Seven Seas Mariner Cruise Reviews - Reviews

North to Alaska! * A review of our recent voyage on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner from Vancouver to Seward Alaska 06/25/2019 – 07/03/2019 Alaskans are justifiably proud of their state! As we found out in Alaska size does matter (as we were reminded constantly!). Alaska is BIG! So big they consider Texas "Cute" :-) So BIG that if the outline of Alaska is superimposed on the outline of the "Lower Forty-Eight” It stretches from COAST-TO-COAST! ** BTW... most of the t-shirts appear to be somewhat of an exaggeration :-).... I'm just sayin' Alaska! ** It's also stunningly beautiful and awe inspiring on many levels and in its big big way! ** Overview and Why - My wife said “it’s time to visit Alaska” and I agreed. We looked at the various options and decided a cruise would be just the thing to give us the opportunity to experience a wider sampling of what Alaska had to offer… in a pampered sort of way of course! ** We looked over the different cruise offerings and decided to try Regent Seven Seas despite the much higher price tag attached. We reasoned there were some perks offered that would somewhat offset the higher costs. ** 1. It is an “All Inclusive” cruise line so alcoholic beverages are included. Not that my wife is a big drinker (she’s not :-) but I have been known to tipple a bit. 2. A gourmet food experience that Regent advertises as “Exquisite Cuisine” 3. All balcony suites on the ship (SS Mariner) 4. And the real equalizer… A very good selection of included shore excursions. The only excursions that sported an additional cost were usually the helicopter and seaplane sort of excursions and a few of the all day things. I thought to myself “we could make up the difference in cost by taking advantage of this”. 5. Regents reviews and reputation as a first class, luxury cruise line. ** As we discovered some of the above is true and some not so much. ** The following is strictly my opinion and written from my own observations and experiences. If you want more specific day-by-day notes you can visit my website at www.TomsMultiInterest.com for a day-by-day travelogue complete with pictures. ** The purchase experience couldn’t have been easier. After choosing the cruise I simply called Regent and spoke to one of their representatives. He was helpful and guided us through the process smoothly. ** One thing to note is that Regent supplies airfare and all transfers as a normal perk of your cruise package. You can save some money by doing it yourself of course but then you have to take care of all airport/hotel transfers yourself. In the case of the Seward to Anchorage transfer (2.5 hours) that could be up to five hundred dollars! ** If you book one of their cruises and are flying intercontinental the covered airfare is Business/First Class. Since ours was not an intercontinental flight it was cattle car class. But, since the flights were direct to Vancouver and a direct return from Anchorage it was all good… ** On the surface this looked like a great cruise. It was rather shorter than many of the other itineraries (only 7 nights) on Regent or the other cruise lines. That was good for us as this was sort of a last minute decision (at least for us) and was only booked three months prior to departure. Looking at the cabins we a booked a “Concierge Suite” and were "treated" to an extra day in Vancouver at the Four Seasons Hotel. ** I liked this idea, not because of the extra day in Vancouver, but because we arrived a day ahead of the cruise to minimize any possibility of a travel snafu. ** Pre-Cruise - Pick up at the airport went well. Regent was well represented and greeted us as we exited customs. Transfer to the hotel was in a nice van with five other passengers. We were dropped off at the Four Seasons. Luggage was handled appropriately while we checked in at the front desk. The hotel clerk immediately tried to up-sell us to a suite. If I understood her correctly it was “only” $950 for the night. After a split second I was able to choke out… “No thank you” I told her… “we will be fine for the one night in the room booked by Regent!” ** The Four Seasons itself was nice but somewhat tired.... definitely showing its age. The neighborhood was fine and great for walking. After taking a walk we looked at the hotel food offerings and opted to go outside. At the recommendation of one the hotel bell staff we tried the Cactus Club Restaurant just down the street. It was great! A great choice whenever in Vancouver! ** Regent supplied a good breakfast through the hotel the next morning and at 11:45 we were bused to the Ship. ** Embarkation - started smoothly. We had to once more go through customs only this time it was US customs as our destination was, of course, Alaska. ** We had one heart stopping moment as one of the Canadian customs agents announced we needed to have our “TICKETS” in hand. “TICKETS??!!?? I don’t know anything about stinking TICKETS!” I started canvasing our neighbors in line to find while most had a printout of their “ticket” many did not. I snagged the first official looking (uniformed) person I could find and asked the question….”Do we REALLY NEED a ticket?” Thankfully the answer was “No, just show your passport and state what ship you will be boarding…” Whew! First bullet dodged. ** Heart Stopping moment #2 - We wended our way through customs (Thank you sir, enjoy your trip!) and made our way through the Regent line to the check-in counter. They had eight or ten positions open and were smoothly processing passengers until, of course, I step up and hand them our passports. We took pictures in turn and then the agent went to find our ship passes and keycards and came back empty handed. While the agent approached us still clearly standing there in line another passenger pushed passed me and my wife and laid her documents on the counter glaring at the gate agent. I paused just a second and politely (kind of) said “excuse me… I don’t believe we are quite finished here.” She looked at me like I had a bug on my nose… for a moment I didn’t think she was going to yield but she did sort of huffing and puffing and with a bit of blustering…. Turning back to the gate agent I noted she appeared somewhat flustered as she told me it would be just a moment before calling a floor supervisor over. I glanced back to see “Pushy Lady” visibly fuming at the delay. Smiling inwardly I turned back to the agent now joined by a supervisor. I heard snippets of their conversation and understood her to say she couldn’t find our reservations in the system or our keycards in the pile. The supervisor calmly typed for a moment and pointed something out to the agent left and came back with our documents a moment later while the agent stood frozen smile on her face. ** All was well and we boarded the ship leaving the dazed gate agent and “Pushy Lady” behind. ** We boarded the ship thinking to go directly to our room and drop off our carry-on stuff. Well that was the plan but we discovered that our boarding time was considered “early” and nothing was ready. In fact they later made a ship-wide page to the effect the rooms were off limits until announced. That could have been made clear upfront but it was not. A simple note via eMail or being told that at check-in would have been sufficient but neither effort was made to the best of my knowledge. A kind of ship-wide announcement in a semi-scolding tone was made but probably was not the best way to make that known. ** In any event we were able to tour the public areas of the ship and have a nice lunch at the Pool Grill. *** Initial Impressions - Initial impressions of the Mariner were very favorable. As we moved about the public areas of the ship we were struck by the cleanliness and overall well maintained look of the vessel. The lounges, the restaurant areas, the