Mariner of the Seas: Information

1. Payment
All purchase made in USD

2. Power Adapter
Singapore power plug is unable to use unless you have a travel adapter, so bring one!
If not, you may collect one at the Guest Counter located at Deck 5, deposit of USD25 is applicable, no charges will be made if the travel adapter is return before the end of your trip

3. List of Included

a. Food Choices
- Deck 11 - Windjammer (Buffet Style)
- Deck 11 - Dog House (Hot Dogs)
- Deck 11 - Arctic Zone (Soft serve Ice-cream)
- Deck 5 - Cafe Promenade (Snacks) - Self Service Hot drinks and Water
- Deck 3 - Rhapsody in Blue Dinning Room (Fine Dining, walk in) - Serves breakfast and lunch only.
- Deck 5 - My Time Dining (Fine Dining, reservation through Cruise Planner) - Serves Dinner

b. Lazy Entertainment (my favourite things to do onboard)
- Deck 3 - The Savoy Theatre  (3D movies, Original production, Headliner Showtime)
- Deck 3 - Studio B (Ice Under the Big Top - Ice Skating Circus Show)
- Deck 2 - Screening Room (Movies)
- Deck 11 - Pool Deck (Outdoor Movie on Big Screen)
- Deck 5 - Lotus Lounge (Dance classes, game shows, karaoke - i chose to be a spectator)
- Deck 5 - Lotus Lounge (Bingo Game ($) - need to pay, but it's fun! No harm trying your luck, you might win something)

4. Understanding your Sea Pass

On the right side of the card states the evacuation area (C12 as shown in pic) to go in case of emergency. Every guest on board will have to go through a mandatory emergency drill to gather at their designated area. Remember to bring fan! It's an open deck with a lot of people so you can imagine how hot it was. 

The Dining Room will only be there if you did a reservation for dinner at My Time Dining (complimentary), following this information, you are entitled to a special show!

You can check this in the Cruise Compass provided to you daily in your stateroom. Kudos to the stateroom crew!

e.g

On my card it states Dining Room: Sound of Music - Dk 5, Seating: O-My Time
This means the showtime I can attend is 10.45pm (see highlighted in picture above)

Be sure to check the timing for this particular show, due to limited seats, they are strict on the time slot allocation.

5. Arcade Credits

In case you're like me, who thought arcade credits can be used in any kind of game machine (including the ones in casino - a machine who have the same kind of scanner as the one in the video arcade). You are so wrong. Arcade Credits can only be used in Video Arcade and no where else.

I personally is quite disappointed in the Video Arcade please. No doubt they have very helpful crew around there. It's the machines and place that disappoints me.

Firstly, the place it's hot even it's indoor, after playing a few game i'm already perspiring (not to mention, i don't play games where i need to move a lot).
Secondly, majority of the scanning devices on the machines are not very sensitive, it requires to swipe, swipe, re-swipe and swipe again. Not a very user friendly place.

Thirdly, i bought credits online (paying in SGD and it's 20% off) before i board the ship, after a few games, i needed to check the value left for my card. Only to know that i need to go to Deck 5 to check my credits, where the Video Arcade is on Deck 12 :(

6. Chill out Decks 
If you enjoy sea breeze or sun-tanning, be at Deck 12! It's much better than Deck 11 where the swimming pools are.

7. Hot Jacuzzi 

A tip! There's a more personal Hot Jacuzzi which can be found inside the gym at Deck 11, it's indoor and less crowded

8. Departure from the ship
There's 2 choices available for you to departure the ship with or without your luggage
You will be given the instructions of check out and luggage tags a day before your official departure.

a. Without your luggage
You are required to tag your luggage the night before your departure and leave your luggage outside your stateroom if you opt to let the crew to help you to deliver your luggage to immigration. The time of luggage retrieval is based on your tag number, the bigger the number the later the timing of departure.

b. With your luggage (recommended)
If you are capable of handling your own luggage, self assist is the fastest you can go to get off the ship. Usually it's the first group of guests who will leave the ship first. Thus clearing immigration faster. (I did self assist, the meeting time was 8.15am, we reached the meeting area about 8am. Cleared the immigration by 8.25am. fast!)

