This was suppose to be a 5 star experience but it was anything but. They didn't go to two out of the 10 ports and only gave us $500 coupon for use another trip which we won't use. They had ending problems and didn't let us know that we were only running on 3 engines instead of 4. Missing two ports with useless compensation was not good. Won't be using Regent again. The shore excursions were below par. Disinterested guides and poor selection of places to visit and inform about. Excursions were too much riding in a bus and not enough walking and exploring, We think that Regent should have given us a cash refund for the 20% of the trip that we didn't get to experience. We have traveled on other cruise ships and had a much better experience. The entertainment was sub par with a cast that was just not up to entertaining on a 5 star ship. The food was good but not better than any of the other 7 cruises we have been on. Will not travel with Regent again. Read Less

Regent doesn't disappoint. From the excellent service to the comfortable stateroom, this is a first-class operation. We visited all of the key Greek destinations, and while some were far more tourist-y than others, the excursions that Regent offers made the most of all of the locations. Food was very good, there was the occasional miss but on a 22 night cruise there is bound to be one or 2 meals were the choice was just wrong. The service was excellent at all times, by the end of the first week, the bartenders and waiters all know us by name, and would serve up the right cocktail or wine without even asking. One bonus was that we were lucky to have a phenomenal guest speaker, Michael DiSpezio, aboard who prepared us with lectures for all of our upcoming ports of call. That made the stops that much more interesting and ensured that we knew what to look for. The only weaknesses were a cruise director who was not nearly as visible as the one we had last year, and a very WEAK lineup of nightly entertainment in the theater. That was offset by a good slate of entertainment in the various lounges. Read Less

This was our third cruise with Regent and the start of the recent television series in the UK on the ‘Explorer’ had put us in the mood for a luxurious break. We flew from LHR with BA which was fine, and our private transfer was waiting, all good. We were in a Concierge level suite so we had the free previous night’s accommodation included - and the ‘meet and greet’ at the hotel was well organised. While we could understand why Regent use the Divani Caravel Hotel from the point of view of the easy handling of a large number of cruise guests, 5 star it certainly wasn’t, particularly our room, which was small with old and scruffy furniture. The rooftop pool was good though, and you could see the Acropolis in the distance. Given Regent’s sales pitch, we would have expected a better hotel nearer the centre of the city. We were transferred to the ship by coach and the embarkation process was very quick, with helpful agents. Our suite was fine, very comfortable bed, everything worked - except the door to the balcony which we had to get an engineer to fix it so that my wife could open it – you would think the room steward might have spotted it first. Most of the staff were generally friendly and competent; the one exception were the barmen - they had clearly not seen the TV programme which says that ‘no’ is not an option. It’s a real first world problem, but if you want French dry rose wine to drink, to be offered Pino Grigio because the barman can’t be bothered to go and get the wine you want is not the way to go. Food in Compass Rose was excellent, and much better than we remember, but we can’t say the same for the buffet in Sette Mari. Keeping meat dishes hot seemed to be a problem, and flies dive-bombing the various cold dishes was quite common. The other new introduction for us was an evening barbecue on the deck in the middle of the cruise, and also a buffet on the last night. We were not impressed by either. We ate at both specialty restaurants, Chartreuse was really excellent, unfortunately Prime 7 was not and left a lot to be desired in all areas - decor (it’s so brown), very, very slow service and poor food quality. We had to ask several times to speak to the Maitre’D and his response when we managed to speak to him was poor. Even the table next to us hosted by the social host was suffering, she must have been very embarrassed - it needs a serious review. The ‘free’ tours we did were good, Istanbul particularly, though one or two of the stops did not really have much to offer. We saw some of the evening shows in the excellent theatre although content was standard cruise ship fare, but probably appropriate for the audience. The sea day was a disappointment, very few activities – you would think they could run another quiz at least. Our perception was that most of the passengers were Brits or Europeans, and the average age was 50/60. Talking with other guests it was clear that most of them restricted their cruising to the 6 Star lines, and that meant that they were less aware of some of the more ‘standard’ cruise lines suite offers – which in our view are better in many ways, particularly on facilities and service levels. We have been on over 70 cruises, on a variety of lines - Regent is not cheap, and in our view does not always deliver the 6 Star offer it should. Read Less

This was our first cruise. We chose this because we were told it was a 'luxury" cruise. A 10 day cruise of Mediterranean: Greece, Italy, and a bit of France. First of all Staff: A large number of the staff does not speak English well, we were really shocked by that. And while most are very nice, the restaurant director was a surprisingly rude (his manager was VERY nice), and a couple dealers in the casino were very rude. Food as a whole was mediocre, especially the variety. The Steak restaurant wasn't bad, and the Compass Rose was pretty good, and the buffet on the last night was good. We didn't go to two of our ports due to weather. No really fun fitness classes (spin class one day). I mean, come on! I feel like they cater to the elderly, and while there were a significant amount of folks over the age of 65 onboard, they still need to cater to others under that as well. Don't even get me started on the entertainment. For $25K we expected way more. I honestly can't imagine anyone on the cruise being that impressed to be honest. They should be ashamed of themselves for charging that much, with such mediocrity. Should have done Seabourne Read Less

I need to share the absolutely terrible experience my husband and I had on our recent Regent Voyager cruise – Return to Sorrento in October 2018. My husband and I had never take a cruise before so we didn’t quite know what to expect. We frequently travel and typically stay at 5 star hotels/resorts and have basically traveled the world. Because of our age (my husband turned 80 last year) we decided to try this cruise based on our friend’s recommendation and the fact that it’s becoming more and more difficult for us to travel like we have in the past. Also, we really wanted to visit Israel for my husband’s 80 birthday celebration and I personally wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast – both of which were on this specific itinerary. Our first disappointment was the condition of our penthouse suite. It was outdated, run down, dirty (the furniture was stained) and the bathroom was filed with mildew. The closet door was always opening and after several attempts at asking the crew to fix this, we finally just gave up. The tours were another major problem. They took us to complete tourist traps and to the worst restaurants in the cities. In Tel Aviv they charged us 10 Euros for a bottle of water and wasted time taking us to cheap trinket stores for shopping. The food on the ship was decent but looked nothing like the photos on their website. Every request I had was handled when I was already done eating my meal. The biggest disappointment was not being able to stop in Amalfi because of weather. I understand this was out of anyone’s control; however, the captain did not apologize and worse yet – they never reimbursed us for what we paid for the tour in Amalfi. Instead they gave us the same amount in shipboard credit and forced us to shop on the ship for things we didn’t need. It took 4 days to get our iPads/iPhones somewhat working after visiting IT several times. Lastly, once we arrived to our final port in Rome, we had to pull our own luggage out of storage and pull it all the way to our bus without any assistance from the crew. We literally felt like they threw us off the ship. In summary, we will never cruise with Regent again. The worst $30K vacation experience of our lives. Read Less

The itinerary. Also to try Regent. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed with the food, service, staffing. (Our cabin attendants were wonderful!!) Due to early excursions most of the days, we had room service which was very timely and hot; the one day we had a little time we went to main dining room, Arrived at 0815, had to flag down someone to seat us, waited for a server a while, finally ordered and it took until 0850 to receive our breakfast (excursion met at 0915) Food was not even warm, the dining room was not at all busy. Lunches at buffet were great, hot food, lots of variety, great pizza.......service was not the greatest there either, whether or not it was busy. We needed to catch a server's eye to get beverages many times Main dining room was OK....food needed to be much warmer, I had barely warm scallops, sides were not hot. We did complain and the chef did call us to apologise. Prime 7- nice atmosphere, excellent service food so so. Table for 6, 3 had steaks as ordered 3 did not Chartreuse - all was good Ship was OK Excursions were all outstanding! Our pre-cruise hotel was just OK Hotel Davina Caravel. Biggest problem was no US outlets, my husband uses a CPAP + phones needed charging. Fortunately the hotel store had 1 converter left in the store. That info should have been included in Regent information. I don't remember ever needing to write such a negative review Overall even with our issues, the itinerary and weather made it a wonderful 10 days Read Less

