Seven Seas Mariner Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Regent handled the flight reservations as their cruises are all inclusive. Our initial flight was cancelled and when we contacted Regent they said we were on our own even thought Regent had made all of the arrangements. It then took us 26 hours to get to Venice and we arrived in Venice just in time to make the ship (we had paid $700 more to get there a day early and stay at the Excelsior Hotel-to date no agreement from Regent to refund). When we were departing from Athens, we found that our flight reservations had been cancelled. Very Poor performance and customer service from a company that claims to stree just that. We would be hard-pressed to utilize them again! We unfortunately encountered numerous people on the ship that had similar experiences.

Regent Seven Seas was the best cruise experience we have had to date, 18 cruises under our belts. The staff are fantastic and always go the extra mile to ensure you are happy. Overall the best cruise line.

Our sixth cruise, amongst a variety of price and service providers. Regent is the best so far, and we look forward to another experience. Top notch across the board. From arrival to departure, they have it together. When weather blew us out of tendering in Taormina, Sicily, two hours or so later we were docked in Messina, the day continued as planned. No hassles, just results. My compliments to everyone on the ship.

We had been to the eastern Mediterranean once before on a cruise ship, including Greece and Turkey; we had also been on a 73 day circumnavigation of Africa during which we toured Egypt and transited the Suez Canal for the first time, south to north. But I had always wanted to see the Holy Land(s). For years I had been watching the HAL and Princess itineraries but neither offered anything remotely comprehensive.   Fortunately we had been on Regent's Seven Seas Navigator in May 2010 so we were receiving their colorful brochures regularly. Then one day this offering appeared for October 09, 2010, it was actually a back to back titled "Mediterranean Medley" beginning in Rome, then at Istanbul, "Passage of Antiquity" this 30 day cruise ended in Dubai, where we began our long flight journey back home to Anchorage.   A cruise of a lifetime on a very high end exploration size vessel for which the price was right. Ports involved: Florence/Pisa, Sardinia, Sorrento/Capri, Sicily, Tunisia, Malta, Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, Istanbul, Cyprus, Jerusalem (Sea of Galilee--Nazareth---Bethlehem--etc.), Tel Aviv, Cairo, Suez Canal transit (north to south), Luxor, Petra (Ancient City of Petra), Salalah Oman, Muscat Oman and Dubai.   There wasn't one blemish that sticks in my mind, close to a perfect voyage, it is most likely the finest cruise we will ever undertake.                

ship is spotless, crew constantly cleaning. size is perfect. all-inclusive is a real bonus(liquor, wines,gratuities, tours) very comparable to Crystal, maybe better. open seating a real plus.

My husband ane I so looked forward to the cruise through the Panama Canal on a "six" star ship. This was our 8th cruise on a variety of ships, from private yaghts to large ships. We had previously been on a 700 person ship and loved it. What a disapointment the Mariner was.

Ship was very plain. Not too impressed with anything. Getting off the ship was a nightmare.

The boat was very nice but I got sick for the land portion that Regent provided and we got no compensation. Thirty people from our cruise were sick and it was from a virus on the boat. We paid $4,000 for our land tour and could not enjoy any of it. Regent would not give us any compensation.

The ship was beautfil throughout and every staff member was so helpful and nice. The room was so comfortable and nice. You are even greeted with champagne when entering the ship. There is activites for everyone of every age or interest.

If you are a non-smoker- this is your boat. If you enjoy a cigar or a cigarette, save yourself the agony and book on a ship that accomodates both passengers. We will go back to Crystal.

small ship great food

Mariner is compact enough for less traveled ports and large enough to weather a category 12 hurricane. Ship is more classic than flashy, clean lines and casual elegance. Passengers well traveled and very sophisticated in a low key way. Ship aims to please and succeeds brilliantly.

We took the Alaska cruise and had a wonderful time. The whole crew worked hard to make this a pleasant experience. Being a smaller ship we still did not feel crowded. There were many options for entertainment . The fact that drinks, wine and tipping is included makes for a relaxed atmosphere even though you are paying for it in the cruise price. The Signatures restaurant had as good a food as any 5 star restaurant and service was also high quality.

