Mariner of the Seas entertainment options and evening activities

Mariner of the Seas Entertainment Options {Evening Activities}

Evenings on a cruise ship are as fun as the days. Evening entertainment and activities are another reason to love cruising. If you are planning a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation on Mariner of the Seas and wondering what there is to do in the evenings, then this article is for you. These were the evening Mariner of the Seas entertainment options when we last cruised on this beautiful ship.


Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas has a number of evening activities and entertainment options, something for everyone.


Mariner of the Seas Entertainment Options and Evening Activities.  Image is the Mariner of the Seas cruise ship promenade

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Mariner of the Seas Entertainment {Evening Activities}


Royal Caribbean International can obviously change it’s entertainment offerings, but this will give you an idea of the types of things offered. This is what was offered on our 8-night Mariner of the Seas cruise to Bermuda and Bahamas.



Evening shows in the theatre (performances)

Most evenings there will be a show in the Royal Theatre. Check the Cruise Compass daily schedule or on the Royal Caribbean app for exactly what is offered, whether it is production shows or comedy shows that night. When we sailed there was:

  • Welcome aboard show featuring a comedian, the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, the Mariner of the Seas orchestra and the cruise director

  • Production shows (singing, dancing, acting). There were a few different ones offered including Gallery of Dreams.

  • Headliner show this definitely will be different on your sailing. There was an Olympic gymnast who did an acrobatic and comedic show.

  • Farewell show this will have a little bit of everything and feature more of the Mariner of the Seas crew members.





Ice skating show

Mariner of the Seas has an ice rink in the venue named Studio B. Twice on our 8-night cruise they offered and ice skating show with professional figure skaters called Ice Under the Big Top.

Ice skating show on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas an evening entertainment option
Ice skating show on Mariner of the Seas


This was a circus themed show filled with impressive jumps and spins, especially considering they are performed on a moving ship.

Studio B is also where they offered “Battle for Planet Z” laser tag during one of the afternoons. You can read more about Mariner of the Seas laser tag here.





Dance parties

There were 3 different themed dance parties held in the Royal Promenade on deck 5. These were led by the cruise director and cruise director’s staff from the Royal Promenade bridge.


These are so much fun. On our cruise the dance party themes were:

  • 70’s Disco
  • 60’s Dance party
  • 80’s Flashback dance party



Even if you don’t plan on joining in, they are fun to watch. Get to the promenade early and grab a seat at one of the tables outside the CafĂ© Promenade or Barnacle & Barrel pub and enjoy the show.





Outdoor movies

One nightly Mariner of the Seas entertainment option is to watch a movie on the big screen on the pool deck.

Stretch out in a lounge chair or soak in one of the hot tubs while watching a good movie. They played fairly new movies. The pool bar was open until 11pm making it convenient to enjoy the movie with a drink. Unfortunately there isn’t popcorn available.





Game shows

On several evenings there were passenger participation game shows held in the Star Lounge. These quickly became some of our favorite evening activities on Mariner of the Seas.

It was often the same group of people watching and playing each night. It was a fun atmosphere. Definitely lots of laughs.

The game shows that were offered on Mariner of the Seas when we cruised were:

  • Friendly Feud
  • Finish that Lyric
  • 60 Seconds or Less
  • Majority Rules
  • Sing It If You Know It
  • Perfect Couple
  • Battle of the Sexes

These of course can change but hopefully it gives you a good idea of the fun games that might be played.


We found it was often the same group of people that attended the game shows, this made it even more enjoyable as you felt you got to know the participants even more.





Karaoke

Karaoke was offered nightly in the Star Lounge, usually right after one of the game shows. You have to be 18+ to participate.

Karaoke was very popular. Watching karaoke was another of our favorite evening activities. It was a fun and supportive atmosphere.





Mariner of the Seas bars

There are several different bars and pubs on Mariner of the Seas offering different atmospheres and different entertainment options.

Bamboo Room

The Bamboo Room is located in the Royal Promenade and while there isn’t entertainment offered, there is still a very cool vibe.

The Bamboo Room does have a very few (as in 4) “small plates” food options you can order. This included pulled pork sliders, coconut crab bruschetta, ahi tuna poke, and Asian noodle salad. These do have an additional cost.


Give the On the Run specialty drink a try. I was way too excited that it came in a drink pouch.

Specialty drink from Royal Caribbean Bamboo Room - it's in a drink pouch!





Boleros

Boleros bar is a nice bright bar that often had live music and dancing. If you like mojitos, this is the place to have one.

When we sailed, Boleros closed at midnight. This felt a little early.

