Cruise Critic's On Mariner Now! Got Questions?

[canadagal]

Ahhhhhh back to reality but I'd still rather be sitting around the Hilton pool in Barbados then not. Have a cool tall one for me and thanks for taking us along. The Mariner sounds as good as ever and I'm counting down the days till we board on the 28th.

Teijo, have a safe journey home! It's been fun living vicariously through you on your trip.

Pat

[Cruise Business Review]

OrpingtonT

 

I did not have a chance to see the handicapped suites, as they were booked. But as earlier said, one of the reason to replace bathtubs in some of the suites was to provide easier shower for limited mobility. I had a chance to see one of those refurbished bathrooms, and those showers are generously size and offer also a seat.

 

When it comes to the shore excursions, the RSSC tour book provides symbols, that indicates which tours can accommodate guests who utilize a wheelchair and have a limited mobility. Most tour operators, however, require that wheelchairs be collapsible. Space restrictions may preclude transport of electric wheelchairs and walkers.

 

RSSC also requests that passengers notify the Travel Concierge once you've booked so the onboard staff can make arrangements to assist in the port of embarkation.

 

Overall, there were a lot of guests on this cruise with limited mobility, and I think a ship like Seven Seas Mariner works well in both service and size wise for these guests while they’re onboard. No question, the most challenging thing overall is when the ship needs to tender its passengers to ports-of-call.

 

Teijo

 

--

 

I wonder if you would look into the facilities available for disabled passengers, specifically those who have walking problems. What are the 4 Wheelchair accessable suite like and how are disabled passengers treated on shore excursions?

 

I look forward to all of your general comments too and wish you happy cruising on Regent SS.

[Cruise Business Review]

LOL, yes, it's tough!

 

Actually, I can't think of a better job in the world. We (journalists who cover cruising) work hard and sometimes there is stress but in the end, there's something marvelous about working in a job where you're out in the world -- and the view outside your porthole is of a different place just about every other day!

 

Teijo

 

What a dreadful job you have to do. But I suppose someones got to do it!:p

[xrvlcruiser]

Tubs in the standard cabins on the Mariner: I haven't sailed on her in several years but the standard tub has very high sides and the interior is several inches above the floor making getting in but particularly out very tough.

 

I am not handicapped but am short (5'2") and I remember having problems.

 

The tubs on the Voyager are different . . . I can't speak about the handicapped baths on eihter ship.

 

Peggy

[OrpingtonT]

OrpingtonT

 

I did not have a chance to see the handicapped suites, as they were booked. But as earlier said, one of the reason to replace bathtubs in some of the suites was to provide easier shower for limited mobility. I had a chance to see one of those refurbished bathrooms, and those showers are generously size and offer also a seat.

 

When it comes to the shore excursions, the RSSC tour book provides symbols, that indicates which tours can accommodate guests who utilize a wheelchair and have a limited mobility. Most tour operators, however, require that wheelchairs be collapsible. Space restrictions may preclude transport of electric wheelchairs and walkers.

 

RSSC also requests that passengers notify the Travel Concierge once you've booked so the onboard staff can make arrangements to assist in the port of embarkation.

 

Overall, there were a lot of guests on this cruise with limited mobility, and I think a ship like Seven Seas Mariner works well in both service and size wise for these guests while they’re onboard. No question, the most challenging thing overall is when the ship needs to tender its passengers to ports-of-call.

 

Teijo

 

--

 

Thank you, Teijo. Before my wife "acquired" her disability (very limited mobility) we had cruised on both Voyager and Mariner and though we had noted that there were electric scooters and wheelchairs on board, to our shame perhaps, we hadn't taken much notice. We had seen strong crew members manhandling wheelchairs on and off at ports but like you, recognised that tendering would be a great, if not insuperable obstacle. We also had seen the "wheelchair" sign on some of the shore excursions, but when we have been on those excursions the steps into the provided coach were very steep and not really manageable.

 

I had wondered about the 4 wheelchair accessible suites, presumably with wider doors etc, and though hitherto we would always have gone for a shower/tub combo, the new shower/only would suit us fine.

