Live from Mariner May 5 to 18, 2022

[wishIweretravelling]

My friend and I boarded Mariner yesterday in San Francisco for her first Alaska sailing of the season. We had flown in the previous day, staying at a hotel close to the pier. We had a lovely walk around town, and got together for a bit with a friend who was to disembark the world(ish) cruise the next day (Mariner was overnighting in SF).

 

As we arrived at the port, the porters were friendly and efficient, whisking away our luggage in a blink. Then came check-in for the ship. Probably the worst I’ve experienced on Regent (though I’ve experienced worse on Crystal). But it was still not awful—just not up to pre-covid (or even post-shutdown when running at less than half capacity) standards. They apparently had opened late. Plus, multiple documents had to be scanned with hand-helds that were not working particularly well. Overall, it took about 40 minutes to get through the process. The time is not that big a deal. But the table area where check-in occurred was very cramped, with workers and passengers alike jammed into close proximity to each other. Not great in this omicron era.

 

When we got to the ship, the security officer checking us in noted that the shore agent had put my photo on both my and my friend’s accounts. A quick trip to Reception sorted this out quickly. So now we were truly aboard!  We had lunch in La Veranda, and had no sooner sat down than it was announced that the cabins were ready. Our luggage arrived in our cabin not long after we did. We then encountered another odd glitch—the account on the television was for two other people and a different cabin. This stumped both the front desk and Engineering, but a nice young man from Engineering eventually sorted it out.

 

We unpacked quickly, then we were truly on our cruise.

[wishIweretravelling]

This is only my third time on Mariner, the last time having been 13 years ago. So I’ve been getting re-acquainted with the ship. I love the public spaces on this ship. The promenade with the Coffee Connection in the middle is a favorite of mine. The Observation Lounge is great, with a terrific forward view and outdoor areas on either side for closer viewing. And, for those who prefer a rear view, the Horizon Lounge offers a clear view out the back with an outdoor space to spread into.

 

The Observation Lounge was packed for the sail away, so we went to the Horizon Lounge, and enjoyed sailing out under the Golden Gate Bridge from that perspective. Bar service was impeccable, though my favorite part was when most of the bar staff ran outside as we passed under the bridge to get pictures and enjoy the experience. It was clear that this was encouraged by management, which I think is great. They have hard jobs—they should get some moments of joy from it.

 

Dinner at Compass Rose was great. We asked to be seated with others, and had a lovely time with two terrific couples from the U.K. (They were not traveling together—they had just met then too). The food was superb—very fresh green mussels and a mahi mahi entree.  We were having such a good time talking at dinner that we missed the show. Oh well. I’m sure we’ll see that show some other time on some other cruise.

 

Today has been a sea day. I was disappointed that Terry Breen is not the speaker on this particular sailing, but the speaker we do have—“Dr. Dave”—is excellent.  The cruise has a spotlight on wine theme, so today’s intro wine tasting was a bit more elaborate than the usual. I very much enjoyed it, and learned of some additional wines that are on board to request at dinner.

[RJ2002]

Thanks for your reports from the Mariner. Our first Regent cruise was aboard the Mariner. Fond memories. 
 

Really glad to hear that your experiences at the bars and CR have been favorable. 
 

Looking forward to more updates if time permits…. but your number one priority is to enjoy yourself!

[ronrick1943]

Now that your out to sea, sounds like you are having a great time.  Looking forward to reading more about your trip.

[wishIweretravelling]

We started with a sea day, and then yesterday in port at Astoria, Oregon.  We took the wine tasting excursion to Willamette Valley, and discovered some new wines, some of them unexpected for the area. For dinner, as we approached the maitre d’ table, we encountered a couple we’d met previously and decided to dine together. We were then asked if we’d like to dine in Chartreuse instead, and that it would not interfere with our reservation there. We took the offer.

 

Dinner at Chartreuse? The best escargots I have ever eaten. It is prepared untraditionally, in a lightly creamy broth with perfect flavors and textures. I’d meant to order the rack of lamb, but the waiter discouraged that dish, so went with the tenderloin instead. Also very good.

 

Today is another sea day as we make our way to Ketchikan.  

[wishIweretravelling]

A day of perfect weather in Alaska! 61 degrees F and sunny. There were even people in the pool, though most (like us) hit the hot tubs after returning for our day’s outings.

