Just recently off of Mariner

I'll try and keep this fairly short, but I wanted to share my thoughts about our recent 12 night Mariner cruise.* There have been some issues voiced lately and I wanted to post my impressions.

Bottom line up front:* Yes, there were some issues.* No, they weren't serious.* We would sail Regent again...fact, we're already booked for next year.

We felt the ship was in great condition.* It was clean and well maintained.* About 99% of the crew were cheerful and professional. Cabin service was excellent, as always.* We were in Cat F on Deck 8 and had no noise or vibration issues other than kids running rampant.* This cruise had more kids on it than any other Regent itinerary we'd sailed before, to include Alaska.* I'm sure Regent had some cheap fares for kids in conjunction with the European school holidays.* I'm fine with kids as long as they're not being obnoxious, which unfortunately, most of this gang was.* I put most of the blame on the 'parents' but I also put some of it on Regent for not enforcing rules.* I won't go into details, but suffice it to say we'll be keeping a closer eye on school calendars for future bookings.

There were some minor issues in Compass Rose, the lounges, and pool bar where I feel that service wasn't up to previous standards, but when I say minor, I mean minor.* Nothing that would keep me away.* In fact, we ran jnto our butler from two years ago, and he remembered us.* He even went so far as to set us up with another amazing feast of Indian cuisine in CR even though he wasn't our butler this trip.* That was nice.

I'd have to say that the included shore excursions were probably my biggest gripe.* They weren't bad, really, but they weren't all that good.* On the flip side, though, the added cost trips were fantastic.

As I said, crew was great.* We encountered one surly dude in Destination Services.* That left a sour taste...

We thought the food was good, in CR as well as specialty restaurants.* La Veranda was often crowded and sometimes items were allowed to run empty.* Room service was often quick, and always hot (except for one breafast - lesson learned).

I had some impromptu discussions with other guests in the Connoisseur Club and most people agreed that even with some fairly minor issues this was an excellent cruise.* The worst comments I heard were:

1)* No teaspoon on my saucer for my morning coffee.

2)* LaVeranda served wine in a water glass (by policy, not by mistake)

3)* Room stewards missed my turndown service one night.

4)* As I recall, a certain brand of cognac or armangac wasn't available.

These people voicing these complaints were pretty adamant that these egregious infractions warranted a Regent boycott and an immediate return to Crystal.* I've never sailed Crystal so I can't compare, but if these minor annoyances are such major issues to Crystal patrons, well, I'm not so sure I want to sail with people like that.

To summarize, my wife and I both agreed that this was probably our best cruise, noisy kids notwithstanding.* Regent has some minor issues to work out, but we both agreed that the positives far outweighed the negatives - and we can't wait to be back onboard next summer.

Thank you so much for posting such a well thought out review! You described exactly why we try not to cruise when school is not in session. While we have been on cruises with a few children that were amazing, all it takes is a few unruly ones to disturb the peace on the ship.

Have to laugh about someone thinking that wine was being served in water glasses in La Veranda. Have they not heard of stemless wine glasses (I don't like them either but do recognize the difference between a stemless wine glass and a water glass).

We will be on the Mariner next month - would you mind sharing who the G.M. and Cruise Director on board were. I know that Franck Galzy left for vacation but do not know who replaced him. Thanks much!

I'd have to check on the GM, but we had Capt, uh, Teo, and Margaret was the CD.

Thanks much!

Thank you UUNetBill, for your highly informative post. We are sailing Mariner next year, and are really looking forward to it. We loved Navigator and have fond memories of our cruise on her. For the last couple of years we have been cruising on Oceania. We love the line but decided on Mariner because we liked the itinerary. In June we did the Panama Canal LA to Miami on Insignia. Our previous three cruises were on Marina and Riviera. I agree with Travelcat2 that such trivial complaints must come from serial whiners. For us, one exposure to people like that is enough. Fortunately, we haven't run into that type recently.

Mary

As Travelcat beat me to pointing out, the glass used to serve wine in La veranda is a stemless wine tumbler, not a water glass. We use these at home as George is notorious for breaking the stems on wine glasses. And they are much safer to use to avoid spills and breakage in rough seas. If someone was complaining, they were just showing their ignorance.