I would avoid the Regent cruise line at all costs as they do not honor the trip schedule as sold. Our 14 night cruise from Tokyo to Hong Kong was to include 11 days in ports, including 2 1/2 days in Shanghai and an entire day at the end of the trip in Hong Kong. What we got was a full day less in Shanghai, no time in Hong Kong--in all 2 1/2 days less in the locations we travelled to see. The Regent had know for three weeks prior to departure that they had a problem that would force changes to the agenda. Yet they chose not to notify anyone until after close of business the Friday before sailing, at which point they sent an email to travel agents. Most were unaware of the change until after flying to Tokyo and settling into their cabins. Clearly it was too late to do anything at that point. I selected this trip specifically because of the itinerary. It included the places my 81 year old mother wanted to visit while never having consecutive days at sea. I am upset in the schedule change, but even more vexxing is the fact that Regent actively avoided telling passengers that they would not be getting the trip that they purchased. They had all of our e-mails. And for the record, Regents idea of compensating us for missing days was a $250 shipboard credit for all and a $500 credit towards our next Regent trip. Somehow I just don't feel that makes up for what was lost and there is no way that Regent will every get another nickel for me. If it happened to us, it could happen to you. Let the buyer beware.

This "review" is more of an attempt to judge this cruise line and this particular ship vs. other cruise lines and their respective ships that we enjoy greatly. Namely; Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Celebrity, etc., vs. the "luxury ships." Excellence is so subjective and personal that we wanted to approach the review with this thought in mind. Perhaps this review will help others make the decision a little easier between this ship vs. another.We boarded the motorcoach in Anchorage after an hour wait. They didn't check for vouchers ($110.00 total), which we found curious and off we went for a four-hour drive to board the ship in Seward. Typically this should be a three-hour tour but due to roadwork and the driver slowing down for any wildlife or roadkill it stretched into a ride from **** for both of us (we dislike buses-oops, I mean motorcoaches). Entering the security terminal was easy enough, afterwhich we were allowed on board where we were escorted to the theater for official check-in and card issue. During this time, the harpist played and we were served champagne in crystal glasses as we waited on a short line. Radisson had gentlemen available to stand and hold any carry-ons while you stood in line which was very nice for the older folks in line (and us too). After receiving our room keys and filling out the usual forms we were escorted by a young lady who took our roll-on to our suite.Now for the details, upon entering the room (all the suites have doorbells) we found a good bottle of the house "champagne" (French Crement de Loire) iced down with fresh fruit and flowers. The room was appointed with an assortment of crystal cocktail glasses, filled ice bucket, corkscrew, wine stopper and plastic Radisson stirring sticks. Radisson allows you to preorder your choice of complimentary liquor; we chose a liter of Dewars and a liter of Absolute. We were under the impression that one could have as much in-suite liquor complimentary as needed, but found that after that was gone you would be charged for any additional alcohol. Of course that was plenty for a week but we thought we needed to clarify this point. The mini-fridge contained cans of club soda, 7-up, diet Coke, Coke, bottled water, and 2 Heinekens. All but the beers were replenished daily at no charge. Interestingly, the steward always left the freshly filled ice bucket in the fridge -- great idea; more cruise lines need to do this. The suite reminds me of the mini-suites aboard the Grand Princess except for the down pillows and comforter and the large separate closet NOT by the suite entrance (which always drives me crazy), and of course the bath has real marble tile from floor to ceiling and a nice size tub with jets. Interestingly enough, the balcony had no glass on the outside, so you could hang your feet out. That really helped the nice Alaskan breeze to flow into the room. Afterward we noticed there wasn't any on the ship at all, not even on the upper deck, so watch your small children (if you're crazy enough to take them. We'd be paranoid and they would be bored to tears with the very limited children's program in Alaska). Oh yes, the balcony. There were two plastic chairs that reclined and the small table acts as your footrest should you decide totally relax and kick your feet up. Behind the curtains we found two large lounge type cushions to put on the chairs, which was a really nice surprise! Also, these were brought in for the evening so as not to be cold and wet the next morning. Privacy? Just don't lean on the rail and it's no problem.