Mariner of the Seas entertainment option is Boleros Bar





Schooner Bar

The Schooner Bar is the piano bar on Mariner of the Seas, it was always a popular and busy spot. A great Mariner of the Seas entertainment option for sure.

Schooner Bar (piano bar) on Mariner of the Seas cruise ship
Mariner of the Seas Schooner bar (piano bar)





Playmakers Bar

Playmakers is the sports bar on Mariner of the Seas. This is another venue on deck 5 in the Royal Promenade. Here you will find a pool table, foosball, plenty of TVs and even a few old school arcade games (inc. Pacman).

They show a wide range of sporting events and have a schedule on the tables listing what they will be showing during the week.

Playmakers Sports Bar is an additional cost restaurant but is a nice alternative. The Pile On nachos were our favorite.





Barnacle & Barrel Pub

Another Mariner of the Seas evening entertainment option is to listen to live music at the Barnacle & Barrel pub. When we sailed they had guitar and vocal entertainment most nights. Pub trivia was also held here in the early evening on select nights.

The Barnacle & Barrel is located in the Royal Promenade beside Playmakers Bar. There are a few tables outside the pub along the Royal Promenade, this added to the promenade atmosphere.


Barnacle & Barrel pub on Mariner of the seas





Mariner of the Seas nightclub

The night club on Mariner of the Seas is called Ellington’s. This is your late night entertainment option. Step on to the dance floor and dance the night away at Ellington’s on deck 14. You have to be 18+ to enter, but 21+ to drink alcoholic beverages.





Casino Royale

One of the entertainment venues that always seems to be popular on cruise ships is the casino. If you are wondering what the Mariner of the Seas casino has to offer you read about it here.

Royal Caribbean casino





Sports court

The Mariner of the Seas basketball court is on deck 13 and was open until 10pm each night of our cruise. Beside the sports court is a ping pong table.





Rock climbing wall

The rock-climbing wall is beside the sports court, This is a free activity, however the hours really varied for this activity. Most days this is just an early evening activity as it often closed at 6 or 7pm. They did however, have one evening where they offered climbing under the stars from 8-9pm.

Weather can affect the hours of the rock walls on Royal Caribbean ships.

Mariner of the Seas rock climbing wall





Skypad

**update – Royal Caribbean no longer has the Skypad on any of their ships. The sphere is still there but will be used to host other activities.

The skypad looks really cool at night with it’s color changing lights. It is worth going to see it at night even if you don’t intend to try it. The Mariner of the Seas sky pad is a cool virtual bungee trampoline experience that you can read more about here.

The hours really varied here too. Some days it closed late afternoon, some days in the early evening, and once they did offer an evening hour.

Mariner of the Seas sky pad in the evening
Sky pad view from the sports deck





Pools and hot tubs

One of the pools and hot tubs on the main pool area were open until 9pm. The evening is a nice time to take a dip or soak in the hot tub as it is much quieter.





Mini golf

Mariner of the Seas has a really nice miniature golf course called Mariner Dunes. It is located at the front of the ship on deck 13. You can only access this area from the outside, there isn’t an inside elevator or staircase.

There is no charge to play mini golf. Around the golf area are some really nice double clam shell loungers if you are looking for a nice and quiet place to relax.

Mariner of the Seas mini golf is a fun thng to do on your family cruise vacation





Arcade

Mariner of the Seas has a fairly large arcade with a good variety of games. Most games cost between $1-$2, you swipe your Sea Pass card to automatically charge the game to you onboard account. Careful – this can add up quickly.

You do earn tokens for playing, these tokens are automatically tracked on your Sea Pass card, you can redeem these tokens from the prize hub if you play a fair bit.

Mariner of the Seas arcade





Fitness center

For those who like to work out on a cruise and work out in the evening, the fitness center was open until 9pm each night. In the fitness center change rooms, there is a sauna and a steam room that you can use without a charge. A nice little bonus.

Mariner of the Seas gym





Eat

Whether it is early morning or late at night, eating is always a thing to do.

There are several different restaurant venues open in the evening on Mariner of the Seas including the main dining room, Windjammer buffet, Jamie’s Italian, Chops Grille steakhouse, Johnny Rockets, Izumi sushi, even room service, and more.





You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned the Flowrider surf simulator or the perfect storm waterslides. While these are definitely fun activities, they weren’t open in the evening on our cruise. They often were closed by 6pm. This may be different however for your cruise.








I hope this has given you a good idea of the Mariner of the Seas entertainment options and evening activities. As you can see there is plenty to do on a cruise ship in the evenings. You can choose from relaxing options to active options. And on top of it all there are simple things like going for a walk around that cruise ship, which can be so calming at night.




Happy cruise planning.