Mariner Questions

[cruzndiz]

Now that my Bahamas cruise is over, I can start fully concentrating and anticipating my upcoming Mariner excursion to the Southern Carib.

 

Some questions for those of you experienced RSSC Cruisers:

 

1. Nobody talks about the casino other than to say that it is small, kind of out of the way....does anybody use it? I love playing slots and can't imagine being the only one in there -- would people be pointing, "oh look there she is again!" ?

 

2. It looks like from other reviews that Compass Rose and the 2 specialty restaurants only serve dinner from 7 to 9 or 10. Is there a place to eat earlier than that? We're not used to eating a large meal that late at night.

 

3. Why are there so few RSSC cruisers on these chat boards? Is there another place where they congregate online? Don't say LCT -- even there I have noticed the same 5 screen names and they already all seem to know each other:(

 

4. What is there to DO on the ship?? Our itinerary has a few sea days and even some of the port days, we're only in port for a couple of hours in the morning. Some people tell me, "well everyone goes to the Constellation" but that's after dinner.....what (if anything) goes on between noon and 6pm? I sure as heck don't want to be getting DVDs out of the library and sitting in my cabin watching them. But there is only so much laying around on deck getting a suntan that I can take. Plus, if I get bored and head to the casino my DH will have an aneurysm! I'm not looking for a spoon diving contest or a Wii bowling tournament....but is there any community activities that DON'T require sitting for an extended period of time?

 

5. This might sound strange but are the laundry facilities clean? I've never used a public laundromat and the thought of washing clothes in someone else's washing machine is a little:eek: but the lure of having to bring less clothes is quite appealing.

 

Anything else that anyone wants to chime in about -- I'm all ears!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've not been on Mariner, but it's very similar to Voyager.

 

I'm not a casino person, but the casino, although fairly small, seems to be very well attended most of time, don't think you'll have to worry.

 

I believe Compass Rose starts serving dinner at 6:30. There's also La Veranda, which is always CCC, and a little more casual, and requires no reservation.

 

Gee, I thought there are lots of RSSC cruisers here on this board!

 

Believe me, there are lots of activities on the ship. Lectures, demonstrations, trivia, dance lessons (sometimes), fitness classes. Does your cruise have a spotlight on something? Lots of people will spend part of the day lying around the pool and swimming in it--not a bad thing to do in the Caribbean! You can also walk around the track.

 

Yes, the laundry is clean. Ask for a demonstration on how they work, if you're not sure--I found them perplexing at first, with the automatic soap dispenser.

[xrvlcruiser]

The laundries on the Mariner are different than the ones on the Voyager - larger, in a differnt location. It's been a while (2003) but I think the macihines are maytags or at least something more recognizable and user friendly.

 

Wendy is right - you can be as busy - or not - as you want to be. She is also correct in the rest of her comments . . . .

 

Peggy

[wripro]

If you don't like to use "other peoples' machines" you can always send your laundry out to be cleaned. And along with packing fewer clothes you might want to consider bringing along a more positive attitude.

[mariners]

As with any casino, you will be with other regulars - some like to play slots during the day, some like to play tables when they are open, some like to play slots at night, some like to play them both during the day and at night. No one, except perhaps your DH and the casino staff, will care how much time/money you spend in the casino.

If you do not want to eat a big meal late there are a few options. Room service from the room service menu whenever you would like. Reservations at specialty restaurants I believe begin at 6:30 p.m. Have your big meal at lunch and eat a smaller meal in the evening. Order appetizers (on the room service menu) through room service before dinner and have the entree/dessert in the restaurant during the dinner hour.

Looking through some of my old programs some options available during the day include: talks on ports, Service Club Breakfasts, computer class, board game players meet, enrichment lecture, dance class, game show, poolside music, informal and social bridge, Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament, Tea Time, Fitness Class, etc. However, I've never sailed on a port intensive cruise on a Regent ship.