 

This was supposed to be Ketchikan, but unfortunately we docked about 8 miles out of town at Wade Cove, where NCL has built a pier. Not much here except some industrial type buildings. It was just a place to board buses to get somewhere else. There was a shuttle to Ketchikan, but the charm of getting off the ship right into town was absent. I hope this is not a permanent arrangement, but given NCL’s investment in the port, I fear it might be.

 

For my part, I took the native canoe excursion, which made for a wonderful day on a beautiful mountain lake in rare ideal weather. I do highly recommend this excursion. 

[califsealion]

4 hours ago, wishIweretravelling said:

 

For my part, I took the native canoe excursion, which made for a wonderful day on a beautiful mountain lake in rare ideal weather. I do highly recommend this excursion. 

Funny, I did a similar (maybe the same?) excursion in Ketchikan and it was pouring rain and totally miserable. The waterproofs they gave us to wear weren’t the least bit waterproof.  It would have been much more enjoyable in nice weather!

 

Thank you for the live reports! I’m happily following along. 

[wishIweretravelling]

Today was a sea day, concentrating primarily on Hubbard Glacier. The weather was sunny and clear—a rarity—which made for even lovelier sightseeing than usual. I am trying to enjoy this trip in the moment, rather than living through a lens, so have taken few pictures. I may try to post a couple I did get when the Wi-Fi is a bit livelier.

 

Our wonderful lecturer, Dr Dave, narrated the Hubbard visit. He truly is terrific. And, rather than just talking through the whole thing, he came through in sporadic 5-minute bites, which really was perfect for the experience. As always, he was quite informative.

 

Yesterday was a stop at Icy Strait Point (aka, ISP). It’s a small port set-up a bit outside the town of Hoonah (population approx 950). It was cold (42 degrees), but the rain held off until the evening so most excursions were back before it got nasty. Unfortunately, the port was not really ready to receive visitors. Little by little, the operators canceled most of the excursions. Mine was a common experience. I’d signed up for one excursion, but it was canceled “by the operator” a few weeks before the cruise. So I signed up for another. It was canceled “by the operator” the second day of the cruise. So I signed up for about the only thing left—“Mountain Tram Adventure.” 

 

Unfortunately, the operator was having great difficulties. The Regent agent would tell us to go one place. We’d go there, and the ground operator would tell us someplace different. We’d go there, and they’d have no idea why we were sent there. So we went back to the Regent agent, who then consulted the ground operator who then announced that he’d misunderstood (?) and the Regent agent had been right all along. Then the guide was missing. We waited about half an hour, with the Regent agent trying to give us updates, which largely consisted of “the ground operator doesn’t know where the guide is.” As I was about to give up and leave, the guide turned up. With no apologies.

 

The tram turned out to be open air, which was not pleasant in  the cold. Fortunately, everyone carries face masks these days, so they were useful for keeping the face from freezing. Our tram rode around Hoonah for a bit, but the tour had to be cut short because of the lateness of the guide—they had to get back for the next tour. In this case, the truncation was merciful. Fortunately, the outing was rescued by a subsequent gondola ride to a mountaintop with a spectacular view.

 

Oh well, you can’t win them all. At least we didn’t get wet.

[JandKsVistas]

Did anyone Zipline?

[rcandkc]

4 hours ago, JandKsVistas said:

Did anyone Zipline?

My husband and I did 😀.  We had never zip lined before so should be honest about that.  But going from 1300 feet to sea level at near 60 miles an hour is quite an adventure…especially at our age.  We are glad we did it. 

[wishIweretravelling]

Hubbard Glacier 

[RachelG]

Too bad about Hoonah.  I suspect this is covid shutdown related, as when we were there a few years ago, it was one of our favorite stops.  It is run by the native American tribe, and my husband and I were really excited because it was so nice and did not involve a casino (unlike here in Oklahoma).  We went kayaking in the morning, did the zipline then went on a bear watching excursion in the afternoon which featured no bears, until one crossed the road right in front of the bus on the way back to the ship.   Hopefully, they will get their act back together soon. 

[wishIweretravelling]

Like so many places, they seem to have problems with personnel shortages. With the covid-related uncertainties of the season, they must bring people in (Hoonah cannot provide all the staff needed), and that is tough when it is not clear if there is no certainty there will be a season, much less how strong it will be.

[wishIweretravelling]

As the sun sets over Juneau

[liptastic]

Fabulous photos thanks for posting. Brings back great memories, our last cruise being Mariner in Alaska May 2019.   Jean.

[1982CruzStart]

Beautiful pictures. Thanks for posting. 

