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I don't like to write bad reviews about things, because there is always some good, but Mariner has some really, really bad things going on with their service. First of all, I am sorry to say, the reviews on the staterooms being nasty and dirty are true. I think I must be in the penthouse suite that a previous passenger who took pictures was in. It is the worst stateroom I have been in, dirty carpet, nasty wrinkled curtains, the drawers don't close and the mirror is brown around the edges. You might be thinking, this person is probably too picky, believe me I am not. I did look into one of the more expensive suites and they didn't look anything like mine. They at least looked newer and cleaner. I ate at Prime 7 last night. It took two hours to have the entree served and yep, the steak was overdone, the spinach was actually cold, the potato must have been sitting there a long, long time because it was not good. Ok, everyone has a bad night, so I just shrugged it off. So, after last night's dinner, I just wanted an informal dinner up on La Veranda with my husband. Got there around 6:40. Only half of the restaurant was open and we were told that there were no more tables for two and to come back at 8:00. There were lots of tables for four, but, no, no, no! You could not sit at a table that seats four. My question is this, why not open up the entire restaurant at night? It's obviously a popular venue at night. I was just on Navigator and the entire restaurant was open, no problem with getting a table. I am still on the cruise so hopefully my dining experience will get better, but the room won't. Something positive, the fitness instructor is good. I agree, never, ever again on this line. I was on this ship four years ago, and it wasn't like this. Put your money anywhere but this company. Read Less

