Mariner of the Seas

Mariner of the Seas is the fifth and final ship of Royal Caribbean International's Voyager class, built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards at Turku, Finland, and entering service in 2003 at a cost of roughly US$650 million. Completing the class that had begun with Voyager of the Seas four years earlier, she measured around 139,000 gross tons and 311 metres in length and carried more than 3,000 guests, inheriting the full suite of Voyager signatures: the four-deck Royal Promenade, an ice-skating rink, and the rock-climbing wall crowning the aft funnel.

In 2018 Mariner received a sweeping Royal Amplified transformation that made her one of the most feature-rich ships of her generation. The refit introduced the Sky Pad, a virtual-reality bungee-trampoline experience housed in a glowing dome, the Perfect Storm duo of racing waterslides, a redesigned pool deck, a laser-tag arena, an escape room, and a raft of new dining venues, all aimed at the fast-paced short-cruise market out of Florida.

The ship was christened by Jean Driscoll, the celebrated wheelchair-racing champion and multiple Boston Marathon winner, whose selection reflected the line's tradition of honoring accomplished athletes as godmothers. Mariner of the Seas is registered at Nassau in the Bahamas and carries the call sign C6FV9.

Over her career Mariner has served a range of markets, from short Bahamas getaways to longer Caribbean voyages and European seasons. In recent years she has homeported at Galveston, Texas, running Western Caribbean itineraries, and has also sailed from New Orleans and, in summer, from Southampton on European cruises. More than two decades after her debut, Mariner of the Seas remains in active service, the capstone of the class that ushered in the age of the floating resort city.