Onboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Explorer

Feb 02, 2015

Compass Rose, the line’s main dining room // © 2015 Regent Seven Seas Cruises 2

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is billing its all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Explorer as the most luxurious ship ever built, and the vessel has the stats to defend that claim.

If clients wish for abundant amounts of space, for example, Explorer will deliver. Weighing in at 56,000 tons but carrying just 750 passengers, the ship will provide the highest space ratio in the industry. Then there’s the Regent Suite. Measuring 3,875 square feet, the two-bedroom unit is the first suite at sea to have its own spa, complete with a treatment area, a personal sauna and a steam room. After a massage, suite guests might head to their private Vista Garden, a glass-enclosed sitting area with a 270-degree view of the sea and the ship.

“We set a high benchmark for Seven Seas Explorer, not only to build a ship that far surpasses the current standard in luxury cruising, but to design a ship that will be recognized industrywide as the most luxurious ship ever,” said Jason Montague, president and COO of Regent. “We cannot wait to share Explorer with the world when it joins our fleet in the summer of 2016.”

Other notable design features are spread throughout the vessel, starting with a contemporary look for the line’s main dining room, Compass Rose. The venue will be lit by a magnificent aqua chandelier that conveys an under-the-sea elegance. The same sense of whimsy continues through the main atrium lobby, where circular marble floors are offset by a pair of impressive etched-glass staircases.

Regent’s signature steakhouse, Prime 7, will wear the look of a private London club, with romantic alcoves for two and leather seating set against dark purple and silver furnishings.

To create indoor/outdoor dining venue La Veranda, Regent’s designers looked to the Italian Riviera for inspiration. Situated on Deck 11, the restaurant offers 270-degree sea views, and come evening, it transforms from a buffet restaurant to Sette Mari at La Veranda, a fine-dining affair.

The design of other public rooms has been inspired by a carefully selected set of iconic associations. For example, the two-tiered Constellation Theater is straight out of the extravagance of Hollywood’s golden age. The 694-seat venue exudes a cabaret-style ambience.

Intimate cocktail tables are lit by hand-blown Murano glass lamps, and the image of a swan — a symbol of light and grace — is delicately incorporated into the furnishings.

The Observation Lounge would be the perfect set for a Roaring ’20s film, with its origami-like, canopy-covered bar and an unusual chandelier over the dance space. The Explorer Lounge, with a small but elegant stage for musical performances, feels more like a country club with its dark wood accents and midnight-blue chairs.

Though it took longer than expected — Regent Explorer will be the brand’s first new ship since 2003 — it appears that the results will have been worth the wait. The books opened in mid-January for past guests, and on Feb. 4, new clients are invited to reserve suites as well.

The ship’s maiden voyage will be a 14-night sailing from Monte Carlo to Venice on July 20, 2016. The ship will stay in the Mediterranean for its initial season, sailing 11 cruises that call in ports from Barcelona and Alexandria to Jerusalem.