Interesting itinerary, all inclusive ( my cruise account was USD $ 14.50 at disembarkation) high standard food variety, expertly presented in modest portions, very good complimentary wine, with fairly price premium wine list for special occasions. Brilliant Sommeliers food and wine six course lunch which was thoroughly educational. Great coffee shop with a properly trained Barista adjoining a well stocked library with daily copies of at least 6 international newspapers available. Free laundrettes and wifi were real bonuses. Free excursions varied in standard but were usually worthwhile - always the option to break off and individually explore if the group shuffle got you down. The crew were well trained and appeared to enjoy their jobs. The operation was expertly lead by a female Captain who engaged with passengers and ran a well oiled organisation. Given that there were a number of critical Cruise Critic posts I was very surprised at the overall high standard of the vessel immediately prior to a major refurbishment. It should be outstanding after being worked on for 20 days by 1400 contractors and the crew. This is truly an all inclusive, high quality cruise experience. The rate per day on this trip was excellent value for money but most future cruise are priced at considerably higher levels. I suspect Viking will take market share from Regent but they are lifting their game and competing hard. Read Less

I was a little concerned when I read bad reviews of Mariner: poor service, poor food, outdated suites. The only thing correct in those reviews was the outdated suites, which are scheduled for refurbishment in March 2018. Overall service was superb. Restuarant service was excellent. All specialty restaurants were excellent, with Prime 7 serving up the best steak (a bone-in ribeye) that I’ve had in a long time. Airline reservations were great. Unfortunately, a flight delay caused us to miss of flight from JFK to Buenos Aires and we arrived a day later than planned. Regent had a guide and driver meet us at the airport to take us to the hotel we had planned to stay at overnight. Embarkation was quick and easy. We traveled from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, this particular stretch of coastline doesn’t have the most exceptional ports of call in the world, but Regent did a good job offering the best of what is out there. In addition, their organization for all shore excursions is excellent, and it’s great to have bottled water, towels, and umbrellas available as you disembark the ship for every excursion. A smaller ship is great! We were pleasantly surprised to find that we never had to wait for a dinner table, could get a drink quickly at any bar, and never had a problem with crowds in the fitness center or the pool deck. If you hate being nickel-and-dimed for every onboard service, don’t like photographers chasing you around the ship, and want first class service on a ship full of very experienced travelers and cruisers, then you can’t go wrong with Mariner and Regent. On the other hand, if you like to enter the hairy chest contest and take pride in the challenge of getting your deck chairs saved before breakfast and holding them all day, then you need to find a different cruise line! Read Less

