Seven Seas Mariner
Fodor’s Expert Review
Ship Overview
Introduced in 2001, as the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony ship, Seven Seas Mariner has four restaurants with open seating. Hallmarks include generous amenities and unparalleled spaciousness—with only 700 passengers on board, her staff-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.6 ensures one of the highest levels of personal service at sea.Read More
The world’s only all-balcony, all-suite ships continue the Regent Seven Seas tradition of offering posh accommodations on vessels with generous space for every passenger.
Lounges are predominantly decorated in soothing neutrals and cool marine blues with splashes of bold color, soft leather, and glass-and-marble accents. Even areas that can accommodate all (or nearly all) passengers at once, including the formal dining room and show lounge, appear intimate. Good design elements don’t hint at their size, and indoor spaces seem smaller than they actually are. With so much room, public areas are seldom crowded, and you won’t have to hunt for a deck chair by the swimming pool. The two-tiered Constellation Theater is a state-of-the-art show room with a full-size proscenium stage, where cabaret revues, headline entertainers, and Broadway-inspired shows are presented.
The 1994 merger of Radisson Diamond Cruises and Seven Seas Cruise Line launched Radisson Seven Seas Cruises with an eclectic fleet of vessels that offers a nearly all-inclusive cruise experience in sumptuous, contemporary surroundings. The line was rebranded as Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2006, and ownership passed to Prestige Cruise Holdings (which also owns Oceania Cruises) in 2008.
Even more inclusive than in the past, the line has maintained its traditional tried-and-true formula—delightful ships offering exquisite service, generous staterooms with abundant amenities, a variety of dining options, and superior lecture and enrichment programs. Guests are greeted with champagne on boarding and find an all-inclusive beverage policy that offers not only soft drinks and bottled water, but also cocktails and select wines at all bars and restaurants throughout the ships. Round-trip air, ground transfers, and shore excursions in every port are included in the cruise fare.
On board, casinos are more akin to Monaco than Las Vegas. All ships display tasteful and varied art collections, including pieces that are for sale.
- 9 passenger decks
- 2 specialty restaurants, dining room, buffet, ice cream parlor, pizzeria
- Wi-Fi, safe, refrigerator, DVD
- Pool
- Fitness classes, gym, hot tubs, sauna, spa, steam room
- 5 bars, casino, dance club, library, show room
- Children’s programs
- Dry-cleaning, laundry facilities, laundry service
- Internet terminal
- No-smoking cabins
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
What to expect on board
Staterooms & Cabins
Rich-textured fabrics and warm wood finishes add a touch of coziness to the larger-than-usual suite accommodations in all categories. Every suite has a vanity-desk, walk-in closet, and seating area with sofa, chairs, and table. Marble bathrooms have a separate tub and shower. Most balconies are approximately 50 square feet in size.
The top three suite categories feature Bose music systems, an iPad, and an iPod docking station. Butler service is available for passengers in Master, Grand, Navigator, and Penthouse suites. The top-category Master suites have a separate sitting–dining room, two bedrooms (each has its own TV), a powder room, and two full bathrooms (the master bath has dual vanities, a bidet, separate shower, and whirlpool tub). Some of the other high-end suites do not have the powder room or whirlpool tub.
All suites have an entertainment center with CD/DVD player, stocked refrigerator, stocked bar, safe, hair dryer, and fine linens and duvets on the bed. Passengers in Concierge suites and higher receive 15 minutes of free ship-to-shore phone time and 60 minutes of free Internet access. Bathrooms have robes and toiletries, including shampoo, lotion, and bath gel.
Four suites are designed for wheelchair accessibility and are equipped with showers only.
Food & Drink
Three restaurants function on an open seating basis with no dining assignments. In addition to Compass Rose, the main dining room, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, evening choices include the French restaurant Signatures (reservations required); Prime 7, offering a classic steak-house menu (reservations required); and La Veranda, the daytime buffet for breakfast and lunch that’s converted to an evening bistro serving Mediterranean cuisine. Wines are chosen to complement each night’s menu, and there is no charge for any specialty dining. At least once during each cruise, dinner is served alfresco on the pool deck. In addition to the buffet, a choice for casual lunch and snacks is the poolside grill. Afternoon tea is served daily, and room service is available 24 hours. Dinner can be ordered from the main dining room menu during restaurant hours and served en suite, course by course.
Entertainment
Dining and socializing are major evening pursuits, and there’s music for dancing before and after dinner, as well as deck parties in fine weather and even a late-night disco. Dance Hosts are on hand to lead unaccompanied ladies on the dance floor. The main show lounge features small-scale production shows; guest entertainers range from classical to modern vocalists and musicians.
Spa & Fitness
Operated by Canyon Ranch SpaClub, the spas on these ships offer an array of massages, facials, and body wraps utilizing organic and natural materials that can be individually customized. Guests can also enjoy complimentary aromatic steam rooms infused with pure plant essences or Finnish-style saunas.