Deen on Deck. It's a travel blog.

In the spirit of full disclosure, most (all) of my Tiki bar knowledge comes from something that’s not even a real tiki bar, but an attraction at Walt Disney World. That’s right, I’ve been enchanted by the Tiki tiki tiki tiki room on many occasions, but never an ACTUAL TIKI BAR! Like in the movies! In fact, my trusty cruise companions and I were sooooo excited for it, it was the very first thing we did on Mariner of the Seas.

For the most part, Royal gets it right here.  We’re greeted by a big ol’ friendly tiki idol, and from that point on, the island decor is out in force, my favorites being the hula girl lamp and vintage radios.  I know there’s only so much you can do on a cruise ship, but if I had to have any criticism at all, it’s only that it kinda felt like a regular bar, DECORATED in the tiki aesthetic, vs. an actual tiki bar.  But, like I said, I learned everything I know from talking birds, so don’t trust…

Let’s get to the important part, though: the DRINKS. The “Specialty” cocktails were not priced too crazily — $14. These were the Bamboo Room exclusives. You can also get your standard “regular” cocktails for $12, or the “Bowls for Sharing” (serves 2-3) for $35. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still experiencing regret at not going for a bowl. Next time, Bamboo Room… when we meet again. The friendly bartenders had to inform us that they were OUT of Banana Coladas, so we went with some On the Runs and Royal Zombies. Oooooh, Doggie – Let me tell you, no alcohol was skimped on here – these drinks are STRONG folks! Let’s just say, we were delighted with our purchases. At press time, Bamboo Room drinks are included in Royal’s Deluxe Beverage package, with the exception of the $35 Sharing Bowl.

All in all, we loved the Bamboo Room. We did stop back one more time during our cruise to see if our coveted Banana Colada was back in stock, but, to our devastation, it was not. Could it be a little bit more of an immersive experience, with maybe some vintage surf or traditional Hawaiian music and an indoor thunder storm or two? (My siestas are getting chorter and chorter!). Yes, yes it could. Did we still have a wonderful time and would go back faster than Stitch can chug a pot of coffee? Si, Senor! (With apologies to the Tiki Birds for my appropriation of their unique Spanish/German/Hawaiian culture…)