Any One Back From Alaska Cruise

[jhenry1]

How were things on board the Mariner? Was the weather good?

Fill all of us to be cruisers in on the latest. Tell us about the dress as there are a lot of threads regarding the dress.How are the new baths with only a shower? Any words of advice? Also a lot of talk regarding the onboard credits and using those or getting them back.

Kandy From Texas

[Hoosiermama]

Hey Kandy, I agree!:)

Kathy

[BlewWater]

There are some daily bulletins from a Mariner Alaska cruise (August 2008) on this webpage:

http://www.1mpages.com/CruiseDailyBulletins.html

It's a good resource for anyone considering an Alaska cruise, or for comparing Regent with other cruises they might have already taken.

[Cattravel10]

Am also interested if anyone did the George Inlet and Crab Feast.

[Bearnaise]

Am also interested if anyone did the George Inlet and Crab Feast.
We did, last June. It was scenic, educational, entertaining, and very tasty.

[Boo Boo]

We did, last June. It was scenic, educational, entertaining, and very tasty.

Oooh good - have just booked this :)

Boo

[MsBatt]

Thanks very much for the link to the documents; it was all incredibly informative and helpful for this first time Mariner cruiser.

[Bearnaise]

Oooh good - have just booked this :)
Here's the website for the operator that runs the tour, for more info and pics:

http://www.catchcrabs.com/crabs.html

The "crab pot" that the boat pulls up isn't part of a commercial fishery (crabbery?), but a simple baited cage trap that they place in a protected area solely for the purpose of demonstrating how the crab is fished from the waters, and of course for showing off and passing around the live crabs that they pull out (which are then released).

Still, the crab you're eventually served at the restaurant is as fresh and tasty as I've ever had (speaking from almost 6 years living in the Seattle area), and they're very generous with refills.

This was one of the more relaxing excursions we did (it's easy to OD on excursions in Alaska and some can be quite exhausting) and it was definitely one of our favorites.

[Boo Boo]

This was one of the more relaxing excursions we did (it's easy to OD on excursions in Alaska and some can be quite exhausting) and it was definitely one of our favorites.

Thanks for the links :)

That is good to know...especially since I will hopefully be 13 weeks pregnant at the time (fingers crossed everything is still fine then...). Will be trying not to OD on excursions completely and trying not to be sick either (so far so good, but VERY early days...). I booked the cruise before I knew... :o

Boo

[OrpingtonT]

Oooh good - have just booked this :)

Boo

The above was posted 1409 hrs today.

Thanks for the links :)

That is good to know...especially since I will hopefully be 13 weeks pregnant at the time (fingers crossed everything is still fine then...). Will be trying not to OD on excursions completely and trying not to be sick either (so far so good, but VERY early days...). I booked the cruise before I knew... :o Boo


Posted at 2036 hrs today. You've had a hectic afternoon!. Many congrats. Take care and enjoy your long flight and cruise.

[Boo Boo]

The above was posted 1409 hrs today.

Posted at 2036 hrs today. You've had a hectic afternoon!. Many congrats. Take care and enjoy your long flight and cruise.

Ah, sorry... booked the cruise a few weeks ago, booked the excursion a lot more recently - choce it because it sounded fairly gentle... :) (yes, didn't conceive this afternoon! ;) ).

Thank you. We are flying to LA, first, to visit some of my husband's family. Flying the international flights in Business Class (British Airways London to LA, Vancouver to London), then flying First Class on Alaska Airlines from LA to Anchorage: so am HOPING that will help a BIT... (at least will be more comfortable and have more room and on the international flights I can sleep most of the way). Fingers crossed about the sickness/naussea thing... that might be harder to deal with....

I also have to leave clothes shopping until nearer the time - I have no idea whether I will fit into my exisiting ski jacket, base layers, jeans and dresses in 7 weeks time...

Not the best timing, probably, but that is life.

Boo

[MtnDriver]

Better than cruising with a five month old like we did on our FIRST trip to Alaska (on Crystal...Regent won't allow babies that young)...

