Regent Mariner Alaska 8/15 - LONG

[harbormaster]

We just returned from the 8/15 NB Regent Mariner Alaska cruise. It was a fantastic journey and one we hope to repeat in the not too distant future. Alaska was gorgeous and amazing beyond words, and the Regent Experience made it all the more so. We cruise frequently and Regent is our favorite line, but we have cruised on a variety of ships in different lines for the last 25 years. This was our third cruise with Regent, first on the Mariner, and we think Regent is better than ever.

 

We departed Newark and flew non-stop to Vancouver on Continental the day before sailing. We stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel at Canada Place, where the ship docked. The hotel was lovely and the room overlooked the harbor, so we could see the cruise ships arrive, as well as Mount Baker in the distance.

 

On sail day, we woke early and walked downstairs just before 7 am. Soon, the Pacific Princess came into view, followed closely by the HAL Zaandam, and then the beautiful Regent Mariner. They all docked at the piers on both sides of the hotel. We were able to talk with passengers on the Mariner right from the dock, and heard that they had had a beautiful sunny week on the southbound portion. As it turned out, we also had a week of beautiful weather, although we were prepared for rain because it is Alaska.

 

At 11:30 am we walked our bags to the terminal downstairs, and after a short wait, were taken through immigration to the waiting Mariner. We walked to the Constellation Theater, were given champagne, and checked in. Our rooms would be ready at 2, so we took our carry-ons up to the pool deck and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Everywhere we went on the ship we were greeted with smiles and “welcome aboard.”

 

The ship was clean and gleaming. Mariner had just received a sanitation score of 100% for the fifth time, and the staff was justifiably proud.

 

Mariner is an all-suite, all balcony ship. We had booked an H guarantee and received a D category cabin 1060. It was in a perfect location, just one deck below the 11th deck which had La Verandah, terrace grill and pool. It was an easy walk up to the observation lounge on 12 also, for the naturalist talks. We had a welcome bottle of champagne chilling, and the refrigerator was stocked with beer, water and sodas. Our stewardess, Laura, also brought one bottle of Absolut and another bottle of white wine at our request. The bed was wonderfully comfortable, the suite spacious and the balcony ready for viewing the wonderful scenery as we sailed away. The walk-in closet provided ample storage. The only comment I would have about the cabin was that, at lunch time, as the special buffets were put out, you could hear food carts rolling out and back quite loudly, and people walking on the deck above the cabin. However, this only happened at lunch and early afternoon, not evening, and only interfered with a small nap we took one day. Otherwise, the cabin was great!

 

We sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge and away from Vancouver on our Alaskan adventure. We enjoyed the scenery that afternoon and the comments of Captain Phillipe as we sailed away. We had dinner reservations at Signatures, the Cordon Bleu restaurant, that evening and enjoyed a special dinner with attentive service. The complimentary wines poured with dinner were excellent.

 

Regent is truly all-inclusive and we appreciated not having to sign for anything during the cruise. If we did not like the complimentary wine offered in the evening with dinner, Daniela our sommelier was ready with another choice or our preference off the complimentary wine list.

 

Passenger make-up on this cruise was international. We met people from England, Australia, Russia, Denmark, Canada, Japan and South Africa. There were about 100 well-behaved children aboard due to the kids sail free promotion.

 

The next day was a cruising day on the Inland Passage, so we made ourselves comfortable with the ship layout, enjoyed the gorgeous scenery, listened to the excellent lectures by Dr. and Mrs. Iliff, the naturalists, played trivia and checked out the internet. Lunch was a grilled seafood buffet with salmon, halibut and mahi mahi along with great salads and desserts. Weather was overcast, but not raining. Dinner that evening in Compass Rose was very good, again with excellent wines. We ran into Executive Chef Cornell whom we had met on the Regent Voyager two years ago. We had taken the Cordon Bleu cooking class from him, and, to our amazement, he remembered us. It was nice to catch up.

 

The first port was Ketchikan. DH had booked a sportsfishing excursion and I wanted to see the Totem Bight state park. I left the ship on the tender and found the city bus which took me to the park and back for $1. (The ship also offered excursions here, but I preferred to do it on my own). I highly recommend this trip to a beautiful, mystical park filled with Totems and a stunning clan house. There is an information cabin with pamphlets that explain the meanings of the Totems, and the self-walking tour is on a beautiful tree-lined path that leads to the water and gorgeous views. It was stunning. I visited the fish ladder where salmon were jumping, the museum and did some shopping back in town. I easily made the 3:00 tender back to the ship in time for trivia. DH caught 4 salmon (the boat had 4 people and they brought in 14 salmon total). He filled out the necessary paperwork and brought the fish back to the ship. Chef Cornell graciously offered to cook the fish for dinner the following evening. It was a wonderful day and dinner in the Compass Rose, with our favorite waiter, Gerry, was a great way to end it. Gerry was so professional and caring, and remembered our preferences each time he saw us. Truly amazing service!

