Live from ghe Mariner -in Mykonos

[tallship]

On port intensive cruises, it probably makes sense to open CR earlier but it is likely a staffing issue. I have to admit that I am amazed at how long many of the servers work in a given day

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha All,

 

With the included excursions, on a port-intensive itinerary, at many ports, it is likely that 600 passengers are getting off of the ship and heading for excursions early, between 8-9 o'clock. I just don't see how it would be physically possible to feed sit down breakfast to all of these passengers in such a way that they could all mke their excursions on time.

 

I could envision a real mess with the MDR serving sit down breakfast and most of the passengers pushing the servers and the kitchen to get them out as quickly as possible. Seems a simple matter of logistics to me.

 

Last year, on a port-intensive itinerary, we mostly ate breakfast in La Veranda, and it was fine, and for early morning excursion departures, breakfast from room service was great--better in my opinion than a long drawn out affair in the MDR.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

Mark

[Eager2Travel]

If someone is doing a rust inventory they might want to check below the railing of the balcony in suite 800. DH noticed it and commented to me. IMO it stood out because most of the exterior of the ship is in excellent condition. During our cruise they were constantly touching up.

 

I do love Regent but I must agree all the Mariner cabins could use new sofas and chairs. I would appreciate that more than a redone Observation Lounge. I spend more time in the cabin than the Lounge.

 

We found the staff to be very accommodating in La Veranda. I think that they would serve you if you did not wish to go to the buffet. I saw them do just that. I, myself, love to peruse the offerings and select my favorite fruit and nuts.

[tripperva]

So, when would there be a Mariner dry dock?

[charltonkerry]

The only regent cruise we have undertaken was very port intensive, as is our next and we really enjoyed the room service breakfast, butler delivered down to the exact minute (had to set the alarm 5 minutes early so not to get caught in bed) steaming hot and just to keep the wife happy tea. Absolutely fantastic and so looking forward to it again, normally on any other cruise line we wouldn't do this, but our butler suggested it as he felt we was not using him enough, from then on we took notice of what he said.:)

[zorro90068]

Breakfast is offered in Compass Rose at 8:00 a.m. It is also offered in La Veranda and in the pool area early. Out of curiosity, is there a sit down restaurant on Seabourn where guests can finish their breakfast in time for an 8:00 a.m. excursion?

 

Yes it's called the Colonnade or the Veranda on the smaller ships.

[OrpingtonT]

Yes it's called the Colonnade or the Veranda on the smaller ships.

 

But the Colonnade is the buffet outlet and I think Travelcat was referring to "sit-down" as waiter served.

[zorro90068]

But the Colonnade is the buffet outlet and I think Travelcat was referring to "sit-down" as waiter served.

 

In that case would be MDR The Restaurant on Deck 4 opens for breakfast each day from 8:00am until 9:00/9:30am....Too slow for me!

[OrpingtonT]

And me before an excursion. Timings are same as Compass Rose.

[PaulaJK]

I can't address the 8am issue as I would not sign up for so early a tour [Those days are gone!]

 

However, I will mention that in addition to the buffet areas, the Colonnade offers a standing menu of served hot items [e.g. eggs benedict, corned beef hash w. eggs] as well as two daily specials, also served. So a served hot breakfast is indeed possible although I recognize that it lacks the tranquility of the MDR. I also have been told --but have not done this---that staff will bring items from the buffet upon request. So probably the more accurate answer is that you can get a fully served breakfast with a choice of hot entrees, but not in the MDR. Hope this explanation helps, TC.

[Travelcat2]

I can't address the 8am issue as I would not sign up for so early a tour [Those days are gone!]

 

However, I will mention that in addition to the buffet areas, the Colonnade offers a standing menu of served hot items [e.g. eggs benedict, corned beef hash w. eggs] as well as two daily specials, also served. So a served hot breakfast is indeed possible although I recognize that it lacks the tranquility of the MDR. I also have been told --but have not done this---that staff will bring items from the buffet upon request. So probably the more accurate answer is that you can get a fully served breakfast with a choice of hot entrees, but not in the MDR. Hope this explanation helps, TC.

 

Thanks Paula! Guests can "almost" get a fully served breakfast in La Veranda as well - especially if they get there when it opens. Once the hoards of people get there (between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.), it is a mad house (worse on the Navigator that the larger ships). BTW I like the idea of a standing menu of served hot items. Regent should consider doing that:-)

[wripro]

TC2.

It really doesn't matter to me if you can finish breakfast in the SB MDR in time for an 8 AM excursion because I don't have to rush to make an excursion just because it's included. I either have private tours where I decide the time to leave or do things on my own. Just as I do on Silversea, Oceania or wherever.

[makai 7]

Sorry for so few posts and responses but I only had my kindle Fire with me, so typing was difficult...

