Is This the PERFECT First Time Cruise? | Mariner of the Seas Review

Is the Mariner of the Seas the perfect first time cruise? We brought 27 family members — most of them first-time cruisers — on a 5-night Royal Caribbean cruise from Galveston, TX to Costa Maya and Cozumel. At just ~$500 per person, this might be the most affordable way to get your family on a cruise ship. But here's the thing — our boarding day was a DISASTER (3-4 hour wait 😬), Cozumel was crazy windy, and excursions got cancelled. And yet? Every single first-time cruiser said they'd do it again. Here's why the SHIP made all the difference. We cover everything — ship run down, honest food review, port stops (Costa Maya & Cozumel), and real interviews with almost every first-timer in our group. 🚢 Mariner of the Seas — 5 nights from Galveston, TX 📍 Ports: Costa Maya & Cozumel (no tendering!) 💰 Base price: ~$500/person 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 27 family members, most first-time cruisers 🎯 We're on a mission to visit 100 national parks before Roy turns 60! Subscribe to follow the journey! Here's how we are doing so far! 1. Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA September 2024 2. Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico- November 2024 3. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY, USA- December 2024 4. Gateway Arch National Park, MO, USA- December 2024 5. Death Valley National Park, CA, USA - January 2025 6. Fiordland National Park, New Zealand - February 2025 7. Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand - February 2025 8. Arthur's Pass National Park, New Zealand - February 2025 9. White Sands National Park, NM, USA - March 2025 10.Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM, USA- March 2025 11. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX, USA- March 2025 12. Big Bend National Park, TX, USA- March 2025 13. Joshua Tree National Park, CA, USA - May 2025 14. Channel Islands National Park, CA, USA - May 2025 15. Hawaii Volcanos National Park, HI, USA - June 2025 16. Haleakalā National Park, HI, USA - June 2025 17. Redwoods National & State Parks, CA, USA - July 2025 18. Olympic National Park, WA, USA - July 2025 19. North Cascades National Park, WA, USA - July 2025 20. Mountain Rainier National Park, WA, USA - July 2025 21. Crater Lake National Park, OR, USA - July 2025 22. Thingvellir National Park, Iceland - September 2025 23. Snaefellsjokull National Park, Iceland - September 2025 24. Vantajokull National Park, Iceland - September 2025 25. Indiana Dunes National Park, IN, USA - September 2025 26. Biscayne National Park, FL, USA - November 2025 27. Everglades National Park, FL, USA - November 2025 28. Slovak Paradise National Park, Slovakia, Europe - Dec 2025 29. Bohemian Switzerland National Park, Czechia, Europe - Dec 2025 30. Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany, Europe - Dec 2025 31. Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, Europe - Dec 2025 32. Danube floodplains National Park, Austria, Europe - Dec 2025 33. Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl National Park, Mexico - January 2026 34. Sumidero Canyon National Park, Mexico - January 2026 Follow along on our journey!!! Thanks for watching and GET OUT THERE AND GO SEE IT! 🇺🇸 ABOUT SAM & ROY We are Sam (Nurse Practitioner) and Roy (Firefighter/Paramedic), and we are on a mission to visit 100 National Parks before Roy turns 60 in November 2028! We work full-time non-remote jobs, so we’re squeezing every drop of adventure out of our vacation time. Follow along to see if we SUCCEED or fail! 👇 SUBSCRIBE TO FOLLOW THE MISSION 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@UCDRo-5OyiROhoV033_M-A0g #marineroftheseas #firsttimecruise #royalcaribbean #galvestoncruise #cozumel #costamaya #familycruise #cruisereview 0:00 The boarding disaster (and why it got better) 0:22 Why we chose the Mariner of the Seas 1:13 Boarding the Mariner of the Seas 2:24 The ship itself 4:20 Costa Maya 5:18 Cozumel 6:05 Interviews- cruise experience of first time cruisers 12:27 Cabin tour (balcony standard) 16:00 Cons - what’s not to like about the Mariner of the Seas 17:00 Conclusion