After two trips on the Crystal's Symphony my wife and I vowed we would go on no other cruise line. We broke that promise in 2016. I had tried to book two legs of a Crystal Cruise on the Serenity from San Francisco to Vancouver and then Vancouver to Steward (Anchorage) Alaska for a total of 13 nights. However, my travel agent, David Butterfield of All Cruise Travel in San Jose, California, advised that to book those two portions would be a violation of Jones Act and Crystal would not sell me a cabin even if I got off in Vancouver and then re-boarded. (The Jones Act was introduced by Sen. Wesley Jones in 1920 and deals with commerce and crew requirements from U.S. Port to U.S. Port. It forces foreign flagged ships to only use one U.S. port and not make deliveries up and down the coast. Since I was going from one U.S. port to another S.F. to Steward I would be in violation unless the ship was American flagged. Sen. John McCain tried to eliminate the Jones Act in 2008 but failed.) David suggested we try Regent as he had some positive comments from customers. An advantage was that the Regent cruise was in May before the peak travel and cruise season had started. The 10-day cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner was out of San Francisco to Alaska and then ending in Vancouver starting on May 8. This would be our third Alaskan cruise in 12 years. GETTING THERE: My wife and I have reached a point in our lives where we enjoy the niceties of paying a little more within reason when we travel. This would include first class on airplanes allowing us to get on early, get off first and have our luggage first on the carousal, not to mention seat belts that don't require an extender. However, we can't afford or justified standard first class rates. We can afford first class on Iceland Air to Europe or Delta in the U.S. if we fly on their smaller planes operated by contractors. That was the way to San Francisco, through Salt Lake City without a problem. SIDE TRIP: We flew to California early to spend a couple of days in Carmel by the Sea. Since we could never afford to live there two days is a nice alternative. The trip taught us a valuable lesson. If we are renting a car WE WILL NEVER FLY INTO SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AGAIN. We will fly to Oakland or San Jose but not SFO. I have some heart issues that making walking through airports a little dicey. At SFO from our luggage it was long walks, multiple elevator sides and a train ride. Then at 6:30 it was a 30-minute line at Dollar Rent a Car. We only picked Dollar because we could drop the car off at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel where we were staying the night before the cruise. We got to Carmel after the front desk at the Fireplace Inn had closed. However, we called ahead and the staff placed our keys in an envelope and taped it to the front door. Once we arrived we found that somehow Mr. Peabody and Sherman had allowed us in the Wayback Machine and we were transported back 56 years in time to 1960. Other than the flat screen TV everything in our room could have been seen in the room in 1960. The toilet was so low to the floor without any grab bars for a person with bad knees it was a super challenge to get up. But we were in Carmel to see the coast, not stay in a hotel room. Plus two nights at the best hotel in Carmel (La Playa) was going to cost us $1,400 while the Fireplace Inn was only $400. Driving on California Highway 1 in the Big Sur area or north of Sausalito are perhaps the best drives in all of America. The next day we were head to San Simeon. We had been there three times before. The weather was perfect. Clear skies and no tourist traffic yet. My wife did another tour of the Hearst Mansion/Castle while I stayed in the visitor's center reading Michael Connelly latest novel for three hours avoiding the hundreds of stairs on the tour. (I was amazed that the gift shop no longer carried "Citizen Hearst" by W.A. Swanberg, long considered the best biography on Heasrt. I bought my copy in the same gift shop 35 years earlier.) On Saturday we drove to San Francisco along Highway 1 hitting heavy traffic about 35 miles south of S.F. EMBARKATION: There were some passengers who complained that the embarkation was in an old warehouse without any luxury waiting areas. The thing I remember about embarkation with Crystal was that it was on board the ship and there was never a line or a wait. The old warehouse just fell into our Mr. Peabody experience in Carmel. Waiting to sail meant lunch at the pool side grill or in the La Veranda buffet area. It was at this time we had an unusual sighting. It was a brat on the grill. We were used to brats from the Crystal pool side grill everyday! I tried one on Regent on the first day and it was the last one I got to taste. Two days later I asked for another brat for lunch. I was told brats were only for special occasions and if I wanted one I needed to order it a day in advance at the main dining room. Suddenly I was missing the gang at Crystal, who would fix anything even if it was not on the menu. CABIN/SUITE: We are people who enjoy luxury cruise lines, but cannot afford or justify the most luxuriate cabin. Our low end Regent suite had 70-sq. feet on our cabin with Crystal, plus a balcony. The bathroom was bigger too, but the side of the bathtub/shower was dangerous, especially if the ship was rocking. The side of the tub was so high that us formerly active people with hip operations in our past had some issues. Just like Crystal the furniture in the room sat low and was hard to get out of. The biggest difference was the flat screen TV on Regent was bigger and there were over 150 movies you could watch in your room, including many not yet released on DVD. In 10 days we watched three movies requiring me to remove them from our Netflix list when we returned. The bed was fine with good night sleeps every night, despite having a lower priced suite. We managed to survive without a butler. LAUNDRY: If I am on vacation I don't believe in doing the laundry even if a launderette is a free one. I send it out every day. Just like on Crystal, with Regent my darks came back dark and not faded and my whites were whiter than they had ever been before. The difference is that despite not checking for the more expensive same day service, on Regent I got the laundry back the same day with no up charge. ENTERTAINMENT: Regent just like Crystal had the young dancers and singers. However during our cruise the house band was not very good and at times bad. There was no bass player. The trumpet player on his first cruise was seasick for two days. This reduced the "Regent Orchestra" to merely a quintet. One bright spot was the trombone player, who had a classical background playing in the Moldova National Symphony. He was a remarkable quick read on charts and often carried the band. There was no piano bar entertainer which I found a disappointment. Some more memorable cruises included the piano bar guy, doing requests, playing Name that Tune and getting people involved in sing-along's. Stacy Ward McAdams on NCL and later Europe river cruises, Jimmy Maddox on HAL and Jeff Deutsch on Crystal we have not forgotten. There was karaoke on several nights that was awful and always worse than the house band on its worst night. On Crystal often musicians from all the different bands would get together late at night and jam. This was not happening on Regent. They were having problems playing from their charts. The cruise director Margaret Lynn was an exception to most CDs I have encountered including those on Crystal. She was very accessible to passengers and seemed to enjoy chit chatting. FOOD: This was not the pretty part. Other than getting a shrimp cocktail when it was not on the menu, there was no special service. The Prime, the ship's steakhouse was the best of the specialty restaurants. Our one night at Prime we found everything good and so much better than the regular meal service. However, I tried to "Howdy" a couple times to staff since we were in a Steakhouse and simply got stares of confusion. Our waitress in the steakhouse was French. Our waiter in the French restaurant was from the Ukraine, go figure. I normally skip breakfast, but did eat before leaving the ship all day three times. The food at the La Veranda was average to below average. The lunch buffets were typical of mass appeal cruise ships…the food looked better than it tasted. On Crystal the food in the buffet line was outstanding everyday often forcing seconds against my better judgment. In the main dining room (Compass Rose) seating was on demand and you never knew where you would sit or who would serve you. Several nights we would ask to be in a favorite waiter's section and were rarely successful. We were also listed as "table sharers" and other than one night with a dull couple, we ate with some very interesting and often funny people. However on some of our cruises with the same table mates every night we developed long lasting relationships, including being visited in the Midwest when one European couple who were driving across the U.S. and then spending a day with our friends from a cruise five years ago in Ireland when Crystal stopped all day in Dublin last year. DRINKS: Much like Crystal, Regent's all-inclusive policy makes it a cruise line for alcoholics and even excessive cola drinkers. They did offer Diet Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero throughout the ship for those looking for a cold caffeine soda without 140 calories. WAIT STAFF: English comprehension was a constant problem with the staff. Waiters and waitress had problems constantly understanding orders from most passengers. This was a huge difference when compared with Crystal. Plus on Crystal we got to know the staff better and interacted with them daily. Not so much on Regent. The Regent staff tried to be professional, but rarely did anyone try and put a smile on your face. On Crystal head waiter Zoltan when asked about a special order would travel back to 1950 and speak into his Dick Tracy two-way wrist radio (really just his wrist watch). He would say, "Zoltan to kitchen! We have a special request." He would then turn back to the table and say how there was "no problem." Everyone at the table would be laughing. Paula the bartender and Ricki the server on Crystal were people my wife and I will not soon forget. Two weeks after our Regent cruise I have forgotten most of the crews' names. You could not joke with the Regent staff because they understood so little English they never got a punch line. DRESS CODE: Regent wins this hands down. There are no formal nights. It means I don't have to drag along a suit or a tux, just a sports coat. This allowed my wife and me to cut down to just one suitcase each. For three days in California, I was able to utilize my "throw away" wardrobe. I would save socks, underwear and polo shirts with a few holes or small rips all year. They would be worn and then thrown away on our first three days of vacation. If I had known how efficient the ships laundry was I would have brought even fewer items. TENDER SERVICE: In the past when on a mass market cruise ship I was often envious when stuck on a crowded tender while a smaller exclusive ship was tied up to the dock in port. In the beginning of this cruise we were shadowed by a large NCL ship. I was amazed that the low price NCL ship was docked, while we were stuffed onto tenders. Keep in mind Regent is owned by NCL and they save money tendering 600 passengers from a Regent ship compared to 2,500 or 3,000 from a NCL ship. I was spoiled with Crystal. There tenders were spacious