seating areas and other public areas were clean, comfortable and inviting. Public toilets were spotless. ** The Pool Grill and Pool Deck was a great place to chill out while waiting for our room to become available. Food was sampled and found to be of good quality served buffet style. ** The Mariner is on of the oldest ships in the Regent fleet but has aged gracefully and appeared to be in great condition and more than serviceable. ** Our Suite - When we were finally able to enter our cabin it was a pleasant surprise. A very spacious “shotgun suite” awaited us. The suite contains a sleeping area that can be separated from the seating area by a heavy drape. The seating area has a, more or less, full size couch, small table, 55” flat screen TV atop drawer/vanity area, bar essentials (glasses and corkscrew) and a mini fridge stocked with beer and soft drinks. You also have the option to customize the stocking of the mini-fridge by contacting your room steward. ** Fresh fruit along with a bottle of Champagne were waiting for us. Neither of us are much in the way of champagne drinkers so it eventually went back into the fridge to be passed along to the next customer or, hopefully, a crew party. ** The WALK-IN CLOSET had a generous supply of hangers with ample room for clothes and a nice row of drawers for storage. The closet also has a safe and Life Vests. ** The bathroom is large with a very reasonably sized shower with both rain shower and hand held shower heads. ** Each suite has its own balcony… excuse me…. Veranda…. that was generous in size with two wicker chairs and a small table and topped with Teak decking. ** All in all a SWEET Suite! *** Mariner is a “No Gratuity” ship. “Gratuities are neither expected or required” as it was stated. That is certainly the case and never was there a hint from any of the crew that they were fishing for a tip. ** The Hospitality Crew and the Room Crew was universally polite and attentive and I could fault none of them. I enjoyed several conversations with several of the service staff. The majority seemed to be from the Philippines with several other Asian nations represented. There were also many others from Eastern Europe and Russia. ** The officers and administrative crew again represented several nations with our Captain from Italy, the Cruise Director from the US, and the rest from all points in-between. ** While our service crew and operational crew seemed to really be engaged in their jobs, our administrational and entertainment directors really just seemed to be “phoning it in” and were somewhat disconnected. ** Entertainment - was a mixed bag. There were several entertainment venues on the ship. Most of the lounges, including the Observation Lounge, Mariner Lounge and Horizon Lounge had grand pianos or even a full stage that were in turn manned by a pianist, a duo (guitarist and a singer), single guitarist, or a full band. ** There was also the late night Stars Lounge that featured either Denis and Elina (Guitar and Vocalist), Karaoke or a jukebox request sort of thing. ** The Constellation Theater was the venue for the Broadway style Mariner Production Cast singers and dancers with the Mariner Orchestra (6 piece), the Featured Entertainers and the occasional movie. ** Throughout the voyage we took in several shows and found them to range from very good to just OK. ** Since Broadway shows aren’t our thing we really did not attend too much of the Mariner Cast Productions. What we did see was fun and good but did not strike me as stellar. The band was always good and the singers/dancers good but a bit variable. ** A brief review of all the other musical entertainment… Denis – A very good guitarist! I enjoyed Denis in the various venues and combinations he performed in. As a part of the duo Denis and Elina he was good supplying a surprisingly full sound with programed drums, bass and other parts as needed as well as employing a little “Looping Magic” and playing several layered guitar parts. ** In all of the other venues/productions he was very good. There were a couple of times he actually over-extended himself because he was stretching. I’m all about risk-taking musically so I really appreciated the effort in an environment where most musicians would not take the risk or make the investment and play it safe. ** Elina – A competent singer. Had a vaguely snotty attitude. One small suggestion…. give up the smoking Alina… in the long run it will do nothing but harm your voice. ** Nick Messina – An excellent pianist with a great touch. I especially enjoy speaking with, and listening to, Nick perform. ** The Mariner Orchestra – A six piece band that was very competent. Various members would break out and play the different venues as a musical background during High Tea and such. ** The “Headliner” - this trip was Matilda with Patrick Murray. Billed as "Jamaica's Number One Comedienne" Matilda is a ventriloquist's dummy and the alter ego of Patrick Murray. Together a charming and funny duo! ** Overall the entertainment seemed slightly sub-par for a uber-luxury, and expensive, cruise line experience. *** The voyage itself was a relatively short itinerary. That was what we were looking for as we have much longer cruise coming up in August so thought this shorter cruise would be ideal… as it turned out, it wasn’t the best choice we could have made. ** Our published itinerary; June 25th – One night extension in Vancouver, Canada June 26th – Embarkation – Vancouver, Canada June 27th – Cruising the Inside Passage June 28th – Ketchikan, Alaska June 29th – Juneau, Alaska June 30th – Skagway, Alaska July 1st – Sitka, Alaska July 2nd - Cruising the Hubbard Glacier July 3rd - Seward, Alaska – Debarkation ** This looked like the ideal short-form itinerary but it wasn’t to be. What it ended up looking like was this; ** June 25th – One night extension in Vancouver, Canada June 26th – Embarkation – Vancouver, Canada June 27th – Cruising the Inside Passage June 28th – Ketchikan, Alaska June 29th – Missed Juneau, Alaska Just another lovely day “Cruising the Inside Passage” June 30th – Skagway, Alaska July 1st – Sitka, Alaska July 2nd - Missed Cruising the Hubbard Glacier Just another lovely day “At Sea” July 3rd - Seward, Alaska – Debarkation ** About the TWO MAJOR stops on the itinerary were missed for different reasons. ** Regent is billed as one of the world’s premiere cruise lines so we gave it a whirl. Reviewers rate Regent very highly… I can only speculate they were not on our cruise! ** On the second day of the cruise one of the starter engines for one of the main engines failed stranding us overnight in Ketchikan Alaska. That might have been marginally OK if they had let us off the boat to go explore Ketchikan (again) at night... but no, that didn't happen. Instead they kept quiet about the issue even though everyone could see that the departure time had come and gone. A 4:30 pm departure had slipped to 4:30 AM with no information forthcoming from the Captain or the Cruise director. ** And, even as we got started, it was easy to see the ship was not running on both main engines and was just limping along! The constant TV presence of our Cruise Director, Andy, still extolling the wonderful sights we were about to see in Juneau suddenly shut off without a word leaving only a blank screen. ** Finally mid-morning there was an announcement.... Cruise Director Andy informed us that due to the (and only just now announced) engine problems. we would be skipping our stop at Juneau and would have another lovely day at sea on our way to Skagway. The passengers grumbles were louder than both engines when working. ** I was very disappointed because Juneau would have been our first Glacier experience! ** In my opinion it was inconsiderate and childish of Regent to keep us, the passengers, in the dark for so long on the status of the