The first 24 hours of the cruise was awesome and continues to be! We are now passing through the Straights of Florida, which puts us smack dab between the Florida Keys and Cuba!  We’ll be in Nassau tomorrow morning! In the meantime, we’re enjoying the blue waters, awesome food, sunshine and smooth sailing.
We had a slow start out of port Sunday night, but no further explanation about the six-hour delay was mentioned at Captain Flemming’s Welcome Aboard Reception Monday night.
The first formal evening was last night, and it’s always fun to dress up on this special night! This is the night when everyone poses for photographers in front of the many beautiful, usually tropical backdrops. Who can resist?
The Mariner of the Seas feels open and grand, with staterooms that have more space than we’re used to having on a different cruise line. It’s clean and there is an abundance of storage!
There are nearly 3,000 passengers and another 1200 crew on board, but when we took a stroll to the rear of the ship early Monday morning, it seemed that we had the place to ourselves. Soon the walkers and runners could be seen on the track toward the front– they say this boat is equal to the length of three football fields.
It is surprising to see families with small children on a 41-day cruise. They were seen taking advantage of the miniature golf, ping pong and basketball courts. There’s also a rock-climbing wall, in-line skate track and several pool/spa areas.
The center of this ship holds The Royal Promenade, which is where you’ll find various shops, such as jewelry, watches, liquor, boutiques, etc. Live music is usually heard near the coffee shop and pub. The restaurants, too numerous to mention, have excellent service and food, with a crew from 40-45 different countries.  The entertainment last night was fabulous in the Savoy Lounge — The Vegas Tenors!

Tomorrow morning we will dock in Nassau! Our excursion includes a beach day at Atlantis and some shopping! In eight days, we will arrive at Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, for another excursion…

Hope you’ll join me for another update soon! Sorry, but photos will have to wait for better wifi!