Regent Seven Seas Mariner: Embarkation Day

Of all the times we’ve embarked on a cruise, today had to have been one of the easiest. After passing through security, we proceeded aboard Regent Seven Seas Mariner to check-in in the show lounge. What a civilized process. Of course this is not a mega ship carrying thousands of passengers—Seven Seas Mariner accommodates only 700 guests—so that makes the process less painful. I'm just glad I didn't have to unpack some of the luggage being brought aboard today for our fellow passengers who will be on board for the entire world cruise. Steamer trunks may be a thing of the past, but packing for a world cruise must be serious work!

While we waited for our suite to be ready, we headed to the pool grill for lunch. The grill and adjacent seating are upgrades that I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of. The salad bar and a made-to-order burger hit a high note.

Our suite (pictured above) is a Category C Penthouse and we love all 376 square feet of it (with an additional 73 square feet of balcony). The shower has already been deemed the best at sea by Mel—it has a rain forest shower head, a hand-held shower, and a tiled seat, plus great water pressure. My favorites? The walk in closet, dressing table with magnifying mirror, and the large desk.

We haven’t had the opportunity to see all the renovations on board yet, but what was immediately apparent is the change to a neutral color scheme with splashes of bold color accents that has replaced the original blues and peaches.

If dinner tonight in the Compass Rose restaurant is any indication of what’s to come, we’ll have to spend a lot of time in the gym burning off calories. It’s a good thing we’re not one of the world cruisers—they would have to disembark us with a crane.

Tomorrow we’ll be at sea and visiting the bridge and the galley. Join us then!