Regent's own end of cruise survey asks: 'Would you recommend Regent to a friend and do you feel this was value for money?' Based on this cruise with Seven Seas Mariner (Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro), the answer has to be ............sorry but "No". The ship is scheduled for refurbishment two cruises hence, and it is much needed as it is looking tired and dated. Onboard entertainment was either very good or very poor. Great solo singer (Colleen Williamson), amateur song and dance troup. Sailing from Argentina (home of the Tango), via Uruguay to Rio (home of the Samba) one would have thought that a more creative on-board entertainment programme using local top quality talent could have been put together. A diet of 'Broadway' and 'Show Tunes' and 'Bert Bacharach' seems to be standard cruise fare and is unimaginative. Onboard F&B was very hit and miss. Compass Rose, Prime 7 and Signature were all erratic. Some good consommes, Dover sole, some very bad crostato, unacceptable curry. Several fellow passengers, one of us included, were bed bound for a day or two due to 'stomach problems', the timing of which and previous consumption patterns could only indicate on board sources. Moules left on the pass for 20 minutes in passenger sight before serving, concurrent handling of cooked meat and uncooked chicken, sea food and cold cuts in full sun during a deck barbecue, did not inspire confidence and we ended up being very, very selective in our menu choices. Shore excusions were also hit and miss. The Buenos Aires tour was good, particularly the visit to Evita Peron's halfway house museum (excellent external guide brought in) as was the Tango element of Montevideo and the Art and Culture of Punta del Este. Rio Grande, being the first port of entry to Brazilian waters, was theoretically a 'technical stop' to process paperwork. Being berthed next to a bulk carrier unloading urea fertiliser, one would think a run ashore would be a good idea. Wrong. A couple of delapited town squares (with a pack of aggressive dogs which persisted in herding our group), a closed museum, an oceanographic museum looking tired and sad - complete with lonely seal and two de-oiling penquins) do not make for a hugely enriching experience. In Porto Belo, extended queueing for the cable car, a walk through an 'ecological park' which also contained screaming tourists on a sledge ride, a half hour on a crowded beach gazing at stalls of trinkets and trash while the guide ate lunch, was severely underwhelming. Overall? Value for money? Marginal, but not a 6 star experience. Could recommend? No Would sail again? Probaly not. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. We had a choice of Regent or their sister line, Oceania for the same itinerary. We decided to give Regent a try and we were very happy we did. We had sailed Oceania before and we found Regent and Oceania comparable in most ways. We also found the cost to be about the same when you add the things that are included on Regent to similar things at extra cost on Oceania. We also liked that business class air was available. The things that we found better on Regent than Oceania: Embarkation was smooth and simple. We disembarked independently and that went smoothly as well. Our Category G cabin was larger and the bathroom much nicer than the similar category on Oceania's small ships. The included excursions were not nearly as crowded as similar excursion either included or at cost on Oceania. Fewer people made for a more intimate and comfortable excursion experience. Also, the excursions seemed to be paced better for the audience. Food is comparable on both lines. Launderettes are free and busy but we never had a serious problem using them when they were open. The shore excursion organization on the Regent Mariner was much better organized and operated more smoothly than our last cruise on the Oceania Insignia last April/May. The one complaint many people had came during the time the ship was dealing with a gastroenteritis outbreak. The quarantine process was well run and the staff worked hard and contained the outbreak but the outbreak required the closing of the free launderettes for over a week. That made it difficult for those onboard that needed to wash clothes. A larger group of the passengers felt like the ship should have offered free laundry during that period of time. All in all, we really enjoyed the experience enough to book another cruise on Regent. Read Less

This was our fourth cruise with RSS but our first on Mariner. We got a chance to explore Lima before we embarked, which went very smoothly, once we had lobbied the local DMC company to stick to the stated embarkation times guaranteed by RSS, according to suite status! Disembarking in Buenos Aires was less smooth as a shuttle bus had to be used to transport guests to the terminal from the ship. This city needs a dedicated cruise terminal badly, given the number of ships coming here. Mariner's refit has been put back from early 2017, and it showed. Things generally look tired, carpets, curtains, public areas etc. Dining is something championed by RSS but the menus remain the same in Prime 7, year on year. Signatures only had four main courses, which is a bit limiting over a longer cruise. Guests can dine in both restaurants a limited number of times, according to suite status, but even so, if fortunate to have more opportunities, selection of dishes is poor. Compass Rose is a star performer, lots of choice, very good quality and excellent service. Good atmosphere. Settle Mare also suffers from a 'samey' menu. Starter buffet much the same every night we went there. Main courses don't automatically come with vegetables, so ask! Wines very good. We don't use the entertainment offers but friends spoke highly of it. The Star Duo in the Horizon Lounge were our favourites! Very talented indeed. Lectures by Terry Breen were much appreciated. Lounges and bars cater very well for guests with great staff who remember your cocktail favourites! Excursions were diverse and informative. Local guides and drivers, without exception, were first class. A longer journey to an activity soon passed in professional hands. Very well chosen and executed excursions. Some of the ports were more interesting than others but the sights and wildlife viewing opportunities were faultless. Our only grave disappointment being the captain's decision not to dock in the Falkland Islands due to inclement weather. Whilst this decision was respected, and alternative port and excursions efficiently organised, we feel that RSS should state very clearly indeed in their given itinerary that the chances of visiting this port are far less than 50%. This destination was the sole reason we chose this cruise. So for this reason alone would not repeat cruise, especially at six star prices! Read Less

