This was our 4th cruise with Regent. This time we opted to go with a Horizon Suite (aft) on the Mariner. It was absolutely wonderful! Having the entire back of your stateroom looking out onto the ocean was breathtaking (especially Alaska). We have had Butlers before, and frankly they are very nice, but we don't usually bother asking them for anything but ice (which we could easily call room service). Having said that, the Butlers do everything possible to make having that experience very nice. We had booked 2 specialty restaurants before boarding, but they were too late for us. Our Butler helped us to change them to an earlier time.
All of the restaurant venues were excellent. The Compass Rose , Sette Mari, Signatures and Prime 7 were all outstanding. The fish selections were always the freshest and most delicious things on the menu.....thanks to the fact that the Alaska cruises get their fish as we go along. It is difficult to get more than 2 visits per 7 days on the ship for the two specialty restaurants (understandable, as they are both superb).
The dress code for evenings on the ship seems to have changed more and more in the last few years. While we understand that Alaska is a more "casual trip" we found that many men did not wear a sport coat......even for the "dressy" nights. My husband has always worn a coat and tie on our cruises, but even he felt that he was overdressed, so he joined the crowd and opted for dress shirt and no tie most evenings.
We would book that same suite in a heartbeat. The bed is located in a cozy alcove with curtains surrounding it (includes a flat screen T.V. in the alcove as well as in the living room). Balcony is extra large and has beautiful expansive views 180 degrees.