Cruise started and ended in Athens. The room was large considering it was a cruise.. balcony, sitting area , walk-in closet, shower and tub. Food was delicious- our favorite was the Compass Rose. Most mornings we had room service for breakfast because excursions were early. Everyone of the staff on the ship were very friendly. Loved the three man band that played any song you wanted in the lounge each night. They had other singers, dancers, pianists and full orchestra as well. All were very talented. The shore excursions were great... we only did the half day ones. All of the tour guides were very knowledgeable. Our favorite ports were Malta, Katakolo, Rhodes and Kusadasi. The afternoons we sat by the pool. We met lovely people from all over the U.S. Australia and United Kingdom. It was our first cruise .. my husband was hesitant to go. Now we can’t wait to cruise with regent again. Well worth the cost. Read Less

We chose Regent primarily because we wanted to try an all-inclusive cruise to see if they are worth the price and Regent got great reviews. Overall, we loved the boat and the crew. Service was generally off the chain good, but I wouldn't spring for a penthouse just to get a butler. Ours was wonderful, but really didn't do much that a good steward wouldn't have done. We just aren't that needy as travelers, but if you are, it might be a good spend. Getting on and off the boat was handled exceptionally well in our view. Not just at embark/disembark, but shore excursions. Literally, hundreds of people were moved smoothly and comfortably every morning. They were even handicapped that most of our ports were tendered, not docked, and the crew made it look easy. Food on the boat was generally good, but not as good as I expected, based on other reviews. I frequently found both fish and steaks over cooked. Other dishes like pasta and risotto leaned toward salty and over seasoned. There were certainly exceptions where fare exceeded all expectations. The French based Chartreuse was our favorite - we ate there twice on the trip and food was properly cooked and seasoned both times. Next, was the main dining Compass Rose, where the chef's specialty menu was usually the best. Especially, good were oxtail soup and herb crusted lamb rack. At the restaurant bottom for us, was the Prime 7 steak house. My medium rare filet was a hockey puck - over done, under seasoned, tough and dry. I do much better at home. The wife's halibut was likewise over and dry. This is not upscale dining. All drinks are included and the bartenders are fantastic! Some of the best bar service we've had anywhere. Drinks were just about perfect. What else? Let's pick nits - this is an "upscale" cruise line. The on board included wi-fi is useless most of the time. Lighting in the bathrooms is far too dim for 50 something eyes. The stateroom temperature is very difficult to control - going quickly from sticky to meat locker. The bottom line is always would you do a Regent cruise again. We talked to lots of Regent repeaters on the trip and we always asked them why Regent? Everyone, said first the all-inclusive concept. One price and you are done and you know that number long before you board. Second, great service is what brings customers back. For us the answer is YES. We will go with Regent again. It's worth the money. However, we stop short of many others who say they won't ever travel with anyone else. Read Less

We chose this Regent ship and cruise ,because of previous good experiences on the Voyager.. The ship is well appointed with very spacious and underused Public areas .[easy to find a quiet spot ] .The Library is very nice ! The activities are OK . The gym has nice new machines, however instruction in how to use them is lacking . Ports on this cruise were well chosen . [ Athens to Venice ]We particularly enjoyed Koper [Slovenia] and as well Kotor . Of course Venice is nice ,as usually ,however time there is short unless you stay over [ recommended for 1st time visitors]. Some of the shore excursions were a bit too long ,especially when there is rain . Two excursions during heavy rains [ Kryka ,Lake Bled] were downright treacherous . Some of the paths/steps were very slippery and an accident waiting to happen . Something else should have been figured out for those conditions! Disembarkation was a disaster [4 am ] .There were not enough crew available to give directions and we nearly got lost . Air scheduling on return was also a complete disaster [ Iberian Air ] and the plane was scheduled to be retired in 5 days . [not a good thought for Transatlantic flying ] It took 27 hours for us to get home from Venice ,which is very Unacceptable !! Dining is for the most part ,excellent . Prime is very good ,and had excellent service .Compass rose was outstanding for us, because several servers made it special [ Enrique ,Irfan and Rebecca!]. Lunch in Koper [Lake Bled] was very good , Kotor [Highlights of Montenegro ] lunch and restrooms bad. Chartreuse was not very good and perhaps too over the top on the menu . Entertainment was so- so . The onboard crew entertainment was somewhat amateurish and a tad repetitive . Naki Attaman ,the pianist was outstanding and the Violinist was also good . John Barron [cruise director did an entertaining show himself and has a good voice. Overall maybe 3-4 nights out of 9 or so. Service was mostly good . A glaring deficiency was the frequent lack of Wi Fi . We were sold a cabin with ""free Wi Fi "" ,however if it does not work; then money wasted and there should have been a REFUND!. The tech ,person was not overly friendly ,and the hours for assistance with Internet and computers were severely lacking . There should be two [2] The persons on board for I.T. Overall ,this cruise was not up to our expectations .The whole experience seemed a little "off" compared to prior cruises on the Regent Voyager . We would probably not use Regent ,again . Perhaps management needs a little boost ? Read Less

Regent Explorer October 11 - October 22, 2016 The pre-cruise hotel: The hotel was adequate but nothing that I would classify as “Luxurious”. The rooms, small and basic in design were clean and the baths modern. The Fitness Center was certainly not worth the additional fee of 20 Euro. The Divani Caravel is a tour bus hotel, not the luxurious hotel described in the Regent marketing collateral. The cruise check-in: Transportation to the ship was well organized. The check in process for the cruise was efficient and very straightforward. My cabin was available at 2:30 as I was told it would be upon boarding. In the meantime we enjoyed a beautiful lunch on the deck at La Veranda. The cabin: I booked a Concierge E suite, it is beautifully decorated, large and light, with a spacious closet (huge improvement over the Seven Seas Mariner) and storage to spare! The bath has double sinks and a tub/shower as well as a separate shower. The suite also features an oversized deck. The bed was so comfortable that I hated having to leave it in the morning! The restaurants: Each of the specialty restaurants are beautifully decorated and the main dining room Compass Rose has been retuned with dividers to offer a more private dining experience if desired. Table 93 was our favorite as we were a group of seven. The lighting fixtures, decor, table and glassware are all amazing and very different in each restaurant. The food, the wines, the staff, and the service can be summed up in one word, exceptional! The staff: I commend whoever does the hiring for Regent as the staff for both of the Regent cruises that I have been on has been excellent. It was great to recognize many staff from the Seven Seas Mariner aboard the Explorer. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and eager to make your time aboard a memorable one. This includes the officers, the room stewards/stewardesses, the waitstaff, the Canyon Ranch Spa employees, the Reception and Destination staff and virtually anyone I came in contact with. The spa: The Canyon Ranch spa is quite amazing! Located on Deck 6, both men’s and women's locker rooms open on to a private deck with an infinity pool. The locker rooms each contain an aromatherapy steam room, infrared sauna, a cold room and an experience shower (I am still not sure what that means). I recommend that you book your massage appointments well in advance of departure as they fill up very fast! I can’t recommend Stefan more highly! The gym is very well equipped with band new machines and cardio equipment, however the layout seems to have left a lot of wasted space and a better design could have made available more space for group classes. The culinary school: What fun! Highly recommended! In the class that I attended Executive Chef Kathryn Kelly taught us recipes from the Mediterranean together with wine pairings. These onboard classes prove that learning can be entertaining and FUN! The excursions: I am not an excursion person. My dislike of excursions was re-enforced on the first excursion that I took on Corfu. It was disappointing and no fun being trapped on a bus while listening to a tour guide who felt that even a moment of silence was a total waste! Corfu looked to be beautiful but this excursion to Achilleon Palace spent too much time at the Palace (over rated) and our time in old Corfu was far too short. I only did one more excursion and it was much better. The rating: My experience on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer has been wonderful. I cannot think of a thing that I would change or try to improve upon! If you are considering a cruise on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer you will not be disappointed! I rate it Five Stars and if I could I would rate it Six Stars! Read Less

