Mainly Med |
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Reviewed By: Vickery, Chorleywood on 28th Jul 2010
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| Cruise Line: Regent Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: Seven Seas Mariner |
Sailed:
June,
2010 |
| Destination:
Mediterranean
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Age: 65+ |
| Cabin: Balcony |
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When we realised that the Seven Seas Mariner would be in Europe this year all we had to do was select which cruise to take. We had sailed on the Mariner before including the Full Circle South America so it was our favourite ship, admittedly out of a small sample.
Questions included would it be as good or would standards have dropped in any way? We didn’t worry for long because it remains a wonderful ship and the cruise fully met our expectations.
We took two back-to-back cruises, one 7 nights Athens to Istanbul through the Greek Islands and the other 10 nights from Istanbul to Civitavecchia with some Greek Islands, Malta, Tunisia, Sicily, Sorrento and Sardinia. Both itineraries were good plus we had two nights in Istanbul which was fascinating.
The cruise price seems high but, once you have paid it there is just about nothing else to pay out. Everything is included and this is one thing we particularly like. This year Regent have included excursions for free (not really free of course but they are in the ticket price). All dining, including superb room service dining is free as are all wines, cocktails and other spirits. Gratuities also are included. Carefree cruising!
We wondered if “free” shore excursions would maintain a high standard – they did and we went to excellent places with almost always good guides, sometimes very good. Regent opens the booking for excursions 180 days before sailing and it is worth booking trips early because some do get fully booked quickly. We had one hiccough with a pre-paid special excursion. Once aboard they told us that we would not be accommodated on the tour. I (and I suspect others) told them verbally and in writing that I was extremely angry and to give them credit, they escalated the problem to head office and Regent flew in a second, excellent expert to lead our trip. So we ended up very satisfied.
On board, dining is a treat – we tended to breakfast in the Veranda (top deck) and dinner was generally in the main Compass Rose restaurant which is superb dining in a lovely setting. We also ate in the specialty restaurants – Signatures and Prime 7 – and both were good. With today’s drink and drive laws, it is a treat to start the meal with a white wine, followed by a red and often finished off with a cognac.
The suites are very comfortable and service is outstanding and friendly in all departments. When you want a change of scene from the suite there is a great variety and availability of public space on board.
We don’t do entertainment in a big way but we did enjoy yet another of Regent’s excellent speakers which you can catch live in the theatre or on tv in the suite.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Food choice was excellent as was presentation and all round enjoyment. | | Entertainment |  |
| We don't go in for evening shows in a big way. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| Best excursion was on Sicily, where we docked at Trapani and took a bus up to Erice. | | Staff | |
| We couldn't single out one staff member in particular. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins | |
| Great cabin with balcony. We particularly appreciated the walk in shower which was installed at the last refit | | Overall Rating | |
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