 

The next day was our favorite day of the cruise. It began with a 5 am commentary from the Iliffs and a whale-watching in the observation lounge. Regent provided a continental breakfast in the lounge to keep us provisioned before breakfast while we scanned the sea. A large number of hardy souls were up, and we were rewarded with seeing humpback whales swimming nearby. We had booked the catamaran excursion to Tracy Arm. At 7:15 am the catamaran came next to the ship and 120 of us boarded for this incredible 6-hour journey. Mariner followed for a bit, then turned off and continued on to Juneau. We would eventually meet up with her about 1:30, just after she docked. But our little catamaran continued up Tracy Arm, through the growing ice fields, past deep blue icebergs up to Sawyer Glacier. We had a very informative commentary from the crew all along the way. On the sail-in we saw humpback whales and, to the amazement of the catamaran crew, orcas jumping and swimming in the water. It was a gorgeous site. The glacier itself is magnificent, with spires of ice shooting upwards. While we were stopped, about ½ hour, huge areas of the glacier calved. This included a 75 foot spire of ice, which thundered down and created large waves. This calving happened about 10 times. It was awe inspiring. Along the way there were harbor seals, perched on the ice flows, lifting their heads to watch us go by. This was the most beautiful place, and the best excursion we have taken. Highly recommend it!

 

We landed in Juneau, had lunch of huge king crab legs at the Twisted Fish in town and did some shopping. All in all it was a wonderful day. We had invited some new friends from England whom we had met on the ship to have dinner with us. Chef Cornell cooked DH’s salmon perfectly and presented a platter of the fish for our dining enjoyment. He also went out of his way for me. Chef Cornell remembered from our previous cruise that I loved a Salzberger Nockerl soufflé, and to our surprise, Gerry brought the dessert to the table. It was delicious and a wonderful, personalized dinner gift from an outstanding chef and staff. We went to bed happy and tired.

 

The next day found us cruising into Skagway. We had rented a car for the day for a drive to Emerald Lake, Carcross and the Yukon. We had breakfast as usual on the Verandah deck and left the ship at 8:30 to walk about 1/3 of a mile to the tiny Avis office in town. By 9:15 we were off on HWY 2 out of town. On the way to White Pass, the fog came in and as we approached and then went over the pass, we could hardly see our hands in front of our face. We actually crossed over a bridge over a 180 foot gorge without knowing we did it. We almost turned back, but followed a small tour bus with flashers and, as soon as we came over the pass, the sun came out and we had a gorgeous drive with magnificent views for the rest of the trip. The White Pass railroad excursion was on the other side of the river and, for a short while, we could see it wind its way along the cliffs up over the pass, until it too disappeared into the fog. The weather turned warm and sunny as we continued on, and it was almost 80 degrees. We used Murray’s accurate and well detailed guide from CC all along the way (thank you Murray) and stopped often for photos of the gorgeous scenery. We reached the Yukon sign, took photos and continued on to Emerald Lake where we stopped to relax a bit and take photos. We then turned around and went to Caribou Crossing and stopped in Carcross at the Watson General Store for great ice cream in a home-made waffle cone. The drive back was relaxing with a beautiful day of sunshine. We found out that the bridge we had passed over actually is set only on one side and “floats” due to the earthquake zone it covers. We arrived back in Skagway about 2, shopped a bit, and returned to the ship about 3:30 for the 5 pm sailaway. In the pine trees just across from the ship, a bald eagle bid us farewell.

 

The Captain and staff held a Seven Seas Society reception that evening for past guests of Regent. It was extremely enjoyable due to our meeting with Douglas Pinkerton, Guest Relations Manager for Mariner. We had a wonderful talk about the cruise line, and he invited us to dinner the next evening. In our 25 years of cruising, Douglas is the best Guest Relations Manager we have met with any line. He is very caring about the passengers and their needs and his follow-through is exceptional. We’re sorry that he won’t be aboard for our New Zealand to LA crossing in December, because he will be sailing the Caribbean on Regent Navigator. We hope to see him again in the near future. Following the reception, we had another wonderful dinner at Compass Rose and concluded the evening early.

 

Sitka was our next port. It was a lovely small city with much Russian history. The shops, streets and cathedral reflect that background. We decided to do the city on our own and enjoyed walking through the parks, the fort and the small history museum. There also are some excellent shops with some fine native artwork. There is also a hands-on aquarium. It was an enjoyable, relaxing day. Our dinner that evening with Douglas Pinkerton was cordial and fun, and we took in the Broadway tunes show and some karaoke afterwards with him. He is an excellent host and made the evening special.

 

The following day, our last at sea, found us up early in the observation lounge for commentary by the Iliffs on Yakutat Bay on the way to the Hubbard Glacier. In addition, we had the pleasure of commentary by three Tlingit natives, who were kind enough to explain to us the history and mythology of the Hubbard Glacier area. They were in gorgeous native dress and very accommodating in answering our individual questions. The Hubbard Glacier is huge and awe-inspiring, as are the two adjacent glaciers. We were the first ship in, and our Captain Phillipe took his time and got very close in to allow us excellent time for photographs. In addition, he swung the ship 360 degrees to allow greater views. An offering of tobacco was made to the glacier in a Tlingit ceremony, ice was gathered from a tender for research, and we slowly made our way out of the fjords. It was another perfect example of the time and care Regent took to allow us a memorable experience.