[Host Dan]

Here's the website for the operator that runs the tour, for more info and pics:

http://www.catchcrabs.com/crabs.html


I was a bit "scared" when I first saw the name of the website!! :D LOL

Host Dan

[Boo Boo]

Better than cruising with a five month old like we did on our FIRST trip to Alaska (on Crystal...Regent won't allow babies that young)...

That does sounds like a handful... :) (in a nice way).

Yes, this will be our last cruise for a little while... maybe a med cruise (not sure what line) in late Summer 2010... assuming everything goes well *fingers crossed!*

Boo

[Bearnaise]

Ah, sorry... booked the cruise a few weeks ago, booked the excursion a lot more recently - choce it because it sounded fairly gentle... :) (yes, didn't conceive this afternoon! ;) ).

Thank you. We are flying to LA, first, to visit some of my husband's family. Flying the international flights in Business Class (British Airways London to LA, Vancouver to London), then flying First Class on Alaska Airlines from LA to Anchorage: so am HOPING that will help a BIT... (at least will be more comfortable and have more room and on the international flights I can sleep most of the way). Fingers crossed about the sickness/naussea thing... that might be harder to deal with....

I also have to leave clothes shopping until nearer the time - I have no idea whether I will fit into my exisiting ski jacket, base layers, jeans and dresses in 7 weeks time...

Not the best timing, probably, but that is life.

Boo
Congratulations from me too! Your baby will love the cruise AND the crab and the rest of the Mariner galley's delights, that he or she will be too spoiled for lousy baby food after delivery.

The crab feast is completely benign as the water portion is on a slow and stable pontoon boat, and while you're still early enough to likely not have walking difficulties, they do have a vehicle to transport anyone who can't make it up or down the ramp from the road to the dock.

As for the nausea, you might want to investigate in advance which seasickness remedies are most benign on the "bun" in the oven so you can stock up just in case any "morning sickness" extends past the morning ;)

[DavidJ]

I am going to give some random observations about our trip:

This was our first time on the Mariner and our first time to Alaska. We had heard so many superlatives about Alaska that we had high expectations.

We had terrific weather with rain only on one day. It was very cold on the deck. Dress in layers and bring gloves, hat and binoculars.

We saw seals, eagles, moose, bear, starfish, otters, beaver, whales, and then some.

The train from Anchorage to Seward was over six hours and embarking took over an hour. We left the Hilton at 11:45 AM and were in our cabin after 6:00 PM. The bus was faster. The port authority only had one security line open for the 250 pax getting off the train.

There were almost no children on this cruise and it was the most seniors I have ever seen on Regent.

There was only one night we did not wear a jacket to dinner. It was dressier than we were expecting.

Prime 7 was wonderful and not to be missed.

Signatures was the same old menu and did not compare. It needs a new menu.

Compass Rose was outstanding

Room service was superb.

It was an active vacation with hiking, rafting, kayaking, boat, bus and train rides.

A wider balcony is better than a deeper balcony because of the views.

The Coffee Connection is hugely popular and better than Starbucks

The ship appears to be owned by Park West. The only art you see is auction art and it is EVERYWHERE!

The Pizza venue is a joke and the worst pizza I have had. How can you bake a poor pizza?

The shows were fair to good.

The bars were VERY quiet in the evenings.

The ship looks great and is in outstanding shape with the exception of the astro turf on the sports deck. They have been patching it with scraps and duck tape for a long time. Replace it already!

The bathrooms are small compared to the Voyager. I like the Voyager better. The rooms are larger and the layout is better. That being said, the Mariner is a GREAT ship.

I did not notice a slip in the quality of the food since our last trip.

We had to ask for flowers for our suite and you saw almost none in the ship.

We had a Penthouse suite and the w-i-d-e balcony spoiled us as did the room in the suite. The bath and closet are the same as you would find in their balcony suites.

This trip was outstanding and it was a great itinerary. The Regent experience spoiled us and we are looking forward to our next trip with Regent. Cheers, Pierce

[jackson2]

Great info DavidJ! Would you suggest skipping dinner at Signatures and just eating at Compass Rose instead.... I hate to waste a good dinner!