Regents’ overwhelming message, its Corporate Mission Statement, I believe, is “ Boy are you lucky we let you sail with US. Really lucky, and don’t you ever forget it.” We started sailing Regent in 2010 and have sailed six times, 70 nights. We have sailed four times on the Mariner, once on the Voyager, and once on the Explorer. Our most recent sailing was Alaska in August, 2017 on the Mariner. We have had it with Regent and will never sail them again. They are arrogant and pompous to deal with, they do not respond at all to customer service complaints or issues, and the on board Uniform staff are arrogant as well. Regents’ overwhelming message is “ boy are you lucky we let you sail with us. Really lucky, and don’t you ever forget it.” It wasn’t all this work always this way, pre-NCL ownership. In our first sailing, Singapore to Sydney, on the Mariner in 2010 the experience was wonderful in every regard. First of all, the ship was absolutely beautiful and in excellent condition throughout. The food was far, far better. I remember unlimited sushi and sashimi on deck every day at lunch. You never get it now. And the service was impeccable, at every level, at every touch point. Through the years, the service and food has deteriorated steadily. The restaurants are way understaffed, most egregiously so in in Compass Rose, where the services painfully slow. On our last two cruises, Alaska in August and South America last February, there was not a single meal, not one, where our water glass was refilled without our asking, when we could find someone to ask. The condition of the Mariner is deplorable. When we booked the South America cruise, we were told that the ship would have been newly refurbished. Regent delayed it for a year, blaming a shipyard hurricane, when everyone knew they just didn’t want to spend the money. The condition of the ship now is poor. The furniture in our Horizon View Suite 990, at the very rear the ship, was filthy. The faux [plastic] rattan furniture on the Veranda was falling apart. This suite was a $5000 upgrade. The day after returning from our Alaska cruise I had some questions about my final onboard invoice. I called Regent Customer Relations, and in keeping with the Regent approach to customer service got a voicemail. I left a message. I never got a call back. At the same time, I wrote corporate to express several concerns. I emailed Frank Del Rio, CEO of NCL and got no response. I sent him a follow-up, requesting the courtesy of a response, and got no response. I then forwarded both emails to Jason Montague, the CEO of Regent, and asked for his response. He never responded. We were stunned by the deterioration of the shipboard entertainment, which was outstanding on our South America cruise. It was dreadful on the Alaska cruise. They always have a duo, piano player and singer, in the Explorer Lounge before dinner. They were extremely weak. The dance company was no better than a high school group. The outstanding Regent Signature seven-piece orchestra has been cut back to five pieces. We have just booked our next cruise with Seabourn. What a difference at this early stage: they are absolutely delightful to deal with. It is night and day compared to Regent.

This is a slickly run ship with excellent food,service,shows,etc one major item that lets down seven seas cruises are the excursions. They advertise openly that you can go on as many free excursions as you wish. Sadly this is a misrepresentation. After booking 3 months prior to going we were only given 1 confirmed excursion. We were on the waiting list for all the other excursions. Happily we were put on most excursions but only at the last minute and we know of other travellers who were not successful.

further the quality of excursions were variable. We would put the excursion on Easter Island as only fair. You do not see the main statues/heads and are only shown a few near the harbour. We would recommend organising a private tour when you land on Easter island.

another major niggle was the cost of internet. A whacking 30$US per day! We thought this was steep especially taking into account the reception was variable and there was no skype.

we were quoted 349$US for a car service from Callao port to the hotel in Miraflores when if you book with taxidatum.com the same journey was 20$US. Also do not fall ill on board as a casual visit to the on board doctor was 150$US.

The above stopped me giving Regent Seven Seas 5 stars. We believe Norwegian have bought Regent Seven Seas recently so watch this space for any drop in service as any new owner looks to cut costs.

we thoroughly enjoyed this first cruise but it could have been perfect but for the above.