Alaska, not just on the bucket list. We have seen all kinds of TV programs on Alaska and wanted to get a close up, first hand view. Embarkation was smooth with bus picking us up at Mark Hopkins Hotel, but disembarkation needs a lot of work... too chaotic with local buses and it felt like Regent just washed their hands of us once we stepped over the door threshold. Ship: Mariner needed to be updated a few years ago. She is showing a bit of ware and tare. Cabin: For what we spent, the cabin was smaller than what we thought if would be. Dining: Each meal was nice, at each venue, but the outside "grill" needed to have a bit more choice outside of 'dining' hours. Entertainment + Activities: Needs a lot of work here. Entertainment with young dancers grinding like cheap burlesque dancers needs some finesse. A thought for the demographics of the audience might be considered. We'd not dead, just like good entertainment without thinking we need to just smile and bear it. The lady that sang, on cruise ships since 1983, should retire. Activities? were there any? besides dumb games for 'Regent points'. Service: good enough Ports and Shore excursions: OK, but some posts need to be left out, like Wrangell's local golf course "Muskeg Meadows", well let's just say skip Wrangell for another port. Summary: I might try another cruise, with a newer ship, in a warmer climate. Two people I would commend: The Cruise Director, Loranne? is it. I've forgotten her name. and Eric, Maitre de in the Signature Restaurant. That's is for now. Thank you. Read Less

We chose Regent due to the "all inclusive" pricing. However, we were somewhat dissatisfied this trip (our third cruise with Regent). The long wait to be transferred from the Mark Hopkins Hotel to the pier was not good. We had to wait almost two hours. No explanation as to why the wait was so long, no one was offered water while waiting, and many people had to stand around. Some of the service was not up to par. Would have to wait quite some time for someone to bring water and coffee to the tables. Had dinner in the Prime 7 one evening and I needed a table saw to cut my steak. The waiter was very apologetic but it was disappointing, to say the least. Know the ship is ready to be refurbished, however, the carpet was spotted, one of the drawers in our suite wouldn't work correctly, the carpet in the halls were coming apart. All-in-all the concept of being a smaller ship and all inclusive is wonderful. But, we were very disappointing. As we were waiting to get off the ship we overheard people saying this would be their last Regent cruise. Read Less

This cruise was offered to us at a considerable discount in return for relinquishing a similar itinerary on Explorer. We liked that it started in San Francisco and ended in New York. Staff was wonderful for the most part, and we felt pampered throughout our cruise. The cabin (concierge D) was smaller than expected and quite cramped, but our steward and stewardess supplied our every need with a smile. Main dining room food was tasty and varied, excellent service. Also enjoyed Prime7, Signatures, La Veranda (Sette Mari). Best drinks were at the pool bar, with bartender Inna managing to make my virgin drinks taste like the real thing. Unfortunately the weather was too hot and humid to spend much time on the pool deck. We enjoyed the Jean Ann Ryan entertainment, and we're sad to learn that this was their last time on Mariner as Regent has opted to hire entertainment in- house. It was difficult to enjoy most shore excursions in Mexico and Central America due to the heat and humidity. The Panama Canal day was everything we had hoped for and more. Disembarkation was quick and easy. Getting a cab on our own ( because we had booked our own hotel for a few days) in NYC took an hour standing in line in unseasonably hot weather. 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

The total cruise was very good, up to the expectation for Regent. Having spent over 400 nights on various of their ships, this did not alter my high expectations and observations. We had some bad luck with the weather, Hurricane edge off of Mexico-some deep holes in the water to go through- but the ships and crew seemed to handle it well-the guests were very quiet!. Jamie and Dana Logan were the cruise directors and keep things humming. Though we had to skip Cabo because of the swells, the rest of the trip was as promised and up to the Regent standards. The Destinations group reacted to challenges quickly and were very helpful in each of the ports. The routine of exchanging reservation slips for tour groups went well in almost all of the instances. This was my first time on Navigator, and at first was disapointed in the scaled down version from Marsiner and Explorer. Seemed that Main Street was Main Alley, but in retrospect, the compact style layout workes well, it was a surprise that all of the main public lounges are in the aft of the ship. No public areas in the forward portion so you could only see where you have been. The spa occupies these prime forward locations-maybe should be placed elsewhere and open to an observation lounge as on the their shops. The debarcation in Montreal was very efficient. All were off the ship by 9:30, which was a blessing. Would I go on on Navigator again??--Yes, I have booked an African leg in 2016 Read Less

