Mariner of the Seas Vs Navigator of the Seas

Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas are sister ships with very similar Bahamas itineraries. This means that cruisers are often left wondering which ship to choose for the best cruise.

What are the similarities and differences between Navigator and Mariner of the Seas? And which ship is the best? Read on to find out…

Some background on Navigator and Mariner Of The Seas

Navigator of the Seas was launched in 2002, with Mariner of the Seas following shortly afterward in 2003. They’re both Royal Caribbean Voyager-class ships, along with Adventure, Explorer, and Voyager of the Seas.

Both Navigator and Mariner of the Seas have undergone Royal Caribbean’s ‘Amplification’ programme which upgraded the ships and added new facilities such as the water slides. Mariner was ‘Amped’ in 2018, followed by Navigator a few months later in 2019.

Activities

Mariner and Navigator of the Seas have many of the same activities on-board, with a few key differences.

Pool Deck

One of the main differences between Mariner and Navigator is the pool deck. The pool deck on Navigator of the Seas is nothing short of amazing! It’s bright and colourful with a real tropical vibe, in contrast to Mariner’s pool deck, which looks a bit bland in comparison – though maybe you’ll prefer this if you’re not sailing with kids?

On Navigator, the hot tubs have been moved upstairs for the best ocean views, which has made space for a small splash area by the main pools. If you love spending time by the pool or have young kids who want to splash around, you can’t beat Navigator of the Seas.

Water Slides

Another thing that is different on these two ships is the water slides. Each ship has two water slides.

Mariner of the Seas water slides are called Typhoon and Cyclone. These are pretty tame, they’re quite slow, and you don’t get your face wet. The height restriction is 48″ minimum.

Take a look at the video I made of these slides…

Navigator of the Seas’ water slides are The Blaster and Riptide. The Blaster is the longest water slide at sea and uses a raft with fun uphill sections and a section that extends over the side of the ship. The height restriction is 45″ minimum. Riptide, meanwhile, is a head-first mat racer slide with a height restriction of 42″ minimum.

The slides on Navigator are not only better, they’re also suitable for younger kids, making them a win-win.

Other activities

Navigator of the Seas may have the best pool and the best water slides, but sister ship Mariner of the Seas has a couple of extra tricks up her sleeve.

Mariner features the Sky Pad, which is a virtual reality trampoline up on Deck 13. Next to that is the Sky Climber – a huge enclosed climbing frame that was a real hit with my five-year-old.

Also, on Mariner of the Seas, there’s a really cool window where you can look down into the bridge and watch the crew as they navigate the ship. Look out for that.

The following table shows which activities you’ll find on Mariner and Navigator of the Seas.

Activity	Mariner of the Seas	Navigator of the Seas
Pools and Whirlpools	YES	YES
Flowrider	YES	YES
Rock Climbing	YES	YES
Escape Room	YES	YES
Ice Skating	YES	YES
Sports Court	YES	YES
Casino	YES	YES
Mini Golf	YES	YES
Arcade	YES	YES
Shows	YES	YES
Spa & Fitness Centre	YES	YES
Laser Tag	YES	YES
Riptide & Blaster slides	NO	YES
Kids Spray Park	NO	YES
Sky Pad	YES	NO
Typhoon & Cyclone Slides	YES	NO
Sky Climber	YES	NO
Bridge Viewing Area	YES	NO

Winner – Mariner Of The Seas

The slides might be better on Navigator, but Mariner has slides too, and some really cool stuff like the virtual reality trampolines and the Sky Climber.

Bars and lounges

The two ships each share several bars and lounges, although sometimes they have different names. For example, each ship has a lounge up on Deck 14. On Navigator, this is called the Cosmopolitan Club, whereas on Mariner it’s called the Jazz Club. They’re essentially the same.

Navigator of the Seas does have a couple of extra bars – The R Bar is a retro cocktail bar on Deck 5. Then there’s also ‘To Dry For’, where you can enjoy a drink while you have your hair blow-dried ready for the evening ahead.