[ronrick1943]

On 5/9/2022 at 6:03 PM, wishIweretravelling said:

A day of perfect weather in Alaska! 61 degrees F and sunny. There were even people in the pool, though most (like us) hit the hot tubs after returning for our day’s outings.

 

This was supposed to be Ketchikan, but unfortunately we docked about 8 miles out of town at Wade Cove, where NCL has built a pier. Not much here except some industrial type buildings. It was just a place to board buses to get somewhere else. There was a shuttle to Ketchikan, but the charm of getting off the ship right into town was absent. I hope this is not a permanent arrangement, but given NCL’s investment in the port, I fear it might be.

 

For my part, I took the native canoe excursion, which made for a wonderful day on a beautiful mountain lake in rare ideal weather. I do highly recommend this excursion. 

That is sad, the charm is docking right at city center walking off the ship.  Hope that was a one time thing.  But like you say maybe not.

[NCCruzQueen]

We just got news that Sitka was a cruise terminal.  The daily Passages says that shuttles will be available.  Not sure what else is new but will report back after out Otters excursion today.

[wishIweretravelling]

Yesterday was, for me, the highlight of the cruise.  A Wildlife Quest excursion that included sea otters, sea lions, a humpback whale, and a rare sighting of a pod of orcas. According to the boat’s captain, they see these maybe twice a season. But even rarer was what they were doing. They had cornered a harbor seal and were on the attack to make a meal of it. While the seal and its fate were (thankfully) not visible to us, the seeming dance of the pod members was. We were able to watch for an extended period this show of raw nature. 
 

I am trying to post a video snippet of this , as well as of a sea otter. Others got much better video and photo s of them, but I thought I’d share what I have. If any others who were there have photos or video of it, I encourage you to post. 
 

my effort now doesn’t seem to be working. If they don’t come through now, I’ll try later when there is less demand on the WiFi. 

[wishIweretravelling]

Today is the final full day of the cruise. We’ve been blessed with great weather throughout, and today is no exception. We are docked in Vancouver with an overnight here. 

 

Yesterday was a lovely day in Victoria, where we visited Butchart Gardens. I’ve been before in summer and fall, so it was nice to see it in spring. It’s a very different place in different seasons. Right now, the tulips and rhododendron predominate. Since tulips are my favorite flower, I was very much in my happy place.

 

This is our third cruise since the re-start, and covid testing has been handled a bit differently on each. On this cruise, only antigen tests were provided for those of us needing one to fly back to our countries. There were two 2-hour time slots, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for tests.  There was a line that looked long, but moved fairly quickly—about 15 minutes. You checked in, got swabbed, and then took a seat to await results, which took about 10-15 minutes. A pdf with proof of the result was then emailed. We should receive a hard copy this evening.

 

 

[rcandkc]

21 hours ago, wishIweretravelling said:

Today is the final full day of the cruise. We’ve been blessed with great weather throughout, and today is no exception. We are docked in Vancouver with an overnight here. 

 

Yesterday was a lovely day in Victoria, where we visited Butchart Gardens. I’ve been before in summer and fall, so it was nice to see it in spring. It’s a very different place in different seasons. Right now, the tulips and rhododendron predominate. Since tulips are my favorite flower, I was very much in my happy place.

 

This is our third cruise since the re-start, and covid testing has been handled a bit differently on each. On this cruise, only antigen tests were provided for those of us needing one to fly back to our countries. There were two 2-hour time slots, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for tests.  There was a line that looked long, but moved fairly quickly—about 15 minutes. You checked in, got swabbed, and then took a seat to await results, which took about 10-15 minutes. A pdf with proof of the result was then emailed. We should receive a hard copy this evening.

 

We thought they did a good job with testing so many  

 

[wishIweretravelling]

20 hours ago, rcandkc said:

 

I agree—less than 30 minutes in and out, and you had your answer before you left the room. Considering that they were doing 500+ people, this worked well.

[CruisetheCs]

I was on the Mariner cruise also. There were about 530 guests onboard according to a staff person I spoke with.  The food and service overall was excellent as is usually the case with Regent. The weather was cooperative and we lucked out with sunny days in our port stops.  The excursions that I took were as described and worthwhile.  

