Are you considering a family cruise and wondering if Mariner of the Seas is a good ship for teens? This article highlights 21 reasons teens will love the Mariner of the Seas cruise ship.
When choosing a cruise ship for a family vacation you want to be sure to choose one that has lots of fun activities to keep everyone in your family entertained. As anyone with teenagers knows, bored teenagers are no fun.
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas is full of fun activities and features that teens will love.
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21 Resons Teens Will Love Mariner of the Seas
Royal Caribbean has some great features that will appeal to teenagers.
Having just cruised this ship with our teenage daughter we have put together a list of some of the top reasons teens will love Mariner of the Seas.
Free Mariner of the Seas activities teens will love
1. Sky pad
**UPDATE – Royal Caribbean has now closed this activity on all their cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean’s sky pad is an innovative, fun activity that combines a bungee trampoline and virtual reality.
2. Glow in the dark laser tag
This is a popular activity for teens on Mariner of the Seas
It isn’t offered very often, this post has more information if you are interested in the details.
3. Ice skating
Yes, you read that right. Royal Caribbean has an ice-skating rink on select ships, and Mariner of the Seas is one of them.
This is offered at select times. They have ice skates for you to use, just be sure to pack long pants and socks.
4. Rock climbing wall
The Mariner of the Seas rock wall will be a hit with the teenagers in your family. It is 40 feet high.
5. FlowRider surf simulator
You will find the FlowRider on deck 13 at the back of the ship. Even if you don’t give it a try, it is fun to watch, especially the advanced surfers.
You must start with boogie boarding before they will let you attempt standing.
6. Mariner of the Seas basketball court
The basketball court is also on deck 13, Royal Caribbean cruises calls it the sports court. In addition to basketball, there are several other activities held here including volleyball and bean bag toss.
Check the Cruise Compass daily schedule or the Royal Caribbean app for activities and times.
7. Mini golf
The miniature golf course on the ship is called Mariner Dunes, it is forward (front of the ship) on deck 13.
It is a very cool course with a surfer theme.
8. Teen club
The teen club on Mariner of the Seas is called Fuel. It is for teens aged 12-17 years old.
You access Fuel through the arcade on deck 12.
There will be a few pre planned activities that the teens can choose to participate in or simply just hang out.
In addition to Fuel, there is also the Living Room. There is a cool teen lounge where teens can hang out in.
Photo by Load The Luggage
9. Waterslides
There are 2 waterslides on Mariner of the Seas called the Perfect Storm. To be honest, they are on the slow side, but they are worth a try.
More Activities for Teens on Mariner of the Seas
10. Outdoor movies
Mariner of the Seas does not have an indoor movie theatre, but they have outdoor movies, which I think is even better.
Most nights, an outdoor movie or two will be shown on the big screen above the pool.
11. Pools
The main pool area has a fun lively atmosphere most of the time.
In addition to cooling off in the pool, the pool deck is a fun place to be when there is live music and funny games like “World’s Sexiest Man”.
12. Hot tubs
You could watch some of the outdoor movie while soaking in one of the 4 hot tubs on the pool deck area.
13. Deck parties
The sail away or evening deck parties are fun for the whole family. Dance like nobody is watching.
14. Royal Promenade dance parties
On our last Mariner of the Seas cruise vacation, several nights the cruise director staff hosted a party in the promenade (deck 5). Each party had a theme, for example 70’s disco, 80’s flashback, and family Hush silent parties.
Even if your teen is too shy to get out there and dance, it is quite fun to watch.
15. Archery
This is another free activity held at the sports court (basketball court) on select days. Check the Cruise Compass daily planners or the app for the dates and times.
16. Pizza
Yummy pizza is available in the Café Promenade (deck 5). There is no charge for pizza, and it is open late.
17. Soft serve frozen yogurt
Teens can fill up on frozen yogurt cones at the Arctic Zone on the pool deck, and the best part is it’s free.
Choose from chocolate or vanilla.
More Reasons Teens Will Love Mariner of the Seas – these have an additional cost though
18. Escape room
The Royal Caribbean escape room does have a cost but provides an hour of mind challenging fun.
The cost when we sailed (Aug 2022) was $19.99USD.
It is very challenging, and I’d only recommend it for older teens who like this sort of thing.
You must be 12 years old to participate.
19. Arcade
Mariner of the Seas has a fairly large arcade with a big variety of games.
Most games cost $1.50-$2.50 per play.
If your teen or child has charging privileges on their Sea Pass card be sure they understand how much they are allowed to spend. They can easily wrack up a large bill since you simply swipe your card to play.
20. Refreshment drink package
I love that Royal Caribbean has a drink package that is in between the soda package and the alcoholic beverage package.
The refreshment drink package is perfect for teens as it includes non-alcoholic drinks (mocktails) such as a virgin pina colada or strawberry daiquiri. This along with the other beverage inclusions below can add to their vacation experience.
Other drinks included in the refreshment beverage package are:
- Souvenir cup that you can fill with soda at any bar, or the self serve Freestyle Coke machines
- Non-alcoholic drinks, as mentioned
- Bottled water
- Fresh squeezed juices (plaza bar in Windjammer)
- Milkshakes from Johnny Rockets
The beverages packages often go on sale before the cruise. Check “My Cruise Planner” on Royal Caribbean’s website.
For a list of the 12 Best Royal Caribbean Mocktails (non-alcoholic cruise drinks), check this out.
21. Milkshakes at Johnny Rockets
The Johnny Rockets milkshakes are delicious. Oreo is my teen’s favorite.
As mentioned above, if you have the refreshment package, milkshakes are no additional cost. If you don’t have the drink package there is an additional cost. When we cruised in August 2022, they were $5.50 (this of course can change).
That is our list of top 21 reasons teens will love Mariner of the Seas. My teenage daughter loved this cruise ship and cannot wait to cruise again soon.
If you are planning a cruise on Mariner of the Seas, check out our Best Mariner of the Seas Tips.
Keep in mind activities, amenities, and costs can change. This was our experience and opinion after our August 2022 cruise.
If your Mariner of the Seas cruise is to Bermuda like ours was, you will want to read What to Pack for a Cruise to Bermuda.
If you have older teens with an upcoming graduation, consider celebrating this achievement on a cruise. A Graduation Cruise – How to make it extra special has some great information.
Related cruise posts you might be interested in.
Cruise Cabin Organization Tips
Important Cruise Accessories People Forget to Pack