If they serve all kinds of wine in those glasses I would complain also. If you ever take a Riedel class on wine glasses, those one size fits all glasses will do a disservice to many wines. I would also ask for the proper glass, especially if I was ordering a bottle of wine.

They use Riedel glasses throughout the ship and those Riedel 'O' series glasses used in La Veranda come in different sizes as well. Stemless glasses are pretty common in restaurants in Europe; using the 'O' series glasses in La Veranda reflects this as well as the more casual approach to dining the restaurant epitomises. Also, as it has an outdoor dining area, it limits (somewhat) breakages. Love Setti Mare in both its Italian and French guises and, if you ask for an espresso, has the best coffee on the ship.

I think I was on the same cruise as the OP. We are gold Regent members, but have not cruised with them for about 6 years, having defected to Seabourn. Never sailed Crystal.

Our experience was somewhat different from his - we were lucky enough to have a very quiet corridor on our deck 8 suite. The only time we were annoyed by children was on the first day, when there was one group in and around the pool screaming and shouting. For some reason we did not hear them again during the cruise. The other children seemed to be with very nice families who made sure they behaved pretty well, though there was a bit of running about by toddlers in the Veranda which could have been dangerous.

We had no objections to the wine glasses in the Veranda at lunchtime, however what we did not care for was that when the wine server was asked where her sauvignon blanc was from, she said she only knew it was called Terra! This applied to pretty well all the wine servers on board. They had no knowledge about wines at all. Also, we too felt that the food in the Veranda was not tidied or replaced properly. A very small point, but to me a good comparison with Seabourn, was that if you did order something like a burger for lunch the 'condiments' came in plastic squeezy bottles in a metal container, plonked on the table, whereas on Seabourn they are brought by a waiter, on a tray, in china containers and he/she serves them. A very small thing, but to me epitomises the difference between the lines.

What also seemed strange was that the food served in Signatures, Sette Mari, and especially at the brunch for Society members was infinitely better than the general run of food - they can do it when they want to. We felt that the budget for most meals was under par for a 'luxury' line.

I am sure that if we cruised Regent again we would learn how to get better wines provided etc., but will not be doing so.

We are not long off Voyager and I also do not like the wine tumblers, however, a jokey word with the sommelier on the second day ensured our white wine was served in a stemmed glass from that point on - 'problem' solved.

Generally I liked my Regent cruise with only a couple of very minor issues which in no way spoiled my holiday! My biggest gripe was, like lincslady said, a lack of knowledge from some of the lunchtime sommeliers about the wine available. There is a 'ginormous' list of the spirits available on board, however I rarely drink spirits but do enjoy a glass of wine but when asked which White wines were available I was told Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon blanc. When I asked where the wines came from a list of countries was recited but not linked to the individual wines. I admit I made it my mission to try to identify what was available and failed miserably!

There was a wine tasting on our sea day with 4 reds and 4 whites. I asked the cellar master if these were all the included wines and was told yes although if I asked for a wine and they had it then I could order it but no they had no Pouilly Fume or Chablis which I believe have been previously available.

I think it was TC2 who asked the general manager for a list of included wines so off I trotted to see Michael the GM and was told no there is no list as it changes each cruise and that he thought 4 reds and 4 whites on offer was good as there were only 2 available whe he started cruising!

I asked on the half way through the cruise comment card why the wines available were such a closely guarded secret but got no response.

It wasn't a massive issue, just irritating. I am no wine connoisseur but some of the nicest wines were the house wines in the speciality restaurants but unless you had eaten there you wouldn't know about them.

Surely it is not outside the realms of possibility to have a list of the included wines somewhere on board which would not take much time to amend each cruise which anyone who is interested could ask to see and get a copy of. Those who are happy with the choice on offer can continue in blissful ignorance and the whingey women like me could cheerfully identify what I liked!

It is very interesting that the response to a request for the included wine list depends upon the person you ask. It has not been our experience that the wine changes every cruise and that response, IMO, does not make sense. While they may pick up some new wines at a port stop, they do not replace the entire wine list every cruise. Some of the included wines have been on the list for a very long time. I will print the include wine list that I posted on our last cruise - earlier this year and take it with us when we board the Mariner next month and see how it compares to what is being served now.

It did seem ridiculous that they were so unwilling to let me know what the included wines were! I couldn't believe either that they completely refresh the wine cellar at the start of every cruise. I understand that the way Regent operate is to have a couple of wines available each evening but even the best sommelier cannot match one or two wines to such a diverse menu even though most people are happy with what is available, it can't be that difficult to have something to show those customers who would like to know what else is available. It should not be about who you know!

We were on the same cruise on Mariner but it was in June. While we very much enjoyed the cruise we also noticed similar problems with slower service in Compass Rose and an obvious lack of wait staff at certain times.

It was noticeable but didn't spoil our cruise.

I didn't ask for a wine list, there was usually a wine I liked and enjoyed, but there were quite a few wines that ran out during the voyage and also this was quite an issue with beers.

Spirits are plentiful, but it seems to be an issue if more and more people are finding short comings with the included wines and beers.

It's not been a problem we have found on our previous Regent cruises but it's one that seems to be mentioned here in regular posts.

I don't know if it is anything to do with nationality with some preferring wine and others spirits but wine is becoming more and more popular even in the UK and I think Regent and other cruise lines need to take this into account. Looking back to Seabourn which was our first cruise 3 years ago they also just provided the 'wines of the day' but again you could ask for a wine from a previous day and they would provide it with a smile (just like Regent). I think it was probably because Oceania provides their wine by the glass menu, which are also included in the alcohol packages, so you can choose what you would like to drink rather than get what you are given which I liked and just wondered why other cruise lines can't do the same (procurement issues taken into account of course).

We found that the 'wines of the day', certainly at lunchtime, were the same cheapos every day, with no encouragement to have anything else, which was not the same on Seabourn, where in any case most of the wines were of better quality, and the shelf of reds and cooler of whites always contained several different wines.

I had forgotten to mention that we did actually have quite a good lunch at the Pool Grill near the end of the trip,called French lunch. What was interesting was that there was a small display of wines at the buffet, including Macon Lugny, several grades better than the normal offerings. I asked the Sommelier (who happened to be there) if it was an included wine, and we then were provided with a bottle! So obviously it pays on Regent to be 'in the know' about what is available; I am sure they do not encourage this. What is odd is that there are many expensive spirits freely poured, and we found all bar drinks very good. Just a big contrast to the wine situation, sadly.

It is very interesting that the response to a request for the included wine list depends upon the person you ask. It has not been our experience that the wine changes every cruise and that response, IMO, does not make sense. While they may pick up some new wines at a port stop, they do not replace the entire wine list every cruise. Some of the included wines have been on the list for a very long time. I will print the include wine list that I posted on our last cruise - earlier this year and take it with us when we board the Mariner next month and see how it compares to what is being served now.

I searched the forum and couldn't easily find the list. Travelcat, do you mind posting the list again or sharing the link? We leave for the Baltics in a month. Loved the Sancerrre and the Minuty Rose on the last trip!

Thanks, Jennifer

Since this subject has been an ongoing topic for so long, why wouldn't the official board readers at Regent suggest that the list be provided to each cabin at the start of each cruise? Obviously something could run out during the voyage but it would put an end to the speculation about "who you know". With the amount of flyers and notices that get delivered daily, one more piece of paper shouldn't be a big deal.

Since this subject has been an ongoing topic for so long, why wouldn't the official board readers at Regent suggest that the list be provided to each cabin at the start of each cruise? Obviously something could run out during the voyage but it would put an end to the speculation about "who you know". With the amount of flyers and notices that get delivered daily, one more piece of paper shouldn't be a big deal.

I can think of one very good reason - they would prefer people not to know about the better ones. Sorry, very cynical of me.;)

Fizzy your idea is excellent. The wine list should be available for everyone to read. The cabins provide the list for the prestige pay for wines, so why not the included list too.

It's not good having to keep asking what other options are available and getting no constructive answer.

Jean.

Jennifer - don't mind posting it at all...... see below:

INCLUDED WINE LIST – 4/2015

Compass Rose White

Pinot Grigio, USA, Trinity Oaks

Chardonnay Avant, USA, Kendall Jackson Avant

Frascati, Italy, Frascati Candida

Sauvignon Blanc, Chile, Tributo Calettera

Macabeo, Chardonnay, Spain, Bodegas Castano Alicante DO

Chardonnay, Australia, Jackaroo

Grechetto/Procanico/Verdello Canaiolo Bianco, Italy, Rulffino Orvietto Classico

Insolio, Italy Insolio Corvo

Chardonnay, France, Macon-Lugny Saint Pierre

Compass Rose Red

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile, Santa Gloria Cabernet Reserve

Shiraz, Australia, Weighbridge by Peter Iehmann

Pinot Noir, Canada, Backhouse

Zinfandel, USA, Cline Ancient

Merlot, USA, Paso Robles Passo Creek

Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, Hess Select

Malbec/Syrah/Merlot, Chile, Etnico L.E. Reserve

Nero D'Avoio, Italy, Nero D'Avolo Corvo

Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, France, M. Chapoutier Bila-Huat

Signatures (Mariner and Voyager)

Pouilly Fuisse, France, Laboure

Sanceer, France, Le rand Buis

Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Petit Verdot, France, Chateau Haut-Bourcier CV Bordeaux

Chateau Neuf de Pape, France, Les Grama Chais de France

La Veranda

Cortese di Gavi, Italy, Principessa Gavia Gavi

Pinot Gris, Italy, Santa Margehrita (think they misspelled this)

Sangiovese, Italy, Placido Chianti

IMO, the reason Regent does not hand out the included wine list to everyone is because this would require having all of them on hand at each meal. CR has 20 wines on the list. I cannot imagine how many of each wine would have to be available within easy access of CR in accommodate every person's desired wine. I could also imagine some people asking for tastes of multiple wines which could be a burden on an already busy Sommelier.

We have never had difficulty getting a wine from a previous night. Sometimes it takes time for someone to go to the basement and retrieve the wine but we do not find this to be a problem. Also, if we are not happy with the wine of the day, we ask the Sommelier for something else (after describing what type of wine we like). We really do not need a list for the Sommelier to find a wine that suits our taste (in fact, although I had a copy of the included wine list, it was in our suite and I really did not refer to it.) BTW, many of their included wines are available when Regent does wine tasting (I think this is done on most cruises that have sea days).

It seems that only the Sommelier knows the different types of wines and nuances of each offering. The wine servers in LV at lunch do not have that knowledge. If you are in LV and have a question about wine, I suggest you ask a wine server to speak with a Sommelier.

Here is the list I posted on my Mariner cruise in November 2014. A Pouilly-Fuisee was added to the list in the middle of the cruise:

I boarded Mariner in Los Angeles and obtained the Complimentary Wine List. No NZ Sauvignon Blanc but a number of decent wines. Although the list is shown by restaurant, you can ask for any wine in any restaurant. Here's the list:

Compass Rose White

Pinot Grigio - USA - Trinity Oaks

Trebiano, Malvasia - ITALY - Frascati Candida

Sauvignon Blanc - CHILE - Tributo Caliterra

Macabeo/Chardonnay - SPAIN - Bodegas Castaño Alicante

Chardonnay - AUSTRALIA - Jackaroo

Grechetto/Procanico/Verdello Canaoilo Bianco - ITALY - Ruffino Orvietto Classico

Insolia - ITALY - Insolia Corvo

Chardonnay - CANADA - Pelee Island

Compass Rose Rosé

Granache, Syrah - FRANCE - Chateau Minuty

Compass Rose Red

Cabernet Sauvignon - CHILE - Santa Gloria Reserve

Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - Hess Select

Merlot - USA - Passo Creek

Pinot Noir - USA - Backhouse

Zinfandel - USA - Cline Ancient Vines

Shiraz - AUSTRALIA - Weighbridge by Peter Lehmann

Syrah, Grenache & Carignan - FRANCE - M. Chapoutier Bila-Haut

Malbec/Syrah - CHILE - Etnico L.E. Reserve

Nero D'Avola - ITALY - Nero D'Avola Corvo

Malbec - ARGENTINA - Reto

Cabernet Sauvignon - ARGENTINA - Reto

Mariner/Voyager Signatures

Chardonnay - FRANCE - Macon-Lugny Saint Pierre

Sauvignon Blanc - FRANCE - Sancere Le Grand Buis

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot - FRANCE - Chateau Haut-Bourcier CV Bordeaux

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre - FRANCE - Chateauneuf de Pape Les Grama Chais de France

La Veranda

Pinot Grigio - ITALY - Santa Margherita

Cortese di Gavi - ITALY - Principessa Gavia Gavi

Sangiovese - ITALY - Placido Chianti

Corvina, Molinara, Rondinela - ITALY - Valpolicella Classico Superiore

Prime 7

Chardonnay - USA - Hogue Genesis

Sauvignon Blanc - USA - Rodney Strong

Meritage - USA - Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Champagne & Sparkling

HP Champagne - FRANCE - Montaudon

In Suite Champagne - FRANCE - Jacquart Brut Mosaique

HP Sparkling - FRANCE - Phillipe Dublanc

Sparkling Setti Mari - ITALY - Prosecco Val Doca

Other Wines

Alcohol free White Wine - USA - Ariel Chardonnay

Alcohol free Red Wine - USA - Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon

Riesling - GERMANY - Piesporter Riesling Deinhaed

Riesling - AUSTRALIA - Grand Barossa Tanunda

Chardonnay - USA - La Terre

White Zinfandel - USA - Woodbridge White Zinfandel

Muscatel - CHILE - Santa Gloria Late Harvest

Merlot - FRANCE - Côté Soleil IGP

Merlot - USA - Murphy-Goode

Côte du Rhone - FRANCE - De Beauchene

Marselan, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot - ITALY - Eccomi Super Premium Red Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - Paripaso

Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - La Terre

Carignane, Mourvedre, Syrah - FRANCE - Domaine Ligneres Aric Blend

I have a feeling that TC was not given the entire list but only those wines categorized by restaurant. My experience has been that the complimentary wines remain relatively static from cruise to cruise.

My rule of thumb is: If you don't want the offered wine at lunch or dinner, ask about what else is available. Think proactivly. :D I've always been able to find a decent wine doing this. You might have to wait a few minutes while they get the wine but that's not a problem for me.

It was definitely LV that had problems with the wines so we tended to go with the Italian Pinot Grigio and the Sancerre at lunch CR was much better. What really got up my nose, unfortunately, was that when I asked the cellar master during the wine tasting whether the 8 wines on offer were the only included wines I was told they were which was not actually the truth. I agree with TC2 that the logistics of everyone having the wine list would be a nightmare for the sommeliers and most people appeared perfectly happy with the evenings offerings. For the fussy amongst us, being able to request a copy of the list shouldn't cause too many problems and would have made me a much happier bunny!

Thanks DaveFR - a lot more than 8 wines then! And yes in the evening we tended to tell the sommelier what we liked and they readily got it for us.

Dave - it is good to note differences between the list I posted in April, 2015 (previous page) and your November 2014 list. Not sure if they gave me the entire list or not - your list seems to have more choices. I'll try to do a comparison below - noting which are the same and which are different -- just to see how much things change in 5 months. Hope I didn't mess up your list - as you know, when you start adding colors the text becomes difficult to read until it is posted.

