We sailed From Tahiti to Sydney, Australia and this is a top notch cruise. We have cruised many times in the past and this was an excellent cruise. It was a small ship and that we liked. We did a sail on a ship that had 5,000 passengers and we said never again. Perfect size at only 500 people. Got a chance to not only meet other fine people but got familiar with the ship. We loved the dining options as we ate most meals in the Compase Rose. Alvin was our waiter and we requested him every time. The food was to die for as it was always excellent. No Complaints on this cruise. I do like the Idea of all costs are included up front so never have a huge bill after the cruise. Which brings me to the shore Excursions. They were all good. Quality for sure. I liked the Amadee Island at New Caledonia the best. It was an all day at the beach where we relaxed and snorkeled & did a kayak around the island. We did have to pay extra for this tour. All other tours are included in the price of the booking. I Like the idea you can easily change tours and they printed out a voucher right on the spot. So you were sure of what you got. They were the best organized of any cruise ship we have sailed. One time on another Cruise line, we got on a wrong bus and did a different tour than we wanted. This could never happen on a Regent Cruise. The Embarkation and Debarkation were excellent. We have sailed many times and this was without a doubt the best. The service was over the top and we booked another Regent Cruise it was that good. Everything from the Sydney & Beyond (Three extra nights), that we enjoyed very much as it went off without any hiccups, to the service was excellent. We have sailed many Cruise lines but this one is our Favorite line as we did and Alaska cruise on Regent two years ago. Regent does it right. We have sailed Princess, Costa, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, and Carnival but Regent is best followed by Celebrity our Second best. We did a 20 day cruise this time and it was just right for us. I also liked the idea where the entertainers would meet and mingle with you. Twice we had entertainers sit down and chat with us. This is not allowed on other cruise lines. The Safety meeting (Mandatory) was the best ever. We did one on another cruise where a man fainted on deck doing the evac drill. But Regent did it in the theatre where you could relax and sit down while relaxed in air conditioning. We did a couple of the enrichments like the Lectures and the English guy who did the Lectures was very entertaining. We went to several of his lectures and also watched the ones we missed on the in room TV. I like the fact they did a nice Super Bowl spread in the theatre where you could eat, drink and watch the game. A special touch no other cruise line would think of doing. Everything was over the top and looking forward to our next Regent cruise. Read Less

Had a wonderful time on the Mariner in Australia. The ship is just the right size and Regent treated us to a spectacular New Year’s Eve party in Bali. We also were treated to a magical evening at the Australian Open tennis tournament. We had great seats in Rod Laver Stadium for two night matches. The crew and officers on Regent are friendly, efficient, and helpful. Since most Regent passengers are return guests, you usually meet up with people you have cruised with previously. After we returned home, we automatically scheduled ourselves to be available at 4:30 pm for Team Trivia. The competition and camaraderie was a “look forward to every day event”. The food could be upgraded a bit. The menu is great though with many offerings available every day. It is also good to be able to order from the dining room menu for room service. We will be staying with Regent. We already have a booking on the new ship, Splendor. Read Less