 

There was little attention to Covid precautions by guests.  Very few people wore masks, social distancing was rarely practiced. Most tours met outside the ship, but one day we had to first assemble in the theater.  The theater was packed and few guests had on a mask as people stood right next to each other and milled about.  There were still signs in elevators to limit occupancy to 4 people, but those weren't followed.  For example, when tours returned I noticed elevators literally packed with people. On buses very few people wore masks.  Staff always wore masks and wore them properly. Only once did I see a staff member doing the loose-mask routine of pulling the mask up over the nose and then letting it fall back down a few seconds or a minute or two later.  

But with over 500 people from various cities and countries all merging onto a crowded ship with few noticeably following Covid distancing and masking protocols, it seems like a ripe situation for Covid spread. 

 

The internet was up to its usual tricks.  Most of the time it worked (very slowly) and sometimes it didn't.  One port day it didn't work all day and, as usual, there was no effort to publicize the problem with even a notice or sign at the internet desk.  It still appears that Regent corporate doesn't care much about the quality of internet service or they would fix the problems.  There are no questions on the guest survey about the internet functionality.  If anyone needs reliable internet, I would not recommend a Regent cruise.

 

I was pleased to be back on the Mariner and feel it offers some things that I prefer over the Explorer.  For example, the tables around the pool deck are much more accessible and spread out rather than being packed together as on Explorer. The Compass Rose layout felt more intimate and pleasant than the layout on the Explorer.  The forward and aft lounges are great for viewing, and the theater doesn't have pillars restricting views.  The music sound level in the observation lounge was good, unlike the Explorer where I always found the levels uncomfortably loud.  The penthouse suite arrangement was very comfortable for sleeping and for relaxing on the sofa.  The small bathrooms in the suites are not nearly as functional as those on the Explorer, however.

 

All in all the cruise was excellent.  But for those who have concerns about sailing during Covid times, I would say that you should consider your tolerance for the situations I described on the ship.  

 

[rcandkc]

26 minutes ago, CruisetheCs said:

I was on the Mariner cruise also. There were about 530 guests onboard according to a staff person I spoke with.  The food and service overall was excellent as is usually the case with Regent. The weather was cooperative and we lucked out with sunny days in our port stops.  The excursions that I took were as described and worthwhile.  

 

There was little attention to Covid precautions by guests.  Very few people wore masks, social distancing was rarely practiced. Most tours met outside the ship, but one day we had to first assemble in the theater.  The theater was packed and few guests had on a mask as people stood right next to each other and milled about.  There were still signs in elevators to limit occupancy to 4 people, but those weren't followed.  For example, when tours returned I noticed elevators literally packed with people. On buses very few people wore masks.  Staff always wore masks and wore them properly. Only once did I see a staff member doing the loose-mask routine of pulling the mask up over the nose and then letting it fall back down a few seconds or a minute or two later.  

But with over 500 people from various cities and countries all merging onto a crowded ship with few noticeably following Covid distancing and masking protocols, it seems like a ripe situation for Covid spread. 

 

The internet was up to its usual tricks.  Most of the time it worked (very slowly) and sometimes it didn't.  One port day it didn't work all day and, as usual, there was no effort to publicize the problem with even a notice or sign at the internet desk.  It still appears that Regent corporate doesn't care much about the quality of internet service or they would fix the problems.  There are no questions on the guest survey about the internet functionality.  If anyone needs reliable internet, I would not recommend a Regent cruise.

 

I was pleased to be back on the Mariner and feel it offers some things that I prefer over the Explorer.  For example, the tables around the pool deck are much more accessible and spread out rather than being packed together as on Explorer. The Compass Rose layout felt more intimate and pleasant than the layout on the Explorer.  The forward and aft lounges are great for viewing, and the theater doesn't have pillars restricting views.  The music sound level in the observation lounge was good, unlike the Explorer where I always found the levels uncomfortably loud.  The penthouse suite arrangement was very comfortable for sleeping and for relaxing on the sofa.  The small bathrooms in the suites are not nearly as functional as those on the Explorer, however.

 

All in all the cruise was excellent.  But for those who have concerns about sailing during Covid times, I would say that you should consider your tolerance for the situations I described on the ship.  

 

I agree with most of this, but I do think there is another side.  My husband and I always wore our mask in the elevators and sometimes skipped getting in elevator if too many.  We also wore our masks on any bus we were on.  The one day that was a chaotic mess in the theater for excursions (afternoon arrival to Victoria), we had our masks on and ultimately turned in our tickets and left.  That was the ONLY day of mismanagement in our view.  We are very glad we went on cruise.  

[rcandkc]

We took attitude of protecting ourselves and enjoying the cruise at same time.