 

As an FYI there was a 5 day private charter scheduled on the Mariner at the end of our cruise - that is the reason for the break in the schedule. The crew didn't seem too excited about the charter. They were bringing all their own entertainment on board.

 

A few thoughts and comments...

The broken coffee machine I mentioned was not the 'automatic machine' that made the self-serve coffees. It was the actual espresso machine (we were told it was a Spanish Model), so no "hand crafted" espresso drinks for 3 days. We were also dissappointed that they shut down the coffee connection at 5pm, again leaving us with only self-serve (perfectly adequate, mind you) if we wanted a cappucino after 5pm. Not a big deal, but not as we remembered from the Navigator.

 

We do not understand why there are only morning excursions offered in ports where we remained until 7-10pm. All excursions departed between 7:15 and 9am, and there were no later options for the afternoons.

Where we overnited in Istanbul you would have expected an evening or late afternoon excursion, but again none were offered (on Azamara in Saigon there were evening excursions - and in every overnite port this was the case....). The excursions in Crete and Turkey had fewer passengers - approximately 20-25 instead of 40 and this worked out much better and were more enjoyable.

 

Our favorite restaurant was Setti Mari (ate there 3 times), followed by Compass Rose. Signatures was not worth the effort of getting the reservation. The best item was the quiche appetizer. Don't waste the calories on the bisque, it is not a true bisque.

Prime 7 was "OK". We were surprised about the lack of flavor or moisture in the filets - we both had the petit fillet, medium rare. The color was correct, but the meat itself was dry. Not like the filets on Navigator that we could almost cut with a fork. Perhaps their suppliers are not as good as they used to be. If you like creamed spinach - don't expect a true steakhouse vegetable. Their interpretation is just liquified green goo, more of a sauce. I forgot about this from our previous cruise and should not have ordered it - my mistake.

 

We found the breakfast options very limited. The menu in Compass Rose never changed- never a 'special' like eggs benedict. Also similar lack of creativity in La Veranda at breakfast. In some ways this was a good thing because it helped reduce the weight gain...

 

Overall we had a great vacation, but we probably won't cruise on Regent again. It did not meet our expectations regarding "bang for the buck". We're "done" with cruising for a while due to work schedules, and most likely will go back to our favorite spot- Hilo HI - for our next vacation. If we cruise again it will probably be on HAL - on the Noordam size ship/class on another Panama Canal cruise. This seems to be the best fit for us, based on what we prefer.

 

If anyone has any specific questions about the Penthouse suite vs a standard suite, or the Mariner in general - I'd be happy to answer them.

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for taking the time to review the time you spent on the Mariner. It's always good to get perspectives from passengers:)

[newlondon]

Makai, Sorry about your disappointment with breakfast. We spent 6 weeks on Voyager 1/20-3/5 in SE Asia. We ate breakfast every day at 7a in our cabin. The selection was fantastic. Eggs Benedict, corned beef hash, any breakfast meat etc. In addition, always right on time with everything hot. Please consider this option on your next Regent cruise, which hopefully you will try. You will like it.

[Rally]

I forgot to.mention - I think the tour ticketing and departure process has been very well organised and smooth. The biggest problems have been caused by people who do not know how to - or don't want to follow instructions. They push and shove or stand in the way instead of being patient.

tendering has also been fine - except for people who don't seem to understand that they are on a moving boat.

 

Just to share a funny story . . . . We were on Voyager a few years ago and our first stop in Japan was Osaka. It seemed to take forever for the ship to be cleared (which we have since been told is typical in Japan) and we passengers were getting restless sitting in theshow lounge waiting to be called to our excursions (not included in those days..). CD Jamie finally got more than a little fed up with us, and told us all tosit down and be quiet!then he said those on the 8:30 tourcould leave . . .and teo-thirdsof the room stood up. "All right!" he said, if you're going to cheat we will do this another way! Only those on Tour number 387B please stand up!" Teo-thirds of the room stood up . . . . We were all on the tour to Kyoto :) "oh to Hell with it," he said, tossing his clipboard down. "Have a nice day and try not to trample each other on the way out!" The tour was fabulous! :)

[jhp]

Makai 7, no tomatoes from this direction either. I am disappointed to hear that the busses are filled at capacity, as this has never been my experience on Regent in many cruises. I hope it will be different from your experience when I am on another Med cruise this fall, on the Mariner.

 

While I agree that 8 a.m. is early for a departure for tours (I don't like it either) I thought Regent did this because people sometimes want to eat more than they want to tour, and do not want to miss lunch! But I have never known them to keep CR open past the normal time, or to open it early other than on disembarkation day. I have, however, seen the Veranda hours extended from time to time, say when a ship docks a little later and excursions are unable to get out before 9 a.m.

 

Thank you for your comments, I enjoyed reading about your cruise, and sorry you don't wish to return. As they say, the damage done when a customer is dissatisfied cannot ever be truly measured. Word of mouth is simply the best marketing tool a company can have.