Nov. 27, 2018 Mariner Papeete to Auckland The following experience optimizes what makes a Regent Cruise so wonderful. It's the exceptional, sincere, and kind individuals that work together to create for guests a once in a lifetime celebration and memories. We chose this trip because we vowed to return after 20 years to the places where we honeymooned. I mentioned to Sunil, our butler how my husband John was my hero and superman for when he married me, a widow, he took on the responsibilites of two greiving  teenagers and ill and declining parents. I wanted to thank him with a surprise German themed evening of food and music. It brings back his happy memories of his parents of German descent. I thought we might have dinner in our suite and perhaps hear a couple German tunes where the musicians were playing that evening. Here's the amazing evening that Sunil flawlessly executed with the help of Marius, Chef Wesley, Kasha, Anyje, Boogie, Zach and their fellow performers. When we returned from our shore excursion, Gretchen and Deborah who kept our room always tidy, had beautifully decorated our suite. Towels were creatively transformed into swans forming a heart messaging I ♡ YOU on the confetti strewn bed. Red and white ballons with ribbon streamers were everywhere. We were then invited to the Mariner Lounge where Kasia and Antje greeted us in their German durndl dresses. They had planned a unique and upbeat show of beer toasting, music, song and dance. The girls wisked my joyful husband to the dance floor where he joined the dance and returned misty eyed. I am amazed how they came up with such a professional costumed show with such short notice. Brendon and Nathan said they had just finished learning their parts that afternoon. You would never suspect as it was executed with  perfection and all in attendance throughly enjoyed the upbeat energy of their performance. We then returned to our suite for dinner where Marius and Chef Wesley wished us a happy anniversary and presented all of John's favorite German dishes: his mother's Sauerbraten, schnitzel, spaetzley, pretzels and Asparagus soup served with a nice Reisling wine. I had mentioned to Sunil that John enjoyed a cigar and whiskey after dinner. He suggested that a taste of Louis XIII Cognac would make a nice gift from me. I agreed so we surprised John once again with a stroll to the cigar lounge were Sunil made a white gloved ceremonial presentation of this special indugence. We then caught John, the cruise director's excellent show. When we returned to our room there was yet one more surprise: a black forest cake topped with a fondant sculpture of Superman carrying me reminiscent of our original wedding cake. John's dad was a master baker and played trumpet in a German folk band and he would have been impressed. We were never charged for any of this. Regent doesn't nickle and dime you. They just treat you special all the time. We love that you never put your hand in your pocket once on board. You just sit back enjoy and let them pamper you So you see all of these wonderful individuals went over board to gift us an evening we will forever cherish. They make a Regent cruise special. Read Less

My father and I had always wanted to go to Tahiti, he was turning 80 and I was wondering if we would ever get a chance to travel together since his health had suddenly deteriorated. Regent was the perfect cruise line. We were tired of the up charging for this and that. Wanted a cruise that we didn’t have to check our receipts for the day or worry about the extras. Everything was taken care of! This was a truly all inclusive trip. Of course there were crazy expensive drinks and cigars were extra ( which should be). Being people who enjoy finer scotches and Bourbons we were still satisfied with the selection on the ship. The staff went above and beyond to make our vacation unforgettable. The Crew even arranged to get us on a tour that had already left! It was the first time my mom was in the ocean with stingrays and sharks. Amazing! We got to know some wonderful passengers and staff which I know our paths will cross again. The entertainment was not like the mega ships, but we didn’t care. The craft sessions far surpassed anything on the mega ships! Unfortunately, I can’t remember names since I am writing so late. Broke my back riding horseback in Nuka Hiva. Do the Le Truck! Don’t go off and make your own plans there. My husband and I went diving and though the cruise line did not offer any assistance, some of the crew were very helpful in assisting us with getting some dives in and communicating with the dive shops for us, as well as making sure we got out on the first tender if needed. Definitely a trip of a lifetime! Read Less

We love regent and as usual this was a great cruise. Loved the itinerary. Pre and post cruise was very good. As always, the food and service were great. Voyager was refurbished over a year ago but was still beautiful. The staff and crew were so friendly, it is like coming home when we get onboard. We booked a basic veranda cabin and it was very roomy and comfortable. The entertainment staff was great and cruise director, Ray Solaire, was his usual charming and entertaining self! His poolside portrayal of Neptune, as we crossed the equator, was hilarious. My only disappointment was scuba dining on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. The weather was beautiful but there had been a recent typhoon and the water was stirred up so visibility was too poor to see much. Although most of the guests were middle aged or older, there was a young couple onboard with an infant. They often took her into venues that were inappropriate, such as the specialty restaurants, bars, and shows. This caused some disturbances at times. Can't wait to sail again with Regent. Read Less

This is my 3rd Regent cruise and if I was wealthy it would be only cruise line for me. Top notch from beginning to end. Sad to disembark. Good waa invredible and staff is unbelievable. Suites are spacious and all have balconies. Specialty restaurants have some of the best options but Compass Tose is no slouch. Every night the menu changes and there is always some to choose from. If not the go to was Dover sole which was excellent. The entertainment on board was fabulous and having Artful on board was a great perk. Broadway singers, playwrights, directors and producers! Every port was different and every excursion we chose unique. Our captain Felice Padrone was extraordinary in his skills with the 20 foot seas we encountered. We had 3 cyclones out there and only missed one port! Has lea time in Sydney but we were all safe and that's what mattered! Read Less

