Mariner of the Seas vs Navigator of the Seas

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas was built in 2003. It was renovated in 2026. Mariner of the Seas was Amplified in 2023 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship. It's 1 year newer than the Navigator of the Seas, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2019. Explorer of the Seas was Amplified in 2021 which added many new features, restaurants, and attractions to this ship.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs
• See Our Detailed Cruise Blog

Ship Size

The Mariner of the Seas is considered a medium ship. Coming in at 1,020 feet long and 157 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 3 tractor-trailers, and the same height as a 14-story building. The Mariner of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Navigator of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Navigator of the Seas.

When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Mariner of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Navigator of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Class	Voyager	Voyager
Gross Tonnage	139,863	139,999
Length	1,020	1,020
Beam/Width	157	157
Passenger Decks	14	14
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,344	3,386
Passengers (maximum occupancy)	4,000	4,000
Crew	1,200	1,200
Passenger to Crew Ratio	3.3	3.3
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)	35	35

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Mariner of the Seas has eleven different dining options like Chops Grille, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, and Playmakers. Of those options, nine are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other seven options have an additional fee.

The Navigator of the Seas has one more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Jamie's Italian, Chops Grille, and Starbucks. Nine of these restaurants are complimentary and the other nine have an additional fee.

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has about the same number of dining options as the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Mariner of the Seas might be a better choice than the Navigator of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas & Navigator of the Seas

Restaurant	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Included
Cafe Promenade	✓	✓	Learn More
Dog House	✓	✗	Learn More
El Loco Fresh	✗	✓	Learn More
Main Dining Room	✓	✓	Learn More
Windjammer	✓	✓	Learn More
A la carte
Ice Cream Parlor	✓	✗
Izumi Hibachi & Sushi	✓	✗	Learn More
Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks	✗	✓	Learn More
Johnny Rockets Express	✗	✓	Learn More
Playmakers	✓	✓	Learn More
Starbucks	✗	✓	Learn More
Flat fee
Chef's Table	✓	✓	Learn More
Chops Grille	✓	✓	Learn More
Hooked Seafood	✗	✓	Learn More
Jamie's Italian	✓	✓	Learn More
Johnny Rockets	✓	✗	Learn More

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has 2 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Boleros	✓	✓
Casino bar	✓	✓
Cosmopolitan Club	✗	✓
English Pub	✓	✓
Jazz Club	✓	✗
Playmakers	✓	✓
Pool Bar	✓	✗
R Bar	✓	✓
Schooner Bar	✓	✓
Sky Lounge	✓	✗
Solarium Bar	✓	✓
Star Lounge	✓	✓
Suite Lounge*	✓	✓
The Bamboo Room	✓	✓
The Lime & Coconut	✗	✓
The Plaza Bar	✓	✗
Viking Crown Lounge	✓	✓

* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-Cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barq's Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.

You can check out the recent bar menus for the Mariner of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

	Mariner of the Seas	Navigator of the Seas
General-access pools	2	2
Adults-only pools	1	1
General-access hot tubs	3	4
Adults-only hot tubs	2	2

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.

The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Mariner of the Seas and more hot tubs.

Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Both the Mariner of the Seas and the Navigator of the Seas have full-depth adult-only pools in The Solarium. The Solarium on both ships is unenclosed and open to the elements. They're both located in the middle of the ship.

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. Both ships have about the same share of included activities: 75%

	Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas	Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✓
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✓
Escape Room	✓	✓
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✓	✓
Ice Skating	✓	✓
Jogging Track	✓	✓
Laser Tag	✓	✓
Mini golf	✓	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Shows - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✗	✓
Water slides	✓	✓
	Learn more	Learn more

Cruise Costs

Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests may also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically, guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

	Royal Caribbean
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$18.50
Tip added to drinks & services	18%
Soda Price	$3.50
Domestic Beer Price	$7.49 See drink menus
Drink Package Price	$77 - $118 Learn more
Internet Plan	$19 to $30 per device per day
*Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates.

Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.

We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas

Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.

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