mechanical problem. It also blows my mind that a mission critical part was not stored on the ship. Sometime in the early afternoon we all heard and felt the second engine start and the ship jumped back up to a brisk 15 knots. Too little too late to save our Juneau stop.... ** In any event... while a major stop on our voyage was canceled we were still going to go to the face of the Hubbard Glacier, one of the four largest Tidewater Glaciers on the planet, and the largest in Alaska, on the next to last day of our trip. ** We were supposed to go in on the last day of our sail on the SS Mariner through Disenchantment Bay to the face of the Hubbard glacier. The Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America and is a stunning seventy-six miles long, seven miles wide and over one thousand two hundred feet deep! ** Cameras were checked and rechecked.... Parkas and foul weather gear donned and snugged up tight. The big day comes and several passengers, including myself, are up early on the top deck freezing our "you know what’s" off. As we started to round a bend in the fjord called Disenchantment Bay we were faced with a monstrous wall of dense fog still several miles ahead stretching from mountain to mountain across the bay. The Captain and the Passage Pilot made the decision not to enter the fog because of some significant icebergs floating about. A second major disappointment was about to rear its ugly head... This one weather related :-0 ** Whether right or wrong, or for better or worse, we were told we could still see the glacier as that bright line across the top of the fog bank in the picture on the side.... I, for one, would have rather NOT HEARD that little teasing tidbit! ** Disappointment on Disenchantment Bay how apt is that?.... Ironic or not???!!! ** This second MAJOR disappointment on this short voyage was hard to take. ** Really, I have no issue with the safety decision that was made... just disappointed (again). ** After returning to the cabin to lick and bind my wounds (metaphorically speaking of course!) I emerged and prepared for our now established routine..... LUNCH and DINNER! *** The next day was Seward and the end of the trip. Getting home was no problem... seeing what we were there to see was the issue. Two major issues.... First... Regents fault (IMHO) and the second weather and scheduling. ** This was a rather pricy disappointment… but live and learn :-) ** Oh well, we liked what we saw and experienced in Alaska so much that my wife and I agreed we would return in a year or so and give a different cruise line a chance! ** A brief note on the rest of the stops and sights we did see. ** I liked Vancouver, at least what I saw of it was a beautiful city and it would certainly be worth spending some time in the city and the area… at least more than a night and part of a day to see more of the city. Chinatown maybe??? ** Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka were great stopovers and with more time in port could have been fantastic! Hey wait! We had that extra time in Ketchikan that was totally wasted! ** Seward, well, nothing to say or see… Got off the ship…. Got on the bus. **** The Food I know that this is what some of you were waiting for so here goes…. Regent touts the food on board as; *** "EXQUISITE CUISINE" "Nothing can elevate travel quite like cuisine. That’s why we take so much pride in creating exquisite dining experiences that are nothing short of superb. Experience all the wonderful flavors and delightful scents of choice cuisine from around the world." (direct from the Regent website) *** It goes without saying that the food is one of the most important components of a cruise for most passengers. From elegant A La Carte dinning to the Grand Buffet the food is oft the star. ** And while, for the most part, the food at most the Regent Mariner venues was good, sometimes VERY good, it was far from consistent. Get the blow-by-blow day-to-day descriptions at my website www.TomsMultiInterest.com if interested but here I’m just going to detail our experiences at the two Regent Specialty Restaurants, Chartreuse French Restaurant and Prime 7 Steak Restaurant and give you a few overall impressions about the other eating venues. ** - Chartreuse French Restaurant - That evening I had scored an early reservation (it was the best I could do) at one of the Regent Signature Restaurants, Chartreuse a French Restaurant. I was excited to try what Regent called "Modern French Cuisine". ** While the dining room was well appointed and comfortable the initial service, and later the food, were a disappointment. ** We were the first in the restaurant (right at our appointed time) and service was, for lack of a better word.... inattentive. For being the first customers (read ONLY Customers) it took a while to be noticed and seated. ** The sommelier was slow in visiting the lone table we were occupying . Then the sommelier immediately tried to up-sell me to a $275 bottle of wine and it took me just a moment to catch on. I did ask him what the featured wines were that evening and he recited them showing them to me on the wine list. ** Regent advertises as an "all-inclusive" cruise and indeed they are. Two wines were included that night, as in every night, a red and a white. ** But.... If I had not noticed the tiny prices following some of the selections I would have purchased a $125 to $300 bottle of wine. When I quizzed him about the menu he reluctantly confirmed that there was indeed an "upcharge" for those particular premium selections. I told the sommelier please just bring the "house red" after I was clued into the rules. He was visibly disappointed at the lack of the sale :-) ** The waiter came to the table immediately after the sommelier vacated and told us of that evenings chef's special choices then left us to peruse the menu. ** He returned after an appropriate amount of time and left with our order. ** For appetizers my wife ordered Escargot and I ordered the seared Duck Foie Gras. Entrees were roasted lobster for her and double cut Lamb ribs for me. ** The Escargot were terrible. Served in a disgusting gravy of some sort they were rubbery and served removed from the shells, a good indication they were (possibly) frozen or even (GASP!) from a can. ** My Foie Gras was somewhat better. It was nicely displayed/presented with three little apricot dots arranged on the plate. Taste was meh... rather tasteless and bland. ** The entrees didn't fare any better. My wife's entree, Roasted Lobster with Scallop Mousseline, Green Asparagus and Fava Beans, was displayed well but was extremely overcooked resulting in a tough, tasteless piece of unrecognizable meat. The vegetables were fine and well cooked. ** My lamb was delivered beautifully presented and flanked by two Chickpea Fritters. However I had ordered the lamb Medium RARE. It arrived terribly overcooked and tough. As a result of this criminal treatment of what was likely a decent piece of meat it was largely tasteless and tough. ** My desert, Creme Brûlée was well presented and was tasty, rich and creamy with a satisfying sweet/bitter crunch from the caramelized sugar on top while the wife's Chocolate Napoleon was inedible. **** - Prime 7 Steakhouse - ** Hey! Surprise!... Time for DINNER! ** Tonight was our second specialty restaurant reservation. This time at Regent's steakhouse, Prime 7. We had been by the restaurant several times on the way to the Compass Rose and it was always busy and packed. ** We had a late reservation at 8:30 pm on the 30th. We showed up about five minutes early and were asked to wait in the lounge area. No big sacrifice for me but the wife grumbled a bit. The Maitre D' came and collected us at 8:33.... Perfect! ** After being seated we were immediately approached by our waiter and the sommelier. The menu as suitable for a steakhouse, was simple