We chose this cruise for two reasons. One- the itinerary, we always wanted to cruise the Chilean fiords and Cape Horn, and two we were willing to pay the premium for Business Class air and fee free excursions and amenities etc. We expected exceptional service and support. The service by staff was very good and many of the excursions were outstanding. But the ship was tired. We had elevator breakdowns for extented periods, laundry was shut down for hygiene problems, our tender lacked maintenance (forward hatch malfunctioned and drenched some passengers in a rough sea while returning to the ship). The baggage management from airport to the ship was a mess. Our return trip was exhausting. We had to vacate our suite at 8am, muster for a bus trip to a hotel where we sat around for 6 hours in an area with nothing to do but visit a shopping mall. We were routed from Buenas Aires to Lima and then to Miami on Latam Airlines. The second leg left after midnight local time. Although we thought we were staying on the same plane such was not the case. We had to go through security again and rush to another gate....It appeared to us that since a large percentage of their passengers are repeat clients, that Regent treated new clients significantly differently. We know some travelers had direct flights to Miami. We doubt we will choose Regrnt for any future cruising plans. Read Less

Always remember that whatever you get for "free" is worth exactly what you pay for it. Internet service aboard the mariner is a signal case in point. Over the 22 days of this cruise, I think I got perhaps 10 minutes of semi-acceptable quality wifi/nternet acces. Slow, unreliable, unpredictable, unworkable and as frustrating as pushing a mule up a steep hill. And I don't think that those passengers who sprang for the exorbitantly priced "premium" packages had it any better. At least not the ones to whom I spoke. That really is a shame, because this cruise, otherwise, was thoroughly enjoyable, comfortable and just plain good as our last on the Mariner, several years ago. Good itinerary, good crew,, for the most part excellent food and good quality wines.. Accommodations perhaps beginning to show a bit of wear, but nowhere as bad as other reviews might lead one to believe. Our stateroom and public rooms all spotlessly clean and kept so throughout the cruise. Interesting excursions, especially the ones you paid extra for, such as the Isla Corazon out of Manta, all with uniformly informed, helpful and friendly local guides. (The kinds you are happy to tip well at the end of a tour.) Except for the frankly abysmal internet service, this would have been a five star cruise for us. All the more a shame because providing good internet access in this day and age - or not doing so - is a reflection of bad, penny-wise, pound-foolish decision in the executive suite at Regent. I would like to take another Regent cruise. But I've decided I will not do so until they bring their internet up to an acceptable standard. Read Less

After 3 prior cruises on Regent Seven Seas, we chose this Caribbean cruise based on itinerary, convenience, New Years Eve, and past experience with Regent. I, as well as my cruise mates, noticed a very perceptible decline in Regent cruises since my first one 7 years ago. The staff, except for the butler, were mostly inattentive and uninterested. The food was, for the most part, inedible. Even the special restaurants leaved much to be desired. The ship itself is in need of a major renovation. The carpeting in the suite was old and stained. The pillows had a disgusting smell. You pay a premium to travel with this cruise line and I am so sorry to say, it was money wasted. The best part of this cruise was getting stuck in Miami due to foul weather in New York. I already have another cruise booked with Regent for 2019. I am seriously considering canceling this cruise and trying another cruise line. Read Less

