Regent vs. HAL

[flossie009]

6 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 Regent's website lists the size as 318 sq. ft, plus the balcony of 49? sq. ft.  Is the website wrong?  The difference between 318 and 256 is substantial, and the pictures look like there is slightly more space than HAL''s R class Vista Suites.

 

Regent's website lists the basic suite size on Mariner as 252 sq. ft. + 49 sq. ft. balcony

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_mariner/suites

............ not sure where you got 318 sq. ft. from 🤔

 

(Voyager: 306 sq. ft. plus 50 sq. ft. balcony)

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

 

Regent's website lists the basic suite size on Mariner as 252 sq. ft. + 49 sq. ft. balcony

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_mariner/suites

............ not sure where you got 318 sq. ft. from 🤔

 

(Voyager: 306 sq. ft. plus 50 sq. ft. balcony)

 

Actually, Regent has changed their descriptions of the Voyager and Navigator so the dimensions  that Tampa Girl came up with could have come from an older brochure (ours show the suites on Voyager as 301 sq. ft. + 50 sq. ft. balcony) or a different website.  Just checked the the Navigator on the rssc.com website and it remains at 301 sq. ft. but has a 55 sq. ft. balcony.  Previously, both ships suite square footage were the same.  Due to these discrepancies, I tend to use approximates to avoid anyone thinking thatI misspoke when in actuality, the description has changed a tiny bit.  

 

There are many websites that appear to be Regent out there and not all are 100% accurate.  

[Dolebludger]

While I am unsure of exact square footages. I assure all that the H -- D suites on the Mariner are much smaller than those on the Voyager and Navigator. A bit too small for me for long! And the base suites (?) On the Explorer and upcoming Splendour are reported at only about 210 sq. ft. interior room. 

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

While I am unsure of exact square footages. I assure all that the H -- D suites on the Mariner are much smaller than those on the Voyager and Navigator. A bit too small for me for long! And the base suites (?) On the Explorer and upcoming Splendour are reported at only about 210 sq. ft. interior room. 

 

Agree - whatever the square footage is of the Mariner, the suites are too small for some of us (definitely too small for my DH and I).  Agree that the entry level suites on the Explorer and Splendor are tiny.  Originally I heard that they were going to be for "solo" travelers which I thought was wonderful.  Unfortunately, it was changed and are now for two people.  One poster even booked the 210 sq. ft. suite for 3 people (it is no wonder that I saw the poster hanging out in the Coffee Connection a lot).  

[Dolebludger]

TC2,

 

We would not consider a Mariner H—D suite for more than a seven night cruise..and we wuldnt consider an Expplorer or Splendour cruise with 210 sq. ft. Interior cabin for even a one night cruise. Not for the price. Not worth it. I know these were originally for single cruisers to help them out with the dreaded single dupplement,. Then apparently the bookkeepers took control of the situation, so now we have tiny suites (?) sold to couples for high prices. Apparently even for three guests. 

[Hambagahle]

On 1/30/2019 at 3:42 PM, Tampa Girl said:

 

So you won't sail on Cunard, either?  

I won't sail on any ship larger than Oceania's Riviera - which has 1200 passengers.  I prefer ships between 700 and 1000 pax.  And I have no desire whatsoever to sail on Cunard.  The atmosphere is "too British" !!  I really love Regent and Oceania...

[Tampa Girl]

7 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

I won't sail on any ship larger than Oceania's Riviera - which has 1200 passengers.  I prefer ships between 700 and 1000 pax.  And I have no desire whatsoever to sail on Cunard.  The atmosphere is "too British" !!  I really love Regent and Oceania...

Have you been on the Mariner for a long voyage?  Their 2021 WC is enticing me, but I wonder if there is enough to do on a vessel of that size for 117 days.

[Hambagahle]

Not for that long.  Longest I think we took on the Mariner was 23 days, Lima to BA.  I could not stay on any ship any longer than that...  There was more than enough to do.  the lectures and the excursions were outstanding.  But I do not like to be away from Switzerland for that long...I get homesick.

[kennicott]

8 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

Have you been on the Mariner for a long voyage?  Their 2021 WC is enticing me, but I wonder if there is enough to do on a vessel of that size for 117 days.

We have done three voyages on the Mariner, one for 30 days, one for 31 days and the last one for 22 days in October. All three were excellent cruises, we were in the concierge suites. Much prefer the concierge suites on the Navigator and the Voyager though, which are our favorite mini-suite style cabins of any, but other than that the Mariner is superior in most respects. Could easily have done four months on the Mariner and enjoyed it. Our longest was on the Prinsendam, for three months in a standard balcony. We liked that voyage too but as these exploration style and design vessels go, the Mariner is much better. 

