Loved our Regatta Alaskan Cruise
Regatta Cruise Review by MKS2015
- Sail Date: May 2015
- Destination: Alaska
This was our first real cruise (did the Disney 3-day cruise in 2001 with small children - fun but mayhem in the common areas of the ship).
We were able to upgrade at the last minute to an Owner's Suite and it was luxurious. We had a butler and someone from housekeeping on call 24/7. Our 'kids' (ages 19 and 22) were in a Penthouse concierge suite and they had the same great service.
We ate in all of the restaurants and really enjoyed the baristas (Hello Valentina!). The onboard Canyon Ranch spa was wonderful.
If you are considering an Alaskan cruise I really recommend this one - the ship is small enough to get to areas the larger ships cannot. We spent several hours cursing the Hubbard Glacier and those are the scenes that will stay with me - it was like living a National Geographic special!
We did not play any of the games on board and did not see any of the entertainment - our 'kids' are college age so we spent evenings together just watching the scenery glide by and talking. Very few young people on this cruise - a few babies but mostly adults 40-70.
The only time we felt crowded was during the lifeguard drills - this ship only carries about 650 people - we never had to wait for an elevator or to get a seat for a meal or tea. Afternoon tea is a must-do!
They have laundry service on board but it is expensive, and the laundry dryers took several cycles to fully dry the clothes.
Other than that, we were delighted and will go on another Oceania cruise in ether 2016 or 2017 - GREAT discounts if you sign up for another cruise while you are on the ship!
Cabin Review
Port & Shore Excursion Reviews
Vancouver is beautiful but very expensive. We stayed in the Pan Pacific hotel because of the views (amazing) and the pre-cruise transfers. Turns out the Pan Pacific is right next to the port terminal so they transferred our luggage and we didn't even have to travel to get board the ship! If you visit the Pan Pacific, try the smoked sable!
We saw whales and otter and even some bears from a distance. Had some boat trouble but they handled it well (we had to evacuate the original boat and take another one to shore after a drive shaft broke). Mechanical issues aside, it was a GREAT excursion.
View All 75 Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest ReviewsWe did see whales and we visited the Mendenhall glaciers - I am only rating this as 'very good' because we never saw any bears. Juneau is an interesting city.
View All 58 Whales, Bears and Glaciers ReviewsThe sea plane excursion to the fjords was breathtaking!! It was a clear day, so we were able to see more than usual - the flight was very smooth even though the plane was small. A must-do!
View All 166 Misty Fjords Flightseeing ReviewsPerhaps the best moments of our trip - we took a helicopter to Mead Glacier and actually walked on a glacier. It was incredible. I was nervous about the helicopter but the flight was smooth and comfortable. The mountains and waterfalls we saw on the flight were breathtaking. If I could only pick one excursion on this trip, this would be the one!
View All 64 Helicopter Tour ReviewsWow, did we see whales!! There were two swimming together and the boat captain basically stopped the boat as they swam around us, getting so close, we could actually hear them and feel the spray from the blow holes. At one point, a sea otter swam over to play around them. We also saw a group of sea otters - one with a mother swimming on her back with a baby on her stomach. A fantastic excursion!
View All 161 Whale Watching Reviews