Regsent have filled this fabulous ship with beautiful art and furnishings.The public area are spectacular.Our embarkation and check-in was quick.We chose a simple Deluxe Veranda Suite which was adequate in size and beautifully furnished with plenty of USB and electrical outlets.Smallish bathroom and good sized balcony.Those less mobile might consider a larger cabin.For us the ship had so much space and peaceful public areas we didn't have need for more elaborate cabin accommodation.By the way the Regent 'marshmallow' like beds are fabulous,and our cabin was always made up promptly and expertly. The everyday Compass Rose was our favourite restaurant which offered a wide and varied menu of our favourites including great steaks,lobster,Dover Sole etc.Speciality restaurants Chartreuse,Pacific Rim and Prime 7 all performed well for us but only as a change from the wonderful Compass Rose.Wines,spirits and great cocktails were plentiful and of high quality.Staff throughout our stay were fabulous.We had absolutely none of the problems that were mentioned in earlier reviews.Even our free internet always worked perfectly well all over the ship.But it's worth taking time to understand it's workings when you first log on.No streaming YouTube etc. Sun decks and pool area were immaculately setup with quality sun beds and great bar service.There were plenty of spare sun beds even at the busiest time during our day at sea! Tendering etc were perfectly executed.However I don't think Zadar is an appropriate destination for 5/6 Star guest in October for many many reasons,weather excluded. This is an expensive holiday,you are paying for space on a ship,as well as attention and an elegant ambiance.Enjoy. Read Less

This cruise was chosen because of the 7 day itinerary and at this time of year the temperature would not be too hot. My wife is very asthmatic so the temperature was a very important feature for us. The restaurant service and food were excellent so was the attention we received from all the restaurant and bar staff. Our cabin was kept beautifully clean and tidy by our cabin steward, so far everything was as we expected.. The down side was: terrible vibration from the propellers/engines at night time, we had to cancel three days shore excursions because we were too tired to go on them and had to sleep during the day. We did complain about the noise and were told "What noise" . We did find out from some staff members that technicians where onboard trying to rectify the problem and that there had been a lot of similar complaints, but reception staff still refused to admit there was a problem. The pool area is lovely and we would have enjoyed that if we could find empty seats where we did not have to endure the smoke coming from the smoking area at the pool side. My poor wife was coughing and choking with the smoke in this area which you could smell over a third of the seating area. A closed in area where everyone who smokers can enjoy fellow smokers poisonous fumes should be available. . The air conditioning in our suite was also not working despite our constant requests for this to be rectified it was not repaired There was rudeness from the reception desk when we asked when it would be working!! and to top the lot no water in the cabin to flush toilets or wash hands on the last night.. When it finally came through the taps the next morning it was a dirty brown/yellow colour. We passed on our morning showers and decided to wait till we arrived home later that day. Regent as far as we are concerned do not live up to their hype, they let themselves down by not admitting when there is a problem and encourage their staff to lie to you. The staff at reception areas can be very rude and choose to ignore your complaints over problems which you do not expect to have on a top end luxury cruise line. We will not cruise with Regent again, there are plenty of other excellent cruise lines out there who provide a good quality cruise experience and who listen to passengers with genuine complaints over lack of what should be the usual experience you would expect on a holiday, air conditioning, a good nights sleep, clean water when it finally comes through the taps and reception staff who pay attention to your problems not ignore them and lie to you! We are seasoned cruisers and usually have four cruise holidays a year so Regent you have lost yourselves two passengers who would have booked more cruise holidays with you ! Read Less

We chose this cruise for Regents reputation for luxury, fine cuisine and included excursions The luxury was lacking in many areas, poor dining service, indifferent desk staff, almost non existent daytime activities, and lack of decent live music were all areas they failed to live up to the hype. The newly refurbished public areas were elegant , as was our large deck 6 cabin, and embarkation and disembarkation were smoothly handled. Our cabin was a delight, elegant decor, large size and a decent bathroom were plus points, but we were unimpressed with the sea themed Occitan toiletries. I was astounded to find no body lotion was provided , a must on ships with the chlorinated water. Cabin service was excellent, as was the prompt room service, but service was indifferent in so many other areas. The ship had a large library with comfortable seating but limited book choice, The main dining room, Compasss Rose had some of the worst service we've experienced, even when only half full. We avoided this restaurant when we could, preferring the Italian themed Sette mare, using the same area as La Veranda. The latter was our lunchtime choice with salads and hot dishes on offer Food was of high quality, but portions were often over large , and vegetables only appeared on request. We were very disappointed to realise that the publicised caviar was remarkably lacking, 3 tiny spoonfuls were all we were offered during the entire cruise. I do not care for meat, but found the " pan fried" this or that boring, greasy and small portioned. Fine dining it was not! The pool area was delightful, but cruising waiters thin on the ground, unlike other luxury lines. There seemed to be few quiet spots, to just read or ocean watch, and avoiding cigarette smoke proved to be a challenge! Daytime activities were virtually non existent, if one was not on an excursion. The so called enrichment activity was a harsh voiced lecturer, talking about the middle eastern empires . The excursions were the highlight of this cruise, with interesting choices on offer, mostly in fairly small groups, which invariably had excellent local guides. We had booked one or two beforehand, and were welcomed to join excursions on the same day, a very pleasant surprise. Several excursions include a break for local foods and wines in pleasant locations and in Venice we were thrilled to ride in a gondola through part of the wonderful Grand Canal , Our one disappointment was Santorini, a lovely spot, but the excursion focused on the barren volcanic rock on the still erupting island mid caldera. It is unlikely we would sail with Regent Seven Seas again. The physical product is good, the ship was elegant, but the poor service in many areas let them down . We felt that this so called " premium" product was overpriced and simply offered poor value compared with other luxury lines Read Less

