Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

Luxury cruising knows no boundaries in today’s cruise market, so it figures that Regent Seven Seas Cruises, voted the “#1 Small-Ship Cruise Line” in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2007 Readers’ Choice Awards poll, will offer one of the most luxurious ways to see the 49th state in 2008 and 2009. Families are especially welcome aboard the 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner®, the only all-balcony, all-suite ship sailing in Alaska. Add to that RSSC is consistently rated among the world’s top three cruise lines by readers of luxury travel magazines and travel professionals worldwide voted RSSC the “World’s Best Luxury Cruise Line” for the fourth consecutive year as part of the 2007 Travel Weekly Awards and readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted RSSC “World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” in 2007. Sound like Alaska is for you?

Alaska’s most experienced luxury operator, Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be celebrating 10 consecutive years of service in the region in 2009. Because the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner is a medium-sized ship, it offers guests plenty of open deck space - both private and public - from which to experience Alaska’s natural wonders. Additionally, the “Route of the Glaciers” itineraries offered aboard Seven Seas Mariner provide guests with more of Alaska compared to roundtrip departures from Seattle or Vancouver offered by other cruise lines.

“Seven Seas Mariner offers the perfect blend of all-suite luxury and fine dining to complement the rugged wilderness of Alaska,” stated Mark Conroy, President of Regent Seven Seas. “We are extremely pleased to be returning for our tenth year and look forward to many more,” added Conroy.

The 2008-2009 Alaska itineraries include:

Vancouver, B.C. to Seward, Alaska - A full season of seven-night voyages from Vancouver to Seward through Alaska’s breathtaking Inside Passage, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka, with scenic cruising through Tracy Arm and past inspiring Hubbard Glacier. Per-person fares start at $4,195.
Seward, Alaska to Vancouver, B.C. - A full season of seven-night journeys through the Inside Passage to visit Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and experience scenic cruising through Tracy Arm and past Hubbard Glacier. Per-person fares start at $4,195.
Vancouver, B.C. Roundtrip - (Sept. 3, 2008 and May 27, 2009) - Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan with scenic cruising through Tracy Arm and past Hubbard Glacier with one day at sea. Per-person rates start at $3,895.
Regent Seven Seas will also offer Alaska visitors a comprehensive choice of pre- and post-cruise hotel and land packages in and around Anchorage, Alaska and Vancouver, Canada.

From Anchorage, in addition to the traditional tours in Denali National Park, Regent also offers a great selection of exclusive packages that encompass wild bear viewing; an in depth visit to Glacier Bay; fishing tours; and a tour to the Arctic Circle. More exclusive tours include a two-night program with private plane transportation, and an exclusive tour to Winter Lake Lodge, famous for its spectacular scenery, award-winning cuisine, gourmet cooking classes and outdoor adventures. Located deep in the heart of Alaska’s wilderness on 15 acres overlooking Winter Lake, the lodge is reached by float plane. Wolverine Mountain, located behind the lodge, offers intriguing hiking and wildlife viewing. Additionally, world-class chef Kristen Dixon welcomes guests into her kitchen at any time.

From Vancouver, B.C., Regent offers a tour to the Canadian Rockies on the fabled Rocky Mountaineer train; a tour that includes the famous Fairmont Chateau Whistler hotel; and a helicopter tour that includes tea at the legendary Empress Hotel in Victoria. In Regent style, also available are pre-and post-cruise packages to the Secret Cove Resort, a luxurious, private oasis nestled among arbutus trees. Guests encamp in a secluded tent house complete with heated slate floors, shoji screens, a king-size bed, panoramic hydrotherapy tub and private veranda overlooking the Malaspina Strait.

Regent offers a myriad collection of shore excursions on all Alaska cruises, ranging from a wilderness sea kayaking program in Sitka to a float plane adventure over Revillagigedo Island in the Tongass National Forest and dog-sledding in Skagway. As always, guests can also customize their experiences ashore by pre-arranging private tours through The Regent Travel ConciergeSM, reachable at 888-TOUR-321.

A special feature of all cruises that begin or end in Seward, Alaska is Regent’s private, exclusive transportation aboard the Grandview Train between Anchorage and Seward. This pre-bookable, four-hour rail journey passes through some of Alaska’s most pristine wilderness, and the single-level dome cars are excellent for viewing majestic glaciers, massive ice fields, and wildlife along the route, including Beluga whales, bald eagles and Dall sheep.

Families traveling together are always welcome aboard Regent Seven Seas, as selected Alaska departures will feature the Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Circles of InterestSM program. Created by Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the famous oceanographer, the program introduces travelers ages 9 to 17 and their families to extraordinary natural wonders while demonstrating imaginative ways to build environmental sustainability into their lives back home. Regent Seven Seas also offers special children’s pricing on four-night Denali National Park programs.

Full details of all 2008 and 2009 Alaska programs, including special offers on select departures, can be found by clicking here.