Ok, all you experienced regent guests - help!!!!

We just booked our first ever Regent cruise going to Alaska in June on the Mariner. We are experienced cruisers having been on been on cruises each of the last fifteen years. We have cruised with Princess, HAL and Celebrity with most of our cruises having been on Celebrity.

OK, we need the help of you experienced Regent cruisers. What are the should never miss type things aboard the Mariner? What advice can you us about the various dining venues? Any other words of wisdom will also be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and everyone stay warm out there.

:):):)

Our first Regent Cruise was to Alaska two years ago. It was wonderful. We were on the Navigator. I can't really answer any questions to your question about your particular ship, though.

Depending on your activity level, try to enjoy all excursions that take you out to see the wild life of Alaska. Many of our family members loved the whale sighting excursions. I loved the kayak and hiking trips. It all depends on what you want to do.

Since we are from Florida, Alaska is so different in ways, what we loved the diversity of the landscape and being able to do new things off the boat.

On the boat, we loved every aspect of our trip. We were a large group of 12, so our experiences maybe different than a group of only two traveling. What stands out in my mind is that the Regent crew and staff were so willing to make everyone in our group (ages from 12 - 82) feel wonderful and happy for the entire trip. We didn't expect a lot from anyone, but coming off the boat we were all Regent costumers for life!

I hope you have a wonderful experience on your trip. You'll enjoy it! This last cruise was my 3rd trip to Alaska (all on different cruise lines), but Regent was my favorite.

:-)

.....so many wonderful crew members we knew from before...THEY make the trip special. But for the "not to miss" -

Sunday morning caviar and Champagne breakfast, especially in the Compass Rose dining room. Lovely!

The 10-oz filet mignon in Prime 7....best steak in the house.

The Signatures menu changes periodically but don't miss the escargot.

You can get almost anything you want (if it's on board, of course) with 24- hrs notice. I have asked for the Dover Sole as well as the miso-glazed sea bass(48 hrs on this one due to prep/marination time) -lovely!

If you don't care for the evening's 'selected' red or white wine they will gladly provide options. If you enjoy a good, dry French rose, ask for the Minuty. Not on the menu but available!

Try all of the lounges until you decide on your favorite. There will be different entertainment in each before dinner.....piano, small orchestra, duo.....and it's also different after dinner.

Any more questions, I'll be glad to answer!

With 24 or so Regent cruises under our belt, the first thing I want to ask if you have booked your excursions yet as this is very important. If you need information on how to do this, post it on this thread. Also, when the time comes to book dining reservations, you should go online as soon as they open in order to get the day, time and table that you want (meaning a table for two, four, six or just a larger table to share).

Kwaj girl gave some great dining tips and I would like to add to that. The second night on board the ship is generally the night of the Captain's Reception when there is a special menu in CR (Compass Rose) so I recommend not making specialty restaurant reservations on that night. The CR menu is great and it can be difficult to choose what to order. Keep in mind that you can order an appetizer portion of an entrée (or visa versa). For instance, if we want both lobster and steak, we would order an appetizer portion of lobster and have steak as the main course.

If you decide to attend the Captain's Reception (which is nice -- at least until you've done it 20+ times:D ), try to leave a bit early if you don't want to wait in line to get into CR for dinner. We have seen 400+ people walk out of the theater and go directly to CR. It is impossible to serve a full house when everyone arrives at the same time. So, we go to CR when it opens at 6:30 p.m. (I've even asked my husband to get a table for us so I could hang out at the Reception a few more minutes - thankfully he is happy to do so and drinks wine while waiting). If dining early doesn't work for you, I'd suggest going at 8:00 or 8:15 p.m.

Regent is quite different than the cruise lines you have sailed on. For one, the ship is much smaller. Secondly, being all-inclusive, you don't have to spend a dime once you step foot onto the ship. You do not have to sign for anything (unless you go to the spa, buy something in the Boutique or decide to buy an expensive bottle of wine). Because you are not signing for anything or showing your room key, the staff is not aware of whether you are in a top suite or the lowest category suite. This simply means that everyone gets the same great service and that there are no areas of the ship where only "top suite" guests can go.

Obviously I am a huge fan of Regent and could blab on and on about it. If you have any other questions, please ask! I think that you will love the Mariner.

While I have not been on the Mariner, I have been on the Navigator and Voyager. Here are some of the on board things to look into.

We like to have coffee delivered to our cabin so we have that when we are getting ready for the day. If we have an early excursion we will have breakfast with that. Delivery is always prompt and sometimes early.

On the Compass Rose menu will have different items from Prime Seven such as the Dover Sole. So you can enjoy some S-7 dishes on the nights you are in the CR if you wish. The dinner menus can be found on the TV so help you thing about what you may want. This will also help you decide if you want to go to Setti Mar or CR. You will never have to look far for something great on any menu.

If it looks like you can do 2 excursions in one day, sign up for them, the web site will let you know if the timing is too close.

Your cabin stewards will come by very soon as you get to your cabin; let them know what you like and don't want in your beverage set up.