with plenty of leg room and they often left half full if another tender was waiting. With Regent it was like we were on a RCI, NCL or HAL tender. You were shoved in until no one else can fit with knees in pain for the whole ride to shore. Unlike Crystal where there were never tender lines, you did get to stand in line for Regent tenders. CASINO: We liked how on Crystal you were not forced to walk through a casino like most mass market cruise lines do. Regent was even one better. The casino was on Deck Seven above the main entrance (Deck 5) and balcony entrance (Deck 6) to the main theater. PHOTOS: Crystal had understated photographers who did not hassle you like the mass market cruise line photographers do. Regent was much better. They have no photographers or photo shop on board. COMPUTERS AND LIBRARY: Regent was a year late in joining Crystal offering free internet computer service. Our trip marked the beginning of free internet. Regent was better as it was unlimited. However Crystal's was faster. Also Crystal had two people in the computer room to assist passenger s until 11 o'clock at night. Regent just had one. He was possibly a former priest because he had a lot of patience. The library was very small on the Seven Seas Mariner. The cruise line bought multiple copies of recent best sellers. You were on the honor system as there was no one assigned the duties of librarian. You could take a book any time you wanted and did not need to check it out. They sold full printed copies of major US newspapers delivered to your cabin for $6 a day. However, the same paper was available (one copy only) in the library. MEDICAL: We did not use any medical services. (Luckily my heart held up for the vacation, but not 24 hours after the return as I ended up in a hospital heart unit for three days.) However, we did meet someone who did visit the medical office. Her complaint was she was given a week's worth of pills at $40 a pill. I asked why she could not get a prescription and get it filled at a port of call. It was because the doctor was a Russian and could not write scripts in the U.S. DISEMBARKATION: We had to wait for our color to be call before leaving, which we have had to do on all other cruise lines we have been on except Crystal. But the real surprise came when we received our bill. You can check you bill via your TV on a daily basis. My wife did that. There was nothing unusual. However as we were just an hour or so from leaving the ship our paper bill showed a $448 spa charge. Since neither my wife nor me had been to the spa and I would have a hard time knowing where it was, this created a fight. The charge was from three days earlier and did not appear when we did the daily bill check. It only appeared on the last paper bill delivered overnight. At the front desk I explained that we had never been to the spa. This was not accepted! I was told they would need to call people from the spa and investigate. I said I was a retired police detective and suggested that they have the spa staff stroll through the main dining room where I would be having breakfast and see if they could ID the $448 customer. I also suggested they compare signatures. Finally I told them I was not getting off the ship until the $448 was removed from my bill. Thirty minutes later I got a new bill. I did not appreciate the drama. Luckily we had an afternoon flight, because the line for taxicabs was about 45 minutes long. Getting hit with $448 at a spa you never walked into and then having to wait 45 minutes to get a cab is not a good way to end a cruise. RECOMMENDATIONS: Some devoted Regent customers we met with over 1,000 days at sea with Regent vowed they would never go on a Crystal Cruise due to the size of the cabins. Others we met said they were going back to Crystal due to the quality of food and personality of the crew. If you like to be by yourself and stay in your cabin/suite on sea days and are on a diet, Regent is probably the cruise line for you. If you prefer excellent food, a large library, only use your cabin to sleep, there is little doubt that you should go on Crystal. My wife and I went back and made the promise we broke this year. Our next cruise will be on Crystal. PORTS OF CALL: Regent offers some free tours. However the guests in the most expensive suites get to sign up first, followed by those who paid in full instead of the two installment system. That was okay by us, as we like to rent cars and go on our own adventures. We prefer renting cars and having freedom to come and leave when we want to. Also at some ports they had school buses waiting for the tours. My knees hurt just looking at them. ASTORIA, OR After our miserable tender ride to the dock, Enterprise Rent-A-Car was waiting to pick us up. Their office location was close to the dock and the staff was very pleasant. We crossed the Columbia River into Washington. We stopped at a small Post Office and mailed a novel I had just finished by "book rate" to a person I trade books with meaning one less thing in my return luggage. I mailed two books back to my friend during the vacation. At the Post Office, the entire staff of two had suggestions of places to go. One was a restaurant with unusual art work. (It wasn't open yet.) The other was the last remaining covered bridge in the State of Washington. We found the bridge and compared to covered bridges in the Midwest, Maryland and New England it was an ugly rectangle box. But at least we could say were crossed the last covered bridge in Washington. We made it to Long Beach, WA where we ate lunch with the locals at a popular inexpensive fish restaurant. The food was better than what was being offered on the ship. SITKA Our next stop was Sitka, Alaska where it was another tender ride. WE were met by Avis Rent-A-Car at the dock. Our pickup was free. But the large NCL ship was docked four miles out of town and there was a charge to pick up anyone from that ship. Sitka was fun and I got my biggest laughs while parked in downtown as my wife went to an art museum and shopping. I stayed in the car and read a novel. In front of me on the corner was an entrance to a tourist trap shop. They had a stuffed black bear on its hind legs with its front paws out stretched standing on the sidewalk. It didn't matter age, nationally or sex. Every 30 seconds someone would stop and backup in between the bear's paws and try to put a frightened "I'm going to die" look on their face as a companion took photos. This was almost nonstop. In Sitka they have three gas stations. They also have one McDonalds. We stopped there to use the restroom and we always believe in buying something in exchange for use of a clean restroom. They had Tillamook Ice Cream from the coastal area of Oregon. This had to be the best ice cream ever served at a McDonalds. It was also better than anything they were serving on the ship. JUNEAU: We were lied to. When we reserved our rent a car with National we were told we would be picked up at the dock. Four months later when we exited the ship and called National we were told they no longer pick anyone us and suggested we take a cab to airport. We did for $25. We had been to Juneau before and had been there on a Saturday before. So on this Saturday we knew the town would have garage sales all over the place. We weren't disappointed. In the neighborhoods surrounding the Mendenhall Glacier there were two or three garage sales per subdivision. There were probably 50 garage sales on the island. We stopped at about 11. The best was at the house of a guy who like on the TV show Storage Wars bids on abandoned storage lockers. We got enough Alaskan knick-knacks to hand out some fun awards to several crew members for a total of $2. Plus I got three jazz CDs of Mel Torme and one classical Mozart CD for a $1. Across the bridge from Juneau is the old City of Douglas which merged with Juneau in 1970. The library on the main street through Douglas is very nice. It offers free internet and has older magazines for free and used books for sale. Thank God the real tourist season had not yet started. It allowed us to take a one lane (with turn outs) gravel mountain road up a for beautiful views. The second cab ride back from National at the airport for another $25 was the only thing to spoil my day. WRANGELL On Sunday we were in Wrangell, a town of around 2,000 that only smaller cruise ships can stop at. The assistant manager at Practical Rent a Car, the only rent-a-car company on the island, picked us up at the dock. The city's one grocery store was closed, but two auto part stores and two hardware stores were open. While Sitka has three gas stations, Wrangell only has two and one of them is owned by the owners of Practical Rent-a-Car. Frankly you can see most everything in Wrangell and drive every road in four hours. This was one of the several locations where ship tours were on school buses. We felt fortunate to have a rental car. Wrangell has a six officer police department. Normally one officer is on duty at a time. The officers also have to be at the airport twice a day when the two Alaska Air flights between Anchorage and Juneau then on to Vancouver with stops in Wrangell, Petersburg and Sitka stop for 15 minutes. The cops do passenger screening. If the one on-duty officer is tied up with an arrest or a bad auto accident, the dispatcher starts calling the five off-duty cops until she finds one to go to the airport. It makes you want to whistle the theme to the Andy Griffith Show. KETCHIKAN: This was our last port of call. The very nice people at the Alaska Rent-a-Car picked us up and took a back. The return trip included showing us some streets we had missed. Nothing much had changed in Ketchikan compared to our two other trips there. We did several of our "end of the road" trips and once turned onto a gravel road outside of Ward Creek rec area. At first it was okay, but then the potholes filled with water slowed us down to under 5 mph until we gave up, but completely trashed the outside of the car. Later in the summer the salmon run up creeks in downtown Ketchikan. Also there is a fishery just above downtown. While it sometimes gets little snow, Ketchikan is one of the wettest cities in the country. It was raining hard when we got off the ship. They are installing one artificial turf athletic field, but most athletic fields are crushed gravel as grass would never survive one football or soccer game. Even the softball fields are of crushed rock. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and date together with value for money. We had been to Alaska some 18 years previously on Holland America. There is no doubt that this ship,and the suites look tired and need updating however everything worked in our suite but the shower in the bath was difficult to get in and out especially if the ship is rolling in rough seas. The steward service in the cabin was very good with no issues over cleanliness. The service in the restaurants was hit or miss and although there were plenty of staff they seem to need more training especially in Prime 7. Overall the food was very good but there is attendance to serve hot food not very hot and at times on cold plates. The excursions which were were very good though on tendering ports the wait was sometimes long. The embarkation in SF was in in an old warehouse, no seats, not good enough for a 6 star cruise. The disembarkation was a shambles on the ship with impression that all they wanted to do was get rid of you. On arrival in the Vancouver terminal everything was very smooth. One of the this cruises disappointments was the relatively long distance away from the Hubbard glacier the ship did approach. Read Less