We chose this cruise, as we usually do, based on itinerary. We experienced an incredible bonus on the first “leg” (Auckland to Bali). It was an “Artful Travelers” cruise. This group, in cooperation with Regent and PBS and NPR, had a special program focusing on documentary film making and Broadway. There were extra speakers (all excellent), Q & A sessions, cocktail parties, special documentary screening, a wine tasting, a sumptuous dinner, excellent cabarets, small dinners with the presenters - all without an extra fee. Artful Travelers has been in existence since 2004 but came as a surprise to us. We will back for another of their programs next February. That portion of the trip included wonderful ports such as Sydney, Cairns, Komodo island, and Bali. We remained on the ship for the next segment from Bali to Hong Kong. We especially enjoyed our stops in Borneo (loved the cultural experience) and Brunei. As usual, service throughout the trip was excellent. Food is uniformly very good and often excellent. We especially liked the newly designed/decorated Compass Rose. Regent is expensive, but the experience is exceptional. Read Less

We sailed 1/12-1/26 on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager. At $32,000 for both of us, we knew we could expect luxury and personal attention. What we got was disappointment. Regent can not be faulted for the weather, but for lack of planning, perhaps, and definitely lack of transparency. They must have known well before they told us that the weather would prevent us from cruising the fjords of Milford Sound (a highlight of the cruise) and from getting into the port of Picton, New Zealand. Instead we rocked and bounced on the Tasman Sea far longer than expected. The captain referred to the weather as a low pressure area whereas the TV weather channel called it a hurricane. Whatever it was, elevators were shut down, 11th level buffet was closed because plates, bottles of wine and the buffet went crashing to the floor. In the main dining room, a window frame broke and water came gushing in. It too was closed. Passengers kept to their cabins, seasick and unhappy. I heard a fellow passenger remark about the mediocre service saying she thought many of the experienced waiters, stewards, etc. were taken off the Voyager and assigned to the new Explorer. This may or may not be true, but the service suffered. Six hours after I requested some more Perrier bottles in my room, I bumped into the steward and he assured me he would deliver them right away. I had already gotten them from Room Service, having given up on the steward. Many shore excursions were included but it was difficult to get on a first or second choice. I tried the day we could book them in July, and had to settle. Those who tried to book them on the cruise itself were met with frustration. The lines for the Destination Desk were long and slow because they only had two people working at a time, although there were three computers. The Destination people didn't seem familiar with all the tours and were unable to help many people. The "included" tours were mostly acceptable, but the ones worth taking cost extra. Many of those I signed up for started at 8:10 am which would have been OK, but for two nights, we had to set our clocks ahead one hour. This in effect, made the excursions an hour earlier. Food in the main dining room was acceptable, but not great. Our best meal was a Filipino one arranged by our Filipino waiter. (Most of the service staff is Filipino.) The two :"optional" dining rooms were difficult to get a reservation. Our travel agent, fortunately, had booked one meal in each the day reservations were accepted. And lastly, the Canyon Ranch Spa: overpriced! My shellac manicure was $126 and a 50-minute massage, $200. I would highly recommend readers look into Silversea. We had a far better experience on that cruise line. Read Less