I have previously had 9 cruise experiences with Fred Olsen, Princess, Celebrity, and Azamara over the last 9 years; all very enjoyable in their own way and using conventional star ratings I would place these progressively in the range 3.5 to 4.5. I jumped at the chance to travel on Regent Navigator from San Francisco to Alaska to Vancouver because it ticked so many boxes never having visited those parts and never having done a “six star cruise”. Included excursions, premium drinks and speciality dining sounded good although presumably we pay for these in the cruise price. What then would be the six star added value items? Before setting off I resolved that it would be anything that elicited a “wow” response. Before getting into detail I must say that this was probably my favourite cruise experience to date. Decent weather in a tranquil early season Alaska devoid of other cruise ships obviously helped but credit is due to the included excursion programme which was of good quality. 1) The Ship. It has the potential to wow with very large well fitted suites and for a smaller ship decent entertainment and activities. It is spacious and, a first for me, I did not have to queue or scramble for a seat anywhere in the entire cruise. However it has some current practical issues to contend with including vibration which has already been well-reported. Two other things stood out for me. Firstly a general lack of freshness in the décor and fittings not least in the bathrooms where the tiling looks as if it needed attention some time ago. Secondly the Connoisseurs Club for brandy and cigars; amend this to read Indoor Smoking Room which is a non-sealed and non-extracted room located midships adjacent to other public areas and a main stairwell. 2) The Food. Prime 7 was very good as was La Verandah buffet for breakfast and lunch. The main Compass Rose restaurant produced food marginally better than my previous cruises but not enough to elevate it to fine dining. It tickled me to see that even in a “six star” environment the waiting staff would still try the trick of ordering and taking delivery of consecutive hot courses leaving one to stand whilst you ate the first. 3) Premium Drinks. These seemed to be freely available in all areas other than wine with meals where the standard was fair but far from premium. For the latter you have to pay a very substantial supplement. The situation was exacerbated by two things. Firstly there was no list of what standard wines were available; they like to offer a different wine each night but you are free to ask for anything else if only you knew what there was. Secondly, and linked to this, the waiters and some sommeliers were unable to articulate what wines they had. More than once I was told they did not carry the wine I had had the previous evening. 4) Service on Board. Service standards were no better or worse that my other cruise experiences. The exceptions were negative. The bars were lightly staffed resulting in delays particularly at peak times. The waiting staff had a tendency either by accident or design to serve you with a similar drink to what you ordered if an open bottle of the former was more easily available e.g. champagne / sparkling wine. The bar staff could not make a gin and tonic unless you like a bucket of gin in a bucket of ice topped with flat tonic. OK you say ask for what you want. I did but the waiter struggled to comprehend a request for a G&T with a sensible amount of gin, a little ice and fresh tonic. I should add that they use 33cl cans of mixer so there is a good chance your mixer may have been standing open for a while. 5) Overall Cruise Management The flight arrangements, airport greet and transfer, managing people on and off the boat were all excellent and of a higher standard than previously experienced. The let-down, having been assured pre-cruise we would be looked after on disembarkation day as the included flight did not depart till 9pm, was that we were dropped off at the airport 9 hours before flight departure. To a minor extent this also involved the Regent shore side contractor not delivering on what Regent promised. So, sorry Regent, whilst there were some good and indeed excellent features I did not experience any wow moments. However, as most if not all the concerns mentioned above (and also by others during the cruise I would add) are capable of resolution there is no reason why that could not change in the future. Maybe the planned refit will deal with some. My rating for this cruise is 4.5 stars. Read Less