We had previously gone on Regent to Greece and Turkey and has an amazing experience. This was the total opposite. The first day they brought us aboard at noon and kept us on the upper deck til 6:00 We had upgraded to a Navigator Suite which was truly wonderful once we got in, but we lost the entire day an evening by the time we unpacked and showered etc. and when we complained we were sent a box of candy. Then received a letter from management saying sorry for the inconvenience - let us know if there is anything we can do for you...a FORM letter. We had already accepted a change in itinerary but then the last day we were bumped from excursion and they basiclly did nothing to be helpful. The ships was recently updated, our room was great, entertainment was good, Ports and shore excursions were very unequal. Portofino ..they took us for tour at 8:00 - when all the garbage is being picked up - noise and smells were terrible..All of that ends at 10:00 when no cars etc allowed. No I would not go again nor would I recommend REGENT. There are so many other really amazing cruise lines available. Read Less

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Embarkation was miserable. The staff behaved like novices. The excursions were poorly handled..and at times chaos. We were taken to Portofino when the garbage was being picked up - smelly noisy and everything closed..Where after 10 am vehicular traffic is banned and all services are available. I would never go on a Regent Ship nor will anyone I know American Express has been alerted as well and I believe that travel publications should also be aware of their ineptness and being far from a 5 star experience Worse the management at their corporate offices are not capable of anything other than form letters. The only good part was the entertainment and sometimes the food..but you can get that anywhere. They also changed the itinerary before with no reason and on the final stop they were unable to accommodate most passengers on excursions The Cruise Manager..Ante..behaved like a juvenile, sending us candy when we complained. Read Less

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. Excursions are always the big questions. The "free" excursions are fine, but those city tours are so predictable, so we have opted out of them and sometimes just hired a taxi to take us for a set time at a set price. However the "extra" excursions are sometimes excellent and we have found them to be worth the price. In most ports you will find kiosks selling those "extra excursions' at a reduced price from that of Regent, but you may not know if you are getting the same service and dependability. We have found that the Mariner cabins are smaller than the Voyager, and that there is quite a difference between a Penthouse A and a Penthouse C on the Voyager, but not so on the Mariner. Often it is more location than size of the cabin, but the sq. footage is the same. The housekeeping staff are so friendly and make everyone feel that they are the special guest. How they can keep up that attitude is always amazing to me, since they work long hours and are always smiling. Read Less

Rating the overall experience with Regent is difficult because pre cruise wise I would give them zero but once on board it was very good. Pre cruise I had great difficulty getting any answers or sense out of them via the phone line whatsoever regarding anything whatsoever. infact half the time the phone operators knew less than me!. It was totally hopeless trying to get our second Prime 7 reservation which we were entitled to so I gave up. My flight upgrade, by the time I had phoned them about 10 times they agreed I could book the seats and were VERY LUCKY to get the last 2 window seats even though I had paid for them WEEKS BEFORE they wouldn't let us book the actual seats till it was almost too late. My excertion to the Alaskan Wildlife Centre, they fobbed me off for months until it was too late to do it ourselves. The spa, although it is a seperate company its still on their ship, we gave up and din't bother in the end after trying for weeks to get a reservation. Final icing on the cake was when they took us to our overnight hotel promising our ship boarding details would be in place and they weren't!, next morning we still had no idea how / when we would be getting to the ship. Bad review over, once we got onboard it was all pretty good but the pre cruise experience is enough to put you off boarding! We stayed in a basic cabin and found it very well planned out and 100% practical ,everything in the right place, plenty of hot water, plug sockets and mirrors in all the right places, tv that swivelled to bed/ sitting area etc. Restaurants, we really didn't take to the chaotic / confusing set up on deck 11. Sometimes buffet sometimes a la carte, sometimes people dining on the pool deck outside took up all the seats. Things in life just need to be clear to me and it just irritated me up there because I was never totally clear exactly what was going on!. Compase Rose, simply loved it,we were seated at our own table and knew exactly where we were up to. Food was consistently good. Signatures. to me french food is the best in the world yet I felt the menu lacked imagination, flair and enthusiasm, this restaurant should be soooooooo much more exciting, what a shame, staff were great though. Prime 7, well when I heard the best restaurant was a steak house I was shocked!, abit like saying the no 1 restaurant in the UK is a fish and chip shop, so I wasn't expecting much!, anyway as it goes the food was very good and so was the service. Trips to shore, generally very well orgonised although many of the best ones were payable. Embarking took longer than it should but disambarking was quick and well orgonised and the complimentary tour put on for those of us with late flights was much appreciated and very good. Entertainment etc,we aren't fans of sea days, we are more destination focussed cruisers but I think there were shows, lectures, bingo, trivia etc (usual stuff) Value for money, I don't know if we saved anything by booking an all inclusive cruise but it was great piece of mind knowing we didn't need to mess about with tips, drinks packages etc and we did have a zero bill at the end. We also met some wonderful staff and wonderful fellow cruisers, really nice people on this ship. Read Less