My wife and I traveled with another couple on a 10 day Mediterranean cruise aboard the Navigator. The ship was just reburbished earlier this year and was well done. We chose this cruise line due to the high end caliber advertised by Regent. We purchased a pent house level package which included business class air. The trip cost over $25,000. This Company is certainly not high end. The level of staff is very mixed, some great while others very inexperienced. We were very happy with the room. However, that's about the best thing that we can say about the trip. The problems started when our itinerary got changed and they never notified us. We found out on our own. As such, we had to changes our travel dates. Then Regent put our friends and us on different flights. It was quite a challenge battling them to get us on the same flights. We booked our Athens hotel with Regent. They charged us a fee for the bus ride from the hotel to the ship without telling us that there was a charge. We got a bill for the bus ride a week into the cruise. Once on the ship, we were surprised to see that the average age of the guests was about 75 years old. We are in our early 50's and were by far some of the youngest folks on the boat. As such, the dining, entertainment and excursions were catered to that senior age group. Dining was by far the worst experience of the cruise. The 2 main restaurants on the ship cannot handle the volume of the guests for at-will seating. We had to wait nearly every night to get a table. The average wait was 30 to 40 minutes and they do not take reservations. Once you were seated, it was not uncommon for slow service. There were times that we waited 30 or more minutes to have our order taken. There is a specialty restaurant that you are entitled to reserve dinner for at least one evening. That restaurant is very nice. However, they never had another availability for us during the entire trip. The food is mediocre at best. It is not the great cuisine on other cruise lines. Specifically, the food had no taste and was not cooked properly. I think they try to cater to a diabetic and bland diet. I will say that they tried their best to accommodate my gluten free issue. The excursions were arduous and got more frustrating the further you got into the trip. As they were slow moving getting the folks tendered off the ship and then on the bus. The average group size was about 30. It would take the poor guide a long time to get the folks off the bus, then to the bathroom, then get on with the tour. So a lot of valuable time was wasted on bathroom breaks etc. That's tough to swallow when the tour is on a tight schedule of only 4 or 5 hours. It generally left us with no time for lunch at a port or any free time. Overall, the cruise fell far short and was not nearly worth the large dollars spent. Hence the low rating when considering the value for the money. I attempted to discuss my issues with guest relations. However, they do not let you speak to a live person. You must email guest relations. I emailed them on September 29, 2016 with 4 pages of compliments and complaints. I requested that I speak to a "live" person to discuss my issues. They never responded to my email. I called Regent on October 25, 2016 (27 days later) and attempted to get a customer service or guest relations employee to speak with. I just got voice mails. I finally got a live person when I selected the option to book a new cruise. I explained my situation and he said that I would get a response soon. So I received a canned letter today that did not acknowledge any of my issues and thanked me for taking the time to give them feedback. Very impersonal! My experience with this Company is that they do not live up to the high end caliber that they hold themselves out to be. You don't even get to speak to a real person. They simply do not appear to care about former guests. Read Less

We were a party of 4 and had cruised on Azamara,Oceania and various other cruise lines.An opportunity presented itself to try Regent so this is our review.The package was booked through Regent with flights with BA from local airport which were stress free to Athens.We booked a GTY de-luxe balcony suite but were upgraded to concierge.We were on Dk.8 FWD.It was noticeable that there was quite a lot of vibration at the aft end of the ship which has been reported in other reviews. The suite was spacious with all the amenities you would expect for this grade.All the crew were polite and looked after you with nothing begin to much trouble to them. We had booked 8 tours at the different ports which are included in the price and all were well organised and were very good. Free wi-fi was available,but if you had difficulty logging on there was a computer man on hand who was excellent in solving your wi-fi problems and made sure you were connected. "Now some of the not so good points". SHOWS: All the artists who came on board were very good,however there was 4 production shows with 3 of them just average and the last one begin very good.The singers were typical cruise artists,but the dancers were very good. FOOD: The food in all the restaurants was very good but the disappointment was the desserts which were bland and not to a standard of other competitors. TO SUM UP would we travel wih Regent again,yes we would provided the price was right. Read Less

We took a 10 day Regent Mariner cruise from Athens August 28 to Barcelona Sept. 6. First time on Regent and I have nothing but good things to say about this cruise line and this ship in particular. I chose this line because it only had 700 passengers (do not believe it was completely full)alcohol , all excursions were included, all inclusive (food and beverages included) and no tipping necessary (unless you wanted to do it). We were upgraded to 1052 by the cruise line and the veranda suite was wonderful. Plenty of room for everything to be unpacked and luggage stored away. The steward and stewardess always took care of any needs or requests and had our room in ship shape condition when we returned from excursions/or after dinner. We celebrated a big anniversary while on board and came back to dinner to find our room had been decorated with rose petals, a sign and balloons decorating our suite. My husband asked if they could bring him a special beer and all of a sudden a 6 pack was in our room ready for the mini refrigerator (it was stocked everyday with soft drinks, beer, and water. Food service is wonderful. We enjoyed their breakfast o the back of the ship and enjoyed the views while eating. They have 2 specialty dinner venus (make reservations ASAP) as they do fill up fast and only allow 1 reservation per venue. We really enjoyed the 2 regular dining rooms that were available. No reservations required and show up when you want to have dinner. Great service by all the personnel who seemed to be well trained in food service.The menus varies each evening and offered a large variety of food choices. We were treated first class. I definitely would consider taking this ship again and was reasonably surprised by everything about this ship. We met 2 other couples during an excursion and enjoyed many laughs and great dinners with them on the cruise. There also seemed to be repeat customers on this ship. That to me is a great testimony to this cruise line. I have one complaint: they could use more washer/dryers on the ship as many times there were people waiting to use these amenities (another nice touch which we were able to use). Read Less

Food: Absolute non memorable in anyway. The eggs served are classified with a number 3 stamps meaning these are battery cage eggs. Nowadays these eggs are strictly forbidden in the EU but apparently Regent knows her way to get them on-board serving this animal cruelty eggs to her passengers. The above only states the way Regent is looking at food quality, animal welfare and at cutting costs. The overall impression of the food is mediocre at his best. Most items are cheap and tasteless. The selections (especially at breakfast) are poor and the same every day with no change at all. We can’t really think of one thing we ate that was memorable or very good. The best place to eat on the ship is Prime 7 where most of the food is ok to good. For the rest of the ship (with Compass Rose being the worst) the food is cheap, tasteless, non memorable and simple. Complementary wines are also very simple and cheap. To give you an idea. One of the so-called premium wines (the ones that have to be paid for extra) was a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This “Cloudy Bay” is sold in the supermarket over here for € 6,= per bottle. Regent sell this one for US$ 60, = on-board. It only goes to say what the quality is of the “free” wines served. Poor in every way. Service: Majority of the staff is cheap labour from poor countries. Most of them are very friendly and trying to do their best. Major problem is them only a very few of them are trained for the hotel business and almost all of them miss the proper education to give a real 5 star service. They seem to not know anything about etiquettes or class. On top of that the service is very spotty and extremely disorganised. It’s almost impossible to take a seat at one of the dinning places without having at least 3 but mostly at least 5 people asking you if you want water. Despite telling them you don’t water, within a few seconds the next waiter is asking for water. This will repeat on and on without any exception. We mentioned this to one of the Maître’s and the responded advising that they considered this as good service instead. For us however it has nothing to do with good service however. It’s a clear sign of how disorganised things are and at the end no one really knows what the other one does. It’s a lack of clear and good leadership. Cabin: Just ok. It’s of a proper size but cannot be called a suite in anyway. The cabins seem to be very used and are in need of a refurbishment and proper, deep cleaning. When we arrived the air-conditioning did not work properly. We mentioned this at 15:00 for the first time and after 7 more attempts to have this solved, at 21:30 nothing was solved yet and the temperature was still 24,5 degrees Celsius. We then went to the hotel manager who, after visiting our cabin, stated that nothing was wrong and that this was the normal temperature. He offered us a FAN in the cabin and promised that things would be checked once more the next morning to see if the temperature dropped. This should be the case, as nothing was wrong. The next morning however they checked again and nothing had changed with the cabin still being very hot. Then the head engineer arrived once more and we were told that all of sudden they discovered a major problem in the main unit and that it would take the whole morning to solve the problem. And indeed, after hours without any air-conditioning at all, the system was started up and now the airco was working properly. No excuses were given at all. Despite the promise in their brochure, the bed is NOT European KING size and the promised amenities are not all there. Furthermore the slippers are not cotton (as promised) but synthetic and the abundant flowers shown in the brochure is a poor twig only once on board. Overall: We feel that Regent is not delivering a ultra deluxe experience at all. It’s not coming close to the acclaimed 6 stars at all. It’s not even 5 stars but mostly it’s a trimmed and upgraded version of Princess Cruises coming close to 4 stars at it’s best. For the prices asked this is a real laugh and ridiculous. We had a very good deal at the end, but if you’re about to pay more than € 500,= per night (for 2 people together, so 250, each) you will face, in our opinion, a complete rip off. We are seasoned travellers sailed on all major luxury lines, including Silversea, Crystal, Hapag Lloyd, Azamara, etc and for us Regent preforms far below the standard of all those others.   Read Less

