Yep! That’s the conversation I wanted to have with my 8-year-old while on vacation. ‘Mommy, why are women showing their butts in swimsuits?'”
I didn’t smuggle enough Dramamine aboard for this kind of ship rocking chat 😳 Welcome to Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas—a complete blindside situation during our family reunion amongst the booze cruise crowd. I 👏🏾WAS 👏🏾NOT 👏🏾PREPARED👏🏾
HIGH SEAS, HIGH HOPES
It didn’t start off that way. Our fam had been hyping up this trip since spring. I even got the kiddo’s character embossed luggage to match their vacation vibes energy.
Day of, we zipped down to Galveston and boarded the ship sporting matching family reunion tees. A quick pit stop to throw the luggage in the stateroom and we high tailed it to the Main Pool Deck Bar for the family meet and greet.
SMOOTH SAILING UNTIL…
Everything was fine until my eyes took in the layout from the balcony. There were plenty of thongs afoot (and I wish I meant sandals).
The heat of anxiety mixed with embarrassment crept up my neck. I was unprepared for our four person squad to navigate this minefield.
While the kids were safely distracted in the cabana, my maternal spidey-sense went into overdrive. My eyes were scanning the room like a hawk, mentally plotting our escape route to anywhere else.
Unlike our Utopia of The Seas Cruise, Mariner did not have a designated spot for children. Utopia features an entire separated, family-friendly area complete with its own splash-pad setup, keeping the kid energy cleanly partitioned from the shared pools.
With the littles pleading for a dip, we ran a quick wardrobe change and ventured down. Thankfully, the main pool enabled us to crop out much of the inappropriate scenery.
By shortening our field of view, we created a safer family bubble amidst the chaos. The girls swam to their hearts content enjoying a much needed cooling off in the water.
STATEROOM SERMONETTE
Unfortunately, all the baring bodies couldn’t be avoided and my kiddo’s curiosity eventually peaked. I’m glad she spoke up and asked the question. She mentioned feeling embarrassed of what she had seen (Same).
I took it as an opportunity to impart what wisdom I could. Kneeling against the bed at eye level, here is what I shared with both of them:
- God gave us our bodies as a gift
- We do not flaunt gifts or glorify ourselves
- We cover up out of respect for God
- We shouldn’t be ashamed of our bodies
- We do not stare when others reveal
- If others reveal, we avert our eyes
Questions answered and hearts at ease, we closed out Day 1 the best way we knew how: a buffet run and room service in our pajamas.
TURNING THE TIDES
Day two was all about unhurried joy. Mini golf, sun lounging, hammocks, and jungle gyms kept the girls plenty busy. Eventually we made it back to the pool for another fun dip in the water.
We wrapped up our activities in time to prep for an early Captain’s Dinner. All fancied up, we found our way to the Main Dining Room where we enjoyed a posh dinner with extended family.
COZY-MEL
Finally, the day had arrived for our Mexican beach adventures! We abandoned ship and zoomed through the port, the singular focus on our Cabana Beach day at Chankanaab.
Upon entry, smiles were served alongside the most delicious mango cooler I’ve ever had! Dahlia, the glorious cabana concierge, escorted us to our private hut for the day.
After settling in and a getting a lay of the land, we ordered drinks and geared up for our first snorkeling adventure as a family.
Silently praying for intimidating currents not to bully me into neighboring rocks, I took a swim of faith into the open sea. To my humble surprise, everything enjoyable about snorkeling rushed back—the unthreatened clusters of tropical fish darting within arms reach, screensaver worthy views of aquatic life, endless turquoise water that reflects like glass—perfect!
We had the BEST time! Click here for a more detailed review of this little pocket of private escape.
After a delightful lunch, hours wound down. We said a heartfelt goodbye to Dahlia and our serene hut, steeling ourselves to navigate the gauntlet of port merchants on the way back.
Swimming really took it out of us, so we stayed in the room on recovery mode, only leaving later that evening to catch the Mariner’s main act Jason Garfield. A pro juggler with a sideline comedy act, Jason wowed us with his years of intense training and skills.
Merrily exhausted we dragged ourselves back to our stateroom and it was lights out for the rest of the night.
SEA YA
Our last day aboard was truly lazy. We kept no schedule and I personally did as little as humanly possible. Aside from leaving the room for food and a trip to the ice rink for the girls, I got lost in a new book I borrowed from the ship’s library.
With my social battery at a deficit, I could tell I was ready for land and home. Sometimes vacation still ends up being work oddly enough.
While navigating the unexpected surprises aboard proved wearisome at times, I’m deeply grateful for the chance to impart wisdom to my girls, grow stronger with my husband, and make memories with my crew.
Turns out, navigating worldly waters ain’t nothing when you’re anchored to the right Captain (if you catch my drift 😏)
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