[DavidJ]

Great info DavidJ! Would you suggest skipping dinner at Signatures and just eating at Compass Rose instead.... I hate to waste a good dinner!

I think Signatures is fine once a year. The Compass Rose menu varies and changes day to day and year to year. That doesn't seem to be the case at Signatures. If you have not eaten there in a year, go again. We dined with several people that were on at least several segments of the Ring of Fire. They seemed to agree that Prime 7 is the star and that Compass Rose was excellent. You just don't see new at Signatures. For that reason, they ate there the least. It still has some wonderful dishes on it's menu. We also enjoyed La Veranda and you should try it for dinner at least once.

[tonidee]

I am going to give some random observations about our trip:

This was our first time on the Mariner and our first time to Alaska. We had heard so many superlatives about Alaska that we had high expectations.

We had terrific weather with rain only on one day. It was very cold on the deck. Dress in layers and bring gloves, hat and binoculars.

We saw seals, eagles, moose, bear, starfish, otters, beaver, whales, and then some.

The train from Anchorage to Seward was over six hours and embarking took over an hour. We left the Hilton at 11:45 AM and were in our cabin after 6:00 PM. The bus was faster. The port authority only had one security line open for the 250 pax getting off the train.

There were almost no children on this cruise and it was the most seniors I have ever seen on Regent.

There was only one night we did not wear a jacket to dinner. It was dressier than we were expecting.

Prime 7 was wonderful and not to be missed.

Signatures was the same old menu and did not compare. It needs a new menu.

Compass Rose was outstanding

Room service was superb.

It was an active vacation with hiking, rafting, kayaking, boat, bus and train rides.

A wider balcony is better than a deeper balcony because of the views.

The Coffee Connection is hugely popular and better than Starbucks

The ship appears to be owned by Park West. The only art you see is auction art and it is EVERYWHERE!

The Pizza venue is a joke and the worst pizza I have had. How can you bake a poor pizza?

The shows were fair to good.

The bars were VERY quiet in the evenings.

The ship looks great and is in outstanding shape with the exception of the astro turf on the sports deck. They have been patching it with scraps and duck tape for a long time. Replace it already!

The bathrooms are small compared to the Voyager. I like the Voyager better. The rooms are larger and the layout is better. That being said, the Mariner is a GREAT ship.

I did not notice a slip in the quality of the food since our last trip.

We had to ask for flowers for our suite and you saw almost none in the ship.

We had a Penthouse suite and the w-i-d-e balcony spoiled us as did the room in the suite. The bath and closet are the same as you would find in their balcony suites.

This trip was outstanding and it was a great itinerary. The Regent experience spoiled us and we are looking forward to our next trip with Regent. Cheers, Pierce

Thanks Pierce for the wonderful detail on your cruise....as we are going on Aug. 19th, we so appreciate the information.....and am glad that you had a good enough experience that you will contiune to sail Regent.

There are always ups and downs to cruising, and I don't think there is a "perfect" cruise.....but as you said you had high expectations.....and we know we probably shouldn't have that just to be disappointed.

We are excited for our Alaska cruise....6 times to Alaska, and 4 times on Regent.....thanks again for your information!!

Toni

[Travelcat2]

I'm so disappointed to hear that the art auction crap is still the main focus on the Mariner. This is definitely not the case on the Voyager or Navigator. When we were on the Mariner last year, we were almost tripping over the "artwork" that seemed to be everywhere. This definitely does not fit with the luxury of the ship.

It is also surprising that Signatures has the same old menu. People on other threads indicated that the menu has changed on other ships. During the summer there are many children -- this isn't the best venue for them anyway (IMO). Unless someone has a strong desire to dine there, I'd skip it. The food in Compass Rose is as good (if not better) than Signatures.

The Mariner is a beautiful ship -- not quite as good as the Voyager - but still lovely. It would jut be nice to see a bit of consistancy between the three ships:confused:

[poss]

Pierce: Thanks so very much for your report-- for all that good detail.

