The motor ship "Mariner of the Seas" began life on June 20, 2000, as New Build Number 1348 at Kvaerner-Massa's Turku Shipyard in Finland. Launched on December 17, 2001, as "Journey of the Seas," it was the fifth in the series of Voyager-class cruise ships ordered by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
The vessel's name was officially changed to "Mariner of the Seas" on June 24, 2002, prior to its acceptance inspection by Det Norske Veritas, the ship classification and quality inspection society chosen by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to insure compliance with the regulations for its passenger ships of the same size and type.
The ship is registered in the Bahamas; this means that the crew and officers are licensed by the Bahamian Government, and the ship is registered in the Bahamas. Although the ship is operated and controlled by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, a Netherlands corporation with its principal office in Miami, Fl, it is owned by Mariner of the Seas, Inc., a Liberian corporation, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ltd.
The Bahamas have long been known as a "flag of convenience state." Large numbers of ships are registered in countries like the Bahamas, Panama and Liberia because of favorable tax structures and other favorable business conditions. The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) has declared 32 countries, including the Bahamas, Flag of Convenience states. The ITF defines a flag of convenience ship as, "one that flies the flag of a country other than the country of ownership." The ITF and its member maritime unions declare that, "there should be a 'genuine link' between the real owner of a vessel and the flag the vessel flies, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). There is no 'genuine link' in the case of FOC (flag of convenience) registries."
The "Mariner of the Seas" is a 138,279 gross register ton vessel in passenger service. Its registration number with the International Maritime Organization is 9227510 and its radio call sign is C6FV9.
The vessel is 1,020 feet in length, 158 feet in width; too large to make a passage through the Panama Canal where ships are limited to 950 feet in length and 150-1/2 feet in width by the size of the locks.
The staff of 1,185, including crew and service personnel, operates 1,557 passenger cabins. The vessel carries a maximum of 3,835 passengers.
According to the U. S. Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange, the vessel's first contact with the United States Coast Guard was an inspection on October 21, 2003.
On November 12, 2003, at Cape Canaveral, FL, an electrical fire broke out in a dining room, requiring a second inspection which was successfully completed. On May 5, 2004, at St. Thomas, USVI, a non-casualty "marine incident" of an unspecified nature caused the ship to incur a Class I Administrative Civil Penalty. On May 19, 2004, still in St. Thomas, USVI, the vessel was cited for deficiencies in fire door operation and improper or missing escape route signage.
Between 2004 and 2009, there were 51 minor contacts with the Coast Guard for inspection, boarding or orders restricting operations including a denial of entry at Atlantic Beach, FL, and two contacts for reportable marine casualties involving deaths by natural causes.
"Mariner of the Seas" has never been detained by any governmental agency for any violation.
According to Fodor's, the publishers of Fodor's Travel Guidebooks, the Voyager-class cruise ships, like "Mariner of the Seas," are equipped with "rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, in-line skating tracks, miniature golf, and multiple dining venues, they are destinations in their own right."
Still speaking of the Voyager-class ships, Fordor's continues: "Fringed with boutiques, bars, and even coffee shops, the mall-like expanses set the stage for evening parades and events, as well as simply spots to kick back for some people-watching.... These ships not only carry a lot of people, but carry them well. Space is abundant, and crowding is seldom an issue."
Of the "Mariner of the Seas," Fordor says simply, "The good news is that equipment to participate in all those sports activities is provided at no additional charge. The bad news is that, with the exception of the gym and some fitness classes, nearly everything else on board---including soft drinks, specialty coffees, meals in the alternative dining venues, spa services, bingo, and alcoholic beverages---carries a price tag."
