Seven Seas Mariner Review

Regent is superb!

Review for South America Cruise on Seven Seas Mariner
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Hambagahle
First Time Cruiser • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Jan 2008

This was our third cruise on Mariner (Alaska and Panama Canal before) and fifth on RSSC (Voyager in the Baltic, plus Rome to Ft Lauderdale) but our first since the all-inclusive policy went into effect, and since the up-grading of the ship in drydock.

We live in Switzerland and chose to fly via KLM/AF so first went to Amsterdam where we spent the night, taking the 1000 flight the next day to Lima. At Schipol we stayed at the Airport Sheraton which was excellent, quiet and located about 20m from the main airport concourse. Our flight to Lima was on time and we were met at the Lima airport by a rep. from Lima Tours. (We had decided to plan our own pre- and post-cruise programmes using a London travel agency and their land operator in Peru was Lima tours.) We were taken to a mini van (three of us were travelling - myself and my husband and a friend) and it took about 45 minutes to get to San Isidro and the Country Club Hotel. The hotel is lovely to look at from the outside, but in serious need of re-decorating in the rooms, especially the bathrooms. Nonetheless with a room overlooking the golf course we had a nice view! Lima tours set up a private sightseeing for us in Lima, with an excellent guide (Betty) who took us to the old town and also to Miraflores. The next day we were on our own for the day and went back to Miraflores for lunch at the Rosa Nautica. If I were to go to Lima again I think I would book a hotel in Miraflores as there is heaps more to see and do there than in San Isidro, which is mostly residential.

Unfortunately I got a bad dose of food poisoning either at the lunch or that evening at the hotel. I don't know which. I was unable to travel to Cusco the next day as planned and Lima tours came up trumps! They booked us at the Country Club for an additional night, and arranged for our friend to travel alone to Cusco and then Machu Picchu. Once I felt better they organized a flight for us to Cusco (at no additional cost!) and three nights at the Monasterio instead of two. They also set up a full day sightseeing with private car and driver to the Sacred Valley of the Incas for us while we waited for our friend to return from Machu Picchu. Our guide in Cusco, Luis, was superb. he also took us to the Sacred Valley. I think Lima tours is just the best local operator I have ever encountered!!

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