30-Day Regent Mariner Countdown!

The countdown begins! In just 30 days my husband and I will embark on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner. We’ll fly into Anchorage and stay the night before taking a scenic train ride to Whittier. We’ll meet the ship there and start our 13-night voyage that calls on the following ports:


Whittier, Alaska
Kodiak, Alaska
Dutch Harbor (Aleutian Islands), Alaska (also known as “Unalaska”)
Petropavlovsk / Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
Otaru, Japan
Hakodate, Japan
Sendai, Japan
Tokyo, Japan

Why did we select this particular itinerary? For starters, my husband is a photographer who’s especially interested in flora and fauna. Alaska promises many opportunities for breathtaking photos at land and at sea. We’re looking forward to visiting Kodiak Island—maybe we’ll see some whales or brown bears!—and the Aleutian Islands. Considered “bush country,” Dutch Harbor—part of the Pacific Ring of Fire—is home to a thriving community of bald eagles. We’re also nearly guaranteed to see puffins, peregrine falcons, and other rare birds. Over 100 species of birds nest there. In fact, we may even see a whiskered auklet. This tiny grey bird can only be found in the Aleutian Islands.

In Russia, we’re torn between a fishing excursion on Avachinskaya Bay or a nature hike that culminates with magnificent views of Koryakskiy and Avacha volcanoes. Of course, I wasn’t thrilled to read this from Novosti, Russia’s News and Information Agency: “According to research conducted by the International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, there is at least a 30% probability of an earthquake with a 7.2-magnitude or higher in the area of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands before mid-December.” This is after the August 18th 6.5 quake on nearby Sakhalin island. Let's just hope for the best!

Japan has intrigued me for years and I’ve never been to Asia so our visits to Otaru, Hakodate, Sendai, and Tokyo are sure to be fascinating. Right now, we’re booked at the Four Seasons Chinzan-so after disembarkation from the Mariner. However, we’re waffling on the location and may end up switching to the Four Seasons at Marunouchi.

In the coming days, I’ll outline some of the other reasons we selected Regent for this voyage: onboard Le Cordon Bleu cooking workshop and restaurant, spacious staterooms with balconies, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society seminars, Spotlight on Classical Music, and much more.

And, if you’ve got any tips for us in regards to the Mariner or our ports of call, please let us know!