This was our third Regent cruise, second on Mariner. This is our first review. We have cruised many times and many places: 2 star on Holland America, Platinum on Royal, Select on Celebrity. As our kids have grown up and left, we became irritated with the incessant nickel and dining of traditional cruises. We also were looking for a less "busy" ship experience. We went from a cruise line you need to pay to get off from, to a cruise line you need to pay to get on. The stress-less experience of spending an all-inclusive high-quality experience with not another fee is marvellous. By the time you factor-in your flights, your transfers, your excursions, your fancy dining, your booze and your gratuities, you would be hard placed to match the value. No chits to sign, no worries. We are coming off this ship with an 80$ bill. The biggest reason we switched was the terrible and lasting experience of a 'regular cruise line' where the cabin steward came to our room the night before debarkation and demanded his gratuities! We never give gratuities before the last encounter, and often give more than is recommended. This experience felt threatening and made us never go back to that style of cruising. The ship behaved very well in rougher seas, and the crew were stupendous. no one was lost in a crowd, you got to know everyone, which means they were all accountable to make your experience the best. No way for any crew to hide. The common spaces are lovely and open - we did not ever feel cramped. The included excursions were great, informative and well organised. The food - to die for. No matter where you went. I think this is where Regent misses something in marketing. Oceania, the sister line, is marketed as the food cruise, highlighting its quality etc. Yet the same chefs create the meals on this cruise line. i imagine that the quality would be just as outstanding on Regent. I believe that it is. Regent: This is the all-inclusive gourmets cruise! The booze - free-flowing if you wanted it. The air arrangements - excellent. We have only had Penthouse suites before, this time we went bottom class: that means a bigger cabin than most cruise lines, a private balcony, a walk in closet, a marble bathroom! Yes, that is bottom class! And a daily re-stocked bar - yes in your room! Bottom line, if you wish to want for nothing, Cruise Regent. You will not go back. Read Less

Regent does an amazing job welcoming passengers aboard and with registration. Embarkation was just as amazingly organized. it was lovely not to have to deal with luggage once we placed it outside our door until arriving at airport. Porters were lined up to take passengers luggage to ticket counter after passengers claimed their luggage under canopy. Nice touch having Tahitian women giving you one last lei to remember trip as we stepped off the bus. The process could not be more efficient. Upon arrival back in L.A. Regent reps were there to guide passengers at conclusion of trip. Excursions and tenders were always well organized. Some excursions were excellent and some only average. Island tours not too exciting. No fault to Regent. We found the food and service excellent. Prime 7 and Signatures were extra special. My girlfriend casually mentioned she did not have her glasses at Signatures while looking at menu. The waiter heard and came back with a wooden box filled with different strength cheater glasses. The four of us were speechless with such detail to every need. We used room service three times. Each time our order was perfect, hot, and delivered exactly when we requested it. One evening a barbecue was held out on deck by the pool. We almost did not attend as barbecue to us meant casual foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs, etc. The food and presentstion was amazing. Lobster, crab legs, and shrimp flowed. So many food choices. Enjoyed the ice sculptures. Great job Regent! The renovations completed in 2014 are lovely. There were more staff led games which we enjoyed than past sailings. Bingo was offered on a few afternoons. A great way to mingle with other passengers and get to know the staff. Entertainment was terrific on some evenings. Dancer/singers were excellent. On a few evenings disappointing. We all know before cruising this area is not where Regent excels. While the on board lecturer was very good, he should not be used in this capacity as evening entertainment. My husband and I did not use butler much. All excursions and dining reservations were in place before we boarded ship. I did request Red Bull on our form, but Regent did not fulfill this request. We are not drinkers so cannot comment on this area. Not sure why some people feel a need for a butler. I will say when you phone the butler he is at your door within moments to tend to whatever the request. For those who do not have a butler do not be disappointed. A steward does pretty much the same thing. We enjoyed being able to access the Internet anywhere on ship. Frustrating at times not being able to get on or kicked off. Again, not complaining as it is a wonder we had Internet at all. We truly enjoyed our trip and appreciate Regent's excellence. See you in December Mariner. Dreaming! Read Less

