Mariner

The all-suite, all-balcony Regency Seven Seas Mariner provides five-star service for up to 700 guests cruising the world. The ship's small size allows it to go where the mega-ships cannot.

This page will describe our flight to Hong Kong and our experiences aboard the Mariner and the meals we have enjoyed.

Mariner at Hong Kong Ocean Terminal

First/Business Class Lounge: Located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the One World First/Business Class lounge offers a variety of snacks and light meals along with Domaine Chandon California sparkling wine and other vintages.

A full bar and also self-serve spirits, coffee, tea and soft drinks are available.

Cabin: The Business Class cabins are quite spacious with a light and airy feel. The new "herringbone" lie-flat sleeper seats, while very comfortable, make it difficult for traveling companions to be companionable.

Review:

Starters
A complete menus of wines and cocktails preceded the meal service.

Mains
The choices available were beef tenderloin and Chinese style roasted chicken with a spicy sauce.

Breakfast
Three hours before completion of our fifteen hour flight a choice of two breakfasts were offered. Along with juices, breads and fruits, were a Denver omelet, potatoes, etc., or Chinese dim sum, congee and fish.

Cathay Pacific 747

Business Class Seat

Must Try: Well, steak.

Review: We enjoyed crab cake and Oysters Rockefeller for appetizers and Caesar and chopped salads. We both had maitre d' Jimmy's recommendation of Surf and Turf, a 6 oz. lobster tail and 6 oz. filet mignon.

On another evening we enjoyed portobello mushroom appetizer, the largest, most tender pork chop imaginable, along with sides of creamed spinach, fried onion rings and sautéed wild mushrooms.

Whole Maine lobster is on the menu along with a variety of steaks and complementary sauces: Bernaise, Bordelaise and others.

The wines were Simi Sauvignon Blanc and Cline Sonoma County Zinfandel.

Review: Compass Rose, the main dining room, sports new, fancier chairs but remains largely the same as before.

The Executive Chef, Mike Römhild, continues doing an excellent job in menu selection and preparation. Traveling through Asian regions, he has called for a wide variety of Asian dishes and fresh fish from local seas are almost always featured in Compass Rose.

The food remains unchanged as well, excepting the Destination Specialties such as Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Ha Long Bay white snapper, Crab and Asparagus Soup and similar dishes.

We did notice that the portions seem smaller which is perfectly satisfactory for us.

Review: Again, very few noticeable changes. We think the chairs from the Compass Rose were relocated.

For breakfast, sausage patties have been added to the links and bacon.

More varied menus are now available for dinner - Three nights of D'Angelo Bistro, named for the Italian restaurant in South Beach; Mediterranean Bistro with variations on beef, cous cous, osso buco, paella, moussaka and bouillabaisse. Then French Bistro takes over followed by International and Pasta e Basta.

Review: The Cordon Bleu-inspired and authorized classic French restaurant now changes menus every seven nights.

Reservations are required and are limited to once a week.

Review: The Pool Grill and its menu have been significantly expanded with the refit, continuing to offer specialty menus for lunch on days at sea.

Between Hue and Saigon was an Italian Pizza and Pasta Extravaganza at which the Captain and Italian officers prepared pasta items with antipasto, salads, baked Italian dishes and a large selection of Italian wines and digestifs, including grappa which actually has a label. Most of the grappa I've drunk has no label.

Several Italian officers entertained us with karaoke renditions of Italian popular songs.

Other special events are Vietnamese Flavor, Tex-Mex, Asian Delights, Fish and Chips, Make Your Own Burger, Hot and Cold Sandwich Bar, Frueschoppen, Chillies, Asian Wok and Gala Bar-B-Q.  Stay tuned.

Pool Grill - Tex-Mex Day

Imperial Rolls, Shrimp Won Ton, Shrimp Shu Mai and Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

Imperial Rolls, Shrimp Won Ton, Shrimp Shu Mai and Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Salad

Tex-Mex Taco