and to the point featuring mostly beef offerings with a few chops, seafood and poultry choices. ** We made our orders and sat back with a little of the house vino. ** A Palate cleanser of Tomato Bisque was delivered to the table followed closely by the appetizers. The presentation on her appetizer, the Tuna Tartar was very nice and she enjoyed it. My appetizer was billed as Foie Gras Sliders. It came out looking like two tiny little hamburgers, which I thought entirely appropriate for a steak house lead-in and they were delicious. ** Our entrees arrived. She had ordered King Crab and I ordered a 18oz Bone-In Ribeye. ** Mine was delicious! This was at least a pound of steak-y delicious-ness. Billed as a Prime, Dry-Aged piece of meat, it was cooked perfectly to my ordered medium-rare temperature with a beautiful seared crust on the outside. It was all I could do not to pick up the bone and start gnawing away at the steak like a wild animal. Luckily I was able to control myself and waited until the end of the meal before making a fool of myself. ** As delicious as my steak was, my wife's King Crab was not. She certainly received a big ol' plate of Crab. But that plate was overcooked, dry and lifeless. She could finish only a small portion of the total before calling it quits. I definitely felt bad for her and told her so between mouthfuls of my perfectly done steak! ** Dessert was Cheesecake for me and a Berries in Creme Anglaise for her. Both were a good choice and satisfied that Dessert Jones.... ** We said thank you to our stellar waiter Rochcelle.... and headed out. ** We caught the last five minutes of the second Matilda and Patrick show and headed to a quiet spot at the bar for a Mai Tai (Her) and a nice glass of Bourbon Neat for me. ** Ahhhh..... **** - Some brief thoughts on the other dining venues…. - *** Compass Rose – Compass is the main dining room. Comfortable and well-appointed we found food here consistently good. Everything, with few exceptions, was well prepared and generally tasty no matter what was ordered. Service was always prompt and extremely courteous. Surroundings and ambiance were open, elegant and comfortable. It is open seating and we were always able to score a table by a window. Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner it is always menu driven. *** La Veranda – Our choice on deck 11 for Breakfast and Lunch. La Veranda is buffet style serving. More elegant and more variety than the adjacent Pool Side Grille Buffet. It was consistently good. ** In the evening La Veranda transforms into the menu driven (only buffet in sight is a salad bar) Sette Mari At La Veranda Italian Restaurant. Sette Mari is a great alternative to the Compass Rose and other eating venues. The food is very good with a good Italian themed menu offering. *** The Pool Grille - was the one breakfast, lunch and dinner venue that allowed a casual dress in the evenings. The food there was served buffet style and usually had a good mix of everything from hamburgers to some simple seafood selections. Ice Cream and deserts were also featured along with a Fresh Juice Bar. For convenience it was located adjacent to the Pool Bar. *** NOTE: One thing that was, unfortunately, true across ALL of the RESTAURANTS is that they could not deliver a piece of fish that was not overcooked to the point of being criminal. Shrimp and Scallops on the other hand were usually delivered perfectly. Lobster and Crab… not so much. Meat temperature was better with my lamb served at Chartreuse being the major exception. My steak at Prime 7 was perfection! *** _ I also give you this as a sample excursion/meal… A Shore Excursion that featured a Crab Feast! Note that this was one of the MANY Shore Excursions that was supplied at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. ** - Cruise St. George Inlet and Crab Feast - ** We enjoyed our time in Ketchikan walking around the city before going to a freakin' Crab Feast. ** Before the feast we went on a bus trip and then a small boat into the St. George Inlet. we saw some Bald Eagles and pulled up a crab trap to play with some crabs (yes, I know what that sounds like :-) ** Heading back to the small boat dock restaurant, The George Inlet Lodge, we indulged in our feast. It was all served with a large heaping bit of wit and wisdom from Asley our Charming Young Lady (I never thought I would live long enough to use that term... But there it is!!) of a server. It was very simply, a salad, a cold beer, and a never ending pile of the best Crab I have ever eaten. ** If you ever find yourself eating Crab at the George Inlet Lodge and served by Asley give her a big hey from Regent 06/28/2019 :-) **** Debarkation - was fairly well organized but had a few hiccups. ** Debarkation occurred through an exit on Deck 6. Luggage was tagged and picked up from the cabin the night before. ** We had our breakfast and then made our way to the Coffee Connection area on deck 6 to wait for the call to exit and board the buses that would take us to Anchorage. ** The only sore spot was the ladies toilets on deck 6 were closed for whatever reason (men's was fine). ** My wife had to go down one deck to get to a bathroom..... That would not have been that much of an issue but all of the other ladies-in-waiting had to do the same and almost immediately a line formed. There were of course other public bathrooms but on the higher decks and not as convenient. As the traffic became heavier in the one bathroom on deck 5 the toilet paper ran out and was not replenished. ** It seemed to be “a not so fond farewell....” was extended to departing passengers. ** The bus ride to Anchorage (2.5 hr) was fine but stretched to 3.5 hours because of an accident on the one highway to Anchorage. ** Upon arrival, because our flight was in the evening, we were taken to the Anchorage Hilton to a "Hospitality" area arranged by Regent. ** For the end of a supposedly "high-end" cruise the "Hospitality" area was rather weak.... It was an old, no longer used, restaurant at the top of the Hilton. It was a bit tired looking and had little in the way of amenities. No water, hours old coffee, no hot water, and only a tray with a few cookie crumbs being there. No one replenished anything during the time we were there. ** There were people to help us with the shuttle transfer to the airport at our designated/selected time. *** We went out for lunch and settled on a nearby restaurant called "The 49th State". ** It was a casual nice place and had cold freshly on-site brewed beer and upscale pub grub. We ordered a pizza featuring Reindeer and Elk sausage that we enjoyed very much. When in Anchorage it would be a good lunch or evening meal stop! ** We wandered about downtown Anchorage for another hour or so and returned to the hotel for our trip to the airport and back to “The Lower Forty-Eight”. **** - The wrap up! - ** The Regent cruise wasn’t a total bust. The accommodations (cabin) and the hospitality crew are first rate. The fact that out of five stops we only truly made three was more than a little disappointing. I can’t say that Regent didn’t offer an accommodation because of the issue in by-passing Juneau, they did. But, it was not enough, in my opinion considering. What was offered was a $750 per passenger ($1500 total) off the your NEXT CRUISE with Regent. Sorry, those of us that were on this voyage, at least in my case, were not going to sign on again. ** We have been home now since the 4th of July and have heard nothing from Captain, Cruise Director, Chief Engineer or Regent Corporate concerning what happened. That seems like a bad case of “don’t give a crap” at the very least. A head-in-sand attitude at best. ** Would I cruise again with Regent? No, not as it stands now. That said…. If the perfect itinerary at a decent price appeared at the perfect time… I never say never :-)

