and benefits of being DIAMOND on our upcoming Symphony of the Seas cruise in just a few weeks!
We've got 2 more Royal Caribbean cruises booked in 2026 and Natalie's Graduation European Cruise in 2027 but I have a feeling we will be booking a few more cruises in our upcoming breaks!
Formal Night on a cruise ship is one of our favorite things!
Morning
Happy SUNDAY Y'all!
I woke up early and tried to enjoy the sunrise on the balcony but there was lots of cloud coverage, so I opted to try to go back to sleep. The beds were "upgraded" according to Royal Caribbean standards (due to having a suite) but they were still very hard. TIP- Always bring a mattress topper if you can as they do not always have them available. We buy one at Walmart for $12.50 and then leave it on the cruise. That $25 investment is worth it every time.
We got ready and went to the Main Dining Room for breakfast. This is one of our favorite things on any cruise ship as the food is more "fresh" than at the buffet and it is not near as crowded. However, in recent cruises Royal Caribbean service has been very slow in the MDR for breakfast and this morning proved to be the same as it took longer to have breakfast in the MDR than it did to have dinner, which is crazy. The food was great and even with a longer service time, we enjoyed the breakfast experience.
The MDR Breakfast Menu
The Mariner of the Seas Main Dining Room... It is absolutely breathtaking!
After breakfast we went to the Solarium Bar and met yet another bartender who knew us from the Anthem of the Seas 2025 to Alaska. TIP- This bar offers multiple types of protein shakes, smoothies and fresh fruit juice (the carrot juice seemed odd). Even around 9AM on a Sea Day, this Solarium Adults Only area was not that crowded. We opted to lounge around in this area for over an hour before heading to the Top Tier Event in the Royal Theater.
The Top Tier Event is for Emerald and above Crown and Anchor members (those who have sailed 55 nights or more on Royal Caribbean) and is a recognition and celebration of Royal's most loyal cruise passengers. We love attending this event to meet new cruise friends and even meet the Cruise Director and Captain. We actually talked with the CD for over 20 minutes about cruises and the ships she had been on. This Top Tier Event did not off the Q&A session with the Captain like previous cruises but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
I love the PRIVATE concert the Orchestra gave the Top Tier guests!
This sailing stats for the Crown and Anchor Society! NEXT TIME... We will be DIAMOND!
The Captain of the Mariner of the Seas... Oddly enough, he collects CARS!
Us with the Cruise Director- Lauren! She was so friendly!
And our traditional picture with the Captain!
After this event we went to the Casino Bar and enjoyed getting to know that bartender and hear about his life back in the Philippians but before we knew it, it was already after 1PM so we hurried to the MDR for lunch.
This bar was centrally located and easy to grab a drink and go (or not).
Afternoon The service in the MDR for lunch was MUCH faster but we have learned that the service often depends on when you arrive. Since the lunch service stopped in the MDR at 1:30PM, we were towards the tail end of the dining time and the waiters seemed to be in a bit more of a rush. This allowed our lunch to be in and out of the MDR within 30 minutes but we did have to take our desserts to go as we were just too full.
The MDR Lunch menu (Sea Days only)
Mozzarella Sticks Chris & Kellie- 4.5 These are really simple but we LOVE them and order them every time!
The Potato Soup Chris- 4.0
It needed more actual potatoes!
The Royal Caesar Salad Kellie- 4.5
Exceptionally done this time!
The Butternut Squash Risotto Kellie- 4.0 This is SO RICH but so very flavorful and delicious!
The Lamb Pita Chris- 4.0 This was not as good as he remembered it being but he enjoyed it!
We went back to the room to put the Key Lime Pie in the fridge and take a brief nap and then we went to the Royal Theater for the Love and Marriage Show. This show is always comical and this one did not disappoint but it was certainly our OLDEST set of 3 married couples- all over 50 years old (even the newly weds).
We made our way up to the Viking Crown Lounge to get the most perfect view of the Lido Deck on the Mariner of the Seas. We really enjoy this area of Freedom Class ships and smaller as it allows crystal view of upper decks of the ship and it is in the AC. The bar oftentimes has various hours so be sure to check the Cruise Compass (or app) for more details!
A view of the Main Pool Deck from deck 14 inside the Viking Crown Lounge.
We went back to the balcony as it was in the shade and enjoyed the incredibly calm seas for nearly 2 hours before getting dressed for the evening and heading to Boleros. TIP- Boleros is not usually our favorite as it is usually live music central and oftentimes very loud and overstimulating but this venue was much smaller and way more "chill" than any other Boleros we have seen. We ended up spending a lot of time here throughout the cruise.
The seas were PERFECT!
This is the LIFE... Absolutely perfect seas and a balcony! It doesn't get much better than this!
I love the 2x a day service provided for Suite guests and an additional towel animal each day!
Let's Talk Ship- Day #2
I am ready for Formal Night... let's do this!
I love getting dressed up on a cruise ship!
Boleros is a HUGE hit with so many cruisers and this cruise was a hit with us as well!
Evening We went to the Royal Theater to watch the Gallery of Dreams production show and the singers and dancers were phenomenal and such a change of pace and upgrade from our most recent cruise on the MSC Seascape 2026 where the production was high school level- at best! These performers were literally SHOW STOPPING! Be sure to catch this show if you are sailing on the Mariner of the Seas in the near future.
This is a great show- Do not miss it!
After this show we went to Playmakers to enjoy more of the World Cup before dinner. TIP- The service in Playmakers was some of the best we experienced on the ship. The bartenders not just knew up but knew our order and we're very social and friendly. We were also able to meet a few fellow cruisers and talk ship with them which is always nice.
Dinner in the MDR was formal night and we expected more people on the 5th floor of the MDR but it was very scarce once again. And we were for the 2nd night the ONLY table in our waiter's section. This made service more personal and very fast. The menu for the MDR this formal night was Taste of France and the menu options were plentiful and delicious! We were in and out of the dining room on formal night in about 50 minutes.
The MDR Taste of France Menu
French Onion Soup Kellie- 5.0 & Chris- 5.0 Once again, it is famous for a reason!
The Calamari Kellie- 4.0 This was very chewy!
Steak au Poivre Kellie & Chris- 4.5 This was cooked perfectly (medium rare) and the flavors were spot on!
Seafood Linguine (Shared) Chris & Kellie- 4.5 This was SO GOOD... It's hard to pass up steak but this could be the main entree instead, it is THAT good!
Creme Brulee'
Chris- 4.5 & Kellie- 4.0 This is SUPER rich!
Carrot Cake Chris- 4.5 He thinks this was better than the Creme Brulee!
Let's Talk Ship- Sea Day #1 and Formal Night
After dinner we decided to go to the Pub to listen to the guitarist perform. He was performing all kind of music but we loved the Classic Rock style! We called it a night around 12:30AM.
CHEERS!
We loved John- the Pub Bartender!
Cheers to Sea Day #1!
This was a classic easy day spent aboard the Mariner of the Seas and we wouldn't have it any other way!
