Seven Seas Mariner Review

Early morning June 17th we packed our bags, my wife Terri and I, and my son Jacob departed Minneapolis non-stop for Vancouver to embark on an Alaska cruise adventure aboard Regent's Seven Seas Mariner. I have been on about 300 cruises over the years, I love being at sea, I love cruising, and I enjoy every chance I get to be on a cruise ship, so this opportunity to cruise on the upscale luxury Seven Seas Mariner in a penthouse suite was without question a delight and a joy. I do have some experience with the upscale luxury cruise products, having crossed the Atlantic as a passenger aboard the QE2, and then living and working aboard QE2 as Stage Manager in 1992 was a dream come true for me. My luxury experience also includes the QM2 and I've visited ships with Crystal, Seabourn, Royal Viking, the old Sea Goddess ships, and a few others. I guess you could say I've been a student of luxury ocean travel, because I have studied the history of the trans-Atlantic era for many years. Oddly enough, considering all the cruises I've been on, this was my first Alaska cruise, so what better way to experience an Alaska itinerary than on a first class luxury ship. What was truly exciting for me was the opportunity to bring my wife and my eight-year-old son on this Alaska cruise. Of course every chance I get to treat my wife to a luxury cruise experience is a huge joy for me. The one concern we had, however, was bringing our son Jacob on this luxury cruise, because normally Alaska cruises attract an older more refined demographic, and additionally, the upscale lines, like Regent Seven Seas Cruises is perceived to be an environment that would be boring and unfit for kids. Our thoughts were that other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean or Carnival may be better suited for families with children because they have the facilities onboard for kids. We decided to take a leap of faith and rely on what we had been told about Regent's Seven Seas Mariner, and that during the Alaska season there are many families with children who cruise on this ship. We also heard that the Seven Seas Mariner has some wonderful youth programs during the Alaska season. In short, we were not disappointed, because our son Jacob had an enjoyable experience, and there were indeed about 50 children in Jacob's age-group onboard our cruise. Our Penthouse SuiteAs much as I've cruised over the years, this was the first time I had the pleasure of staying in a Penthouse Suite on a ship. I was thrilled to treat my wife to the luxuries of a Penthouse Suite, and we certainly enjoyed every moment. We were in Suite number 836 on Deck Eight midship. This suite was 376 square feet, and the balcony was a huge 73 square feet, that's a total of 449 square feet of luxurious accommodations. The Seven Seas Mariner was the first ship to be constructed with all suites with balconies, so there are no interior staterooms or suites with just a window. Our suite had a walk-in closet and a fancy bathroom with a tub and marble counter. I was able to peek in the suite next to ours, which has a bathroom that was renovated during the recent 20 million refit in January of 2009. Apparently not all the bathrooms received the refit, which included a walk-in shower as opposed to a tub and shower like we had. We had nothing to complain about, however, with our spacious bathroom. I'm sure my wife felt like a queen for the week in our suite, because she had her own vanity for fixing her makeup. The king-size bed had wonderfully soft cotton sheets and we had a choice of feather or cotton-stuffed pillows. I think one of the best features of our suite was the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the sea, perfect for an Alaskan itinerary with so much to see. There was a decent television in the room connected to your online account so you always know what you're spending onboard, and they have free movies to watch. With a DVD player connected to your TV, you can also check out DVD's from the library, which is a great service. Our suite also had a nice desk for writing letters. I used the desk of course to put my laptop so I could go online and write on my blog and keep up with my emails. With YFi throughout the ship, it makes it easy to stay connected to your friends and family or business online. We also had personalized stationary that said, "From the Penthouse Suite of Mr. and Mrs. Vaudrin, aboard the Seven Seas Mariner". Our suite also had a complimentary box of fine chocolates, and a bottle of Champaign. Each day at around 4pm a waiter would deliver a tray of giant shrimp cocktail to the living room area of our suite. Our stewardess was wonderful because she was so friendly and made us feel at home in our Penthouse suite. There are much more expansive suites aboard the Seven Seas Mariner, however, what we had was just right. Category B suites and above even have butler service, which I think would be very interesting, because they unpack your luggage and pack your things the night before. The butler acts as your own personal concierge and takes care of dinner reservations and shore excursions or perhaps you want a private car to take you to a fine restaurant in one of the ports. The ShipThe Seven Seas Mariner has a length of 709 feet, a beam of 93 feet, and a draft of 21 feet carrying 700 passengers and 445 crew in a 50,000 ton hull built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, in France and first launched in 2001. The Mariner was the first cruise ship built as an "All-Suite" vessel with only balconied staterooms for it's guests. I have a particular appreciation for ship designs, and how they look aesthetically from the inside and outside, and I can say that I was pleased with the overall design of the ship, with it's sharp bow and sculpted stern. My wife made a comment that this was the first time she didn't get turned around or lost on a ship, because of the well laid out design of the public rooms. Indeed it is easy to navigate around the ship because of her more intimate size. The atrium seems to connect all the public areas quite nicely. Deck Five has the Purser's Desk and the Tour Desk, as well as a place to purchase future cruises. As you go aft there's a bar and a very comfortable lounge for pre-dinner cocktails before you arrive at the entrance to the main restaurant called the Compass Rose, and the more intimate Prime 7, which is a steakhouse. On Deck Six you'll find the upper-level to the main show lounge forward, a perfume shop in the atrium area, then as you walk aft thru what could be considered the main boulevard through the ship, there is a disco, a cafe, computer center, library, and a conference room. Further aft is the Signatures Restaurant and the Horizon Lounge, which has windows that look out over the stern of the ship. I really like the deck area just outside of the Horizon Lounge that has some wicker chairs and sofas, where you can watch the wake of the Seven Seas Mariner and really find a connection to the sea. On Deck Seven forward are the Spa and the fitness rooms, and then as you work your way aft thru the atrium you'll find the casino and some shops. Decks Eight, Nine and Ten are suites, then on Deck Eleven is the pool deck with a decent, heated pool with three hot tubs. Further aft is the La Veranda restaurant, and then past the restaurant is a nice deck area to enjoy a meal outside. Finally, Deck 12 has the Observation Lounge, which is the perfect venue for watching the scenery, listening to some live music with a coffee or tea.

The Seven Seas Mariner seemed to handle the seas very well...I could tell that she had the characteristics of a world-class vessel, comfortable in nearly any sea conditions which is important when the ship is making those deep sea trans-oceanic voyages. We had fairly calm seas during our cruise. There was one evening, however, where we could feel the motion a bit, and I was quite happy with the way the ship handled the seas. Read more