My husband and I just returned from our French Polynesia cruise on the Regent Seven Seas cruise line on the Mariner ship. The trip was wonderful. We embarked in Papeete, Tahiti on Dec. 7, 2014. The weather was not as hot as I thought it would be. It rains frequently and some islands were more humid than others. There is a nice breeze usually so that helped. This was our first cruise on Regent and they were excellent. The food was exceptional. We ate at all the restaurants. Prime 7 was slightly disappointing the night we ate there because our beef and lobster was overcooked and the beef does not have a lot of flavor, however the other courses were very good as well as the service. Signatures was very good and the main dining room Compass Rose was excellent. The Italian restaurant Sette Ma're in the Verandah was also very good and we ate there several times. Our concierge room was very nice. The service throughout the ship was just about as good as it gets. They are very organized in arranging everything. Since this is an all inclusive ship the wine and liquor were excellent. The dress code has definitely changed to more casual which is a good thing since airlines don't allow much weight for the luggage. The islands were very pretty but they are somewhat rustic and not much to do. The tours were well organized but they are not that interesting because of the type of islands that are on this itinerary. It was very relaxing and we just enjoyed the ship. The shows and performers on the ship were excellent and they had many. Also the dance bands in the lounges were great. We stayed 3 nights at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Papeete. The grounds are beautiful. While food is expensive in Tahiti, the hotel was very nice and the rooms were clean. We would definitely cruise on Regent again. Read Less

First time on Regent after several cruises on Azamara. From the start to the finish this cruise was just very classy and they seem to think of everything that one would expect in this luxury bracket of cruising. Staff were courteous and helpful at all levels. Complimentary beverages presented an outstanding range including the choice of free spirits and wines for cabin use. The in cabin dining option was great with prompt on time and courteous service. The cabin was more spacious than Azamara and well appointed, The dining was just fabulous at all restaurants including Prime and Signatures. Entertainment was good and the Cruise Director excellent especially for what was arranged for Xmas and New Year but there could have been more karaoke nights. Not a lot of kids on cruise which suited us. My only cleaning criticism is that an area of the pool deck patio area was not cleaned daily of food scraps on floor and that internet should be free in this day and age especially for the cost of the cruise. We would have also like more casual dining available in the Verandah Cafe for evening meals rather than set Italian and French. Couples are not forced to mix and one can still enjoy a good level of privacy if that is one's wont. Enrichment lectures could have been better and the Captain's daily brief did contain some superfluous items. I think the only area where Azamara exceeds Regent is in the provision of 'free' shuttles in ever port for those not on excursions and but in all other areas Regent is superior. What particularly impressed us was that one didn't get the feeling of things winding down at the cruise end and it was all so well organised. From start to finish it was by far our best cruise experience ever! Read Less

We arrived in Auckland the day before the cruise. We flew Air New Zealand using Regent's air program and the $999 business class upgrade, which was a steal for a flight from SFO to Auckland. We stayed at the Westin, which was not far from the Port and was quite lovely. Embarkation was a little rough, but this was due to the fact they had only one customs agent at the Port. Once a second one showed up, the line moved fairly quickly. We boarded, went to La Veranda and had some lunch and then went to our suite, a Horizon Suite on Deck 7. CABIN The Horizon suite is a wonderful suite. The living room is separated from the bedroom, and the room has an enormous walk-in closet. The lines were Anichini; the beds had pillow-top mattresses and were amazingly comfortable. Two flat screen televisions, an iPod dock, a small safe, both Regent and Hermes bath products in the bathroom. We had the shower only setup, but the shower was large and fine for us. The balcony for the Horizon Suites on deck 7 are 175 sq ft, but it was still very large with a two seat couch, two separate chairs, and coffee table and a large table for dining. The room gets an A. DINING Open seating dining in Compass Rose and reservations required for Signatures (Le Cordon Bleu French) and Prime 7 (steak house). La Veranda was the most casual with a la carte ordering but also an antipasto buffet and desert buffet. Food fairly good across the board but we preferred Signatures. Many passengers seemed to love Prime 7. Service a bit slow at times in main dining room, but not awful. PORTS The most amazing ports were Bora Bora, Moorea, and Rarotonga, especially for those who like snorkeling. We snorkeled in all of these via Regents included excursions, and the excursions were all really good. A lot of passengers did not book the free excursions prior to sailing and then found very little was available. There was much complaining about this, but we had booked our months before the sailing. The least wonderful port was Papeete on the main island of Tahiti. We arrived there at 9:00pm and departed the next day around 3 pm. Snorkeling here was okay, but there was little time to look around. That said, many passengers were grumbling about how rundown Papeete was. ACTIVITIES There were a lot of sea days on this trip, and I worried before sailing I might be bored out of my mind. That said, Regent did a fantastic job scheduling lectures, classes, and other activities on these days. The sea days were wonderful, better than I expected. OVERALL This was an amazing cruise, and we met many passengers who had done this exact cruise on this exact ship several times previously! I would do it again but next year a different ship and itinerary will be used. There has been some grumbling on-line about fall off in service, but I only had one poor service experience with one server at dinner. I had not sailed Regent before, but I will definitely be sailing them again. The Seven Seas Mariner is a lovely ship, well-maintained, with good food, consistently good service throughout the sailing, and wonderful crew that smiles and addresses you every time they see you. Read Less