Royal Caribbean: Pre-Trip Preparation

Ship: Mariner of the Seas
Before the Trip tips:

1. Read through your Guest Ticket Booklet - this is sent to your email after your cruise confirmation.

2. Login/Create your MyCruises Account @ https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/mycruises/login.do to view your Cruise Planner, fill out your Online Check-in forms, etc..

3. Make sure you use the Cruise Planner! (below are the 3 items I purchased/reserved)
a. Fine Dining Experience (highly recommended!)
- We are given complimentary fine dining experience for dinner onboard, however reservation is needed thus there's an availability for you to reserve it online to choose a comfortable time slots for your dinner

b. Internet for 2 Devices
- If you can't leave instagram, facebook, or whatsapp you'll need this.
If not, don't bother getting this. Afterall, cruise is meant for disconnecting from the land.

c. Arcade Credits
- This credit is NOT applicable for Casino use, so if you are really going to play video arcade games, you can purchase this. I kinda wasted mine, if you want to know more you may find out here.

4. Find out more of what's included and what's not in the package you purchased @ https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/mariner-of-the-seas/things-to-do

You may refer to this link for the list of included.

5. Decide mode of payment (can be set in Check in form)
The only difference is, credit card payment is bind to your Sea Pass, you will not need to be present at the Guest Counter to clear your bills, the final statement will be outside your room door at the day of departure for your reference.

6. Fill out your check-in details and print out your SetSail Pass and Luggage tags!
I highly recommend to check-in your bigger piece of luggage, just make sure nothing valuable is inside. Moving around with your luggage on carpeted flooring in the ship gets a little tough.
This will also improve the speed of check-in.

Luggage will be placed outside your stateroom after the ship departed from the port. Depending on the time needed for the awesome crew to transport your luggage.

7. Check your Deck check-in time on the Guest Booklet
e.g. 
i reached close to 2pm checking in for Deck 2, managed to clear everything and board the ship in 20mins. Fast! :)

8. Make sure there's a formal wear in your luggage! (unless you are sure you do not want to join the formal dinner)
Usually for a 3-5 nights cruise, there will be a formal night where everyone will need to follow formal dress code, like strict formal type, women in cocktail dresses and men in suit, tie, tux.
On formal night, Main Dining Hall will have a performance. The perk is enjoying dinner with performance! How nice is that. I kinda regretted not making the effort to bring my formal wear. It's too intimidating to have everyone dressing their best when i'm not, so Windjammer is the alternative for casual diners!

5D4N Bangkok Trip - Day 3

Started our day about 10am, took a cab to Union Mall where Ame can shop to her heart's content. We were too early when we reached, the mall only opens at 11am. So we settled in a cafe looking place beside the mall for our brunch. 



Wanted some Thai food, ordered (although we had a little language barrier) and waited. 30mins later we were told that the food we ordered is not available. So we had to reorder western food, and continue to wait another 20mins for the food to be served. I was so hungry that I didn't even take a photo of the fish and chips I ordered. 

The damage at Union Mall wasn't high because they don't sell plus sizes there. I bought a super cute casing there for a 100 baht! 



Had lunch at a boat noodles place recommended by Ame. The serving for boat noodles is really small. I had 6 bowls! 




After lunch, Ame continues to slowly shop her stuff and me and Wei continues our slower shopping. I managed to buy 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of slippers. Nua at O'Coffee at L4 while Ame continue to shop. 

Headed over to Asiatique around 4-5pm via cab. Asiatique is a huge place with very nice vibes and full of tourist. My Thai baht is running low so I went to change my only 100 SGD for Thai bahts. I wanted to get a trolley bag there however it's 450 baht which makes me think twice about it. In the end I didn't get it though. I bought 2 fans for Mummy at 440 baht. 



Then we headed to warehouse 6 onwards for the designers' stuff that Wei wanna see. I spotted the huge ferris wheel! It looks awesome at night. 



