We are booked on the Mariner 72 day cruise around South America and were just informed that there is no pre cruise hotel stay and "Gala dinner" with entertainment for the full cruise passengers. We did this same cruise in 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed it so we booked it again. We also noticed when we booked our tours that many of the ones that were free in 2011 are now fee tours. I guess this is another move by NCL to cheapen the "Regent Experience". When the ownership change was made we were told that Regent would remain the same, NOT!! I think if we had known that the cruise would be so different we would not have booked it.