When you first get on board, you can sign up for a tour of the bridge with Destination Services. This will occur if circumstances allow and you will be notified when/if it gets scheduled.

I am not sure how a tour of the galley is arranged, our TA has done this for us and that is an interesting tour also.

If you come back from a tour after lunch remember to check out the pool grill as they may still be serving. Our experience has shown that someplace will be open and usually the Regent employee meeting us will let us know what facilities are open.

We love Regent (7 cruises) and did our first 3 Regent trips on the Mariner. You are going to a beautiful place on a beautiful ship. Because the Mariner's June cruises to Alaska are only 7 days, I'd concentrate on Alaska's beauty and use the Regent staff and facilities to comfort and refresh you between excursions -get them ASAP.

I always share tables at dining room meals as we meet the most interesting people. Room service has been terrific in facilitating our "port-intensive" days.

It can get VERY cold on deck near the glaciers (you want to be outside for the spectacular views) so layers, knit hat and two pairs of gloves are a must.

Have a great cruise.

One more suggestion.....if, after a busy day with excursions, you are too tired to go to one of the fabulous restaurants, you can have a delightful dinner in your suite. Call room service and arrange for anything on the CR menu to be served to you course by course. I don't know how they know when you've completed each course, but service seems to appear magically and seamlessly!!

We, too, have sailed on many cruise lines. We have generally found our state of mind more pleasant on Regent ships. To us they provide a wonderful feeling of comfort, elegance, service and relaxation, which we have not found combined to the same extent on other cruise lines. The spaciousness of the restaurants, suites, and public areas, coupled with a non-frenetic atmosphere, attentive staff, and a cultured, non-snobberish, ambience appeals to us. For example, we enjoy Regent’s champagne and caviar with Sunday breakfasts, although other cruise lines pride themselves on furnishing them whenever. It is difficult to point to a specific restaurant, entertainment, service, event, or whatever that is individually specifically better than any other cruise line and must be experienced on a Regent Cruise. We do feel the state of mind, atmosphere and ambience lead to wonderful interaction with other guests, which we always enjoy. Finding and enjoying such refinement in Alaska with so much extravagant scenery and fascinating wild life and nature activities should be a treat, but may not be as apparent or appreciated in the shorter more packed time periods.

Really a nice video of the Mariner! Seeing the video reminded me of a couple of things. The Coffee Connection is a great place to hang out - have specialty coffees (with or without alcohol) and enjoy their light buffet (breakfast or lunch). Also, outside of La Veranda during lunch is the ice cream area (they also have sorbet and yogurt). For a decadent dessert, have a scoop (or two) of your favorite icy dessert and pour some Kahlua, Amaretto or one other liquor that I cannot think of at the moment over it. The set-up is next to the ice cream station along with sprinkles and toppings and is help yourself.

One item that is extremely popular in P-7 (Prime 7) is the crab legs (not offered in CR). We usually make a point to order them as an appetizer while some people order them as an entrée.

While the OP is sailing this summer, and Signatures will still be a dining option, it will be changing sometime after the debut of the Explorer. Signatures on the Voyager and Mariner will become Chartreuse -- a fine dining French restaurant (presumably different than Signatures - also a French restaurant). In the opinion of some, Signatures has needed some updating in recent years.

Last, while Stars Lounge is generally an underutilized, very large lounge, during Alaska season in the past (when Mariner was in Alaska), it was used for the children's programs that are only offered during the summer and school holidays.

that no one's mentioned Trivia (or maybe I missed it?) We don't often join, but it's an activity that a great many people seem really to groove on. It's enjoyed at afternoon tea, very high-spirited, good fun to watch the play even if one is just there enjoying the yummies at tea time. If you're a chocoholic, do NOT miss the Chocolate Lover's tea. OMG!

I just noticed that you have Terry Breen as a lecturer - Fantastic! Make sure to try her lectures; as possible, also try to talk with her when she is on deck.

Probably doesn't need to be said BUT - bring a pair of good binoculars for each of you.

Really a nice video of the Mariner! Seeing the video reminded me of a couple of things. The Coffee Connection is a great place to hang out - have specialty coffees (with or without alcohol) and enjoy their light buffet (breakfast or lunch). Also, outside of La Veranda during lunch is the ice cream area (they also have sorbet and yogurt). For a decadent dessert, have a scoop (or two) of your favorite icy dessert and pour some Kahlua, Amaretto or one other liquor that I cannot think of at the moment over it. .

Frangelico, perhaps?

Also consider Chambord or even Vodka / Champage + fruit sorbet

Frangelico, perhaps?

Also consider Chambord or even Vodka / Champage + fruit sorbet

Could be Frangelico. I just like Kahlua on my chocolate ice cream:) Note: I did not have it once on our 28 night cruise (Nov./Dec.) and still gained weight:o

but from anchorage to vancouver, June 8

So looking forward

Have you come across any free tours at all that you can do two in one day at any port - I cant seem to find any?