This was our first cruise with Regent Seven Seas and overall we were fairly happy with the ship and the staff. We met some wonderful passengers and also encountered some very rude passengers, but that probably happens wherever you go. Having sailed with Silversea previously we had high expectations for RSS. Our feeling is that RSS did not quite meet all of our expectations.

On the whole a lovely cruise, but I will not be booking another regent cruise until I am at least over 65

In summation, I realize Regent's prices are pretty steep and going up, so are the other line's prices that we frequent. But you have to say this about Frank Del Rio (FDR)'s lines. The other lines seem to not only be increasing prices but also engaging in a commensurate ratcheting down of overall cruise quality. While at the same time, Regent is enhancing over all cruise quality.

My first cruise on Regent Seven Seas: 28 days “Serene Sunsets” Vancouver,BC to Miami, including a week in Alaska and transit through the Panama Canal, Sep-Oct 2018. This was only my third cruise ever and my first with a “premium/luxury” line. My previous two cruises were on Holland America’s Amsterdam and Rotterdam— nice but not “luxury.” From beginning — the booking process through Regent Seven Seas— to end, the experience was excellent. I travel solo, and RSSC’s single traveler pricing makes them competitive with lower-cost lines. Transfers were handled well on both ends of the trip. I had booked a concierge suite so had an included pre-cruse night at a Vancouver hotel (Four Seasons Hotel — doesn’t get much better than that). The Mariner is a lovely ship and the couple of issues I had with my cabin during the course of the trip were fixed quickly (a sticky sliding glass door to the balcony, and the ventilation fan in the bathroom that lost its cover). Decor was nice (warm light neutrals with dark wood), and the layout worked nicely (more details below). Food was superb — really first rate — and service exemplary. Menu selections in Compass Rose were wide, with several dozen “available every day” options plus 4-5 choices for each course that varied every day, beautifully prepared and presented. Entertainment was fine — I’m not really a “shows” person, but definitely enjoyed the 6 shows I attended. The entertainment production team is young and talented and did a fine job. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Mariner, so much so that I booked the 2020 “Navigate the World” cruise (131 days) while onboard, even securing the same cabin I occupied on this cruise.

This was our second cruise to Alaska , 1st on the Mariner and we had a great time, everyone should visit Alaska

I felt like a queen at her coronation. Regent was wonderful from I’m beginning to end.