Regent Seven Seas on the Mariner cruise from Vancouver to Seward,Alaska was outstanding--could not ask for more! We ( six young seniors) took the Regent Seven Seas from Vancouver to Seward, Alaska! Must say the staff and crew are there to ensure you have great time. They literately do not say “no” to your requests! Ship: It was the right size for the 700 passengers-- never felt crowds or any lines. Regent is very organized loading and offloading passengers from and onto the ship. During offloads, they have someone at every corner to ensure you get where you want to be. That includes Canada and US customs on going at the same time! The ship is very good conditions. Saw a prior write up of wear. But we did not see any wear at all. Very clean and well kept ship. Cabin: Excellent! Just as the description in all the brochures. Spotless-very clean, well-supplied with everything to include a fresh fruit bowl every day. All items well stocked continuously. Even our liquor needs were provided as required. Dining: Excellent! The Prime 7 and Signature restaurants match or are better than any top restaurant in Dallas, TX. Shame we could only eat there once each. The other two restaurants are very- very good. At times, they serve the same food prepared for Prime 7 or Signature. The service was outstanding and very friendly -always had someone ready to provide service to your table. We never had a problem getting a table for our six travelers. Breakfast was a large buffet that also had a grill for eggs, cooked the way you wanted. There is even a coffee bar for those early risers. Services: Cannot say enough of the very friendly and supportive crew and staff. They answered every question we asked or took you to someone who could. There is a daily newspaper and TV broadcast of all activities and events and instructions on how to do “everything! Point of examples: (1) First night – ask for whisky and vodka for our suite—they brought us a large bottle (fifth) of each to the cabin! (2) Our group of 6 travelers wanted a quite dinner –so we requested room service for the food for all of us in one of the penthouse suites. The staff brought us menus and took our special requests and delivered it all on time! We had a great time feasting, drinking and telling ole stories! Port and excursions: All port and excursions were very organized and well executed. Never were in any crowds or waiting lines. All the excursions we were on were highly enjoyable with every experienced and educated staff and leads. We will go again--- and again! Read Less

This was our second Regent cruise and it did not disappoint. Was it perfect, no, but very minor complaints. The pre-cruise hotel (included at concierge level and above) the Melia Sarria was OK, nothing special, but the location was good and everything was well organized. Embarkation was a breeze - probably took a grand total of 10 minutes and we were on board with a glass of champagne in hand. There was a very large group on board (200 people from the Cheesecake Factory on an incentive trip). The only complaints we had surrounded this group (not the people themselves, just the dynamics and challenges of a large group on-board). The first two nights, the service in Compass Rose and Sette Mari was really bad. The staff was trying really hard, but it was apparent they were stretched too thin with the large group (we found out later that there were group dinners those nights for the "Cheesecakers"). Also, one night the Horizons lounge was closed to everyone who wasn't "Cheesecake". Disappointing since that is the best bar to be in as you sail away from port. But... First World problems people! The rest of the cruise was fantastic. After the first two nights, the service in all of the restaurants was impeccable. Food - was very good overall. Signatures was amazing. Prime 7 really good and Compass Rose was solid. We really liked La Veranda for lunch. They had two lunch buffets on the pool deck that were awesome. Room service for breakfast was not great, just OK. Scrambled eggs were runny and coffee not good at all (why is the cream floating on top??). The included wine was also good most nights. You're not going to be drinking Opus One so keep the expectations in check, but the featured wines are decent and the wine list is reasonable if you want to order a bottle. Spa - awesome! Book before your cruise for the best times. Excursions - overall really good. On both our Regent cruises, we've done mostly included excursions and paid for a few Regent Choice ones. We've found the quality of both to be about the same, just depends what you want to do and see. The quality of the guides will naturally vary, but all were very professional. Stateroom- awesome. Our cabin steward Harlan was a rockstar. We requested lots of water and pellegrino and he kept our room well stocked and immaculate. Service - very good. Professional and respectful, but not stuffy. We got to know some of the staff in the restaurants and bars. We really enjoyed speaking with William at the pool bar one afternoon. He had some great advice for us on exploring Lisbon on our own. Entertainment - good, a lot better than our first Regent cruise. This category is not their strong suit, but we really enjoyed the Caberet night and Flamenco show. And the Krew Kapers show was really great. Overall, we really like the Regent experience- the size of the ship (only 700 passengers), service, quality, etc. Read Less

We landed in Anchorage and bused to the boat! What appeared to be a two hour bus-ride became a scenic tour with a very witty and knowledgeable driver. Arriving in Seward we were greeted with champagne, smiles and more champagne. Our room was inviting, well laid out in-keeping with a luxury experience. The common rooms were all equally well laid out, well kept and luxurious. The food was generally very good. Especially in the Signature Dining Room. We got to eat there twice and both times were over the top. Overall in the other venues the cuisine was a little "dumbed-down" in terms of taste.I suppose that this was due to trying to cater to a wide swath of humanity (at least the well off swath). The crew were amazing. They were uber-friendly, knowledgeable and eager to please without any sense of forced "creepiness". We did not get involved with any of the ship-board activities. So can't really comment on them. We did do the Spa thing. Again, another great experience. The excursions were not in-keeping with the level of the cruise however. Some, like the gratis Ocean raft adventure were an exhilarating thrill ride filled with sea otters, puffins, remote islands and eagles. Others, like the paid Jet Cat Beach-combing trip in Sitka were a total waste of time and money. Tiny island filled with sharp rocks, broken shells and little else. We did see over our seven days; whales, dolphins, seals, sea-otters, puffins and eagles. But no bears or moose! The wild life have their own itineraries!!! Alaska is not a zoo. Sort of a giant theme park though. Read Less

We chose this cruise as there were ports and islands we had not visited before. Our overnight stay in Venice was good and embarkation as normal but the suites weren't ready until mid afternoon. The refurbishment was not very good in respect of the suites. Some new dark woodwork fittings which were nice but the rest was the old original light woodwork. The marble tops of the desk and table did not match and the small upholstered chair in the suite on previous cruises was missing to make room for a much larger table. The drapes were of a very heavy old fashioned material and not as nice as the original ones. The rest of the ship was looking good but there is now one restaurant less than before, but an overlarge Casino area with many machines hardly used and a very large card room. Why take a restaurant out. Unfortunately the outside of the ship is looking tired and in fact our verandah doors were rusted to the degree they had to be filled in. All in all as a supposed six star cruise line it was not good. We have cruised with Regent many times since the late 90s but stopped going as we felt the ships were looking shabby. This refurbishment has not worked for us. Read Less