 

For us, in the UK, the other thing is getting to the ports of embarkation/disembarkation. We are looking at Southampton departures and seeing whether we could manage a short haul flight.

 

Thank you also, xrvlcruiser. The high sided baths on Mariner caused us no difficulty before, in fact my wife quite liked the deep tub, but they certainly would be a problem now.

[Hambagahle]

Sorry, I meant Verandah. Yes Compass Rose on Voyager has the same chairs. I love them but they are bulky.

 

I won't go on a ship w/o a tub, at least not a luxury ship.

 

 

I am with you, Debbie - I hate showers and the idea of not having a bath every evening would ruin any cruise (or hotel for that matter!) for me. I love the Mariner, but since only 2 or 3 of the PH suites (which I also love!) now have baths, she is off my list. It is really too bad. There was nothing wrong with the bath/shower combination that was originally there. It was a typical European bath, and I have one just like it here at home. Some people said it was too high to get in to. I think they just weren't used to what I would call a "proper" bath that allows you to have a good soak!!

[DebbieH103]

Amen

[seabourndt]

i waas on her a few years ago, booked and aft coprner balcony but due to the inassessant vibration had to change it for a smaller balcony in midships

dave

[Travelcat2]

i waas on her a few years ago, booked and aft coprner balcony but due to the inassessant vibration had to change it for a smaller balcony in midships

dave

 

Could you possibly have been on the Voyager? The Voyager (and Navigator) have strong aft vibration. The Mariner is the one ship that has not had this issue.

[CruiseMacks]

I am glad to find out that someone is on the Mariner now. We will be joining you in Sydney on March 25. We have sailed on all the Regent ships except the Mariner, so we know what to expect.

My captain, Knut, I found out is no longer with the company. I am hoping to find some more of our friends on board.

Hope you are having a GREAT time and look forward to joining you on the 25th!

\Nancy & Larry lmcd@gv.net

[OrpingtonT]

i waas on her a few years ago, booked and aft coprner balcony but due to the inassessant vibration had to change it for a smaller balcony in midships

dave

 

Yes you were on Voyager. I remember it well. you had looked forward to the trip so much, even going to Greenwich to see her moored there. Then on the transatlantic trip you had looked forward to, you encountered such severe vibration you had to ask to change suites. I felt you had been put off Voyager for ever.

 

The vibration didn't bother us even in the Horizon suite but I don't believe it has been fixed yet.

[ChrisBNE]

I am glad to find out that someone is on the Mariner now. We will be joining you in Sydney on March 25. We have sailed on all the Regent ships except the Mariner, so we know what to expect.

My captain, Knut, I found out is no longer with the company. I am hoping to find some more of our friends on board.

Hope you are having a GREAT time and look forward to joining you on the 25th!

\Nancy & Larry lmcd@gv.net

 

We're inspecting her from Sydney to Cairns. Look forward to cruising with you. :)

[CruiseMacks]

Looking forward to sailing with you, too. Believe it or not, we still haven't been assigned a cabin as of yet. I will let you know as soon as I find out. Normally Regent sends your papers 45 days before cruising. Here we are 30 days before, and nothing yet.

This may sound crazy, but your picture looks familiar. What cruises have you been on and when?

Anyway, still trying to lose 15 pounds before getting on the ship so that I can immediately put it back on!

See you on the 25th.

Nancy

[ChrisBNE]

Looking forward to sailing with you, too. Believe it or not, we still haven't been assigned a cabin as of yet. I will let you know as soon as I find out. Normally Regent sends your papers 45 days before cruising. Here we are 30 days before, and nothing yet.

This may sound crazy, but your picture looks familiar. What cruises have you been on and when?

Anyway, still trying to lose 15 pounds before getting on the ship so that I can immediately put it back on!

See you on the 25th.

Nancy

 

Our cruises are detailed in our signiture - I'm involved in the travel industry, so this is just a familirisation cruise for us, so we won't find out our cabin details until the day of sailing I expect.

 

We're only cruising from Sydney to Cairns, but very much looking forward to our first RSSC experience - especially the food + service.