Great experience. Would like to go again. Ship was clean and the staff was extremely attentive.

The Alaska cruise is unique, a must-see. However, we were not aware that the Alaska Cruises are the only ones that allow children - not a real problem except I did not see this information on Regent's web site. Having travelled on 3 of the Regent ships, I was expected that it would also be adults only. Also - food-wise, Alaskan crab was terrible! Plus Atlantic Salmon? Really? In Alaska? Entertainment was especially poor, unlike previous cruises. Room housekeeping was not great. Staff was clearly new. Lastly - DO THE EXCURSIONS and forget all those T-shirt souvenir shops in the ports.

Got food poisoning on the cruise. They asked that anyone who was sick call the medical facility to report it. The "free" medical exam consisted of the nurse taking our temperature and asking questions about all the places we ate OFF the shop! They eventually reported the issue to the CDC. 38 people sick but no staff sick. Then they confined us to poor cabin for 48 hours, blaming it on the CDC. I was only sick for 12 horrific hours but had to sit in my cabin for three days (you're confined if your spouse is sick, even if you aren't!). No compensation for losing one third of our trip. We've cruised with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Viking, and ALL were better. Definitely not a "Six star" experience. We won't be back!

Bad food, surly crew, unseaworthy ship. If you want a pleasant vacation, stay away from Regent Seven Seas cruises. They should not be in business.

I would do it all over again anytime. So much to see and do. Scenery is beyond breathtaking. The ship and cruise line are superb.

This was our first cruise on Regent, and while we'll sail with them again, they aren't at the top of our list of cruise lines (maybe #4), and are somewhat short of what we consider "luxury" class. We'll see if the kitchen and communications problems persist on our next cruise and see if our rating will go up or down.

Summary: Exploring Alaska was an awesome, unforgettable experience, and traveling by cruise ship was an excellent--and comfortable--way to explore much of that huge state without having to relocate from hotel to hotel. It was also very convenient to have virtually all cruise-related costs (e.g., drinks, tips, most excursion fees, etc.) included in one overall cruise price. However, while the food ranged from good to excellent, the condition of the ship and the quality of its service were less than five-star. The ship: While most public areas were attractive, the ship is old and overdue for an overhaul. Our cabin was comfortable but much in need of renovation (holes in curtains, stained marble floors in bathroom, sticking drawers, nicked furniture, stained chair and peeling paint on veranda). The dining areas and lounges were attractive but had some deteriorated and corroded window seals, which detracted from the view and the experience. The caulking in the teak decks by the pool was loose or deteriorated in many places. Many on-deck lights and fixtures had been painted over so many times that the different layers of paint and drips were visible. When leaving and boarding the ship at ports of call it was possible to see that portions of the ship’s hull paint were peeling or discolored. Dining: The food quality ranged from good to very good in the two restaurants that were open to all passengers, and from very good to excellent in the two special restaurants that were restricted primarily to upper-class passengers. The included wines were acceptable but nothing special; “premium” wines were available at substantial extra cost and were not what I would consider premium. Service in the lower-class restaurants ranged from good to terrible; in the two upper-class restaurants service was very good to excellent. Given Regent’s very high prices for even the smallest cabins, the fact that lower-class passengers were discriminated against in access to the two better dining venues was quite aggravating. During the booking process I was told I could reserve one meal in each of the upper-class restaurants prior to boarding, which was true, and I was repeatedly told by Regent’s booking agents that after boarding I could reserve additional meals in the two upper-class restaurants, which was totally untrue. Other service: Service in the lounges ranged from very good to terrible. Cabin cleaning, bed-making, etc. service was very good. Crew: Most crew members were friendly and helpful; however, several were the opposite (not just one or two individuals on one or two occasions, more like six or seven crew members on multiple occasions each). Some destination services staff were pleasant, but one was dour throughout the trip and did not seem to like assisting passengers. In general, the crew who interact with passengers would greatly benefit from upgraded hospitality training with a focus on improving food service and the overall passenger experience (perhaps linking crew advancement and modest bonuses or benefits to performance). Further, most of the crew are non-native English speakers and/or have strong accents, which often led to misunderstandings and poor service; ongoing brush-up English courses would greatly improve crew service for, and interaction with, passengers. (For Regent’s high prices the service should be more like that offered by a top hotel chain such as Ritz-Carlton.) Excursions: There were many interesting and enjoyable shore excursions to choose from, most at no additional cost. The quality of the on-shore guides was good to fair; one spent as much time talking about herself as about the rainforest we were walking through, and knew little about the history of the area. Some cruise lines are apparently working to upgrade the quality of their excursions and guides, something Regent might want to consider. Spa and fitness: As might be expected, the Canyon Ranch spa is expensive. The fitness area is small and its equipment is limited and not up to date. Entertainment: Most or all of the performers were new to the ship and seemed a bit ill at ease or uncertain; their routines were not all that entertaining. For me the most enjoyable event was the performance put on by the crew near the end of the cruise. Wi-Fi: The ship’s wi-fi was very slow and erratic, and crashed at least a couple of times daily. Health: Our cabin, the dining venues and the other public areas were kept very clean at all times. Hand sanitizer stations were available at numerous strategic locations in the public areas throughout the ship, though perhaps only once or twice in my 7-day trip did I ever see a crew member use the sanitizers in the public areas; I assume (and hope) that sanitizer stations were available, and used, in the behind-the-scenes areas frequented by the crew. Toward the end of our cruise it was announced that 11 crew members and passengers had come down with a flu-like illness and were restricted to quarters. The captain declared a Code Red Influenza condition and instituted preventive measures such as removing books and board games from the ship’s library; offering free medical consultations to passengers who thought they might be ill; leaving public restroom doors ajar so visitors did not have to touch the door handle; discouraging hand-shaking; encouraging passengers to cover up with a tissue or elbow when sneezing; and having crew members with rubber gloves serve food to passengers at the buffets in lieu of self-service. Contrary to the CDC’s recommendations on influenza control for commercial ships, paper towels were removed from the public restrooms and passengers had to use tissues to dry their hands. Another lapse: I watched a worker sanitizing on-deck handrails by wiping only the tops of the rails, not the sides and bottoms, which people’s fingers inevitably touch when they grip the rails. The very good news is that the flu problem was successfully contained and only a very small percentage of the Mariner’s passengers and crew came down with the flu. Upon completing my cruise I did a bit of research and learned that last year the Mariner was cited by the CDC for connecting “potable [drinking] water hose to [two] black water [sewage] collecting tanks.” This astonishing error was apparently corrected as soon as the CDC inspector caught it, but I was surprised to learn that the ship’s procedures and supervision were not in place to prevent such a potentially disastrous error from occurring in the first place--and that the ship’s supervisors and management did not know of the problem until informed by the CDC. Value: Regent’s pricing seems to be the highest in the cruise line business but given the shortcomings noted above the value is only fair. For such high prices passengers should receive outstanding service and accommodations. Bottom line: As a result of my recent experience on the Regent Mariner I definitely would not consider booking on the Mariner again until after it is renovated in 2018; I suppose there will be no way to know if any crew hospitality training and English language improvement efforts have been implemented without traveling on the ship. In any case my trip did not live up to Regent’s glossy advertising, so when I book my next cruise I will be looking closely at the offerings of other lines, especially Ritz-Carlton, which is world-renowned for its service and luxury and is entering the cruise business. Perhaps Ritz-Carlton’s presence will raise the performance bar for all cruise lines, including Regent.