I also have not met anyone on Regent ships who has ever complained of being bored. Most passengers choose the ships because they are not the same product as Carnival/Princess/Celebrity/etc. If you are looking for similar quantities of choices in entertainment/ and perhaps quantity of dining venues that a 3000 passenger ship offers, you are likely to be disappointed and might want to rethink taking the cruise on Regent. You want the right fit for you and what any of us think about the line really does not matter. Good luck!

[cruzndiz]

Thank you everyone (except Wripro)..... your comments are really helpful!

[Cattravel10]

As to the laundry ?, I've done laundry on the Mariner and it is VERY clean. They also have an ironing board w/ iron of course. And even a t.v. - though never have seen anyone watching it. Too much else to do!! I enjoy the slots but have a pretty low limit on how much to spend and is usually lost within five minutes. I've never seen it crowded but met people who really enjoy it - and even win!!

[RachelG]

Agree with above--laundry is VERY clean. I wouldn't like using one that was dirty, but I love the fact that on Regent (except PG), you can do your own laundry if you want.

 

I don't go in the casino, but my husband does, and he always seems to have a good time. It is busiest after dinner.

 

Dinner starts in CR at 6:30, so you are fine there.

 

Never had any trouble finding stuff to do during sea days. Plenty of exercise classes, lectures if you like those, etc. But my favorite thing is to sit on my balcony with my book if the weather is nice.

[cruzndiz]

Sounds dreamy..... now if I could only make time fly until I get there ;)

[canadagal]

I love the Mariner and always found something to do on her when we were in the Caribbean this past March. As far as not many people posting here or other places I think it has to do with the time of year. It ebbs and flows on every board. I notice more people seem to post during the winter months.

As far as the laundry on the Mariner goes......loved their clean, big, machines but beware that some other cruisers don't know how to operate them. I witnessed several people at different times come into the laundry room look at the machines start touching buttons and then walk away. This was with other people's laundry in the machine that was turned on washing or drying. This of course left the clothes in the dryer now turned off and then the owners would come back and find wet clothes in the dryer. On ocassions when the culprits just shut off the dryer I would go turn it back on for people but there were a few times that the heat setting was changed and I feared putting it on something that might shrink their clothes. Wet clothes you can deal with and just dry them again but the big problem was when machine challenged people fiddled with the buttons on the washing machines, stopping and restarting them and pushing the soap buttons with other people's clothes in them. Therefore, after my first trip to the laundry I never left it and went back to my cabin until my wash and drying was complete. Unfortunately there are even dolts and inconsiderate people travelling on Regent. So just a heads up.

Editing to add, the casino is smaller then the mega ships but still has enough slots to make it fun and entertaining. I spent many a time in there much to my husband's chagrin and nobody will make note of how often you go in there. The place was always jumping in the evening after the shows.

Pat

[esther e]

I do laundry at home; I use the ship's professional services on cruises. They do a wonderful job, and in fact, we send things out just at the end of the cruise so I have less laundry to do when we get home.

 

However, there is the occasional piece of clothing that I don't want laundered and will use the ship's machine. I'm thinking specifically of a black dress that I put in cold water for a couple of minutes and hang to dry.

[DebbieH103]

I have only been on Voyager and on Navigator, but there were people in the casino, more at night, and even if it wasn't crowded, nobody is going to say, "there she is again". They have some tournaments for slots and blackjack, and I remember doing video blackjack on Navigator.

 

In addition to what Wendy mentioned, there is trivia and also sometime a wine talk. There are some fitness classes, too. They have afternoon tea and sometimes bingo.

[Hody]

My wife and I spend several hours a day in the casino. We love it. It is usually not overly crowded, but there are times we have had to wait for a place at the black jack or three card poker tables. We even reserve our suite near the casino and boutiques. The Spa and exercise facilities are also on this floor.

[ERParadise]

Some questions for those of you experienced RSSC Cruisers:

 

1. Nobody talks about the casino other than to say that it is small, kind of out of the way....does anybody use it? I love playing slots and can't imagine being the only one in there -- would people be pointing, "oh look there she is again!" ? We walked by the Casino everyday and there were people inside, but most passengers are not big on Casino (maybe it is the fact the stock market has crashed and people are being more conservative, but we always saw far more people in the coffee shop area or in the lounges)

 

2. It looks like from other reviews that Compass Rose and the 2 specialty restaurants only serve dinner from 7 to 9 or 10. Is there a place to eat earlier than that? We're not used to eating a large meal that late at night. The restaurants open at 7pm. You probably can get room service earlier.