[poss]

I don't know if anyone's still monitoring this post-- no action for a while. I do have a specific question which I'd love to be able to get answered. We're about to book an Alaska cruise on Mariner and there are a couple of cabins left on G (wish there was availability on H). What I'm hoping that someone can tell me is what's out the door of cabin 764. I looked at the diagram of deck 7 on the website and it shows various things which I can't quite make out. I like when there's a good wide space between our cabin and whatever-- don't like to feel "closed in"-- even walking to room. Is the hallway "tight" right there? Would there be any kind of "action" (we love real quiet spots).

 

Many thanks!

 

(Would also like to hear more about those new showers, e.g, how they compare to the ones on Voyager.)

 

Happy Sailing! (where are you now??)

[lkakers]

Poss, I haven't been on the ship yet, but it looks to me like it's regular hallway, with a door to some sort of storage or maybe laundry room? The whole center section of the ship looks like it's walled off, with a passage through to the other side of the ship's cabins near cabins #756-758.

[jhp]

lkakers, you are correct. Mariner, unlike Navigator and Voyager, does not have a central hallway with cabins on either side. Rather, there are two narrow hallways with cabins on just one side. Utility areas are in the middle, and the halls only connect at the elevators and aft. The laundry is there somewhere, but it is not opposite 764.

[DaveFr]

jhp,

 

Your description is correct except there is no laundry on deck 7. The laundry rooms are forward near the Atrium on decks 8, 9 and 10. The hallways are probably about four feet or so wide.

 

Dave

[turtlemichael]

We're inspecting her from Sydney to Cairns. Look forward to cruising with you. :)

 

Hi folks. If you are still about I'd love to hear your impressions. Hope you had a great cruise and you arrived on a perfect Cairns day. :D How full is the ship?

[2menUK]

We are booked on the December 20th cruise on Mariner from LA to Ft Lauderdale. This is a 16 day cruise and we have heard rumor that you if you are in a Non Butler Suite, you can only book a speciality restaurant like Prime 7 only once or twice a cruise?

 

Can you tell us if that is true?

 

Kindest Regards

Phillip and Stephen

[Obie]

We we were on Mariner in 2004 and the couch was soft and lumpy and the bedspread was worn. Did all the changes apply to the cabins too. Hope so. We're on it again in Dec.

 

Thanks

[OrpingtonT]

We are booked on the December 20th cruise on Mariner from LA to Ft Lauderdale. This is a 16 day cruise and we have heard rumor that you if you are in a Non Butler Suite, you can only book a speciality restaurant like Prime 7 only once or twice a cruise?

 

Can you tell us if that is true?

 

Kindest Regards

Phillip and Stephen

 

It is true that you can only book Prime 7 and Signatures in advance for one occasion on each cruise. Bookings can be made on-line within 30 days of the sailing date.

 

I did this cruise in reverse (Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco) and was able to book on other occasions when on board. A word with the Maitre D' will get you info on when space is available and they are always pleased to accommodate you.

 

The trip through the Panama Canal is memorable and Mariner is a wonderful ship.

[greytstuff]

Hi 2Men,

 

We (my sister and I) will be joining you for the Dec. 20th Holiday Cruise.

 

On our last cruise, on the Voyager, we booked Signatures for the l night 30

days out but were actually able to to get in 2 other times during the cruise by

just asking, usually the day before. I know Prime 7 is a popular new venue but

have heard that it is possible to get in more than once. One way of doing that

is to hook up with someone on line before the cruise, each book a table for 4

for different nights and then be each others guests.

 

I am thinking this should be a really fun cruise with lots of holiday festivities.

Ya think?

[Travelcat2]

Think this should have been a new thread -- you'd get more responses.

 

Anyway, the Mariner was completely refurbished this year -- almost everything is new!

 

Latest reports on Prime 7 is that no one can get more than one reservation on a 7 night cruise (even if you are in a Penthouse suite or are a Gold Seven Seas Society Member). The temporary error on the computer has been fixed -- you can not book a table for four, for instance, under one suite number and then do the same for the other suite. Prime 7 holds 70 people -- they want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to dine in this venue (note: they don't have 2 seatings -- more like 1 1/2).

 

Enjoy your cruise -- don't worry about Prime 7 -- Compass Rose has has spectular food recently!

[billob741]

Thanks for all the helpful information.