Regent Debuts Details of 'Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built'

PHOTO: Seven Seas Explorer will offer performances in the opulent Constellation Theater. (All renderings courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises)

With a tagline as "the most luxurious ship ever built" featuring one-of-a-kind designs and amenities surpassing the competition, Regent Seven Seas Cruises' 750-guest Seven Seas Explorer, set to launch in July 2016, will have a lot to live up to.

But if the craftsmanship and materials being used, which were showcased at a press event at the St. Regis New York, are any indication, Seven Seas Explorer is well on its way to become the new standard in luxury cruising. The all-suite, all-balcony ship also will be one of the most spacious at sea, displacing 56,000 gross registered tons.

Jason Montague, the new president and chief operating office of Prestige Cruises, the parent company of Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises, unveiled details of the new showcase Regent Suite and other suite categories. He also offered an update on the gourmet dining options onboard the new ship, which will be one of the most all-inclusive in the luxury market. Finally, he introduced some of the signature public areas of the new vessel, including the bars, lounges and theater.

Suites: The most distinguishing feature in accommodations will be the 3,975-square-foot Regent Suite. The two-room suite, located on Deck 14, comes with an in-room spa retreat, a first at sea, with personal sauna, steam room and treatment area. The suite also features an outdoor, glass-enclosed sitting area called the Vista Garden, where guests can enjoy unobstructed 270-degree views over the ship’s bow.

Each suite category features its own layout and design elements, ranging from the island manor appeal of the Deluxe Suite to the sapphire jewel-inspired Penthouse Suite. The interiors will be complemented by the largest verandas in the cruise industry.

PHOTO: The new Regent Suite will feature a spacious living room and two bedrooms. 

Dining: Seven Seas Explorer will feature a collection of specialty, casual and main dining options. These include Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ signature steakhouse, Prime 7, which will have a new design aboard Seven Seas Explorer highlighted by dark purple hues, silver accents and plush leather seating, emulating a London private members club. The restaurant, open for dinner only with reservations required (though no extra charge), will have intimate seating alcoves specifically for couples looking to enjoy a romantic meal.  

The hallmark main dining room, Compass Rose, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, will get a new, contemporary look with an airy design motif, including a cascading aqua-blue chandelier that conveys a whimsical grotto feel throughout the restaurant.

PHOTO: The ship will feature the signature Compass Rose main dining room with a new decor.

Guests also can enjoy indoor and al fresco dining in the Italian Riviera-inspired La Veranda on Deck 11. Offering 270-degree ocean views, La Veranda features a buffet for breakfast and lunch, and transforms into a fine dining Italian restaurant called Sette Mari each evening for dinner.

Public Spaces: Guests will enter the ship through the main atrium lobby, which will feature a circular inlaid marble floor leading to twin, etched glass staircases that draw the eye upward to a cascading crystal chandelier.

The ship’s primary showplace, the two-tiered Constellation Theater, pays homage to the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age. The 694-seat theater will have cabaret-style seating intermixed with cocktail tables that feature hand-blown Murano glass lamps. Guests will find abstract and not-so-abstract features in the theater’s seating banquettes, ceiling architecture and entryway mosaic.

The Observation Lounge brings to life the opulence and indulgences of the Roaring Twenties. A folded metal canopy surrounds the lounge’s signature bar and a crystal chandelier hovers over the dance floor recalling the era of The Great Gatsby. Floor to ceiling windows surround the room, providing guests with ocean views.

Just off the ship’s atrium lobby, the Explorer Lounge has a country club vibe with rich mahogany wood columns, leather chairs, deep blue fabrics and sumptuous flooring. On one side of the lounge, a golden proscenium outlines a small stage where live music performances will take place. On the opposite end is a polished black marble bar ringed by plush, deep opal blue bar stools.

“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 industry-wide as the most luxurious ship ever,” said Montague. “This ship will offer our guests a new level of grandeur throughout, from its lavish suites to its elegant public spaces and gourmet restaurants.”  

Architectural interior design firms Tillberg Design AB, RTKL Associates and ICRAVE are designing the new vessel. Reservations for Seven Seas Explorer’s maiden voyage, set for July 20 on a 14-night Monte Carlo to Venice cruise, and the full inaugural season open Jan. 19, 2015 exclusively for Seven Seas Society members and will become widely available starting Feb. 4, 2015. The ship will remain in Europe for its inaugural season, sailing 11 voyages that crisscross the Mediterranean visiting such destinations as Barcelona, Ibiza, St. Tropez, Venice, Istanbul, Alexandria and Jerusalem.