We took this trip as a multi-generational family with participants ranging from 17 to 70. Very few children or teens on this cruise. Age definitely leaned toward seniors. The ship was luxurious. Lots of active excursions made the trip fun for all age ranges. Speciality restaurants were great. The staff was genuinely nice. It was a great way to see the beauty of Alaska. Cruising from port to port in Alaska was more impressive than cruising the Caribbean as you are never far from the shore the views are simply breathe taking, especially the Glacier. Anyone looking for teen or children club environment will be disappointed as there are not enough participants to make it work. But excursions and on-demand movies will keep most kids happily entertained. Evening entertainment was good. Cirque style dancers were amazing. The piano bar was a great romantic get away for adults. The pianist was just the greatest guy ever and now has me hopelessly searching for piano bars back in LA. The bar made fabulous cocktails, especially martinis. My husband and I would not hesitate to sail on Regent again. My teens and young adult children....probably not. But this is no fault of the cruise line. Read Less

Amazing Cruise from pre-cruise accommodations to post cruise trip!! My husband and I had never been on a cruise beforehand. My husband said he would never go on a cruise except to Alaska, so since it was our 40th Anniversary, we researched the different options available and decided to book with Regent. My husband did not want a large ship and I did not want a small ship, so we compromised on Regent. We are both glad we did. The entire experience was phenomenal! We liked the fact that the cruise was all-inclusive. This included most shore excursions, liquor, except premium brands, room service, all tipping, plane fare and pre-cruise accommodations at the Four Seasons in Vancouver. The ship was great - all rooms had a balcony with lounge chairs, blankets and binoculars. The staff was fantastic, many different nationalities, but all super friendly. Our room #955 was a good size with a large closet, nice bathroom with shower, vanity, tv with unlimited movies, very comfortable bed, refrigerator stocked with beverages of your choice. There were daily nattated lectures about the cities we would visit, card and board games, ping-pong on the upper deck, pool and jacuzzi, casino and theatre with evening performances, daily tea time with sweets and wonderful tea. All of the restaurants were outstanding, we never had a bad meal. All of offshore excursions were educational and fun and exciting with fantastic guides. Ketchikan was wet but fun to walk Creek Street. In Juneau, we did the Whales, Glaciers and Rainforest Trails which was challenging going up and down through the forest following part of the trail the gold prospectors followed. We also did the Tracy Arm & Endicott Fjords. In Sitka, we visited St. Michael Cathedral where you could see the beautiful artifacts from the early Russian settlers and it is still used today by the Russian Orthodox Church, The Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest and Ocean Raft Adventures where we wore Baltic Sea suits to ride the raft as we travelled the area. We also had a great time on the Tracy Arm and Endicott fjords. The weather was not great, in the mid 50's with rain, but we were well prepared with clothing. The Denali post-cruise trip was unbelievable ! Fantastic tour director Tracy Wimmer and bus driver, Rose Johnson. Accommodations at the Hotel Alyeska were fantastic, Grande Denali Lodge was not as elegant but okay. We stayed at the Sheraton in Anchorage the day before departure. The room and hotel were dated but the rooms were large and clean. The brunch was okay, but after the amazing food on the Regent, not much could surpass that. Read Less

We have been on all of Regent's ships and had wanted to do this itinerary in the past, but dates and pricing never lined up. We were very pleased to be able to do back-to-back 10 day cruises through the British Isles and over to France and Spain. The ship is very comfortable, but the staff is the best reason to sail with Regent. Every member of the crew is just as hospitable and friendly as possible. They couldn't be better. We really enjoyed this itinerary and particularly Mont St. Michel, Cork, Bordeaux. Every stop had something memorable, though. We went on excursions most days, but sometimes just took the ship-provided shuttle into town and wandered. Some excursions were much more than we expected. In Belfast, for example, we went on a tour that included the Titanic Museum. That wasn't very impressive. However, a tour of the dry dock was fantastic - largely due to a guide who was part historian, part actress and totally enthusiastic. The Blarney Castle was interesting, but you really should be prepared. The Blarney Stone is at the top of the castle and to kiss it you have to be on your back and leaning over the edge - not a good plan for older folks. The stairway up is quite a challenge. It's steep and, in several places, both of my shoulders touched the walls and I'm not overly large. It was quite strenuous for anyone with mobility issues. In Torre Lorizags, we saw an incredible collection of mint-condition Rolls Royces. You have to see to believe. Really fantastic. While in Southhampton for a day at the mid-point of the cruise, we took a personal tour to Winchester. Winchester College and Winchester Cathedral are both incredible. Finally, our favorite stop was Alnwick Castle. Parts of Harry Potter were filmed there and two Christmas specials of Downton Abbey were filmed in this castle, which remains an active home for the Lord and Lady. It is truly spectacular. Lecturers from the Smithsonian Institute really enhanced all of the ports. Food and service were superb, as always. You just can't go wrong on a Regent Cruise. Read Less

1. Anchorage - Hilton is average and why bother with that breakfast on the 15th floor before the shuttle. Just a miserable bacon and eggs with some bakery items and terrible fruit. That is not a great way to start a cruise. If you are going to offer this (and I really did not even expect it), just let people go to buffet downstairs which is much better. We did the coastal bike trail - great easy cycle and highly recommended 2.Ride to Seeward and boarding: great scenary and effortless baording to be greeted by lovely lunch buffet 3. The Ship: fantastically looked after and maintained. Rooms very good size and loved walk-in robe. OH did not care for shower in bath Excursions: can really only book one/day online but can add in extras when on ship but it does make it quite hectic and not relaxing 4. Hubbard Glacier - was a brilliant blue day, got very close and saw lots of calving and heard lots of noise 5. Sitka: we did the kayaking which was fun follwed by the Sea Otter and Whale quest, also good and saw them both, but maybe a touch too long 6. Juneau: poor weather and the helicopter to the glacier and dogslied was cancelled so we did the Glacier Gardens and walk to Mendenhall Glacier (all one tour, about 3 hours) both fun - Glacier Gardens could have been shorter as they left us in the souveneir shop for too long at the end. Would have preferred more time at the Glacier - we hiked to the waterfall but would have also liked time to go into the exhibit 7. Skagway: White Horse secenic railway. Great scenary but one way would have been enough. Probably would have taken the Glacier helicopter ride if we had the choice and knowing what the railway was about afterwards. 8 Ketchikan: Lovely town. We did the rainforest walk - quite gentle stroll, great guide, lots of flora but no fauna. Loved the town though 9. Food:Average to good. I felt the speciality restaurants were overrated. On our recent Celebrity cruise, the French restaurant was significantly better. Buffets were average. Loved the outside BBQ for lunch 10. Service: Very very variable. Some good and some terrible. Items ordered for dinner never arrived, rice arrived about 30 min after main course. Sodas ordered never arrived multiple times. One server wiped crumbs off the plate in front of me with her hand before giving me the plate. Food was constantly cold despite numerous entreaties. There were a couple of outstanding servers though. Summary impressions: Go later in the season for more wildlife - we saw no bears. Loved the all inclusive nature and not having to pay or swipe cards. Service needs major improvement. I would go on Regent again. Read Less