Compass Rose White

Pinot Grigio - USA - Trinity Oaks

Trebiano, Malvasia - ITALY - Frascati Candida (not on new list)

Sauvignon Blanc - CHILE - Tributo Caliterra

Macabeo/Chardonnay - SPAIN - Bodegas Castaño Alicante

Chardonnay - AUSTRALIA - Jackaroo

Grechetto/Procanico/Verdello Canaoilo Bianco - ITALY - Ruffino Orvietto Classico

Insolia - ITALY - Insolia Corvo

Chardonnay - CANADA - Pelee Island (not on new list)

Chardonnay Avant, USA, Kendall Jackson Avant (NEW)

Frascati, Italy, Frascati Candida (NEW)

Compass Rose Rosé (Rose's did not appear on my list)

Granache, Syrah - FRANCE - Chateau Minuty

Compass Rose Red

Cabernet Sauvignon - CHILE - Santa Gloria Reserve

Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - Hess Select

Merlot - USA - Passo Creek

Pinot Noir - USA - Backhouse

Zinfandel - USA - Cline Ancient Vines

Shiraz - AUSTRALIA - Weighbridge by Peter Lehmann

Syrah, Grenache & Carignan - FRANCE - M. Chapoutier Bila-Haut

Malbec/Syrah - CHILE - Etnico L.E. Reserve

Nero D'Avola - ITALY - Nero D'Avola Corvo

Malbec - ARGENTINA - Reto - not on April list

Cabernet Sauvignon - ARGENTINA - Reto

Mariner/Voyager Signatures

Chardonnay - FRANCE - Macon-Lugny Saint Pierre (not on new list)

Sauvignon Blanc - FRANCE - Sancere Le Grand Buis (not on new list)

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot - FRANCE - Chateau Haut-Bourcier CV Bordeaux

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre - FRANCE - Chateauneuf de Pape Les Grama Chais de France

Pouilly Fuisse, France, Laboure (added to new list as noted in your post)

Sanceer, France, Le rand Buis (on new list)

Prime 7

Chardonnay - USA - Hogue Genesis

Sauvignon Blanc - USA - Rodney Strong

Meritage - USA - Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Cabernet Sauvignon, Paripaso (on new list)

Champagne & Sparkling

HP Champagne - FRANCE - Montaudon

In Suite Champagne - FRANCE - Jacquart Brut Mosaique

HP Sparkling - FRANCE - Phillipe Dublanc (not sure if this is the same as below)

Sparkling Setti Mari - ITALY - Prosecco Val Doca

HP Sparking, France, Bouvet Signature Brut

Other Wines

Note: Our lists differ the most here. It is possible that my list is correct and they discontinued several or I did not get the entire list. They did change the bar menu dramatically right before our cruise in April. In any case, I put an "*" next to wines that are the same and added items that are on my list

*Alcohol free White Wine - USA - Ariel Chardonnay

*Alcohol free Red Wine - USA - Ariel Cabernet Sauvignon

* Riesling - GERMANY - Piesporter Riesling Deinhaed

Riesling - AUSTRALIA - Grand Barossa Tanunda

*Chardonnay - USA - La Terre

White Zinfandel - USA - Woodbridge White Zinfandel (Beringer is on my list)

Muscatel - CHILE - Santa Gloria Late Harvest

Merlot - FRANCE - Côté Soleil IGP

* Merlot - USA - Murphy-Goode

Côte du Rhone - FRANCE - De Beauchene

Marselan, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot - ITALY - Eccomi Super Premium Red Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - Paripaso

*Cabernet Sauvignon - USA - La Terre

Carignane, Mourvedre, Syrah - FRANCE - Domaine Ligneres Aric Blend

Pinor Noir, Chile, Puerto Viejo (on my list)

Pinot Noir, USA, Phanter Creek (on my list)

This is a very interesting discussion, but I can say from my experience that persistence will win out in getting a wine that meets your requirements. We have cruised Regent several times always on Voyager. On the first night, actually every night, we try to be among the first in the CR. We get a two top by the porthole and try to use the same table every night we're not in a specialty. The first thing we do, even before ordering, is try to meet with our sommelier. We explain that we like wine and would like to meet with him every night to find out about the evening's choices as well as what might be in reserve. Some times the original pours are quite satisfactory, other times we move to the next level. We have NEVER had resistance to this sequence of events; in fact we have had informative and fun conversations as a result. When we cruised Venice-Istanbul a few years ago we had Katarina as a sommelier, best fun.

Conclusion, there is good wine to be had; don't be put off or intimidated.