The Amazon River is one amazing feat of nature.  Unfortunately we chose Regent

Seven Seas to go on with their crowded and unimaginatively tour.  The food was

good but ship's crew were tired, passenger' were tired and cranky, probably from

having to fight each and every excursion for a place in line and a decent seat on

the excursion boat/bus.  The lousy excursions were a major damper on what

otherwise should have been a great trip.

I was very disappointed in the ship, the lecture variety, and the stops. Additionally, many passengers became ill, including my husband, who is himself a physician.  The cost of the seeing the doctor on board was excessive and we had no choice, obviously, but to pay it or leave the ship.  $1450 for a doctor visit and two packets of Tamaflu which sell for $110 each at CVS is exorbitant! Although we had received our flu shots my husband contracted the flu while on board.  A number of other passengers were ill also.  I think the trip cost enough without the cruise line needing to charge so much for care. When I questioned the cruise line in a letter I was told the cost was commensurate with other cruise lines...does that mean they fix the price?

Dear Friends, This is a textbook story of how to take a loyal customer and piss them off for life. In the summer of 2016 my husband and I book a cruise on Regent to the Western Caribbean. This trip would have been our fourth vacation with them. About a month later I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had surgery. We contacted Regent about the situation and asked them to allow us to reschedule our trip and apply our funds to another trip. It is important to note that we did not ask for a refund. They Refused. Instead, they kept about $10,000 and refunded the balance. This was wrong on so many levels. First, they showed no compassion for my medical situation, which we had no control over. Second, they made a very bad business decision, because we will never take another trip with them again. Had they accommodated our needs they would have made us loyal customers for life. Now they have our $10,000, but have lost who knows how much in future business

This was a very good voyage. We did a back to back, beginning at Rome and ending in Miami.     It was our second cruise on the Mariner which gives us 61 days sailing on her (120 total on Regent's three ships). We were pleasantly surprised after coming on board, as earlier in the year the ship went through a refurbishment that did a lot for keeping it in "ship" shape. Particularly noticeable was that our cabin looked brand new and numerous changes on the pool deck, like a third hot tub, had been added. We had just came off a cruise on one of the brand new gigantic vessels (another cruise line) which we shared with 3500 other passengers. That also was a pretty good voyage but we really prefer the smaller vessels, in the 50,000 gross ton range with passenger space ratios above 50. So we continually remarked how nice it was to have some "elbow" room for a change.     We do prefer the Seven Seas Voyager over the Mariner since we dislike butler service (Been there done that) we go the top Concierge suite level. We love the size of the concierge suites on the Voyager and Navigator but those category suites on the Mariner are relatively small; actually they are about the same size as the mini-suites on Princess and HAL ships (The only other two lines on which we sail). Matter of fact, some Princess ships have larger mini-suites. I'm not certain where Prestige Cruise Holdings are headed in this regard. It appears to me that unless one goes the butler route, the cabin size will be mediocre on most of their ships. On their other line, Oceania, a non-inclusive line, the non-butler cabins are almost dinky compared to mini-suites we have become accustomed to. If so, and if Regent gets rid of the Navigator, the only large non-butler cabins Prestige will offer will be those on the Voyager.     Almost every aspect of the voyage was good to excellent. Shore excursions were all well organized from beginning at the muster station on the ship to the modern coaches where all guides were understandable (English) and familiar with the historicity of and general knowledge of the region being covered on particular excursions. Matter of fact, one of the best guides, if not the best, we have ever encountered was on the Canary Island of de la Palma. Regent kept their coaches to about 50-70% capacity so there wasn't crowding like one experiences on other lines. On excursions where lunches were provided, sometimes the meals were exquisite. We really like the all inclusive feature of shore excursions being furnished as part of the base price.     Generally speaking, meals were on par with those served on Princess and HAL, no better or worse. One noticeable and humerous experience in that regard though involved Frank Del Rio. FDR is a guy that has made quite a name for himself in the cruise industry, suffice to say he is currently CEO and Chairman of the Board of Prestige Cruises which owns Regent and its sister line, Oceania.  