This was the best cruise I've ever taken, and I didn't find anything unexpected to complain about. The May weather was excellent. The only rain was while I was indoors on embarkation night and at the airport after debarkation. The waters were extremely calm. There were so many shore excursions to choose from that I feel I could take the same cruise again, choose different excursions, and have an almost completely different vacation. Almost all the local tour guides were excellent. There were almost never any lines and it was quieter than my expectations. There were always loungers available at the pool. The four shows which featured all the dancers were excellent. The food and restaurants were excellent. The only problems I had were with the pool grill, room service, and the omelet station were not unexpected and I believe had to do with language differences and having to serve so many people. I was also surprised that Coffee Connection had no chai tea since it is so popular. The most well-attended activities were the trivia contests. Activity points were given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners and could be redeemed for nicer prizes than any other cruise I have been on. I was disappointed that there were no lectures about the ports even though I had read a lecturer had previously been selected. The boutique was expensive, but I did find enough there to use up my onboard credit. The staff was extremely polite and almost unnecessarily apologetic at times. There passengers were just as courteous as the staff. Regent made my air arrangements and the seats and timing were good, flying Austrian there and Lufthansa back. I would estimate the average age of passengers to be 55-75, although there were a larger number of people than I expected in their 20's. As for children, I noticed only 1 preschooler and 2 teens. The gym and laundry facilities were good, and I noticed you could finish your business there even after their closing hours. It would be hard to switch to another cruise line after this experience. So will I go again? Maybe. I do like to do different kinds of vacations and it was more expensive than I am used to for vacations. But I did get what I paid for on this vacation. Read Less

We have sailed on the Mariner before, but the atmosphere on this cruise ( Empires of Antiquity) seemed to be more relaxed and organized. Perhaps it was due to Captain Felice Patruno and Cruise Director, Lorraine Weimerskirch. We've been sailing on the Seven Seas ships since 1992 and this is the first cruise with Captain Patruno and Lorraine. The crew seemed to be very happy with their jobs and to be on the Mariner. The included wines were some of the best that we have had on a cruise ship. Chef Kelly Osborne came around each evening to ensure that guests were happy with their meals. Embarkation and Disembarkation were a breeze. Tours were well planned and organized in that you were given a time to meet in the Constellation Theater where you turned in your tour ticket and were given a bus ticket and waited for your number to be called. There was never a mass push or crowd in the theater. We had cabin 934 that was mid ship. Ports included Athens, Santorini, Aghios Nikolaos on Crete, Haifa, Ashdod (overnight), Limassol, Cyprus, Antalya, Turkey, Rhodes, Ephesus, and Istanbul. While some of the ports were repeats for us, there was enough new ports. For example, Santorini was a repeat, but the archaeological site of Akrotiri has re-opened and should not be missed as it dates back to the Minoan period. On Crete (Aghios Nikolaos (new), we visited the Palace of Knossos. While the site could have been interesting, there were just too many people (cruise ships in) that one couldn't move or the lines to see something were horribly long while standing in the hot sun. To view this site, one should go in the off season for cruise ships. Jerusalem (Haifa) was a repeat for us, but a visit to Zippori National Park (well worth it) and the Golan Heights was new. From (Jerusalem) Ashdod, we visited the Old City (repeat) and nothing new there, but if you haven't visited the Old City, one should do so. At the end of this tour though, we stopped at a shop that was a total rip off so no one bought anything. An example, the shop owner talked to us and showed us some of the items that he had available for sale at a discount. The Ahava products he said were 50% off. I like Ahava products and took a look. At 50% off, a serum was full retail price! Some discount!!!!! Another tour from Ashdod took us to Caesarea National Park that has the ruins from the city that Herod designed and developed that shouldn't be missed as the site is well preserved and beautiful right on the sea where one could take a quick dip during the brief free time (extra cost for this) as there is a changing area at the site. As part of the tour, we drove through Tel Aviv that is nothing special and stopped in Jaffa for lunch at an Arabic restaurant that could have been good except for the packed in tables that had no elbow room and the rip off for a beer ($6) or glass of wine $8. The cost was not disclosed until they came around to collect. Limasosol, Cyprus (repeat) - Pafos - New to us was a visit to the Tombs of the Kings (not really) that were very interesting in that the tombs were those of wealthy families that were underground and as large as some homes and as palatial. From Pafos we continued on to the House of Dionysis to view the mosaics that was a repeat for us. So much more has been excavated since our last visit that we were very happy that we chose this tour. Antalya, Turkey (repeat) -Perge & Aspendos - Our tour took us to the ancient ruins of Perge (new to us). One can view the ruins of the Hippedrome and the city that has been beautifully excavated and work is continuing. At the site, one can visit the bath house and see the remains of marble, mosaics, and the plumbing and heating systems. It's really hard to imagine how construction of these old cities were completed without heavy equipment. The theater of Aspendos that we had visited on a previous trip to Antalya is even more impressive than our last visit. Rhodes (repeat) - touristy and nothing new here. We repeated a tour of the Grand Master's Palace. One should note that on Rhodes public toilets are almost non existent and if you find one, they are Eastern style, you need your own toilet paper, and a clothes pin for your nose. Ephesus (repeat) and the Terrace Houses (new to us) - Wow! It's definitely worth a visit to the Terrace Houses and to see the discoveries, how they are putting the pieces of the puzzle together, the sheer size of some of the homes, and the frescoes! Well done! On this visit too we were able to visit the ancient toilets and the inside of the library. Istanbul - Prior to the cruise we spent 4 days in Istanbul at the Millennium Suites (highly recommend) in the Sultanahmet district and walking distance to the Topkapki Palace, Hagia Sofia, and the Blue Mosque that's always a pleasure to see before flying over to Athens (King George Palace - highly recommend) for a few days before joining the ship. Restaurants to try in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul are Magnaura Café restaurant that is across the street from the Millennium Suites and the Albura Kathisma Café (many thanks to Dremehmet, our waiter, for an enjoyable evening) that is just up the street. At Albura, be sure to ask to view the hidden Palace. If you want a food factory dining experience, rather than a quiet meal, try Develi Restaurant in the Samatya district. This restaurant can serve 700 meals at a time, service is rude, but the food is very, very good. Restaurants to try in Athens are Strofi and Dionysos that have outside dining with magnificent views of the Acropolis. While in Athens we stayed at the King George Palace. Check Trip Advisor for reviews of the above restaurants and hotels. We chose the ship's tour and transfer to the Istanbul airport for $149 each that was well worth it as Regent helped us through security and with the luggage. At the Istanbul airport one goes through security first with your luggage. then you go to drop off your luggage and get your boarding pass. Then you go through security again! We're not critical and the entertainment. On this cruise it was all, in our opinion, very good and thankfully no jugglers or magicians.   Read Less