I'd love to know if there were any excursions that you found especially terrific or (hopefully not) a disappointment. Did you happen to do the helicopter trip in Juneau? That's one I'm still trying to decide about. Also the Skagway train-- I know that some people find it boring; most seem to love it. (I think much has to do with the weather, with visibility.)

We've done 3 Voyager cruises (our only cruises in fact) and have loved them. Sadly, we've run out of Voyager options for the times we want to travel. So we decided to try Mariner to Alaska. I envy your penthouse suite as I suspect we'll definitely notice the difference between those luxurious Voyager rooms/bathrooms and the ones on Mariner. And the Park West note, of course, was a bummer to hear.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and that you had good weather. The weather-thing is something that doesn't awfully much matter to some people, but it seems to matter a lot with us. And I know things can be mighty damp and dreary up there in Alaska. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to post all those details.

[jhenry1]

Pierce

Thank you for the information. We are sailing for the first time on Regent and really forward to it. It is also our first time to Alaska. You might say we are newbies as we have only cruised 6 other times and all to the carribean. I think we have seen every island down there.

Thank you again for the info very helpful. we are taking the train for the scenery but I hate to hear it is 6 hours. How was the train?

Also what about the excursions? Which ones did you guys enjoy?

Kandy from Texas

[Island Cruiser]

Thanks for the review Pierce. Glad it was a great cruise. I am interested in your observations (and the observations of others too) as to how the new free excursions initiative is working. Were you able to get at least most of the free excursions you wanted? Were the free excursions handled like the previous for payment excursions? Previously, the busses were not loaded full so most folks would have a window seat if they wanted one. Is this still the case? I have been keeping my fingers crossed in the hope that the free excusions will be handled well since we have three future Regent cruises booked. Pat

[DaveFr]

Pat,

I don't believe Pierce's cruise was a "free excursion" cruise. You asked very good questions. We'll just have to wait awhile for the answers.

Dave

[verdl]

I'm so disappointed to hear that the art auction crap is still the main focus on the Mariner. This is definitely not the case on the Voyager or Navigator. When we were on the Mariner last year, we were almost tripping over the "artwork" that seemed to be everywhere. This definitely does not fit with the luxury of the ship.

It is also surprising that Signatures has the same old menu. People on other threads indicated that the menu has changed on other ships. During the summer there are many children -- this isn't the best venue for them anyway (IMO). Unless someone has a strong desire to dine there, I'd skip it. The food in Compass Rose is as good (if not better) than Signatures.

The Mariner is a beautiful ship -- not quite as good as the Voyager - but still lovely. It would jut be nice to see a bit of consistancy between the three ships:confused:

First time on Regent -- what is "auction art"?

thanks,
jj

[verdl]

Pierce: Thanks so very much for your report-- for all that good detail.

I'd love to know if there were any excursions that you found especially terrific or (hopefully not) a disappointment. Did you happen to do the helicopter trip in Juneau? That's one I'm still trying to decide about. Also the Skagway train-- I know that some people find it boring; most seem to love it. (I think much has to do with the weather, with visibility.)

We've done 3 Voyager cruises (our only cruises in fact) and have loved them. Sadly, we've run out of Voyager options for the times we want to travel. So we decided to try Mariner to Alaska. I envy your penthouse suite as I suspect we'll definitely notice the difference between those luxurious Voyager rooms/bathrooms and the ones on Mariner. And the Park West note, of course, was a bummer to hear.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and that you had good weather. The weather-thing is something that doesn't awfully much matter to some people, but it seems to matter a lot with us. And I know things can be mighty damp and dreary up there in Alaska. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to post all those details.

We've signed up for both the heli hike and glacier walk in Juneau and the Skagway train. I too will be interested in a first hand report....I'm a bit leary of the open water crossing at 50mph..........but is sounds fun none the less.

jj

[DavidJ]

I'm so disappointed to hear that the art auction crap is still the main focus on the Mariner. This is definitely not the case on the Voyager or Navigator. When we were on the Mariner last year, we were almost tripping over the "artwork" that seemed to be everywhere. This definitely does not fit with the luxury of the ship.