We began our 19-day cruise on Regent Mariner December 3-21, 2007 with a flight from LAX to Auckland on Air New Zealand in Premium Economy. The service was excellent and the flight passed quickly. We spent two days seeing the lovely city, staying at the Sky City Hotel courtesy of Regent, and arrived at the nearby cruise terminal at noon. We quickly were welcomed aboard with champagne, given our keys and offered lunch in the Verandah Cafe. Upon arrival there, we were pleased to see our favorite waiter, Gerry, and spent a few minutes catching up on his family, before enjoying a terrific lunch. The Ship Our room, a penthouse C, soon was available, and we were pleased with its midship location and size. The penthouse C's have larger square footage than the regular suites, and we really enjoyed the expansive living area and verandah. The C category suites differ from Penthouse A and B only in that they do not have butler service, which we really don't use. Because we were Silver level with Regent, we had free internet and one hour free phone time. The wireless internet worked very well in the room. The only change we would make is the television, which worked but had very limited channels. However, we used the DVD player on the few instances we wanted to watch something. The room stewardess, Donna, arrived quickly and brought our requests for extra pillows, and bar setup. She did an excellent job of maintaining the cabin during the entire cruise, with a friendly and efficient attitude. Regent Mariner, which accommodates 700 passengers, was in excellent shape, with the new coffee bar always humming with activity, the internet area active, the Horizon Lounge busy for tea, trivia and bingo. The honor system library was fully-stocked with books and DVDs. Everywhere we went we were greeted by friendly staff, and the passenger contingent was pleasant and well traveled. We were so pleased to meet up with passengers with whom we've cruised Regent before, and meet new friends. We encountered no small children aboard. Food Another highlight of the entire cruise was the quality and variety of food which sets Regent apart from other lines. Dinner in Compass Rose, the main dining room, was excellent and had a varied menu with well-sized portions. Wines from the complimentary wine list completed each meal. A special reserve wine list, for an extra charge, also is available. CR continues to be our favorite restaurant onboard. Although it is open seating, we would ask to be seated at one of Gerry's tables. His service is absolutely top-notch and personalized. We cannot commend him enough. Besides CR and the Verandah Cafe, Regent has two other dinner venues available, at no additional charge. We ate in the alternative restaurant, Latitudes, twice during the cruise. First, the Indian themed dinner was outstanding. The menu then changed to Polynesian, which was interesting. The final week of the cruise the theme was Thai. Signatures, the Cordon Bleu restaurant was, as usual, excellent and service was first rate. Each day at lunch, a special poolside buffet was featured. This included a French lunch (fresh grilled foie gras, filet mignon and huge prawns), a German lunch (wiener schnitzel, sausages, smoked pork), and seafood, (crab legs, oysters, shrimp, grilled fish). All lunches included wonderful desserts and, of course, ice cream. On the last day, a special holiday lunch buffet was served, which included roast turkey and goose with stuffing and all the trimmings, as well as authentic German Christmas desserts and a huge gingerbread house. Santa himself made an appearance, and many of the staff wore Santa hats, adding to the festive atmosphere. Of course, Regent being all- inclusive, any drinks or beverages were available gratis. Excursions and Activities Our cruise first took us from Auckland to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. There we took the Maori Cultural Experience excursion, which was a fabulous tour. It was guided by a Maori resident, who explained many of his ancestral beliefs, myths, and cultural activities. The highlight of the trip was a visit to a Maori marae, where we were welcomed by the elders of the community in an ancient Maori ceremony, which was moving and inspiring. We highly recommend this excursion. Other ports included Rarotonga, Bora Bora, Moorea, Papeete, and Nuku Hiva. We had a bit more rain during the cruise than expected, but it did not put a damper on the fun! We enjoyed an excursion riding wave runners around the Blue Lagoon in Bora Bora with friends, and the guides provided a great fun tour of the island as