THE word “luxury” has almost lost all meaning after being thrown about liberally by marketers for years.
That’s why “luxurious” is an insufficient adjective to describe Regent Cruises’ liner, the Seven Seas Mariner, that visited Fremantle last week.
The spacious 13-level 700-guest ship has a crew of 445, making a remarkable staff-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.6 and ensuring a high level of personal service.
At its heart is a spectacular atrium foyer complete with glass elevators that creates an unforgettable first impression after boarding.
Four restaurants, a casino, cinema, day spa, hi-tech gymnasium and countless bars are just the start of the onboard amenities. There is even a large oval jogging track on the top level above the swimming pool.
All accommodation cabins are suites with balconies. There are 14 different categories of suites, with the more high-end suites including butler service.
Onboard gratuities are free with the very odd exception, such as the Carita of Paris Spa, which charges surprisingly modest fees for spa treatments.
Of course, this level of service and luxury is going to cost you no matter what class of suite you choose – it’s just a matter of how much.
For example, the Mariner’s 12-night Ring of Fire cruise from Tahiti to Sydney (leaves March 12, 2009) costs US$4069 for the least expensive H-Deluxe Suite or up to US$16,931 for a Master Suite.
At the top end of the scale, standard fares for a 116-night Grand Circumnavigation world cruise on sister ship, the Seven Seas Voyager, start at US$108,265 for an H-Deluxe Suite up to a whopping US$386,365 for a Master Suite.
Fortunately, Regent does offer early booking discounts of up to 43 per cent, potentially reducing the H-Deluxe Suite cost to $64,995 and the master suite cost to $224,995.
But enough about money and costs. For some people, it’s not such a big deal – what is important is that the Seven Seas Mariner was awarded the “World’s Overall #1 Cruise Ship” in the 2006 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Poll.
Check out www.rssc.com for all the info on Regent’s liners and cruise packages.