I will preface by saying that I am a regular cruiser and have tried many different categories of cruise lines. Of course Regent is up there with one of the best, and I can definitely say that's where they belong. I went on this cruise with very high expectations, and I am happy to say they were not only met, but exceeded. The ship is very nice and a very comfortable size. Sure, it needs some updating, but there was nothing at all that was unpleasant. The embarkation was organized and easy, but where they had us waiting in Miami was a little strange. We were in some sort of temporary tent building and it was definitely not luxurious. We arrived early so we had run of the ship and were able to take lots of pictures before anyone got in the way. Our cabin was more than comfortable. The shower was huge, as was the walk-in closet. The bed and pillows were comfortable. It was kept very clean and the room steward was very attentive. The verandah was nice and they had thick cushions to put on the furniture if you wanted to sit outside comfortably. The vanity area was perfect for applying makeup and the lighting was decent. The dining room was my favorite. The menu is superb. There are so many choices, and they are all upscale. You can have anything you want and they can customize to any way you like it too. The steaks, fish and seafood choices were better than any high-end restaurant. On one side of the menu the options change daily. The other side of the menu is the same every day with all the standards, and then some. I never had anything I didn't like. The service was wonderful. They bend over backwards to please you. The buffet is small, but there is always plenty to choose from. The pool grill was good, but nothing special. Lots of choices. The activities are limited, but that doesn't bother me personally. I enjoy relaxing and found enough things to do. If you always need to be entertained, you might not find enough going on. The entertainment and shows were decent, though not spectacular as one would expect. I did not like the Regent singers and dancers. I found they couldn't really sing. They were always off tune and annoying. I found those nights to be quite tacky and boring and I stopped going to those shows. We only went when there was a guest entertainer, and they were quite good. The service overall is impeccable. They can't do enough for you. I never came across any personnel who was not kind and helpful and professional. The bar drinks were superb. I am not a big drinker, but I tried a few interesting cocktails and they were always delicious and served with pleasure. The daily trivia game was always packed and people seemed to love it. It was hard to get a seat, so go early. They should do more things like this on sea days. The ports were not that interesting to us (Costa Maya Mexico, Roatan Honduras and Harvest Caye Belize). I didn't mind because I was not expecting much, and I don't cruise for the ports necessarily. I am much more into the cruise experience itself. The shore excursions we took were run very efficiently and were good. It was the Christmas cruise, so it was very busy with families and children. They all looked like they were having a great time, but I would not recommend this cruise for children otherwise. Overall, it was one of the best cruise experiences I have had. You can't beat the value and you certainly get what you pay for, and then some. I will definitely look forward to sailing with them again, particularly after they come out of dry dock. Anxious to see the changes. Read Less

I choose to take a cruise on Regent Seven Seas because of the great reviews and all-inclusiveness-excursions, casual dress, included tipping, wines and alcohol. I was taking the cruise to see if I could recommend Regent for another cruise my business was taking in 2019 for 20-40 people. I shipped a box of wine and were assured that it would be delivered to our stateroom. By 5pm, we started to get a bit panicked and asked several people if they could help us. Noone seemed to care to help. We talked to someone at reception and he wanted us to provide him with the address and email of where the wine was shipped. We finally found it, but of course, they were already closed for the day. The wine finally made its way to our room but after dinner that first evening. The next day the head sommelier and others talked to us and tried to explain that there was a lot of wine on pallets and they finally got to finding our wine. SERVICE-the staff seemed to be completely overwhelmed for some reason at both dinner in the main Compass Rose dining room, Setti Mare and most of the bars. The bar staff lacked personality and made it feel like we were bothering them. The only time we had good service was at the speciality restaurants. Food-we had only one meal where it was good from appetizers to dessert, that was night 6 in Compass Rose. Even in the speciality restaurants, most of the food was good, some just okay. The Italian restaurant-Setti Mare was not good-we expected better, the raviolis were hard, the sauce not appetizing. One night in Compass Rose, we took one bite of each of our entrees and couldnt eat it, instead, we went back to our room and ate room service hamburgers. In Setti Mare, my girlfriend was not feeling well so we asked for some ginger ale to settle her stomach. We waited 10 minutes and finally I went to one of the bars to get it for her. It never arrived at our table from our waiter. Regent Band-excellent! The best part of the cruise. We enjoyed them at the shows and then afterwards, they played an hour set in one of the lounges. Entertainment-not very good. The singing was terrible and we walked out of 2 shows. Lecture-excellent! There was a lady from the Smithsonian who gave three lectures on the Caribbean and was very informative. Alcohol offered was good. The wine selection not so good. There was one wine we found that was good, an Australian Shiraz and we were able to have it most of the time. Spa was nice for a massage. Gym-not so good. The gym equipment was not the best and the person working the gym was rude. We were stretching one day with a couple other people in a large sized room. We were asked to leave so a yoga class could be conducted for 3 people. Excursions-pretty good. It was nice to see new places. We took 4 excursions, enjoyed the ones we took. We filled out a mid-cruise report and also sent these comments to our travel agent who shared them with her Regent representative. Again, noone at Regent seemed to care about our experience. A shame really, especially for the price we paid for the cruise. Read Less