I would do the Mariner.

I have been on both ships (Mariner in 8/05 and Freedom in 8/06). Basically, they are identical vessels. The difference is that the Freedom is newer, has the FlowRider (on board surfing), and accomodates 500 more passengers (and that is definitely NOT a good point).

Although the Mariner is 3 years older, I don't think you'd notice any excessive aging that would make this ship less desirable than Freedom.

Honestly, before my Freedom cruise this summer, I felt that Mariner had the better ports of call as well but I did enjoy Jamaica more than I thought I would, and Labadee was nice. Your Mariner itinerary includes CocoCay, which is better than my Mariner cruise (which visited Nassau instead). Otherwise, the itins you posted are the same as those on my cruises.

We found that Freedom was chock full of many people who wanted to cruise on her simply because she was the newest and largest ship. My particular sailing was comprised of well over 50% non-English speaking passengers (might not matter to you, but I personally was not thrilled).

For the amount of money you can save, I would definitely choose Mariner. Take some of that money and upgrade to either an oceanview or, better yet, a balcony cabin. Also whichever ship you choose, be sure and have a few meals in their specialty restaurants, Chops and Portofino. Both ships have them and they are wonderful (well worth the extra $20 pp charge). Also, if you enjoy wines, both ships offer wine packages so that you can enjoy nice selections with your meals at a reduced price.

Just FYI, Mariner also has 4 identical sister ships (Voyager OTS, Explorer OTS, Navigator OTS and Adventure OTS) in case you want more options.

I've been looking at another cruise and would definitely return to Mariner over Freedom, especially given the price difference.

You might want to check out www.cruisecritic.com as they are a board very similar to FlyerTalk that has more cruise info than you'll ever need!

Just remember, at that time of year you will run into a lot of families with children.

And, to throw something else into the mix, by next July, RCCL will be sailing Freedom's newest sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, doing the same Western Caribbean itin as Freedom.