As I previously mentioned we had just came off a three week cruise on a very large liner so when we got on the Regent ship, in Rome, and headed to Lisbon it was like a breath of fresh air. No crowds at dinner, relaxed environments everywhere. Most important, the food and service was out of this world, to the point I wondered what I had previously been thinking about when comparing Regent to be on par with HAL and Princess, even though we had previously accumulated about 100 days sailing on Regent. For example, I swear on that first segment we had caviar ever night and sometimes during the day. Real caviar, Russian sturgeon. And the staff was all over you, particularly during meal times.

After beginning our second segment at Lisbon on Oct 13th we began to notice something, the previous exotic dinners weren't quite so scrumptious anymore and we hadn't seen caviar since, furthermore, it seemed like a portion of the staff disappeared, things were now getting rather hectic in the main dining room at times. Not to say it was bad, but just a noticeable decline. We were puzzled as to what happened. Then we found out Del Rio was on that first segment; along with a small party he brought on board to help celebrate his birthday. They got off in Lisbon. Bet they took the caviar with them.

We almost always eat dinner in the main dining rooms or in the speciality dining rooms on all ships and have lunch and breakfast at the lido deck (pool deck) buffets. On the Mariner their buffet is called "La Veranda". On the big ship we had just got off of the pool deck buffet was always very crowded at both breakfast and lunch. However we were sailing mostly in the very north Atlantic then and it was so chilly and windy outdoors the tables there were rarely used, I had noticed that if they were used it would add another 30% seating capacity. So, on the Mariner the outdoor seating was used most of the voyage, and there was ample room inside even to the point where you could expect 30% of the tables to be available and empty. But then, over two days, we experienced torrential rainstorms in the tropics where the outside tables could not be used; the inside tables were then jammed, just like they had been on the huge ship, to the point, at one lunch, we could not find a place to sit and eat. We filled our plates and headed for the stateroom when a crew member spotted us and managed to wrest a couple of seats for us.

All in all we really like Regent and prefer booking them over others. However, with only three ships their itineraries are really limited. We normally book our voyages based upon three decisions, 1. Itinerary, 2. Quality of the ship and line, 3. Price. So far our expenses on our Regent cruises haven't been all that much greater than what we experience on the other two non-inclusive lines when we factor in all the nickel and dimeing associated with all the add-on charges. However, recently we have become aware that we might have been just lucky and happened on to good deals with Regent. Regent may be slowly increasing their rates and reducing their level of service, but we are not certain if that is the case.

As a for instance, we recently decided to do one of those New England foliage cruises beginning with a ground tour that takes in Niagara Fall, (Wife has always wanted to visit those Falls). So we began looking. Princess has a 19 day Cruise tour, beginning with five days on a coach taking in Niagara Falls from a boat, four hotels, etc with the ship portion beginning near Montreal and ending in Houston but then we could add on a back to back for a few more sea days making it 23 days in all.  Regent doesn't have any advance excursions that include Niagara Falls or anything close for that matter. We played around with all sorts of ideas and finally decided we would probably book Regent on a back to back which takes in their limited New England cruise and gives us some sea days in the Caribbean, a 24 day cruise in all, and maybe book three advance days in Montreal (which we didn't cost out) and hope to run into a two day tour down to Niagara Falls when there.

When it got down to checking out the expenses, Regent blew our socks off. They want around 3.5 times, $23,510, more than Princess and we don't get any advance sightseeing or Niagara Falls with Regent. I can buy a lot of wine and shore excursions on board Princess for that kind of dough, so I don't get my New York Times every morning or free internet but on Princess we do get 500 minutes for free and another 500 at a very low price. Also, Princess gives us free laundry which Regent doesn't.

Plus the mini-suite and balcony on Caribbean Princess is larger than the one we had on the Mariner and is a just slightly smaller cabin but larger balcony than the one on the Seven Seas Navigator, we would be on if we selected Regent. (The term mini-suite used by cruise lines nowadays is somewhat of misnomer as a suite should mean two rooms, which a mini is not. What they do is put up a curtain you can draw to shut off the portion of the stateroom which has a couch, desk, cabinets, etc from the bedroom. Mini-suites all have balconies, most of the time. A regular stateroom with a balcony is called a balcony cabin. A cabin without a balcony but a window is called a window cabin or outside view cabin and one without is called an interior cabin. After you select a cruise you want then you have to select a cabin type since the cruise price is based upon the cabin. You almost always have to have a cabin for two as single cabins are very rare. Prices though are always given per person, which throws first cruisers off sometimes, because everything is times "two". It isn't like a hotel where the price is per room.)

Another concern about the Navigator we have is that Regent canceled the refurbishment for it and haven't committed yet to a new schedule. From reports it is getting pretty shabby. Some are speculating they plan on getting rid of it after 2016 when their new ship, the "Explorer", comes out.

So goodbye Regent, hello Princess, we booked the Princess Cruise Tour two weeks ago then another 11 day voyage for right after new years, yesterday.

I gave this "only" 4 stars since we missed three ports for various reasons. Sierra Leone because of Ebola which I can understand but changing two weeks before sailing and just adding an overnight is really poor planning. We missed Cape Verde because of a medical problem which I can completely understand but not wanting to spend the fuel to try and make the port is not acceptable since you pay a lot of money for Regent and its "Luxury goes Exploring" tagline. We crossed that ocean at 13-14 knots which is really slow so we could make Barbados on time and resupply provisions. Missing St. Bart's wasn't a big deal but after missing so much you would think they would try and make something happen like St Kitt's.

This was a three week crossing and was fabulous except for the missed stops. Food was fantastic, service was impeccable, and fellow cruisers fun to meet and interact with. Dinner was always fun because you never know who you will meet and what can be learned in conversation. Regent at its best.

My choice of Regent Seven Seas Mariner was the right one, with all-inclusive pricing, good excursions, and great restaurants!