Having done 20+ cruises before, this was a first time trying a luxury level of cruise, at a huge premium. We were expecting to be pampered and have staff attending to our needs at all times ... boy, did they fall down on the job. We did a Celebrity Constellation cruise right after the Regent cruise (back-to-back); both were 12 nights and both in the same part of the world. We did not take Regent's air nor hotel night before the cruise, so the price paid for cruise only can be compared, both with verandas (Concierge Class in Celebrity).Regent cost almost exactly 3x the price. For that, we got a much bigger (and nicer) suite, open bar for standard drinks and shore excursions. What we didn't get was quality or even adequate service, consistent quality food, good wines (only border line acceptable or worse), quality bar drinks (bad mixology), good espresso drinks, good entertainment or a holiday experience. For about $600 on Celebrity, you get a standard drinks package which provides BETTER wines, better mixology and way better espresso drinks. Heck, our all-inclusive Celebrity Xpedition cruise last year in the Galapagos was way more fantastic for service, attention to the guests and even just the fun factor on a very non-luxury cruise ship. Bottom line, we did not get anywhere close to the value we expected paying 3x the price over Celebrity as a baseline comparison. The crew were terrible (worse than any others we've experienced) in understanding English properly/adequately, or even just performing to provide coffee, deliver a menu, pour water, what have you. They all seem to be very busy like bees buzzing but not really serving the customers ... never mind about the wrong orders, or slow orders and missed stuff. After 2 1/2 days, we totally gave up on the main dining room because of poor service and mediocre food and stuck with the 3 specialty restaurants (if we could get a reservation, but at least 1 did not require reservations, Sette Mare, so that was always an option). The senior management tried hard to make up for the poor service and various problems, but they could only do so much. The steakhouse Prime 7 was the best place to eat, with Sette Mare 2nd best. It really bothered me that a wine list could not be had in order to choose some wine, except for the pay premium wines (no problem there to get a wine list). They always pushed the featured wines of the day (1 red and 1 wine). I only drink red wine, and the red was always sub par/border line drinkable. To get anything else, they had to leave the restaurant to get it and of course I had to dream up what else I might want to drink, such as a Malbec, or a Cabernet from such and such a place (maybe), a Pinot Noire perhaps from somewhere else ... but I had to make the suggestions. Their sommeliers are a joke as they are only trained on the wines carried on board, they are not properly trained/experienced sommeliers. This was truly frustrating and upsetting how this worked on a "luxury" cruise ship. Their mixed drinks were also terrible, i.e. poor mixology even for a rum punch or other basic drinks ... especially their mojitos which I tried several times. (When I switched to Celebrity cruise after Regent, it was a relief to get proper mixed drinks and decent wines without paying a premium.) The in-house entertainers (dancers/singers) are young 20 year old amateurs and they perform double duty running events for the cruise director. The in-house aerialists (a man & a women) were quite good but only seen about 3 times during the cruise. The brought-in feature entertainers were much better but only used about half the evenings, otherwise only in-house entertainers or no show at all. The house show band was not that good (passable) - seemed to play as individuals rather than together as one. Generally speaking, the ship seemed like a ghost ship ... where was everybody? Other than dinner time and show time in the theatre, it was hard to find people. And generally, there isn't much to do ... not much on the agenda on board. It is so quiet ... not even music around the pool. If you like to do very little and not see too many people at all, this is the cruise line for you (if you don't mind paying a huge premium for passable food, wine, bar and poor service). TV choices were poor and minimal for English language (pretty much News & sports only). Some of the ship's channels had the same program running non-stop for 12 days (pretty annoying). The TV remotes were rather awkward to use and had to be pointed to a box above and to the right of the TV (rather than at the TV itself). The only good thing here was free in-room movies, of which there was something like 169 choices ... way too many to go through. The TV picture quality on these flat screens was not that good, surprisingly. Room steward was OK but nothing to rave about. Never offered bar setup (eventually I asked for something)nor did he replace used drink/wine glasses. When I called for assistance one evening around 10 pm, the phone system sent a page to whomever was on call, but did not receive any response - how great is that! As a separate issue, my wife got terribly sick after the 1st night's evening meal because they had slipped some apple into the desert even though we told the special meals captain (or whatever he was called) that she had allergy to gluten and apples and he promised to communicate this to the wait staff. When I returned to the restaurant to challenge what they had served her that evening, we deduced that it must have been apple instead of gluten that she consumed ... but with this knowledge that they screwed up, there was no one there to make sure she was alright (no inquiries or anything) nor any attempt to make up for it somehow. She was sick the whole night until early morning and obviously this had a terrible impact on the next day, which was our first port of call (Santorini). We made the best of it without their help. We feel this was a terrible mistake to waste so much money on this "luxury" cruise and highly recommend to stick with other using premium cruise lines such as Celebrity or Azamara and just pay for the drinks and tours you want either a la carte or with an add-on package. Regent is way over priced for an inferior product overall (on many levels). What's good: The suites are fantastic; the ship design is nice; a good size pool; very few children (like 2); spa services; restaurant senior management & senior staff desire to satisfy & serve (to overcome the shortcomings of regular staff); Prime 7 and Sette Mare restaurants What's passable: shore excursions (some good, some not so good), food overall, Signatures restaurant, room steward What's not good: most everything else! ... bar, wine, activities, shows, atmosphere, port disembarkation, restaurant servers, activity staff (the entertainers), shop attendants, bartenders, coffee (especially espresso) Read Less

We are in our late-40's and have travelled extensively to a number of 5-star destinations in North America and the Caribbean - we have high standards for our vacations! This was only our 2nd cruise and we were a bit nervous because our first cruise experience (Royal Caribbean) was only mediocre. Instead, our 10-day "Aegean Allure" cruise aboard the Mariner was totally above and beyond all of our expectations. On-board, the attention to detail and excellence was almost mind-numbing. The food was delicious, perfectly-presented and plentiful - at first we were a bit concerned about having only 2 dinners at the reservation restaurants (Steakhouse and French) but the food/service in the 2 non-reservation restaurants, especially the main Compass Rose, was so excellent that it totally didn't matter!). Drinks were as advertised (all-inclusive and plentiful: many different premium beers from around the world available and all top-shelf liquor - I asked for a bottle of Grey Goose to be delivered to our suite and it was there an hour later). Our room was spacious and beautifully appointed - the walk-in closet was awesome. Tons of space throughout the ship - never felt crowded. Theatre and casino provided great entertainment opportunities. Off the ship, the ports we visited were unbelievable - couldn't have asked for a better itinerary. We did only 2 of the Regent Choice excursions (where you pay extra) and 7 of the free/included ones - all of the trips were extremely well-organized and staged in order to minimize time in line-ups etc. Our guides were obviously elite ones with tremendous knowledge and passion. We also never had to stand in line at any of the sites - our guides just wisked us to the front of the lines! Anyone who is critical of this ship and Regent either has impossibly high standards or has an axe to grind. This is true 6-star cruising and worth every penny of the cost! Read Less