I booked a guaranteed G suite 90 days out on the April Rome to Venice cruise in spite of the adverse comments on cruise critic. I guessed the refit in early April would solve all the comments on the décor though not perhaps the vibration issues. I have previously avoided this ship as she is a bit old and not purposely made for cruising but now she is in the Med I had little choice as we are off long haul for a bit. I logged into my Regent account immediately after booking and I was surprised to see a cabin had already been allocated. Normally this would be done a couple of days out from sailing. The cabin allocated 531 was one we would have refused had we not booked on a guaranteed basis as it was right on the end next to the stairs, entrance to Compass Rose and a WC. We did complain to Regent via our agent but we didn’t really expect any change and we didn’t get any. It does strike me that maybe Regent are using the guaranteed basis (at least on this ship) to get rid of cabins no one else will book. We won’t book that way again on this ship. Around 6 weeks out from our trip we received an email from Regent via our agent asking us if we would like to swap onto one of around 5 other cruises. This email offered the alternative cruises at the same price as we had already paid in full plus cash back and a suite upgrade. We chose the cruise which was very similar to ours but two days longer. We were offered an E suite having booked a G on guarantee so jumped at the chance. So that is how we came to be on the Malta to Venice cruise departing on 13th June 2016. We were booked on a fairly late Air Malta flight by Regent and arrived at the ship around 16.40. We met the Regent rep in the arrivals hall and along with 1 other couple we were asked to make our way to the car park and take our own luggage. Not a 6 star start to the holiday? We travelled in a rather shabby Mini bus which stunk of cigarettes but fortunately the transfer is short. The driver said he would deal with our luggage when we arrive at the port and we took our hand luggage into the check in hall. Having got our suite cards we were pointed in the direction of the ship but no help was available again to take our hand luggage. When we got on board and through the security there was no one to welcome us on board except a rather bored looking wine waiter who offered us a half glass of warm champagne. He was more interested in chatting to another crew member who had just come back from a shore trip. No one gave us help to find our cabin so we wandered off still with our hand luggage and found it ourselves. Just time for a quick unpack and shower before the lifeboat drill which of course no one had told us about? We had booked one night in Prime 7 in advance and as we normally do we ordered the Fillet Mignon but although it was well cooked it was rather tasteless. On our second visit it was much better. The food in general was good with no complaints. There is of course no Signatures Restaurant on this ship which we missed. Mobility scooters have landed!! There were at least two on this cruise. I have no problem with disabled people on the cruise but I do wish they would consider other passengers and not drive fast expecting everyone to get out their way or park them across the pool bar making it impossible for others to get to it. Our suite Fridge was not re stocked with beer and soft drinks towards the end of the cruise for some reason. We ordered Room service one day but as we entered the bay of Kotor before it arrived we went up on deck. They didn’t leave our breakfast in the cabin as we weren’t in but put a message on our phone so we gave up and went to the buffet. The cruise director was friendly enough but it would have been good if he had given more information on when was a good time to be up on deck such as Kotor and Venice. The excursions were good but the numbers on each trip are creeping up with some having well over 30 guests. This not really a problem but you do need radios with large groups so you can hear the guide. We did have them on some tips but not all. The refurbishment in April has improved things but there was still some work ongoing at the end of June. Our cabin had a few poorly completed trimmings but generally it was ok. Paint was flaking off the balcony doors and of course made its way into the cabin on our feet. In two ports we couldn't use the balcony as the crew were painting the outside of the ship from a cherry picker on the quay!! Given the ship was in dry dock only a matter of weeks before I can't see why this was necessary? The new larger table makes it difficult to get to the couch now but it does give a lot more room for food and drinks. The bathroom now lets the suite down as looks a little tired and the grouting and bath sealant needed redoing. Stocking of provisions seemed to be a problem on this trip for some items such as some breakfast cereal and certain beers. We also ran out of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which was blamed on the high proportion of UK guests who preferred that to the alternatives. There is quite a bit of vibration towards the rear of the ship in spite of Regent advising me that it was peculiar to certain weather conditions in the Caribbean. This seems to be mainly when manoeuvring or slowing down. Sitting out on deck 10 the glasses do rattle a lot. Our cabin was towards the bow so we had no problems but I would advise having a cabin towards the bow if possible. We had no issues with the crew on board as all were friendly and helpful and the service was excellent. Things did take a slight dip when many of the experienced crew left in Croatia to go and join Explorer. Some of the new crew had never worked on a ship before and had obviously not been given adequate training. This put an extra load on the experienced crew to help them out but they did a good job of making sure we were well looked after. So there is some evidence of cutting costs but Regent is still my preferred cruise line. I am looking forward to a cruise on Explorer when the prices reduce a bit. Read Less

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Five stars for the ship and the cruise itself, through the Inside Passage. The Regent before- and after- arrangements? Not so. Three star, at best. Thus the four star blend. Our before-departure arrangements placed us in the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, a rather tired 40 year-old convention and large group property which is starting to show its seams (there is a newer St Regis just around the corner, btw). In addition, the staff working as Regent representatives at the property gave us materially incorrect information at least twice about next-day boarding, which raises a question or two about that process. Our after-cruise Regent arrangements were even more unsettling, which we probably should have seen coming but didn't. The four-day Denali trip was a bus tour filled with questionable diversions and overnights, seemingly created to last, well, four days (the stop at a strip mall to go into a supermarket just about did us in). We know now that we could have simply left the ship, rented a car, and fully enjoyed Denali on our own terms, a day or two shorter than the Regent slow crawl of bus and train. Back to the Mariner. A beautifully maintained ship, with a most pleasant and accommodating staff. Great Penthouse Suite and common areas. And the naturalist onboard was just the right touch of insight for the trip. Next time we find our own way there and back. Read Less

