Compared to the Star Cruise, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship,the Mariner of the Seas, is a lot bigger - and better in terms of food, facilities and services. We booked a 3-day 2-night cruise during the year-end holiday last year, and I'm already thinking of going back on the Royal Caribbean cruise - perhaps on a different ship - in the near future. 

Touted as the largest ship in Asia, the Mariner of the Seas has 15 decks including an attic-like small wedding chapel with a Bride's Room to boot. The ship also boasts several restaurants, a cafe, at least two bars and lounges, a small movie theatre, a 3-tier live performance theatre, a spa and fitness centre, an ice-skating rink and a casino aptly named the Casino Royale. There is also a rock-climbing wall, mini golf course and in-line skating corner on the outdoors. For those who like watching a movie under the stars and moonlight, the large outdoor movie screen will appeal to you. 

Although we were  allowed  to board the ship at 11am, the rooms weren't ready until 2pm. So we lugged our luggages around to the restaurant to satisfy our hunger pangs first. After a sumptuous lunch, we soaked ourselves in the whirlpool which was filled with bubbling hot water. It was like soaking in hot spring! There were five whirlpools on the ship, so you can choose the less crowded one. If you want to take a dip in the swimming pool, there are three to choose from. But be warned, the water in the pool is salty like sea water! 

Like all cruise ships, our stateroom cabin was small but compact. It was able to accommodate four persons with two twin beds that can be put together to form a double bed, and two pulled-down bunk beds attached to each side of the wall. The shower was a little too cramped for comfort, so those who were bigger-sized might get their elbows knocked against the shower door when they showered. 

On the first night, we had a sit-down formal dinner at a fine-dining restaurant. The food was superb, and the service way exceeded our expectations. Despite the crowded dinner guests, the wait staff were very attentive and courteous. They even took the time to ask for our feedback on the foods we were eating, and even went beyond that to serve us a plate of appetizer or dessert, with compliment. 

Day One would have been perfect if not for the horrendous crowds that were jostling to watch the favourite DreamWorks Parade at the Royal Promenade, which was also lined with boutiques, a cafe and pub. Our little girl has had to sit on her daddy's shoulders to catch a glimpse of the various DreamWorks characters. But I was shoved and squeezed by the overly excited crowds that I didn't catch a good view of the parade. On a brighter note, we pre-booked the Special Breakfast with the DreamWorks characters for the next day so that was some consolation. 

The next morning, we rose up bright and early to have breakfast with the DreamWorks characters, Shrek and Fiona. Sweet Pea absolutely loved the green orgies couple, and enjoyed their performances while munching our hot buns and croissants. After the sumptuous breakfast, we had a soak in the outdoor whirlpool before visiting the library on the ship. We walked around on the different decks and stumbled upon a scrapbook-making workshop and decided to try our hands at making scrapbook as a family. It was great bonding time as we had a lot of fun cutting, pasting and putting the bits and pieces together  for the scrapbook. 

Later, we spent the afternoon singing karaoke at the Dragon's Lair, which was done up to resemble a den where imaginary dragons lived and breathed fire. Sweet Pea and I sang a duet "Amazing Grace", even though it was more of me singing as she was quite shy to sing before strangers. The night rounded up with a magic show by the famous duo, JC Sum and Magic Babe Ning. By then, Sweet Pea was quite tired, so we headed back to our cosy cabin for a restful sleep. 

The next day was shore excursion but we decided to stay onboard. This is such a big ship with no lack of activities and facilities for those who chose to stay behind. I had wanted to try the outdoor rock-climbing but decided against it when I saw how steep it was! The excruciating hot weather also deterred me from staying outdoors on the deck. There were also long queues at the mini golf and in-line skating stations, so we ended up not attempting any of the sports activities!

Nevertheless we have had a great time swimming in the salty pools, snacking on free hotdogs and ice-cream cones, and dancing to our hearts' content at the Family Disco. It was the first time we really let our hair down and danced as a family, and it was so much fun and memorable! For those who wanted to pamper themselves, the Mariner Day Spa looked luring with an indoor jacuzzi, saunas and variety of treatments to choose from. 

The highlight of the night was the amazing ice-skating performance show - "Ice Under the Big Top". We managed to get the front seat and could see the performers up close, including having the thrill of bits of ice sprinkled onto us as the performers skated and danced on the ice rink. The performance was overall superb even though there were a couple of accidental falls. But the performers were very professional as they picked themselves up and continued the show.

On the last night of the cruise, we were pleasantly surprised when we returned to our cabin to see a towel ape hanging on a clothes hanger! The ship crew who did this really had a great sense of humour. It was the little personal touches like this and the exemplary customer service in the restaurants that inspired me to want to sail on the Royal Caribbean again.