This was our 18th cruise and was everything and more than we expected. Those who have had bad comments about the Mariner in other reviews should be ashamed of themselves. We sailed on The Mariner on July 8 on a 10 day cruise (Aegean Allure), Athens to Istanbul. This was our first so-called luxury cruise. The ship was wonderful even though it was much smaller than the mega-ships, there was more than enough deck space, public areas, bars, restaurants, without the crowds and waiting lines on bigger ships. Never a wait on buffets or sit-down restaurants. The Prime 7 Steakhouse and Signatures restaurants were as good as any 5-Star restaurant in the world and the Compass Rose and Sette Marie were also excellent. The service throughout the ship by all staff was tremendous. Twice during the cruise we ordered bottles of vodka and it was delivered to our cabin completely gratis. The cabin was spacious with a walk in closet and large bathroom with ample sitting areas. The balcony was large enough to have dinner served, course by course, on three of the evenings that we chosee not to go to one of the restaurants. Service was prompt and the food was delicious. The free tours were on time and well organized and meaningful. Even though the price seemed high, when compared to non all inclusive cruise, the overall price was well worth it. You get so much more in comparison, that the extra price for everything included comes out cheaper. Hats off to Regent Seven Seas for being "The Best of The Best" at sea! Read Less

I booked this cruise because of a conference onboard and also wanted to see what 6 star cruise experience is like. The chance to visit the Black Sea was also an attraction. I added the business class upgrade to Athens and from Istanbul because of the long flight from the west coast of North America. It was well worth the $999 each way. They flew us there on KLM and back on Delta. We were met at Athens airport by RSSC representative and a dozen of us were sent by bus to the Divani Caravel Hotel. They had a hospitality desk at the hotel that handled our questions. Arrangements to take us to the ship the next day was very smooth. Check-in was very efficient as their staff handled one bus at a time and the buses arrived at staggered times. We were treated to a buffet lunch with white table cloth once onboard since the suites were not ready until 2:30 p.m. We booked a guaranteed Suite F but was "upgraded" to Concierge Suite D on Deck 10. The suite was the same size as a mini-suite on larger ships but the layout was very functional. There was a walk=in closet and the bathroom was good size. Even though there was no bathtub, the shower was quite large and the shape of the bathroom made everything very convenient. The bed was an European King size bed that had a plush pillow top. The mini-bar was stocked with water, soda and beer (no extra charge). Balcony was fair size with two bamboo chairs and an ottoman. Cabin service was good as expected. I experienced neck and back pain for the first three nights and figured that it was because the bed was too soft. The cabin stewards managed to firm up the bed when I mentioned the problem and the pain went away.Now about the "upgrade". According to RSSC, the cabin upgrade only included the items in the cabin, so the in-room coffee-maker and binoculars were not removed. However, items that would cost them such as 30 minutes of internet, 15 minutes of phone call, 10% off premium wines were not included. In most other cruise lines, when there was a cabin upgrade, the passenger would get all of the benefits of the upgraded cabin. The food service was one of the selling points of the Mariner. I was impressed with the food service overall but there were minor exceptions. Each passenger was able to pre-book one night at Prime 7 (steak house) and Signatures (French restaurant). I managed to book an extra night at Signatures once I was onboard. I spent the first night at Sette Mari, the Italian restaurant on Deck 11. It was a buffet appetizer setup with pasta and main course prepared to order. We were fortunately to be served by two Italian waiters and they made the experience very authentic. I ordered a bottle of Italian wine from the premium wine list as it was good value compared to home. Compass Rose was their main dining room with no reservation needed. It opened at 6:30 p.m. and there was always room. Food was also very well prepared and presented. I spent two nights at Signatures and tried the various dishes. All dishes were well prepared and service was excellent. The only minor glitch was the food at Prime 7. I ordered a prime rib and my wife ordered a fillet mignon. The meat was not tender at all but the preparation was fine. Wines were included and they had a good selection of each varietal of white and red each night. These would be good valued wines that was appropriate for dinner. I did ordered a few more times from the premium wine list as there were some good values. Some excursions were included and I did not pay extra for the special ones. They were all well-organized and the local tour operators were all quite good. The ship would hand out bottled water and umbrellas before each tour. Besides those mentioned the Port Reviews, we also visited Sochi (Russia), Sevastopol (Ukraine), Constanta (Romania) and Nessebur (Bulgaria).The entertainment was good with three production shows (six dancers, two singers, pair of ballroom dancing champions, pair of specialty dancers and a eight piece orchestra). There were also a guest comedian and a pair of guest entertainers. There was always room in the Constellation Theater. That brings me to the atmosphere on the ship. There were 700 guests on the ship but it felt very quiet. On the sail-away party on deck, there was a band playing for less than 100 guests. I was wondering where everyone was. There was no line-up at the breakfast and lunch buffet. One could always find a table to sit. The lounges were quiet most of the time. The casino was mostly empty whenever I looked in. The boutique had limited selection of merchandize. There was no photographer onboard. I met a lot of new friends on the cruise and a lot of them were repeat clients of RSSC. In fact, half of the guests were returning clients. Fellow guests were always courteous and warm. Those who had 7 to 11 RSSC cruises under their belts gave me a lot of helpful hints. This was definitely a cruise for those who like a more serene type cruising, no crowd, no hurries and little noise. Disembarkation was breeze. We went to the Constellation Theater at the appointed time and were sent off the boat right the way after they checked off our names. The cruise fare also included transfers to the airport and we were taken to the airline check-in counter by a RSSC representative. The RSSC claim about all-inclusive fare was delivered. They gave each passenger a $100 shipboard credit to be applied against the cost of the Turkish visa needed to leave Istanbul by air. So I did not pay extra except for the premium wines that I ordered and the internet usage. Read Less