Also, Navigator of the Seas features the Lime & Coconut, which is similar to the Pool Bar on Mariner, but better and with more outdoor seating.

The following table shows where you can enjoy a drink on each ship.

Bar	Mariner of the Seas	Navigator of the Seas
Bamboo Room	YES	YES
English Pub	YES	YES
Cosmopolitan / Jazz Club	YES	YES
Playmakers	YES	YES
Schooner Bar	YES	YES
Boleros	YES	YES
Starbucks	YES	YES
Solarium Bar	YES	YES
R Bar	NO	YES
Lime & Coconut	NO	YES
Blow Dry Bar	NO	YES
Pool Bar	YES	NO

Winner – Navigator Of The Seas

Navigator is the clear winner here, with more bars to enjoy and a better poolside drinking experience.

Suggested read: Royal Caribbean drinks menus with prices

Dining

Most of the complimentary dining venues on each ship are exactly the same. You’ll get the main dining room, the Windjammer buffet and Cafe promenade.

Mariner of the Seas has the Dog House, which offers poolside hot dogs, whereas on Navigator of the Seas, the poolside food offering comes in the form of Mexican snack bar, El Loco Fresh.

For the most part, the two ships have very similar speciality dining options, but Navigator has one more – Hooked Seafood.

Izumi features on both ships but with some differences. On Mariner, it’s a Hibachi restaurant with tableside show cooking and a fixed price. On Navigator, however, Izumi offers a Hot Rocks experience and has a la carte pricing.

Johnny Rockets is also different. On Mariner, Johnny Rockets offers sit-down dining in the classic American diner. On Navigator, you’ll find Johnny Rockets Express, which is more of a grab-and-go type place.

The following table shows the dining venues on each ship.

Dining venue	Mariner of the Seas	Navigator of the Seas
Main Dining Room	YES	YES
Windjammer	YES	YES
Cafe Promenade	YES	YES
Chops Grille*	YES	YES
Jamie’s Italian*	YES	YES
Playmakers*	YES	YES
Chef’s Table*	YES	YES
Johnny Rockets*	YES	YES
Izumi Sushi*	YES	YES
Hooked Seafood*	NO	YES
El Loco Fresh	NO	YES
Dog House	YES	NO

Winner – Navigator Of The Seas

El Loco Fresh trumps the Dog House every time. This casual Mexican cafe offers burritos, carnitas and more which you can customise as you desire. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, then the Dog House has nothing for you, whereas El Loco Fresh has plenty.

Destinations

Each Royal Caribbean ship has a home port where guests embark and disembark the ship. These are as follows:

Departure ports:

• Mariner of the Seas – Galveston, Texas
• Navigator of the Seas – Los Angeles, California

Both ships have offered cruises from a range of home ports in the past, including the popular Florida ports, but as of right now they’re sailing from different parts of the US.

This does mean that neither ship currently offers cruises to Royal Caribbean’s private resorts of Labadee or Perfect Day at CocoCay. If you want to sail to those destinations, you’ll need to choose a different ship.

Both ships sail to Mexico, instead, but different coasts. Navigator’s the ship to choose from cruises to Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas on the west coast, while Mariner offers cruises to destinations such as Cozumel on the east coast.

Winner – Tie

Honestly, both ships offer a unique perspective on Mexico and it’s hard to pick a clear winner. If you were only choosing between these two ships, there’s a good chance that your destination choice would depend on which port was easier for you to get to.

The verdict

So, Navigator of the Seas vs Mariner of the Seas – which one wins? Both are fantastic ships, and it wouldn’t really be fair to say that one was any better than the other.

However, there are some subtle differences between them. If in doubt, take a close look at the itineraries on offer and any differences in price once you’ve factored in flights before making your decision.

Related posts:

• Mariner of the Seas cabins to avoid
• Navigator of the Seas cabins to avoid
• Labadee Haiti: Everything You Need To Know