It is also surprising that Signatures has the same old menu. People on other threads indicated that the menu has changed on other ships. During the summer there are many children -- this isn't the best venue for them anyway (IMO). Unless someone has a strong desire to dine there, I'd skip it. The food in Compass Rose is as good (if not better) than Signatures.

The Mariner is a beautiful ship -- not quite as good as the Voyager - but still lovely. It would jut be nice to see a bit of consistancy between the three ships:confused:

I couldn't have said it better. You were right on regarding the artwork and it sounds as if it has not changed. They are actually much more discreet on HAL and Celebrity.

Four years ago, Signatures seemed inovative and now if you have eaten there before, it seems tired particularly the way Compass Rose is improving.

I also want to give props to a show we saw. Of the shows during our cruise, there was one that stood out. The name of the show is "Broadway in Concert." I think it was the best I have seen on any cruise. Cheers, Pierce

[DavidJ]

Pierce: Thanks so very much for your report-- for all that good detail.

I'd love to know if there were any excursions that you found especially terrific or (hopefully not) a disappointment. Did you happen to do the helicopter trip in Juneau? That's one I'm still trying to decide about. Also the Skagway train-- I know that some people find it boring; most seem to love it. (I think much has to do with the weather, with visibility.)

We've done 3 Voyager cruises (our only cruises in fact) and have loved them. Sadly, we've run out of Voyager options for the times we want to travel. So we decided to try Mariner to Alaska. I envy your penthouse suite as I suspect we'll definitely notice the difference between those luxurious Voyager rooms/bathrooms and the ones on Mariner. And the Park West note, of course, was a bummer to hear.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and that you had good weather. The weather-thing is something that doesn't awfully much matter to some people, but it seems to matter a lot with us. And I know things can be mighty damp and dreary up there in Alaska. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to post all those details.

We cancelled our Skagway trip after the experience of the train transfer from Ankorage to Seward. We were afraid it would be too similar. The rail cars looked impressive and we heard good reviews of the trip after they got back.

No float plane or hellicopter trips. If we had had one more port call, that would have been our next choice. My next trip to Alaska, I will do that for sure! Pierce

[DavidJ]

Thanks for the review Pierce. Glad it was a great cruise. I am interested in your observations (and the observations of others too) as to how the new free excursions initiative is working. Were you able to get at least most of the free excursions you wanted? Were the free excursions handled like the previous for payment excursions? Previously, the busses were not loaded full so most folks would have a window seat if they wanted one. Is this still the case? I have been keeping my fingers crossed in the hope that the free excusions will be handled well since we have three future Regent cruises booked. Pat

Hi Pat,

I think this may be the only Regent trip to Alaska where the excursions were not included. Instead, we had a generous onboard credit that paid for almost all our excursions. I think Crystal is now offering "as you wish" on board credit so that you can choose to use it on excursions or the SPA, etc. I think that is the better way to go. We booked a private excursion that was our favorite on this trip. We had a private boat with a captain that got us much closer to the killer whales and humpbacks. He asked us what we wanted to see and then tailored our voyage to that.

Our cruise was completely sold out and so were many of the excursions. The excursions were not as crowded as you would find on HAL or Celebrity, however they were booking more pax per trip than past trips with Regent.

We take the stairs as often as we can, however when we took the elevators, we often had to wait and the elevators were crowded. That was new to me with Regent.

I was worried that quality and service would slip in the bars when Regent went to liquor being inclusive. That was not the case on this trip. I hope that will be true with the inclusive excursions. I hope someone will post their impressions when they get back from an "excursion inclusive" Regent cruise. Pierce

[DavidJ]

We've signed up for both the heli hike and glacier walk in Juneau and the Skagway train. I too will be interested in a first hand report....I'm a bit leary of the open water crossing at 50mph..........but is sounds fun none the less.

jj

Our kayaking trip included an open water high speed raft transfer. It was raining when we did ours and they go rain or shine. It was not too pleasant. When we went rafting and hiking, they do it rain or shine. We had great weather that day and it was glorious. We saw other trips leaving in the rain in high speed large powered rafts. They did not look comfy or happy.