 

It would have been nice to have had a penthouse suite on the Mariner, the next step up from our concierge (In fact we were next door to the penthouses) but even with a special upgrade they wanted another $5,600. for the three weeks. Which we figured wasn't quite worth it. Also, they include a butler with the penthouse. Butlers drive us nuts, plus on Regent the cabin attendants are super anyway. Here is what I said about the Mariner on our last cruise:

 

"Soon after we boarded we checked out the Main Dining Room, The Compass Rose, and wondered if we were on the right ship. We weren't aware that the Mariner went through an extensive refurbishment last March. Quite a change in the MDR, not just in the general decor but with wait staff and cuisine. Special shout out for the wine pairing sommeliers. Now, don't get me wrong, the Mariner was always great, but it was now super."    

Edited February 1, 2019 by kennicott

[Tampa Girl]

On 1/30/2019 at 4:28 PM, flossie009 said:

 

Regent's website lists the basic suite size on Mariner as 252 sq. ft. + 49 sq. ft. balcony

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_mariner/suites

............ not sure where you got 318 sq. ft. from 🤔

 

(Voyager: 306 sq. ft. plus 50 sq. ft. balcony)

 

I got the dimensions of 301 (apparently I misstated it previously as 318), from the rssc.com website cited in your post.  The Mariner was stated as Suite 301/28; balcony 49.  I assume that since this was the official rssc website, that it is the most recent.  However, I assumed that the 49' was additional space.  My assumption may be incorrect.  But, even then, subtracting the 49 from 301 give 273 sq. ft., not 256.  Not much more, but every little sq. ft. helps.

[flossie009]

@Tampa Girl,

I see the problem now. Regent have made their website pages for the suites on all their ships very confusing.

 

For Mariner basic suites, at the top of the page they state the size to be 301/28 F2/M2; this should more accurately read "The total area of the suite, including balcony, is 301 sq.ft. or 28 sq.m"

 

The full details of the suite size is then given further down the page:

252 sq. ft. + 49 sq. ft. balcony (i.e. 301 sq.ft. total)

23.5 sq.m + 4.5 sq.m. balcony (i.e. 28 sq.m. total)

 

 

Hopefully Regent Marketing will consider clarifying the headline figures since it is obviously confusing some of their potential customers.

[Tampa Girl]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

@Tampa Girl,

I see the problem now. Regent have made their website pages for the suites on all their ships very confusing.

 

For Mariner basic suites, at the top of the page they state the size to be 301/28 F2/M2; this should more accurately read "The total area of the suite, including balcony, is 301 sq.ft. or 28 sq.m"

 

The full details of the suite size is then given further down the page:

252 sq. ft. + 49 sq. ft. balcony (i.e. 301 sq.ft. total)

23.5 sq.m + 4.5 sq.m. balcony (i.e. 28 sq.m. total)

 

 

Hopefully Regent Marketing will consider clarifying the headline figures since it is obviously confusing some of their potential customers.

 

That does clarify it, unfortunately, since DH's enthusiasm for this size cabin on a long voyage is virtually nil.  We have gotten spoiled by HAL's Neptune Suites, and I don't know if we want to expend the money necessary to duplicate that comfort on the Mariner.  

 

I also note that my math leaves something to be desired.  I obviously cannot add nor subtract.  Thanks for the clarification.

 

 

[Xerxes10]

IMHO putting the inside plus the outside size in the headline is borderline deceptive even it is explained in the small print.

[Dolebludger]

Cool Cruiser, 

 

i agree that “suite” sizes should state interior space and balcony space separately and clearly. All I can swear to, after many Mariner cruises is that interior space in H — D suites is 250 some odd sq. ft. And the balcony is 50 some odd square feet. On our first several Mariner cruises, this all seemed fine with us. Then, it seemed to us as if the suites were shrinking. Of course, they were not. It is just that as we aged, we became more sensitive to cramped space. The suites on the Voyager and Navigator with 300 some odd interior sq. ft. Remain fine with us. But we are certain that the 210 sq. ft. Interior space suites on the Explorer and Splendour would be out of the question.

[UUNetBill]

5 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I got the dimensions of 301 (apparently I misstated it previously as 318), from the rssc.com website cited in your post.  The Mariner was stated as Suite 301/28; balcony 49.  I assume that since this was the official rssc website, that it is the most recent.  However, I assumed that the 49' was additional space.  My assumption may be incorrect.  But, even then, subtracting the 49 from 301 give 273 sq. ft., not 256.  Not much more, but every little sq. ft. helps.

Actually, subtracting 49 from 301 leaves you with 252, not 273.  But I agree that Regent could standardize/clarify their measurements.  There's no reason they can't display cabin/balcony in sqft/sq m consistently across their fleet...