This was our 1st Regent Seven Seas cruise and we loved it. We are pre-retirement ages and were a little nervous about some of the reviews we had read regarding the Voyager. There had been many complaints about the age of the ship however we found it to be charming . Our suite was clean and comfortable, all of the staff were friendly and attentive and the itinerary was wonderful. We did encounter a few older couples who complained about minor things but we also met a lot of very nice and diverse folks. We found the "complainers" to have a sense of entitlement instead of appreciating their ability to afford this cruise line which is pricey. We had cruised with a lot of other mid-level cruise lines before this but liked the "all inclusive" offering from Regent. We will definitely be back in the future and hope to be able to bring friends and family with us. Read Less

We loved the all inclusiveness of this cruise line including r/t airfare, hotel one night in anchorage, all specialty restaurants, all beverages, and a lot of excursions were included. We embarked and were given a glass of champagne, and there was a welcoming bottle of chilled champagne in our stateroom. The staterooms all have king beds and balconies. Ship facilities were very clean. Most of the food was excellent. I highly recommend booking the cruise 10 months in advance so you can slowly pay it off. It is expensive but the all inclusiveness helped to offset the sticker shock you get with other cruise lines at the end of the cruise. We made our specialty restaurant dining reservations online and booked a table with a couple we were travelling with. The online system goofed up and did not book us together nor at the same time. Originally the maitre'd refused to let us dine together but after I spoke to him and voiced loud complaints, he gave in and let us dine together. He also fixed our reservation for the other specialty restaurant. His name was Abraham. I had the seafood sampler and a wyobi slider. Both were very good. Key lime pie was unimpressive. Actually, I wasn't impressed by hardly any desserts on the cruise except for the cheesecake topped with Alaskan blueberries we had one night in one of the main dining rooms. We ate in their other specialty restaurant, Signature, another night. Food was very unremarkable and not at all what I was expecting. Service was horrible. Casino was fun after we got some people to play craps. Entertainment was so-so. Read Less

We just returned from the June 26, 2016, Journey To The Arctic cruise on Voyager. This was my first cruise with RSSC since 2009, and my husband's first time. Overall, we had a great cruise because of the fabulous itinerary. Greenland was amazing, and we are so glad we got to see it. However, for a cruise that cost us $34,000, we had too many issues and these need to be addressed by Regent - by the way, we filled out all the comment cards on the cruise and no one reached out to us. - The room was in poor shape and we had a broken tv remote and a broken DVD player. Really disappointing for an upscale cruise line. I know the ship is going into dry dock, but for this amount of money, we shouldn't have walked on to a ship that felt run down. - When we called reception to have these items repaired, they said someone would be right up. An hour later no one had come by, so we called again. They sent our stewardess (what was she supposed to do?). She hit the DVD player really hard twice and said, "Yup, it's broken". We told them to forget about repairing it. But then a maintenance guy showed up after bedtime. Very poorly handled. - Service around the ship was very off. In the bars and restaurants, either the wrong drinks were delivered to us, no drinks were delivered to us, or it took a long time for drinks to be delivered. One night in the dining room, we asked for cookies & cream ice cream (which was not on the menu that night, but had been the previous night). They told us that it wasn't available. But then it showed up on the menu the next night. Dining room servers seemed rushed and disconnected. This was not a luxury experience. - Shore excursion desk was very disorganized. They had a very poor grasp on what was happening. In Isafjordur, were given tour tickets for a tour time that didn't even exist (around 1pm). That morning around 9:45am, we were leaving the room for breakfast. We saw tour tickets on our door and noticed that the tour time was for 9:50am, I believe. We went to the desk to ask about the afternoon tour and they said that a mistake had been made and there was no afternoon tour. They seemed annoyed that we were late for this morning tour. We were rushed off the ship without getting any of our belongings, with shore ex staff shouting at us, and showed up to the waiting group about 10 minutes late. Shore ex staff also left two guests behind at Godefoss Waterfall and blamed them for missing the bus, when it was she and the tour guide who miscounted. Very poorly-handled. We are not complainers, and take things in stride, but this cruise was off. I doubt we will return to Regent after this experience. Crystal and Azamara provide a much better product for the money. We walked away from the trip feeling a little ripped-off and a bit disappointed. Read Less

Regent - Mariner met all our high expectations. Service was great as was the food. We splurged a bit and had a butler (also came with a slightly larger room). He ( Ryan ) was also terrific and glad we splurged, but the trip would have been fantastic without the butler. The bathroom was elegant, the closet much bigger than we expected, service was prompt, the lectures (Terry Breen) were really helpful, informative and entertaining. The boat never felt crowded. Generally we were able to get a table ( dining or lounge ) where ever and when ever we wanted. We disembarked near Anchorage, and that was a bit frustrating as it was never clear where we would rendezvous with our luggage. One of our excursions was cancelled (it was an extra cost and not enough people signed up) which was disappointing but other excursions were available. We were due a refund and Regent was happy to refund with a ship credit (not!) or cash. Wish they had been able to send credit thru to charge card. Really enjoyed all the excursions. I would recommend and definitely go on another Regent cruise. Read Less

The Maiden Voyage of "The most luxurious ship ever built" should be so exiting and I was very exited. I have travelled with Regent many times and have always been more than happy with the ship and the service, after all you just want to be pampered and spoilt. I am sorry to say I feel neither of these emotions. The ship is gloomy with black marble everywhere plus black woodwork, paint, chairs, I could go on. Lights are dim glass in the windows at the front of the ship is tinted beyond you being able to truly see out of them. They have built some in your face suite that means you are unable to walk around the ship outside making the whole experience very claustrophobic. This is all subjective though, maybe it is just me that hates gloom. What is truly gloomy though is the appalling service in what Regent call their speciality restaurants. We had to wait over an hour for our main course and the whole sorry experience lasted 3 hours. Even if the food had been excellent this long to take over a meal is unacceptable. The food though was mediocre trying to be clever with food and merely ruining good ingredients. Regent should be looking after their first paying guests on this ship instead of pandering to the head honchos from Regent and their suppliers who are on board. They have shown utter contempt for their loyal passengers. Read Less