The trips are ranked with a code system that gives you an activity level you can expect. If it is rated high, expect high. You do have to be physically fit and able. That was true for two hours of kayaking and it was true for our two hour hike. It was steeper and tougher than we expected. There were falls, scrapes and bruises (we did well and did not fall) and it would have been worse had there been rain. The raft float trip was easy and beautiful.

Of the Regent tours we took, in Sitka, the Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest was a favorite. Pierce

[Travelcat2]

First time on Regent -- what is "auction art"?

thanks,
jj

Briefly, the art on the walls of Regent ships are for sale. We have not attended the art auction -- however, you can't miss the art all over the place. It seems that it is displayed on the Mariner much more than the other ships. To promote the auction, they place the art on easels and put them in the way of everything.

To be fair, Regent does not push the auction too much (they only make you trip over it:confused:). I am also not aware of them trying to sell anything else on the ship.

[Bearnaise]

Briefly, the art on the walls of Regent ships are for sale. We have not attended the art auction -- however, you can't miss the art all over the place. It seems that it is displayed on the Mariner much more than the other ships. To promote the auction, they place the art on easels and put them in the way of everything.

To be fair, Regent does not push the auction too much (they only make you trip over it:confused:). I am also not aware of them trying to sell anything else on the ship.
No, but they do happily distribute the Diamonds International shopping propaganda as you disembark at each Alaskan port, so one wonders if they get a kickback from that as well. I thought it a bit sleazy for a "luxury" line, but hardly something to get too concerned about since we were able to "just say no" at the second and subsequent ports as soon as we realized the stack of brochures that the Regent crewmember attempted to hand us every time we stepped off the ship was basically yet another Diamonds International sales blitz.

Also, photographers may or may not be pushy, and of course they're always happy to sell an overpriced bottle of wine from the "reserve list", or cognac and cigars in the Connoisseur's Club, spa treatments (don't they advertise specials in the Passages?), and lots and lots of expensive shore excursions (at least until the shore excursions become free). So yeah, they do sell other things on the ship, but probably nothing else as in-your-face as the lousy auction art.

[DavidJ]

No, but they do happily distribute the Diamonds International shopping propaganda as you disembark at each Alaskan port, so one wonders if they get a kickback from that as well. I thought it a bit sleazy for a "luxury" line, but hardly something to get too concerned about since we were able to "just say no" at the second and subsequent ports as soon as we realized the stack of brochures that the Regent crewmember attempted to hand us every time we stepped off the ship was basically yet another Diamonds International sales blitz.

Also, photographers may or may not be pushy, and of course they're always happy to sell an overpriced bottle of wine from the "reserve list", or cognac and cigars in the Connoisseur's Club, spa treatments (don't they advertise specials in the Passages?), and lots and lots of expensive shore excursions (at least until the shore excursions become free). So yeah, they do sell other things on the ship, but probably nothing else as in-your-face as the lousy auction art.

Not once was I offered a brochure from a Regent employee. The photographers have been removed. I think I am an exception for I missed the photograhers and I am sorry they have been removed from the Regent ships. And only in Signatures was I offered the optional wine menu. So other than the art auction, no additional upsales did I witness on this most recent trip. Pierce

[SuitCaseBears]

Pierce and David,

I'm so jealous of the weather you had. If you remember my husband and I took a bounce from the cruise you were on and we sail June 10th, and the weather is going down hill.

>>We had a Penthouse suite and the w-i-d-e balcony spoiled us as did the room in the suite. The bath and closet are the same as you would find in their balcony suites.

I'm wondering if you got our penthouse suite that we gave up. It was 10something, near the laundry on the port side.

We're just really getting revved up as we approach our 1 week countdown.

Nina

[Pincus]

There's a rumor that the mosquitos are bad this year.

Any problems with them in Alaska?

Thanks.

[dvalentine823]

One my cruise to Alaska (Sept 2008) they did have a lot of art on the walls. And occasionally, some art was stacked outside of the room where the artwork was stored. But, I never went to an auction, nor did I spend any time reviewing the art.

While the focus on art auctions might be annoying, those auctions are easily avoided.