[tallship]

Jhp-

We found mostly full buses in March this year.

 

With so many complaints and constant bickering on this board, it is sad yet easy to see people deciding not to return to Regent. We are rethinking, as some would say the "value proposition" of cruising more generally.

 

I think Regent has a lot going for it but I am finding that it is not as consistent as it has been in the past and there are several competing products out there.

 

I won't give up on them yet....

[georg0]

I agree too much bickering on these boards. Too many people comment just to comment. In any event, I have travelled Regent in the past and am looking forward to a trip in november. As with any hotel or restaurant or any facility or service serving the public, everyone has a slightly different perception or view, depending often on attitude or timing. As with wine, the differences on the top ones depend mainly on palate. My hope is the constant commenters will comment judiciously, and not so often. I enjoy Regent Cruises.

[tallship]

georg0 - you are most welcome. I have learned a lot on these boards but am growing tired of the negative comments

[nanaof2]

georg0 - you are most welcome. I have learned a lot on these boards but am growing tired of the negative comments

 

100% correct. :D

[makai 7]

From newlondon:

"Makai, Sorry about your disappointment with breakfast. We spent 6 weeks on Voyager 1/20-3/5 in SE Asia. We ate breakfast every day at 7a in our cabin. The selection was fantastic. Eggs Benedict, corned beef hash, any breakfast meat etc. In addition, always right on time with everything hot. Please consider this option on your next Regent cruise, which hopefully you will try. You will like it. "

 

Oh- If only we had those choices... the daily room service menu in our penthouse suite had scrambled eggs, omelets, 3 kinds of pancakes, or waffles. No other 'hot options' except oatmeal... No eggs benedict, etc. The compass rose did not have these options either. Maybe this option was only available on the Voyager...

 

We ended up doing room service breakfast all mornings that we had tours, and the meals delivered were often wrong- food was lukewarm, with no breakfast meats included even though they were selected on the form, or the wrong kinds. We had no time and it wasn't worth complaining- we just ate what the butler delivered and went on our tours.

 

Regarding the tours that left early (8am)- they still returned too late to have lunch! That was our other complaint- a tour with no lunch, but returning to the ship after 2pm and La Veranda was closed, so the only options were again room service, or fighting a huge crowd at the pool grill for a lousy hamburger, and no place 'cool' to sit and eat.

They could have left one side of La Veranda open while the other side was prepared for Setti Mare, since only the port side was used in the evenings.

 

Please don't think this "ruined" our vacation. Two weeks completely disconnected from work was fabulous, and we enjoyed our time off. It was just that our expectations were not met based upon our previous Regent experience.

 

On a tender ride back to the ship from Santorini, we had a woman with us who was terrified of being on a moving boat. The seas were a bit rough (maybe 2 foot swells), and we suggested that she move to the center of the seat (just slide a few feet) instead of being on the far port side, but she was terrified to even do that becaaue she would have to let go of the railing. She was so miserable, and we felt so bad for her. We are often surprised at how many people take cruises, but truly dislike being at sea.

[jhp]

makai 7, sadly, perhaps you did not realize that the things you can "check off" on the door tag thing for breakfast are NOT the only "available" items. Have not done it on maybe my last 3 recent cruises in the past 1 1/2 years, but you could always write in "eggs benedict" in the lines at the bottom. They are my favorite special breakfast items EVER.

 

Have done it many many times in the past. Might have made your whole breakfast experience better to at least know you could have it anytime! And maybe have commented in writing there, "please serve hot, everything was incomplete/lukewarm/dry/whatever yesterday", there is no sensible reason that room service staff wants to have you dissatisfied, or they shouldn't. They know room service demands go up and down on certain days, so help them improve by immediate input. You don't need to go to a GM all the time. These guys don't want complaints from above and hopefully would correct.

 

As luck would have it, I have been lucky with room service timing for food temps. If anything, it would be my fault on a longer cruise with many sea days(like a 15-21 day repositioning), ordering for too early a delivery, and going back to bed ;) Could be because year after year, I order it every day on all of my cruises (and believe me, none of them are really long). In all of them, I don't remember one cruise that I went to either La Veranda or Compass Rose for breakfast. I have never been a morning person (duh, see how late I post), and surely won't start now, so we share a dislike for those early excursion calls. But I already said that in another post above.

 

Like you said, maybe time for land travel a bit for you for a change! My brother has also sailed HAL, and gave me great reports.

[rarin2go]

.......

 

As luck would have it, I have been lucky with room service timing for food temps. If anything, it would be my fault on a longer cruise with many sea days(like a 15-21 day repositioning), ordering for too early a delivery, and going back to bed ;) ........

 

Agree room service breakfasts very good and they seem always eager to please. The only minor problem we have found is the timing - invariably at least 10 minutes before the requested slot, catching us still in bed - until we caught on! :)