No two cruises are the same. Even if you are sailing on a similar ship, such as Royal Caribbean's Navigator and Mariner of the Seas, factors like the crew, itinerary, and weather conditions all foster new experiences.
Within the past year, Jenny Reineck embarked on two solo cruises aboard Mariner and Enchantment of the Seas. Her sailing on Mariner departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, and called at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Cozumel, Mexico, whereas her cruise on Enchantment sailed from Tampa to the Western Caribbean.
"I had a great time on both of the cruises, but there were some similarities and some differences," Reineck says.
Similarities
Great service
She begins by talking about the service. From the servers in the Main Dining Room to her cabin steward and the bartenders, "...the crew on [Royal Caribbean was] fantastic, and they [went] above and beyond to make [my] cruise vacation fun."
Those aren't the only crew you'll meet while onboard. Everyone from the Cruise Director to the Casino Host, Loyalty Ambassador, and the Youth Program Director plays a vital role in shaping your cruise experience.
Speaking of Cruise Directors, "...the passion, excitement, and energy brought by the Cruise Director on both ships was phenomenal." They are often considered the "face of the ship," helping to coordinate onboard events and activities that keep passengers entertained throughout their sailing.
Read more: 7 most important crew members to meet on your cruise ship
Complimentary pizza
Whether you're grabbing pizza from Cafe Promenade, Park Cafe, or Sorrento's, indulging in at least one slice of included pizza is a rite of passage on Royal Caribbean cruises.
When sailing on Mariner, Reineck ventured to Cafe Promenade for pizza, while on Enchantment, she found herself at the Park Cafe in the Solarium.
"Regardless of where I got it, the pizza tasted the same and was delicious! In fact, the quality of the food in general was very similar across both ships," she remarks.
Read more: Sorrento's pizza on Royal Caribbean cruise ships
Main Dining Room
Reineck explains how the service, menu options, and food quality were similar in the Main Dining Rooms on Mariner and Enchantment.
In early 2023, Royal Caribbean introduced new dining room menus to speed up the dinner service. Each night focuses on a certain cuisine, from Italian to Mexican and British. While the rotation of the menus may vary based on the length of your cruise (i.e., a 4-night cruise won't have as many options as longer sailings), the standardized dining experience ensures that guests can expect consistent quality and service no matter which ship they’re on.
That said, Reineck says the main difference between the Main Dining Rooms was her seat: "In both cases, they sat me at a two-person table by myself, but that is where the similarities ended."
"On Mariner, my table was against a wall at the end of a row of tables. It felt more private, but I didn't have a great view. On Enchantment, my table was sandwiched between a bunch of other two-person tables, but I could sit facing the window. While it felt less private, the view was much better," she adds.
Read more: Royal Caribbean Menus 2024
Onboard activities
The onboard activities and entertainment often drive passengers to book a Royal Caribbean cruise compared to competing lines. While older ships lack Broadway-style musicals, the essence of the daily schedule is the same.
"Whether it was trivia in Schooner Bar, a theater show, or the infamous Crazy Quest, ...I noticed that many of the onboard activities that I had enjoyed on Mariner were also going to be happening on Enchantment," she says.
"This was great because I already knew which activities I wanted to [attend], including the belly flop contest, the world's sexiest man contest, and other fun activities throughout the ship."
Read more: What's included in a Royal Caribbean cruise?
Stateroom
Whether you want to save money and book the cheapest interior cabin or are in the mood to splurge on a lavish suite, cruise ships have staterooms to meet various needs and preferences.
On both Mariner and Enchantment, Reineck booked an interior cabin. However, her room on Mariner was different in that it overlooked the Royal Promenade. There was no window, even an interior-facing one, on Enchantment.
"Other than that, the rooms were very similar in size, storage space, bathroom, etc.," Reineck explains.
"As a solo traveler in a double occupancy room, an inside cabin [had] more than enough space for all of my things, and in both cabins, there were at least two other places to sit down other than the bed."
Read more: Royal Caribbean cabin guide
Differences
Ship layout
Enchantment of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's oldest ships in service. Part of the Vision Class, she debuted in 1997. Not only is she one of the oldest ships in the fleet, but she's also one of the smallest, measuring just shy of 83,000 gross registered tons. In comparison, Icon of the Seas is over 245,000!
Mariner of the Seas is a little newer, having launched in 2003. As such, she's part of the line's Voyager Class, which was the first to feature the Royal Promenade, a thoroughfare filled with shops, bars, and restaurants.
Since both vessels belong to different classes, their layouts are different. Different doesn't equal bad or disappointing, though.
"While I thought I might miss the Royal Promenade, I actually enjoyed some of the ship activities [more] on Enchantment due to the layout of the Centrum," Reineck says.
"Particularly for things like the balloon drop and the Parade of Nations, the Centrum gives off a 'round the campfire' vibe where we [could] all gather and celebrate together, whereas the Royal Promenade [felt] more like we were all in a long hallway looking at a stage."
She adds that she also enjoyed watching sail away from Mariner's helipad, which was absent on Enchantment.
Ship amenities
Since Mariner is larger and part of a newer class, she features more onboard amenities compared to Enchantment, including water slides, a FlowRider surf simulator, an ice skating rink, and an escape room.
Not only that but Mariner also had a working television screen on the pool deck, which played holiday movies during Reineck's December 2023 sailing.
"Unfortunately, while I was on Enchamtnent [in April 2024] the big screen on the pool deck was not working, and I missed out on pool deck movies."
Dining options
While on Mariner, Reineck decided to try Royal Caribbean's Izumi Hibachi. In addition to the interactive Teppanyaki meal, she found that Mariner had more options, such as the hot dog stand on the pool deck. She said she'd have to brave the crowds at Windjammer if she wanted a quick bite to eat on a sea day while on Enchantment.
However, both ships had a specialty coffee shop where she could fuel up with a cold brew each morning: "...On Mariner, I headed down to Cafe Promenade...whereas on Enchantment, I got it from Cafe Latte-tudes."
"Both cafes had the same food options though, with small items such as ham and cheese sandwiches, chocolate donuts, and cookies."
Read more: One food item you need to order from each restaurant onboard Enchantment of the Seas
Itinerary and port schedule
With one ship departing from Port Canaveral and the other from Tampa, both had different itineraries. While both visited Cozumel, her sailing on Enchantment also took her to Roatán, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Costa Maya, Mexico. In addition to Cozumel, her cruise on Mariner from Port Canaveral only visited one other port of call: Perfect Day at CocoCay.
On Mariner, her schedule included a sea day followed by a port day, another sea day, and another port day. In contrast, her itinerary on Enchantment had a sea day followed by four consecutive port days, then another sea day.
"While I loved all of the ports that we stopped at on Enchantment, four port days in a row can be pretty exhausting, especially when you've been out [on] an all-day excursion," explains Reineck.
"I enjoyed the schedule I had on Mariner better because the sea days gave me time to recover from my excursions."
Weather
"This may seem obvious, but the weather in December is different than the weather in April," Reineck says, "In fact, on my December cruise on Mariner, my excursion in Cozumel ended up getting canceled because it was too windy, and while I enjoyed my day at CocoCay, there were many moments where I was quite cold."
In comparison, when traveling on Enchantment in April, Reineck expresses how each port was hot and humid. That said, the sun was shining, and she didn't have any excursions canceled due to inclement weather.
Reineck's experience on Mariner in December proves that cruise ships can be impacted by weather throughout the year, not just during hurricane season. Though her port stop wasn't canceled, the weather conditions shaped her experience.
Read more: What experienced cruisers do differently during hurricane season