 

3. Why are there so few RSSC cruisers on these chat boards? Is there another place where they congregate online? Don't say LCT -- even there I have noticed the same 5 screen names and they already all seem to know each other:( I thought the same question over the past six months. I've concluded that the average age of Regent is older and older people don't use the web as much as younger people do. There are older people on cruise critic, but not nearly the numbers as younger people. I was surprised how few people there are, but such is life. For the people who do participate there is some very good info, advice and content.

 

4. What is there to DO on the ship?? Our itinerary has a few sea days and even some of the port days, we're only in port for a couple of hours in the morning. Some people tell me, "well everyone goes to the Constellation" but that's after dinner.....what (if anything) goes on between noon and 6pm? I sure as heck don't want to be getting DVDs out of the library and sitting in my cabin watching them. But there is only so much laying around on deck getting a suntan that I can take. Plus, if I get bored and head to the casino my DH will have an aneurysm! I'm not looking for a spoon diving contest or a Wii bowling tournament....but is there any community activities that DON'T require sitting for an extended period of time? One thing that we found on the Mariner that we didn't expect was exceptional lectures. One lecturer gave very good "country economic reports" that was stimulating. Another lecturer gave very good historical and cultural perspectives on the countries we visited.

 

5. This might sound strange but are the laundry facilities clean? I've never used a public laundromat and the thought of washing clothes in someone else's washing machine is a little:eek: but the lure of having to bring less clothes is quite appealing. We used the laundry service. Very expensive, but very good.

Other options:

There is a couple that teach dance lessons. There is quite an array of good programs. We met a number of people who became friends and we spent time on board with them.

Steve

[Travelcat2]

I don't remember seeing where your cruise is going -- what month -- how long, etc. Your itinerary, sea days, Circle of Interest (if any) all are part of what you can do on board.

 

Port intensive cruises where you are in a different port every day has fewer planned activities on board. Sea days offer more activities. If there is a Circle of Interest for Food and Wine. . . there are food demonstrations and wine tastings. Some Cruise Director's are more active than others. You mentioned that you have both port and sea days. . . that should work out well. In any case, they do have some "regular" things that tend to happen daily.

 

In the morning, there are pilates, yoga and other similar classes. Others run/walk on the top deck. . . or, sit and sip coffee while reading the newspaper in the coffee lounge.

 

After lunch we play Scrabble (something we would never do in real life -- but, it's fun). Or, you can drop by the puzzle and see if you can add a few pieces here and there.

 

Trivia in the afternoon (3:30 p.m.) is very popular (young and old alike) and can get extremely competitive. We haven't stayed for bingo -- I would guess that Regent does it in a way that would be fun.

 

Meeting in the lounge (our favorite is the Observation Lounge) before dinner (sometime between 5 and 6:30) is nice -- you meet people -- have a couple of drinks and chat. After dinner is the show -- or, of course, dancing and/or listening to live music.

 

When we were on the Voyager last month, both Signatures and Latitudes opened at 6:30 p.m. (with reservations). We typically do not dine late either -- but, we change our schedule completely when on a cruise. Dining either at a table for two or with a group at a large table is a great experience. Keep in mind that you can order a main course as an appetizer, and have a main course as well. Ordering several "mini" courses does take time -- still, it is something we rarely have a chance to do.

[cruzndiz]

Thank you ER for your great answers to my Q's and to TravelCat who I find delightful & enlightening ALL the time ;)

 

2 months to go....time to start shopping for 2009 cruisewear!!

[Travelcat2]

Thank you ER for your great answers to my Q's and to TravelCat who I find delightful & enlightening ALL the time ;)

 

First, thank you for your kind words:) I'm very excited about your cruise and have a feeling that you will absolutely love the Mariner and the Regent experience. I smiled when I thought of you shopping for cruisewear. I have outfits in my closet that are used exclusively for "formal" and "informal" nights on our cruises. Where we live, it is considered "dressed up" if you are not wearing jeans:confused:

 

You asked about the laundry facilities on board. I believe you will find them clean and extremely modern. While we have not used the washers and dryers, we have done some ironing. . . . don't think you would have any problem using Regent's facilities.

