Mariner short review

[cstrick]

We just returned from the Mariner June 13-20. The cruise was very very nice.

Cabin - We were in 1008. Penthouse with butler. The updates made the cabin very comfortable. The cabin was large with plenty of room to move around in. The curtain to block off the sleeping area was great.

Food - with one exception the food was excellent. We did have a bad meal in the grill. Both Latitudes and Signatures were excellent. Compass Rose was also excellent.

Shore Excursions - We booked 4 excursions through the ship and 1 independently. My favorite was Tracy Arm ( the Mariner provided pasteries for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch ) I can't say enough about the independent tour in Juneau with Harv & Marv. We had the boat to ourselves and saw whales sea lions and seals. I would recommend them highly. However, be prepared to wait for the ships excursions they ran late every time.

Children on board - There were 140 children on board and they were great. We didn't see or hear them on the whole cruise. It seems that they were involved in the various programs and didn't even want to see their parents. This was something that we were worried about but it was not a problem.

Entertaiment - It was adequate but not great. Because it is a small vessel I did expect this. They showed movies in the afternoon and at least three movies on the in room TV everyday. I got my entertainment from watching the scenery. We even saw two whales from the balcony ( a beluga and a humpback.

Embarkation - Smooth !!!

Disembarkation - A little slow. We had to wait in a public area for almost 90 minutes.

Service - Excellent !!!! Everytime you turn around there was someone to help you.

If you have any questions.......

[ChansonDeLaMer]

We will be taking the Alaska cruise in 08 and are already looking at potential shore excursions. We would really appreciate hearing from all past Alaska cruisers about their favorite and least favorite (and why) shore excursions in Alaska. We have one family member who will have some limited mobility so we'll avoid hiking and that sort of experience. Which Regent (or non Regent) excursions would you recommend? I'll check out Harv and Marv in Juneau.

[HollDoll]

We were on the May 23 Alaska cruise this year. My two favorite excursions were the White Pass Railroad in Skagway (booked through Regent) and in Juneau, the whale watch with Captain Larry (Orcaenterprises.com) not booked through Regent but on the web. The entire trip was wonderful.

[Hambagahle]

We were on the Mariner in June 04. The best RSSC excursion was definitely the Tracy Arm - it was fabulous! We saw bears running along the shore, and loads of seals etc on ice floes. We took the Orca Enterprises whale watching tour in Juneau where we saw lots of whales. However we felt that this trip was somewhat spoilt by the fact that we had to wait 30 minutes at the Mendenhall Glacier while the minivan picked up a couple of participants - who got on the van without even a "sorry"! - and the young man who did the commentary on board the boat was very silly in what he said. I am sure there is someone else there now and that things are better. We really felt that Capn Larry did a super job of getting us very close to whales etc.

As for excursions that I wouldn't bother with - the White Pass RR trip at Skagway was not at all interesting. However, we live in Switzerland and I suppose we are a bit spoilt for scenery. I certainly would not take the "deluxe" version of the trip with tea included etc etc.

Hope this helps! We liked our Alaskan cruise so much we are considering a two week one for next year - up and back from Vancouver - defintely on the Mariner!

[neviboy]

My favourites are;-

1. A helicopter flight with a glacier landing and a long walk, in Juneau.

2, A seaplane flight with a landing on a 'silent' lake, at Ketchikan, and

3. The cograilway ride along the miners' route in Skagway

We booked these many weeks ahead of time , on the internet, after shopping around. But that was 5 years ago. We were on Celebrity.

[sjrhdavis]

Favorite excursions: Tracy Arm and helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier with dogsledding. Those were both through the ship and great fun.

 

Also very glad to hear that you were not bothered by the kids on the ship. I had my 8 and 6 year olds with me and they loved the trip and were well behaved and all the kids I saw seemed to be behaving well. But I am always concerned about not bothering others and glad to hear the perspective of a passenger without kids. :)

[cstrick]

Thank you for being a good and caring parent. We have been on other cruise lines and the parents just seem to let the children run wild. I'm glad that your children had a good time. It really amused us to see the children in the dining room ordering from the menus and being very polite to the waiters.

[Catwoman12]

Hi- We are sailing on the Mariner-July 11- and curious if anyone had any

experience with " bear sighting" excursions ? From what I have been reading it could be too early in the season- wondered if Campbell River

might be the best area- have been to Alaska 3 times and yet to see a bear !

Thanks

[cstrick]

We did not take any "bear " excursions but did see one at a distance on the Seward Kenai cruise. The biggest thrill was to see a bear in downtown Juneau. He was trying to get into a trash can. My cruise was complete....

[Catwoman12]

Guess there aren't any guarantees ! We are really excited no matter what

happens or what we see. Another question though- the dress code-

I know Regent for the most part is on the "formal" side vs other cruise lines- but how was the dress at dinner ? Was it more relaxed ? were there

long gowns/tuxs,etc ?

 

Thanks for any imput !

:)

[cstrick]

In Alaska it was country club casual ( shirt, slacks for men and I wore slacks and a nice top). There was one informal night, a little dressier with a jacket for men. All in all it was very relaxed.:)

[RachelG]

As far as bear sightings--I have been to Alaska 4 times and to British Columbia innumerable times since we own property there. I have seen at least one bear, usually more on each trip to Alaska. Usually go there in late May to mid July, never later than that. Have seen bears on the Misty Fjords cruise from Ketchican, on the Kenai peninsula, at Glacier Bay National Park, and on the way the Tracy Arm Fjord.

I have also seen plenty of bears in BC--not necessarily because I was wanting to. One came right up to our house and tried to get in one night.

[Catwoman12]

Thankyou for your imput- have been on a RCI Alaska cruise and the

dress was very informal ( some even wore jeans and sweatshirts in the main dining room at night ! ) Knowing that Regent is a luxury line-just

curious as to how "formal" it would be.

 

Taking the Tracy Arm excursion- so maybe we will be lucky and spot

a bear or two ! We do have black bear in NH and Maine- but have

always wanted to see a bear in Alaska or Canada.

:)

[marleysmom]

Getting on board this sunday. I guess your kids may have been too young for the ambassador of the environment program. Did you see many kids participating in this program (ages 10-17). What were the typical ages of kids on board? Mine are 11 & 13.

Glad to hear you had a wonderful time . I can't wait.

Also, re shoes for your kids. What did you bring. Do their feet get wet ?

[photodoodle]

Cstrick, where did you spot the beluga whale?

[cstrick]

Just before we got to Campbell River while at sea.

[kahnco]

Hey- Thanks for posting. We are sailing 7/23 and have similar accomodations...can you elaborate? also, even though the entertainment was fair...what was it? thanks, David

[cstrick]

The room was spacious and we didn't feel cramped at all. The soft goods were new and fresh. The room was cleaned every time we left it. There is a regular TV and an IPod dock. Wireless internet is available in the stateroom. If you have any specific questions about the room I would be glad to answer them.

 

There were 3-4 production shows and a piano player. Once they showed a fairly new movie one night in addition to the afternoon movie. The production cast had only been on the ship for a few days. After the shore excursions we were really tired at night so I missed a few shows.

 

Have a great trip.

[new yorker]

Hi, we'll be sailing on 7/11, can't wait. Any hope of swimming? Should we bother to bring swimsuits? Thanks.

[cstrick]

We did see some children in the pool. Maybe by the time that you sail it will be warmer.