First let me begin by saying that this was our honeymoon and we could not have asked for a more perfect, special trip than sailing with Regent for celebrating our marriage. We have cruised before, but this was our first time sailing with Regent. We were on the 10 day Mediterranean sampler from Athens to Barcelona. I will try to keep this as organized as possible while still hitting all of the high points, although I am afraid it will be quite long so bear with me: Pre Cruise Hotel: We stayed at the Divani Caravel in Athens. It was not a 5 star hotel, as advertised, but was adequate for our needs as we were not in the room all that much. I used the fitness center in the morning and was charged 12 euros. In addition, I asked if that fee was per room so that my husband could also go, but was told that it was per person. I thought that this was extremely excessive. Regent provided breakfast free of charge in the hotel's main dining room which was lovely. Embarkation: We boarded in Athens just past noon. Everything went very smoothly and we were greeted with champagne and told our rooms would be ready around 3pm so we headed to La Veranda for lunch. For the rest of the afternoon, we read on the pool deck in the very comfortable lounge chairs. Our rooms were ready at 2:30 so we headed there to un-pack. Our Suite: We were in room 850 in the standard Deluxe suite. We were pleasantly surprised at how much room there was, especially the bathroom and closet. I loved the bathrobes, as I had forgotten mine at home, and thought they were very comfortable. Upon arrival, there were 2 chilled glasses of champagne and a wonderful tiramisu wishing us a "Happy Honeymoon," which I thought was a nice touch. There was also fresh fruit and flowers, as well as the diet tonic water and bottle of Grey Goose that I had pre-requested. The balcony was fantastic and adequately spacious; we enjoyed it most evenings and mornings. We had one of the suites with the shower and tub—I understand most on the Mariner now have shower only. My husband is about 6'3 and his showers were cramped to say the least so next time we will request a suite with the standing shower. Our steward, Carlo, was fantastic and was always quick to deliver anything we requested. For instance, I asked if there was any Sprite Zero on board and he brought a whole six pack within the hour. Also, we had a standing reservation for a bottle of white wine, shrimp cocktail and a cheese plate each afternoon, which was delivered there like clockwork. Halfway through the trip, we received another "Happy Honeymoon" treat which was the same as the first but we had no complaints! Excursions: I can't comment on this much, as we only took two. The first was to Ephesus, which was ok, but I will be the first to tell you that I cannot stand guided group tours so I eventually wondered off on my own. Secondly, we took the boat excursion to Positano from Amalfi. We really enjoyed this especially the boat ride approaching Positano by sea—the views were amazing and I believe that Positano was my favorite stop. Once the boat docked, we were allowed 1 ½ hours of free time, which I felt was much too limited and I was disappointed at not having more time there. We did take advantage of all of Regent's transportation to the cities. We took the Roma Express excursion to Rome, which dropped us off near St. Peter's which worked out so well to do the Vatican right off the bat. We also took the coach ride into Florence which dropped us off in the middle of the city and we wandered all day and then were picked up in the same place. We were really impressed with these transportation options through Regent since some of the destinations were quite far away and they still allowed us to travel there safely and efficiently but also explore on our own. Dining: First let me say that we thought the food was fantastic. We had room service for breakfast almost every morning and it was almost always delivered on time (always at the beginning of the time slot) and was hot and well prepared. Only mishap was the salt/pepper were forgotten three or four times, as well as some various other items from time to time but nothing major. We also enjoyed breakfast in La Veranda, especially the made to order egg station and fresh fruit! We ate in Prime 7 twice and it was fabulous both times. The first we just kind of wandered in on our way into Compass Rose and found that we could get a table for 2—it was a wonderful surprise evening and the food was delicious!! I am almost ashamed to admit that we ordered several appetizers and sides, as well as a surf and turf for each of us...dessert too! We went back a second time for our reservation and it was just as fabulous and we over-indulged just as much as the first time. We really liked Signatures, although the portions were very small. We thought the menu was very diverse and a nice change from everyday fare. We ordered escargot and frog leg risotto, both which were outstanding and the veal and lamb for entrees—delicious! The crème brulee was to die for! We really thought that Signatures was more of a one-stop place so we did not attempt to go again, although it was fabulous. We ate most other meals in Compass Rose and always found something to our liking. We thought the service in CR was just as good in Prime 7 or Signatures every night and we never waited long for food or service. I really liked the Canyon Ranch menu, especially on nights that I was feeling a little guilty about over-indulging—I very much appreciated that they had options for those who were trying to cut back or just eat a little healthier. We had the buffet at La Veranda one night and I was not impressed. It just had too much of a mass food approach and the service was frenzied and disorderly. However, we made the best of it and were able to find a few selections that we both liked. We ordered from CR one night for room service, as we were just staying in. It was delivered course by course, all just as hot and well-prepared as could be found in the dining room. We frequented the Coffee Connection and the cappuccinos and cookies were lovely—just what we needed after a long day in port! They had a BBQ the second to last night aboard and it was fantastic. The food was outstanding, even though there was so much you could not even attempt to try it all! The wine was almost always to our liking, but if we ever found it unsatisfactory, we asked for something different and it was always provided. The only thing I wish that Regent would implement is a sushi bar, or at least have it regularly at one or more of the restaurants—we absolutely love sushi and found only a one generic roll on the buffet at the farewell BBQ. Entertainment: We did not attend too many shows, but we did go to Mariner du Soleil and it was fantastic! The performers and acrobats were noticeably of a very high caliber and we were very impressed. We also went to the farewell show in which the crew gets to perform and we were very impressed and it was nice that the crew got to have a little fun and be shown some much deserved appreciation by us and fellow guests. We were in the casino most nights and found it very lively and entertaining—always a competitive craps or blackjack table! We actually came out ahead! Most of the lounges were quite dead after dinner, but that is probably to be expected on such a port intensive cruise. They had a few wine tastings on board which were well attended and had very good tasting options. All in all we were so impressed with Regent and are now spoiled for life! We would definitely sail with them again and hope to be lucky enough to do so in the future for another special vacation! Cheers! Read Less

Background Info: My wife and I have been on 7 cruises in past 5 years. We now clearly prefer Regent and this cruise helped reaffirm this opinion. It was a 12 day cruise from Athens to Istanbul and originally included two days in Egypt. They were replaced with an extra day in Israel and a stop at a wonderful port in Crete called Aghios Nikolaos. I assume many passengers cancelled when Egypt was eliminated from cruise, but we thought the adjustments were great and it triggered a last minute upgrade offer, which we took, moving from a Penthouse A to a GranMariner Suite - a once in a life time experience for us. And it was awesome to have a room with 900 sq feet and windows looking out the front of the ship and a balcony on the side. Hotel Info: We used Regent for our fabulous hotels in Athens and Istanbul, but our first night in Athens, there were dangerous demonstrations directly in front of the Gran Bretagne Hotel. It was a disappointment to only spend one night, but Regent arranged for us to eventually spend the night in a Sofitel Hotel at the airport - executive level. Worked out well and we checked into our hotel at 9AM the next morning. Service and room were great and at dinner we had a beautiful view of the Acroplis and Parthenon. Breath-taking. Our hotel in Istanbul - Ciragan Palace Kempenski exceeded all our expectations from the moment we entered the hotel. The hotel is elegant and overlooks the Bosphorous, so when we laid out at the superb pool, the view was just great. Food, service, room, location, view and ambiance were 1st class - but so was price!! Activities and Entertainment: We always enjoyed the evening shows when the Regent dance team and orchestra performed. The individual performers were not so good. We did not participate in many activities except a reception for Seven Seas Members that we enjoyed. Also saw a fun movie out by the pool one night. We used the spa and gym a lot and walked around Deck 12 mornings when we were free. Also, we were fortunate to share a dinner with the talented Cruise Director Paul Reynolds. The poolside Barbecue dinner and entertainment night was also well done. Service: We had an excellent butler and room steward who provided first class service, including coffee in our room every morning and canapEs must afternoon. Also took care of laundry and helped with ironing twice. Service at Reception and Destinations was always prompt and courteous Ports and Shore Excursions: We really enjoyed our 4 days in Israel. Incredible. Walking where so many biblical events occurred was great. Sea of Galilee was wonderful just to look at. Jerusalem and Bethlehem were very crowded, but we expected that. We enjoyed every port. We were pleasantly surprised with Antalya and Crete and really marveled at Ephesus Travel to Athens: We booked thru Regent and it included a 7 hour layover in Newark (that became 10 hours because of plane maintenance. Direct flight to Athens was great on Continental Air. Airport transfer/Regent pick up went well. Stateroom 1100: This was awesome. Like a good sized apartment! Everything we needed including an I-Pad. It was a great location too . Dining: We ate in the Compass Rose most nights and it was just great. Good food and wine and wonderful service. Always got a tablefor two. Had two evenings at Prime 7 and 1 night at Signatures. Really enjoyed them, but Compass Rose for us was as good or better. The Verandah was very enjoyable and tasty for informal meals like breakfast and lunch. Opted not to have a meal in our room. Disembarkation: Went very smoothly with a brief tour of Istanbul and then a wonderful check in experience at hotel. Mariner handled disembarkation well - just sad to leave. Our return flights thru Regent took us from Istanbul to Paris to Detrait with Air France. Very nice experience Summary: Another wonderful memory from Regent and we booked another cruise in late November on Mariner to Latin America. Read Less