[Down Under]

Go Jackie!!! Yeah!! At last your talents have been recognised!!!

 

I've used both washers and dryers (still get a mental blank the first time I try) and have found fellow cruises very considerate. Should you be late back to remove your clothes from the washing machine, they will have put them in the dryer for you. The same with the dryer - you come back and find things folded in a basket. I was hesitant to touch other peoples clothes at first but decided it was better for everyone if the machines were in constant use. Of course if you don't want this to happen to you, make sure you're back in the laundry before the time runs out! The laundries are like everything on Regent ships - spotless!

[hvsteve1]

One thing that confuses people about the laundries is that the soap is automatically dispensed in to the machines, so don't bring soap.

 

The casino was not particualarly busy on our cruises EXCEPT when we had a corporate group on board. Realizing these are very expensive cruises, the groups are going to be stock brokerages, car dealers, etc (I'm talking before this year) and the people who win these trips for themselves and their families tend to be heavy hitters with a lot of money to blow at the tables.

 

RSSC tends to have some very good lectures, especially on theme cruises. They also play it by ear. On our most recent cruise one of the most noted economists in Canada was on board. He consented to give a talk which had not been previously scheduled. Regent's director of entertainment was also on board and, as he is also a noted writer on the subject of wine and spirits, did a few "tastings" because he was available.

[bev'sid]

Why are there so few RSSC cruisers on these chat boards? Is there another place where they congregate online? Don't say LCT -- even there I have noticed the same 5 screen names and they already all seem to know each other:(

I thought the same question over the past six months.... I was surprised how few people there are, but such is life. For the people who do participate there is some very good info, advice and content.

 

 

I agree 100%!! There is a board I use for another cruise line and if you post a question in the morning, it may be 2 pages back by the evening! But it is really great because you get so many and such diverse responses. I'm maybe a bit spoiled by it, but I do miss that busy posting on this board. But like Steve posted, the information on this board is always helpful and right on -- even if I am usually in the minority with my opinions. :D

 

As for activities not yet mentioned (I think) one thing we like to do onboard is to take a spa break or maybe just visit the sauna for a while. Also for something different we sometimes catch the "popcorn movie" in theater in the afternoon. :):):)

[xrvlcruiser]

There certainly is a spa, a sauna and movies (with popcorn) on sea day afternoons

[Jim B]

I honestly think that there are not as many post here on the Regent site because Regent is a small ship line. With 2 ships at 700 passengers 1 at 400 and 1 at 320 = 2,120 maximum people on board at one time. Compared to other lines who will have 1 ship with more than that and way more ships in the fleet. We just don't have as many people interested , cruising and posting on the Regent site.

[cruzndiz]

Funny Jim, I never thought of it that way....but you are probably 100% right! Too bad, though, b/c I love to get caught up in the excitement of pre-cruise planning -- even if it is with strangers! LOL

[Hambagahle]

Here is a suggestion - if you don't like to eat late at night (though I wouldn't call 6.30pm or 7pm "late") why not do as Europeans do? The majority of people eat their main meal at lunch time and have a light supper. This is easy to do on an RSSC ship. Compass Rose serves lunch, from a menu, with plenty of choices. There are often huge buffet lunches up on the pool deck (their Mexican one is fantastic!) and there is always room service. So you can have a full (ie three or four course lunch) and then order a salad and a glass of wine from room service at 5pm... an unexpected plus for this type of eating is better digestion and some say - one looses weight. Worth trying to see if you like it anyway.

 

And another hint: there is SO much to do each day that I always take a highlighter pen with me so I don't read about something in the evening an

and then forget about it the next day!!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[RachelG]

The Mexican buffet must be a matter of opinion. We found it very greasy and not very authentic. But we are used to really great Mexican food at home. Now the guacamole is good. But everything else-disappointing.