This was the most expensive cruise we had ever booked but the advertising made us think it would be worth it. When you board a ship and your heart sinks because the carpets are so shabby looking, is not a good omen for the remainder of the trip. This vessel is in dire need of refurbishment and indeed, at the end of this cruise it was rumoured to be going into dry dock for 2 weeks for some improvements. The cabin was spacious and well presented with a much valued bath and walk in wardrobe, but a large raised bubble in the middle of the carpet where somebody had tried to remove a stain did nothing to lift my spirits. Our friends' cabin next door had awful scuff marks on the walls and the furniture was very shabby. The weather was not good so the cabins creaked and groaned all night. We became experts at knowing where to strategically place cushions and towels to minimise movement squeaks. Any reported problems were promptly dealt with but I would never book a cabin at the rear again. The organisation was first class from arrival to departure - speedy and efficient so top marks there. On the whole, the staff were attentive and extremely pleasant but several times in the Compass Rose restaurant service fell well below the expected standard. We realised this was because we chose to eat well into the sitting when staff were being redeployed to other areas of the ship after the initial rush to get people out in time for the theatre presentation. This was such a shame because the food was truly excellent but service did not match that experienced on other cruise lines. If you have open dining you should have sufficient staff no matter what time people want to eat. A 30 to 40 minute wait to place an order is not acceptable. The trips were first class although better wet weather gear could have been provided on the Fort Stevens cycling event. Other trips provided excellent protective clothing which was very much needed and I would be better prepared on another trip to Alaska and take more of my own. Despite the weather, we came back from every trip smiling. One slight niggle about trips was that our $1,000 onboard credit could only be used for premium trips booked once on board and not in advance, which meant we were scrabbling to find something to spend the money on at the end of the voyage. I wouldn't book premium trips in advance again. As the journey progressed we were slowly seduced by the Navigator; by the fact that there was always somewhere to sit and have a drink, the evening entertainment, the daytime lectures, the quality of the food, the dedicated bar staff, the hardworking cabin staff and the feeling of relaxation that comes from knowing that everything is included in the price. When we disembarked at Vancouver we just wished that we had delayed the trip by one month to benefit from the makeover. Would we pay such a high price again? We're still debating that one but I suspect the answer might be yes. Read Less

Embarcation was a breeze at San Francisco, helpful crew and no difficulties. We had a Penthouse B cabin which was excellent and quite roomy, our Butler Chris was absolutely perfect, probably the best we have ever had, and we had a delightful cabin attendant who kept our cabin spotless. Anything we requested for our cabin was immediately actioned and the room service breakfasts were beautifully served by Chris and always hot. The crew were very obliging and dedicated to doing all they could to make our cruise enjoyable and trouble free. The excursion team were extraordinarily good and worthy of mention, they changed tours with a minimum of fuss and a smile and really knew about the various excursions. The block party, held on our second evening in the corridors was a brilliant concept enabling us to get to know the other passengers on our deck and also meeting the Captain and Officers. Great idea that other lines should consider. The food was mostly up to the expected standard but the service was not so great. In the buffet restaurant staff frequently seemed more interested in resetting tables than attending to the tables in use, particularly at breakfast. Sometimes it was necessary to get up and ask for a coffee, or a refill - not really acceptable. The wine waiters in the main restaurant were often very slow and sometimes their wine knowledge was not all it should be. We found it easier to keep a bottle on our table and refill our glasses ourselves. The steak restaurant was fantastic. Great food and service, we thoroughly enjoyed our meals there. The biggest disappointment of the trip was the on board lecturer. He had a massive amount of knowledge to impart to us about this very special area but sadly he also had a wonderful ability to put us to sleep with his monotone. Normally we never miss the opportunity to learn about the region we are travelling in but just gave up. Other guests had the same comment. We felt it was a shame we did not have a Marine Biologist on board to keep us in touch with what was happening in and on the water. Travelled the Amazon on Silverseas last year and had a variety of lecturers, one of whom, Chris Croxon a Marine Biologist kept us informed and enthralled for most of the month we were aboard. Another great annoyance was when the lecturer was speaking from the bridge at scenic places, every time he drew breath the music on the TV channel cut in. The itinerary was absolutely fantastic and our revered Captain (and didn't he look great in his kilt) made sure we got the very best of views in all the important areas. He gave us some great experiences navigating up the fiords to the glaciers, just stunning and even the weather cooperated. Overall - a wonderful trip. The ship was in pretty good condition, the crew were extremely helpful, the service left a little bit to be desired in the public areas but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. In our view not quite up there with the other 5 star ships, but they appear to be working on it. Read Less