Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Mariner has quietly notched up a quarter-century at sea — and it arrived as a genuine trailblazer. When the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard delivered the vessel on 8 March 2001, the 720-guest ship became the world's first cruise ship with a private balcony on every single accommodation. At the time, that was a bold statement; now it's the benchmark for luxury cruising.
The ship was named in Los Angeles on 21 May 2001 in a ceremony hosted by Carlson Companies, which then ran the line under its Radisson branding. Alaska got most of the debut season, with the Mariner sailing out of Vancouver all summer, before switching to longer-haul adventures: a 26-night South Pacific loop from San Francisco and a 54-night around-South-America sailing from Fort Lauderdale.
A quarter century on, the ship is still doing big things. It opened 2026 with a 154-night world cruise calling at 77 destinations, then moved into a Mediterranean and Northern Europe summer. From late 2026 into 2027, expect it in the Caribbean and South America.
There's fresh reason to book it too. A late-2025 refurbishment refreshed every suite with new furnishings, lighting and hardware, and gave the largest suites fully redesigned marble bathrooms. The Pool Grill was overhauled as well, gaining a wood-fired pizzeria with a gourmet menu served alfresco. Regent also reworked public areas so the Mariner matches the look and feel of its newer Explorer-class ships — a smart move for a line whose oldest ship now has to keep pace with much newer fleetmates.
For travellers, the anniversary is a useful prompt. A 25-year-old luxury ship that's just been comprehensively refitted can be one of the sweet spots in cruising: top-tier service and dining, a smaller passenger count than mainstream mega-ships, and fares that often undercut the newest vessels in the fleet. If a balcony in every room appeals — and on a luxury line it really should — the ship that started the trend is still sailing it.
