Just out of drydock

WE chose this cruise to celebrate a special birthday and because we only had to fly one way! We flew to Barcelona and Regent put us up at the Hilton which was a very nice modern hotel. We only stayed one night and were taken to the ship which had come from a 3 week refurbishment in Marseilles. We had only sailed Regent once (on the Navigator) and we were not fond of that ship. The Mariner was beautiful. There were still small touches that needed to be finished (maintenance men came in our suite a couple of times to do work)

We visited Malaga and Cartegena Spain and Funchal in the Canary Islands. We took tours provided by the ship and they were fine.

The dining experiences were very good. One could indulge in myriads of offerings. The "every night offerings" in Compass Rose included Dover Sole, Maine Lobster, lamb chops, steaks. Specials each night were also offered. Prime 7 and Chartreuse were elegant and the food was presented beautifully. We ate in the Veranda for breakfast and lunch and there were different offerings for lunch every day including themed lunches (Indian, Asian, Mexican).

Serena, our captain was excellent and very personable. On the last night before the crossing she skirted a storm by going 150 miles out of the way to give us a pleasant dinner and show. Then the rocking and rolling started and continued for most of the journey to Bermuda. It made for unpleasant sailing and the wind and chill prevented outdoor activities and even sitting on the balcony.

We had one very good speaker until we got to Bermuda. He talked about disasters and how he was part of the teams sent to disaster areas by the government. He also had climbed every mountain and showed many pictures and was very enjoyed as he commanded a large audience.

We are long time Seabourn cruisers and are used to more personal attention than we received on Regent. Kumar, our butler went above and beyond to please us.

We are taking the Mariner again in September from Vancouver back to Miami with 4 ports in Alaska. We also booked a 2020 cruise on the new Splendor now being constructed. Looking forward to calm sailing.

Large and very comfortable. Bathroom not in sync with cabin size. Bathtub a real bother as getting in and out difficult. Pick a cabin with a shower!