 

But maybe that's just me.

[Travelcat2]

The bottom line for me is that Mariner lower category suites (including concierge suites) are too small.  Navigator and Voyager lower suites are a good size and if you forget the "G" and "H" suites (which I would not book if you paid me) on Explorer, the F1/F2 suites may be the best laid out suites in the fleet.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Travelcat2

[ArtsyCraftsy]

9 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

That does clarify it, unfortunately, since DH's enthusiasm for this size cabin on a long voyage is virtually nil.  We have gotten spoiled by HAL's Neptune Suites, and I don't know if we want to expend the money necessary to duplicate that comfort on the Mariner.  

 

I also note that my math leaves something to be desired.  I obviously cannot add nor subtract.  Thanks for the clarification.

 

 

 

I was in a similar position when I booked my first Regent cruise.  My only cruise experience at that time was with HAL in a Neptune suite, but I booked a Concierge on the Mariner as it was nearly identical in size to HAL's Vista Suite on their R-class ships (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, etc.) and I thought it might work.  The Mariner Concierge suite is about 1 foot "wider" and about 6" "shorter" than the Vista, so they're very close.  Also, many of the Neptune Suite perks and amenities are included with an RSSC Concierge Suite (welcome champagne, concierge service, coffee maker, binoculars, etc.).  Really, the primary difference is the size.

 

But I also travel solo -- so the smaller size wasn't as big a deal for me as it would likely be for a couple.

 

Before my first RSSC cruise, I'd also taken a second HAL cruise -- 38 days through the North Atlantic -- also in a Neptune Suite.  

 

So I was a little nervous about the size difference when I boarded the Mariner in September.  I spent the next 28 days in the Concierge cabin on the Vancouver to Miami cruise and ended up liking the size more than I thought I would.  I actually found the smaller size to be an advantage when we hit some rough weather a couple of times -- there was more "stuff" within easy reach to touch/hold onto for balance when moving around the cabin.  The Neptune has a lot of "open space," which made moving around in rough waters a bit trickier, especially at night when it was dark.  

 

When I started thinking about doing the 2020 world cruise, I had to think long and hard about whether I would be happy in the smaller cabin for 131 days.  The final answer was "yes" -- the square footage seemed to me to be about perfect for one person, with more closet storage than I found in HAL's Neptune (the Mariner Concierge has a huge walk-in closet), comfortable furnishings, and enough room for a single traveler to "spread out" and not feel cramped.  The next category "up" resulted in a price difference (including the single supplement) that put it a little higher than I wanted to spend unless I wanted to do ONLY the world cruise and no others in 2020, and THAT wasn't happening. 😉  I've also booked the Grand Cape Horn Adventure (68 days, Los Angeles to Miami) starting 29 October 2020, also on the Mariner, and I'm looking at a 14-day Alaska cruise in the summer of 2020 for my birthday, which, coincidentally, is ALSO on the Mariner.

 

That said,  I would certainly share your trepidation about a Concierge if I were traveling with a spouse/friend/etc.  

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

 

On 1/31/2019 at 10:44 AM, Tampa Girl said:

Have you been on the Mariner for a long voyage?  Their 2021 WC is enticing me, but I wonder if there is enough to do on a vessel of that size for 117 days.

 

We are booked on this cruise.  We've been on Mariner for 18 days, in a standard cabin (G).  We are aware that it is somewhat smaller--would we rather have the suite on Voyager or better yet Navigator?  Yes!  But the public spaces on Mariner really captured our heart.  And we can deal with the cabin, I'm sure.  For the 18 days we were in an accessible cabin, which was somewhat more spacious since it had no walk-in closet, but I'm still content.  We certainly would love a PH, but it's not within our budget for such a long cruise.  

 

As for things to do, as I said the Mariner's public spaces are wonderful, and there will be tons to do, I'm confident.

[Dolebludger]

Wendy,

 

Certainly, the public spaces on the Mariner are great. Indeed, when Regent designed the Voyager, they decreased the size of the public areas to enlarge the "suites". Part of the reason they did this was the number of immediate complaints about the Mariner bathrooms, I don't know, but if you priorities lean toward the quality of public spaces, the Mariner is for you!

[DavidTheWonderer]

On 1/31/2019 at 10:44 AM, Tampa Girl said:

... Their 2021 WC is enticing me, but I wonder if there is enough to do on a vessel of that size for 117 days. ...

A recently completed "Grand Voyage" on Mariner had a number of very active posters here. The itinerary was sort of this World Cruise light. They were almost getting worn out from all of the things that they were doing, both in ports and sea days. Here's a link: