Mariner of the Seas Itinerary

What Mariner of the Seas's Autumn Caribbean / Bahamas Season Is Actually Like

Mariner of the Seas is a 2003-built Voyager Class ship (refurbished in 2018) with 15 decks and room for 3,114 guests. In autumn she works two jobs. First she does short Galveston runs. Then she moves to New Orleans for longer Western Caribbean sailings. These are two different vacations on the same ship, so choose carefully.

The hurricane-season elephant

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center's climatology puts the peak around September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. That means the 5-night sailing on October 17 and the 4-nighters on October 22 and 26 sail right at the end of the busiest stretch. The November New Orleans departures sail in the tail end of the season, where the odds improve but never reach zero. The December and January departures fall after the season officially closes, but weather doesn't read calendars, so the caveat still applies. Itineraries can change for weather, and Royal Caribbean posts current itinerary changes on its travel updates page. Buy travel insurance, and don't book a flight home for the same afternoon you dock.

What we can say about the ports

Our own data doesn't list ports for every sailing. Here is what we have, with the source for each:

The Jamaica stop can vary by series: Royal Caribbean's itinerary page shows Falmouth on the standard 7-night, while CruiseWeb lists Montego Bay for the December holiday version. Check your booking confirmation for your exact date.

Which length suits whom

• 4 nights: A sampler for first-timers, or anyone whose boss thinks "long weekend" means long weekend. With one listed port, you're mostly paying for the ship.
• 5 nights: Two port stops on the Yucatán coast, so you get a real taste of it. Our data lists Cozumel and Riviera Maya, while CruiseWeb lists Costa Maya and Cozumel, so confirm yours at booking. Don't assume it's the bargain, though. CruiseWeb's sailing page lists an inside-cabin fare from $771 per person for the October 17 sailing, against "from" fares of $693 for the 4-night and $557 for the 7-night New Orleans series. Different sailings, different calendars, but a 7-night that starts $214 cheaper per person than the 5-night is worth a raised eyebrow.
• 6 nights: Three listed ports with a Belize stop. A good pick if you've already done Cozumel and want a change.
• 7 nights: The full Western Caribbean sampler. The itinerary ends with two back-to-back sea days, which is exactly what you want if your plan is to do nothing on a lounger and do it professionally.

Weather, packing and the holiday price jump

Cozumel in November runs warm, with highs in the low 80s°F and lows roughly in the upper 60s to low 70s. Showers are common, and they're often brief. Pack for sun and for a sudden shower. That means reef-safe sunscreen, a light rain jacket and shoes that dry quickly.

The twist is the New Orleans departure. In December, daily highs average roughly 63 to 68°F and lows 48 to 54°F, so you board in sweater weather and arrive in swimsuit weather. Wear a light layer on embarkation day and keep the swimwear in your carry-on. Winter Gulf crossings can also be livelier than summer ones, so seasickness bands are cheap insurance.

Prices follow the calendar. CruiseWeb's "from" fares (per person, double occupancy, taxes included) start at $557 for the standard 7-night New Orleans series. For the December holiday series, its sailing selector shows $856 for December 19 and $1,340 for December 26, roughly 1.5 to 2.4 times that. Those are different sailings and "from" prices, so check your exact date.

Want to know what you're boarding? Our Mariner of the Seas ship page has the details. It also shows her latest CDC Vessel Sanitation Program score of 100 out of 100, from the June 22, 2026 inspection, and you can compare that against other ships with the CDC inspection lookup. If you're torn between cabins, the cabin size guide will save you from an inside-room surprise.