[Travelcat2]

No, but they do happily distribute the Diamonds International shopping propaganda as you disembark at each Alaskan port, so one wonders if they get a kickback from that as well. I thought it a bit sleazy for a "luxury" line, but hardly something to get too concerned about since we were able to "just say no" at the second and subsequent ports as soon as we realized the stack of brochures that the Regent crewmember attempted to hand us every time we stepped off the ship was basically yet another Diamonds International sales blitz.

Also, photographers may or may not be pushy, and of course they're always happy to sell an overpriced bottle of wine from the "reserve list", or cognac and cigars in the Connoisseur's Club, spa treatments (don't they advertise specials in the Passages?), and lots and lots of expensive shore excursions (at least until the shore excursions become free). So yeah, they do sell other things on the ship, but probably nothing else as in-your-face as the lousy auction art.

Are you sure the Diamond's International brochure was handed out on a Regent cruise (by Regent employees)??? I've never heard of Diamond's International (except on CruiseCritic boards for main line cruise ships). Our last Alaska cruise was May, 2008 -- they only had art everywhere -- in the isles, etc.

As another poster mentioned, the photographs are gone. Removed from all ships earlier this year. There are varying opinions as to whether or not this was a good thing.

[Bearnaise]

Are you sure the Diamond's International brochure was handed out on a Regent cruise (by Regent employees)??? I've never heard of Diamond's International (except on CruiseCritic boards for main line cruise ships). Our last Alaska cruise was May, 2008 -- they only had art everywhere -- in the isles, etc.

As another poster mentioned, the photographs are gone. Removed from all ships earlier this year. There are varying opinions as to whether or not this was a good thing.
I'll confirm with DW when she gets home, but I'm pretty sure it was Diamonds International. (On an unrelated note: we were staying in Cozumel in December and noted there were four DI stores within an 8 block stretch. They're like a disease.)

When we disembarked at each Alaskan port that had a DI (or whatever chain jewelry store), a Regent-uniformed crewmember handed a brochure out to each departing passenger, stating it was a "shopping guide". Apparently there was a promotion going on where you could collect little items of jewelry at each port. One fellow passenger that we met said she almost missed the boat because she and her daughter were trying to find the DI shop at one port to get whatever freebie it was they were offering.

I dutifully took my brochure at the first port, not knowing what it was, but waved it away at subsequent ports. I sure didn't want to give DW any ideas!

[DavidJ]

Pierce and David,

I'm so jealous of the weather you had. If you remember my husband and I took a bounce from the cruise you were on and we sail June 10th, and the weather is going down hill.

>>We had a Penthouse suite and the w-i-d-e balcony spoiled us as did the room in the suite. The bath and closet are the same as you would find in their balcony suites.

I'm wondering if you got our penthouse suite that we gave up. It was 10something, near the laundry on the port side.

We're just really getting revved up as we approach our 1 week countdown.

Nina

Hi Nina,

David read in the paper today that it was quite mild in Ankorage. Here's hoping you have wonderful weather!

We were on the port side and our cabin was 836. We loved it. Someone else was lucky enough to get the cabin you gave up on our cruise. David and I are still on such a high from the terrific time we had. I wish you just as good trip and perhaps warmer weather than we had.

If you are flying in a day ahead in Ankorage, I hope you will stay in the Hilton. It is such a lovely hotel and the beds are FANTASTIC! You will sleep well. Regent provided us with a drink voucher in the evening and breakfast in the morning, gratuities included. They had many Regent personel that were easy to spot and assist at the airport and hotel.


Be prepared for a fantastic voyage! Cheers, Pierce

[SuitCaseBears]

David and I are still on such a high from the terrific time we had. I wish you just as good trip and perhaps warmer weather than we had.

If you are flying in a day ahead in Ankorage, I hope you will stay in the Hilton. It is such a lovely hotel and the beds are FANTASTIC! You will sleep well.

Be prepared for a fantastic voyage! Cheers, Pierce

Pierce,

thanks. hearing all of this increases my excitement. I'm so glad you had such a great time. I think the weather is gorgeous this week and then come the weekend a big cold and wet front is moving in. A well. we'll have a grand time anyway.

Nina