well as a stop on a motu for fresh coconut, bananas and pineapple. We also did a private ship excursion Bayliner Sunset cruise with the same friends around the Blue Lagoon, complete with champagne, hors d'oeuvres and a ukulele-playing boat driver. Watching the sunset while cruising the beautiful Blue Lagoon (and around the ship) with our driver singing was a truly unique experience! Bora Bora is a place we definitely will not forget. Although it was raining on Moorea, the snorkeling and stingray excursion was excellent. The stingrays were friendly and very active, and the beautiful coral and tropical and exotic fish were breathtaking. We explored Rarotonga and Papeete on our own. The shops and markets are easily accessible. We found the people on all the islands very friendly and welcoming, and the scenery stunning. Regent put on a special activity for all guests on Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas. The festival/cultural experience with carving, weaving and food demonstrations, along with music and dancing was lovely, despite the rain. Food was cooked in pits in the ground and a large buffet was served. Local craftspeople displayed their wares for purchase, including pareos, pearl jewelry, weaving and wooden carvings. All in all, an enjoyable experience. The schedule then had 6 sea days, but the time passed quickly with the many activities onboard. There were games, needlepoint, art classes, computer instructions and ballroom dance lessons. Speakers on this cruise were excellent, ranging from a former Washington Post reporter who lectured on the Middle East, a former British MP who spoke on intelligence and spies and spycraft during World War II and the Cold War. Another wonderful speaker was an archeological historian who spoke on the history of religion and its archeological evidence, and a former actor/sportscaster who spoke on his career. The Cordon Bleu cooking class was wonderful. This was the second time we have taken the course, and Chef Gilles from the Cordon Bleu in Ottawa was fantastic! The course now has been expanded to be a Circle of Interest course and is longer and more detailed than the previous courses. We had three extensive but fun classes learning techniques and cooking skills. We actually cooked up three excellent meals, which we enjoyed with wine following our work. A graduation dinner with special menu crafted by Chef Gilles took place at Signatures on our last evening. We highly recommend this course to anyone who loves food. Evening entertainment on the ship varied from Broadway productions to classical music. One innovation was a Dancing with the Stars contest with passengers taking partners from the dance hosts and entertainers. The contest dance-offs were the best attended entertainment as audience members cheered on their favorites. The quality of dancing was terrific and we congratulate the winners, who were awesome! Because we crossed the Equator on the trip, a special "baptism" of those who had not crossed before was conducted poolside. Actually the crew was "baptized," the passengers just watched and laughed. Now all aboard are official "Shellbacks" and were presented with a special certificate. In addition, one afternoon the crew put on a special Country Fair, with booths and activities. It was great fun as passengers threw water balloons, raced cars, and threw hoops etc in the booths to try to win prizes. The crew was enthusiastic and great sports, and the fair was a highlight of the crossing. Additional Information Because of crosswinds and a slight problem with a tender being raised onto the ship, we were slightly behind schedule in arriving in Los Angeles. We were scheduled to dock at 9am, but actually docked at 2pm. Regent really stepped up in this situation, especially because it was the weekend before Christmas. They sent passengers a letter three days before advising them of the change. Regent immediately changed travel arrangements for all those traveling on Regent air. In addition, they offered to reimburse for any changes incurred for any traveler who had to alter plane or other travel. The Travel Desk was helpful in making changes, and all guests were given free internet time and free phone time to contact family, make additional arrangements or changes. This customer service truly is one reason Regent has such a loyal following. Overall, this was a fantastic, relaxing cruise with excellent service, food and accommodations. Regent continues to be first-rate in customer service. We recommend Regent to anyone who wants to experience all-inclusive luxury cruising. Read Less