Instead of starting a new thread, I am hoping that someone here can post more information as to what time we can expect afternoon tea to take place on Mariner. Does it happen every day? My husband found afternoon tea to be the absolute highlight of our sail with Seabourn and I'll take any excuse to nibble on pastries. ;)

Instead of starting a new thread, I am hoping that someone here can post more information as to what time we can expect afternoon tea to take place on Mariner. Does it happen every day? My husband found afternoon tea to be the absolute highlight of our sail with Seabourn and I'll take any excuse to nibble on pastries. ;)

If I recall correctly, tea is at 4:00 p.m. - right before trivia in Horizons Lounge every day. Alaska has very port intensive itineraries so you may not see the specialty "tea times" that are typically put out on sea days. They are over the top wonderful but with so many passengers off of the ship, it does not make sense to put it on. The same is true of the wonderful pool deck barbeques and special lunches (seafood with sashimi, Indian, Mexican, Greek, etc.).

IMO, Alaska itineraries are great (have done three - two with Regent). However, port intensive cruises leave us exhausted. Getting up early, doing a lengthy excursion, returning to the ship and getting ready for dinner does not leave a lot of time for anything else.

So, my suggestion is that, once you fall in love with Regent, try one of their itineraries that includes at least a few sea days!

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for posting Passages. Unfortunately, I was unable to bring them up. Hope others have better luck!

Thank you Travelcat2. I agree that sea days are far better for relaxing; however, compared to the 7a-7p shore excursion days in Europe, the 9-12 and 1-4 schedule most days in Alaska isn't too grueling. ;)

Drib, thank you so much for posting those passages, I'm so excited to read them all later tonight. They do seem to confirm Travelcat's memory that tea time is around 4p.

One thing to know about the Mariner: most suites have either a tub or a walk-in shower, not both as the other two Regent ships do. The tub is European-style with the bottom slightly higher than the floor of the bathroom, a potentially slipry situation, and the overhead is lowered, so that from the bottom of the tub to the overhead it's about 6' or maybe 6'1". If you are taller, you'll get to learn how to shower while crouching as I did on a long cruise around South America a number of years ago.

Originally, all suites had tubs, but they proved problematic and unpopular, so most of them have been converted to the walk-in showers. On the deck plan, suites with walk-in showers are designated with a star, and fortunately (at least for me) there are many more of them than those with tubs. Make sure you know (AND WANT) what you're getting.

Our preference on Mariner is a shower, and on all ships, we prefer a cabin or suite on one of the lower decks, amidships. Not a problem on Mariner, which is an very stable ship, but on the other two ships, there have been recurring issues with vibration in aft parts of the ships.

ENJOY!

Well, our Alaska cruise draws near (our first on Regent). We have notified Regent giving them the approximate number of long tonnes of luggage the War Department will be bringing aboard. This estimate is necessary so that they can load the appropriate amount of counter balancing ballast on the other side of the vessel.

:D:):D

We did first ever cruise on Navigator last year to Alaska.

I recommend lobster and Creme Brûlée often.

Days that we had early tour we had breakfast delivered to room, did same on our Icy Stait Day.

In Skagway hubby was able to do train in am then a town bus tour. I did train with him- not to be missed, then I shopped.

We actually found that by the time you get up around, breakfast tour then back for tea then dinner etc - One tour per day was good,

Relax and enjoy. You will be pampered in luxury.

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Could be Frangelico. I just like Kahlua on my chocolate ice cream:) Note: I did not have it once on our 28 night cruise (Nov./Dec.) and still gained weight:o

How about Godiva liquor! We just discovered chocolate martinis on the Paul Gauguin last month!

We are doing 38 days on Mariner starting with its last Alaska cruise of the season, Aug 24.

I'm concerned about all the treats available! I guess we'll have to pace ourselves, or only eat every 3rd day!

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!

How about Godiva liquor! We just discovered chocolate martinis on the Paul Gauguin last month!

 

We are doing 38 days on Mariner starting with its last Alaska cruise of the season, Aug 24.

 

I'm concerned about all the treats available! I guess we'll have to pace ourselves, or only eat every 3rd day!

 

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!

Yum - love chocolate martinis - especially when made with Godiva🍸 I enjoy them on Regent as well as my new favorite drink, the Mexican Butterfly - a drink available on Regent (unless you know the recipe which I don't have).

Have a wonderful cruise.

Yum - love chocolate martinis - especially when made with Godiva🍸 I enjoy them on Regent as well as my new favorite drink, the Mexican Butterfly - a drink available on Regent (unless you know the recipe which I don't have).

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

Recipe for Mexican Butterfly, http://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/cocktail-of-the-week-the-mexican-butterfly/

Anything with St.Germain is yummy IMHO

Caryll

Recipe for Mexican Butterfly, http://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/cocktail-of-the-week-the-mexican-butterfly/

Anything with St.Germain is yummy IMHO

 

Caryll

Wow - thanks so much. Now I know where Regent "borrowed" the recipe from. It is quite a refreshing drink but the alcohol can sneak up on you:-) I always ask for it with Patron or Don Julio tequila!