Wei recommended a leather place with good quality belts, bought 1 for Dad and 1 for 二嫂. Then we passby a customise shop that sells bracelets, we chose a band of different colours, a rose gold star pendant, inscribed our initials and a whale symbol on the pendant. Each bracelet costed us 450 baht. Now we have the same luggage, same travel wallet, same ear stubs and a same bracelet!



While waiting for the bracelets to be done, we went Happy Fishes and had our dinner feast. It's a whole lots of food! The food was great and the ambience is awesome! Definitely will be back again for that place. 







After dinner we went walking around the huge place again.. Wei and I got tired first while Ame is stilling happily walking around. Headed back via taxi again went through a taxi counter and paid a charge of 25 baht, thinking that it will surely be a meter charged taxi, but when we went in, the driver wanted a flat rate of 200 baht. I mean since we're inside and it's not very unreasonably charged so we went ahead.

5D4N Bangkok Trip - Day 2

Started our day about 9am at Krung Thong Plaza right beside GLOW Shibuya (where our hotel is). This place is recommended by Wei for all the plus size clothes at cheap price! +__+ before the shopping begins, we had our breakfast at the foodcourt at Level 6, had fried glass noodles at about 55 baht and a less sweeten thai iced black tea. 



And shopping begins, at the end of the shopping time I calculated the total I've spent, below is the list of things I bought.

For myself:
3 shorts - 600 baht
2 strip tops (formal) - 700 baht
2 dresses (formal + shirt dress) - 700 baht
3 t-shirts - 435 baht
1 long top (DOTS) - 250 baht (impulse buy)
4 underwear - 200 bhat

For family:
2 kids tops - 180 baht
4 kids family tops - 520 baht
3 sets of couple tees - 760 baht




After the first round of shopping, we went back to the hotel and drop our 战利品~ Next stop will be Central World to eat the famous BAKE Cheesetarts (so much wooha in SG and queue is up to about 2 hours just to buy) but in BKK it's just a normal queue! Got to taste the yum yums! As a cheese lover I love it! If you are going to try the cheesetarts, it is located at Level 7 near the cinema. 



We settled for lunch right beside the BAKE place (I forgot the name of the food place). Stomach wasn't feeling well that time so settled in with soupy boat noodles and ginger tea. Not sure was that the authentic boat noodles, it tasted kinda salty though. 



I had to run toilet while walking around the mall after the lunch. I decided not to join the girls for Art Box due to my stomach condition while they go ahead with plans. They dropped me off at Platinum Mall and continue their journey to Art Box at EM District. 

On the way back to the hotel, I grabbed a bottle of 1.5 litres mineral water, 4 mini bottles of yakult looking drink, 1 bottle of lemon 1000C drink. Started nua-ing in the hotel room while texting the girls making sure that reached the place safely. They took a photo and asked me about how the taxi meter, it's quite useful to know.


Sorry for the blur image. Anyway how to read this metre..
Top left: Total time of journey from start
Top right: Total distance covered
Bottom: Fare to pay

Just some tips if you are travelling via cab in Bangkok. Not every cab drivers will go by taxi metre (what i understand if they go by metre, they are also earning lesser due to the rate per jump). I'm ok if taxi drivers give me a flat rate of 100-200 baht per trip. Just be careful of drivers who goes to you and offer a ride, usually that will cost you about 700-800 baht. Bottom line is be clear of what the driver is offering before hopping on to the cab.

Anyway they didn't stay long at Art Box because they felt it's a disappoint with little stalls and they covered the whole place within 30mins or less. Thus they headed back to the hotel for a foot massage while I continue to nua in the room, packing my good buys from morning.



Settled our dinner at the night market outside Platinum Mall, had the Omu Rice I've been eyeing on the previous night. The cashier of the Tokyo Truck is a 美女, and in my opinion the Omu Rice is so pretty and nice! I 打包 another serving to eat for supper. 



Ate Mango Sticky Rice also! I only ate the Mango. Tried another stall selling Thai Milk Tea & Charcoal Vanilla ice cream, it was yums too! Happily sharing the ice cream with the girls while walking down the roll of stalls. Made more keychains, and by now the stall owners already recognises me.