 

We attended another excellent lecture on the glaciers and ice age that morning as we continued sailing out. In addition we were taken on a guided tour of the “back areas” of the ship – galley, crew quarters, mess, and laundry as part of an American Express Platinum extra. We were served champagne and canapés in the laundry room while chatting with the crew.

 

Chef Cornell and staff put together an international food extravaganza buffet that noon for lunch. It was difficult to go back to the room and think of packing, but we did. We had our final dinner of perfectly cooked chateaubriand and toasted the wonderful cruise.

When we returned back to the cabin, there were two glasses of champagne and a small cake saying, “Happy Birthday with the Captain’s regards.” The next day was my birthday and Regent remembered and surprised me. A very nice touch! We sat on the balcony having our treat and regretting having to leave this wonderful ship.

 

The next morning after breakfast and good-byes to the many nice cruisers and staff we had met, we self-carried off at 8:30 am and walked to the Seward terminal with no wait. We had rented a Hertz car to drive to Anchorage through the Kenai Fjords peninsula. Hertz had a shuttle waiting, and we quickly and easily were on the road. We took some time to visit the Sealife museum in Seward, The drive to Anchorage was lovely and we easily made the city in just over 2 hours. We had a wonderful lunch of halibut and explored Anchorage for a bit. Time this trip did not allow for a tour of Denali, so we will save that for next time. We returned our car to the airport and took off on our flight home.

 

Regent Mariner is a beautiful ship with exceptional crew. The service we received was personalized and special. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone wishing for a 7-day luxury cruise experience to one of the most beautiful places on earth.

[Jim B]

Thank you for the wonderful report.

We were in cabin 1060 on our Amazon River Cruise!

Like you we also were upgraded to that one.

[greytstuff]

What a nice review and commentary. We took the same cruise last summer with almost the same experiences. Did not take the car trip out of Skagway, however. Sounds really neat. I think Tracy Arm is one of the most amazing places. For all of you out there waiting to take this cruise, by all means do Tracy Arm. The ultimate Alaska experience!

[AirGorilla]

THAT was one of the best-written reviews that I have ever read!! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about your cruise.

 

Makes me want to take that exact same trip sometime!

 

AG

[Aloha Cruiser]

Mahalo to you for your wonderful review.

 

I am departing in 10 short days for the same trip and I can hardly wait.

 

My second time on the Mariner, my first time was to Alaska in 2001, her first year afloat.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post, it was a very enjoyable review and it's great to hear you had such a fine trip.

[harbormaster]

Thanks alohacruiser. Have a wonderful time in Alaska! We can't wait to go back.

[TheWaywardTraveler]

Thank you harbormaster! We are doing that cruise in reverse next year - the anticipation grows! Reading about everyone's likes and dislikes for excursions makes it so much easier to do research and make decisions! We are looking forward to Campbell River and hope to find even more info on this new port among these boards.

[freddiebud]

waywardtraveler: I am also doing this cruise next year. I called RSSC re: Campbell River and was told it was a temporary change to the schedule. As of Thurs, it is not on next year's stops. Hmmm. This was important to me because RSSC is the only line that stops at ALL the places I wanted to go to, so stopping at Campbell River instead was not a risk I wanted to take.

[AirGorilla]

waywardtraveler: I am also doing this cruise next year. I called RSSC re: Campbell River and was told it was a temporary change to the schedule. As of Thurs, it is not on next year's stops. Hmmm. This was important to me because RSSC is the only line that stops at ALL the places I wanted to go to, so stopping at Campbell River instead was not a risk I wanted to take.

 

What is so risky about Campbell River?

[kathy16]

We were on Mariner SB July11, and stopped at Campbell River. Although it seemed a nice enough place, I would have preferred another stop in Alaska. The shopping was very limited- mainly some items at the "cruise terminal", and it was hard to find something to purchase. The excursion we went on (Wildlife viewing), I felt was quite pricey for what it was- a couple of hours on a boat looking at a few eagles. I was very disappointed- very little to do there. The people there seemed nice, and it is a beautiful area, but I really wished we had gone to Ketchikan instead (much more activities available), and I don't ever want to go back to Campbell River. We had a wonderful time on the rest of our cruise, and I definitely concur with the accolades for the Tracy Arm excursion.

[RachelG]

Campbell River is a great place to go if you like hiking or fishing (I happen to love hiking and my husband is a big fisherman). If you are interested in world class shopping, obviously not your place, but it is the real Canada. We had a great time there, but it is not for everyone. You have to pretty physically mobile and fit to be able to do much there. Ketchikan definitely has more in the way of organized tours.

[linda_22003]

Thanks so much for the review! We are hoping this will be our '09 cruise!

[TheWaywardTraveler]

...I am also doing this cruise next year. I called RSSC re: Campbell River and was told it was a temporary change to the schedule. As of Thurs, it is not on next year's stops. Hmmm.....

 

Oh pooh...we both fish (actually, I'm more hardcore than DH), but I've found things to do at Ketchikan too. I'll have to keep an eye on the RSSC site - we're so far out that I don't look at it as often as I should.