What It’s Really Like Aboard the ‘World’s Most Luxurious Cruise Line’

When Regent Seven Seas Cruises unveiled the Explorer in 2015, it made headlines for being the most expensive cruise ship ever built, costing an estimated $450 million. That title was usurped by the $600-plus million Seven Seas Splendor in 2020, which only solidified Regent’s reputation as the world’s most luxurious cruise line.

Barring a trip to Alaska when I was a child, I’d never set foot on a cruise ship before boarding the Seven Seas Explorer at the Piraeus port in Athens, where I was welcomed with a glass of bubbly beneath the even sparklier chandelier that crowns the lobby. I didn’t know what to expect from a 10-day international voyage across Greece and Turkey, let alone one aboard a cruise ship so lavish that it’s designed to render your destination of choice secondary to the overall experience.

To say that it spoiled me for future cruises is an understatement. While cruising will likely never be my favorite mode of travel, or even my preferred way to experience the open seas, Regent convinced this onetime cruise-scoffer that there’s a time and a place for big shared ships — if you’re able to afford the best in class.

The Seven Seas Explorer feels surprisingly private, even at capacity.

Photo: Alex Bresler

Before setting out for Mykonos, the first stop on our voyage, I struggled to reconcile the idea that any large shared ship could feel exclusive enough to justify the four to five figures the average Regent cruiser pays. While the Seven Seas Explorer maxes out at 746 guests — a fraction of the thousands of passengers that the world’s largest cruise ships can hold — I somehow felt as though I only ever saw the same 50 people, excluding the well-organized boarding process on the first day.

The gym was almost always empty during my pre-breakfast workouts, after which I always opted to take my first meal of the day on my suite’s balcony. The restaurants rarely felt more crowded than those of much smaller hotels, and I never had to fight for a sun lounger on the top deck or a quiet corner in either of the two pools.

It helps that the guest-to-crew ratio on the Seven Seas Explorer is nearly one-to-one. It also helps that Regent attracts an older crowd. I only saw two children on board — one time, on the top deck, halfway through the trip — and later learned they were the captain’s kids. All ages are welcome, but the ship isn’t designed for younger cruisers, favoring features like a jogging track and shuffleboard to waterpark-style slides. The evening entertainment similarly caters to adults, with 10 bars and lounges and an on-board casino.

Photo: Alex Bresler

There was, however, a shadow of the other guests when it came to making reservations, from the spa and specialty restaurants to the shore excursions. (Luckily, I decided to book all of my spa appointments on the first day, and even then the slots were limited.) Shore excursions can be requested well in advance of the departure date, and guests would do well to submit their preferences as early as possible.

The only masses I ever saw were at the Constellation Theater for pre-excursion briefings. The excursions themselves mitigated crowding by splitting up passengers into smaller groups for boat and bus transfers, and later for relatively intimate guided tours. Moments like this were a reminder that the Seven Seas Explorer is no private yacht, but I was surprised how private it felt — so much so that I inquired if pandemic apprehensions had impacted bookings, to which I was told that the vessel was completely full. That’s just the Regent experience.

Every guest gets a suite.

Photo: Alex Bresler

The Seven Seas Explorer has 373 staterooms, all of which are classed as suites and come with private balconies. Suites range from 307 to 4,443 square feet, with balconies spanning 55 to 994 square feet. (For reference, rent-financing app Flex cited the average size of a newly built one-bedroom apartment in the US as 757 feet as of 2018.)

Suites are split into 10 classes, culminating in the two-bedroom, two-balcony Regent Suite, which comes with butler service, $150,000 Savior N°1 mattresses and $150,000 Mollissima duvets, a $250,000 Steinway grand piano, and an in-suite spa with unlimited complimentary spa services, among other amenities — for a whopping $10,000 per night. (Yes, even the Regent Suite was booked during my cruise.)

Photo: Alex Bresler

I stayed in a Concierge Suite. At approximately 450 square feet, Concierge is the fourth-smallest suite class, but my stateroom was plenty spacious for two guests. Every suite on the Seven Seas Explorer comes with a separate sitting area and walk-in wardrobe. Butler service kicks in at the Penthouse level, one above Concierge, but my floor had a dedicated attendant who was always available to assist with services like in-room dining and laundry, as well as answer any questions.

Yet it was my suite’s marble bathroom that sold me on Regent’s promise of optimum luxury. Even after learning that the Regent Suite is adorned with two original Picassos, seeing the separate bath and shower came as the biggest shock to me. The flush toilet alone was a step up from the majority of the boats I’ve been on, and the complimentary L’Occitane bath products set a new bar for basic amenities.

On Regent cruises, all-inclusive really means all-inclusive.

Photo: Alex Bresler

The concept of an all-inclusive is a bit misleading. More often than not, it means that essentials like room, board, and entertainment are included in your booking price while non-necessities that, let’s be honest, are pretty essential to a fun and relaxing vacation, typically come with hidden fees. Not on Regent cruises.

To start, alcohol is included. That may sound relatively superfluous in the grand scheme of things, but specialty food and drink sales is one way many all-inclusives make a significant amount of their money. On the Seven Seas Explorer, alcoholic beverages are not only complimentary but also flow freely. Wine stewards circulate diligently during meals to make sure your glass stays full from the moment you sit down, and bars and lounges are stocked to make any premium cocktails you might want.

The Seven Seas Explorer also has three specialty restaurants that require reservations but are included in the upfront cost: modern-French Chartreuse, pan-Asian Pacific Rim, and steakhouse Prime 7. That goes a long way when the menus feature expensive ingredients like black truffles, whole Maine lobsters, and USDA Prime steaks for two. Nothing compared the food I ate in Mykonos, Santorini, and Kavala in Greece and Istanbul and Kuşadası in Turkey, but considering the majority of our evenings were spent traveling between ports, it was comforting to know that there was always a nice meal awaiting us on board.

As a travel writer on assignment, even less spendy complimentary amenities had a surprisingly big impact on my enjoyment of the cruise, such as free WiFi and laundry. The only time I managed to incur a sizable bill on board was at the spa, between the treatments I booked and the products I brought home. Unlike most cruise lines, Regent also takes pride in offering free unlimited shore excursions, but it’s worth noting that some excursions do cost extra — more on that below.

The shore excursions are excellent, but the on-ship entertainment leaves something to be desired.

Photo: Alex Bresler

No matter how luxurious a cruise ship is, disembarking is integral to the experience. After all, what is a cruise if not a vehicle for seeing new places. Of the five destinations our cruise visited, excluding Athens where the trip began and ended, I booked shore excursions in three, opting for a self-guided ATV tour of Mykonos and a full-day private tour in Istanbul, our only overnight port, which I took advantage of the Seven Seas Explorer concierge to arrange.

Prior to the trip, cruisers are sent a list of all available excursions detailing the type of activity, time, and level of fitness required for each. The excursions I chose centered on historical tours that relied on local guides and transfers to secondary locations, including the ruins of ancient Philippi in Greece and ancient Ephesus in Turkey. I was most excited about my excursion in Santorini, a combination volcano hike and winery visit. Though the hike was less active than I would have liked, and the wine tasting more rushed, I appreciated that the shore excursions also budgeted time for travelers to eat and explore independently.

Photo: Alex Bresler

It’s possible to make itinerary changes on board, availability permitting. Availability for the most popular excursions can be slim, even if you request them in advance. Regent also offers “choice excursions” for its most coveted activities, such as gourmet food tours and off-the-beaten-path adventures, but these cost extra, albeit at discounted rates.

Shore excursions were widely enjoyed. Some guests found that their experiences didn’t align perfectly with the tours that were advertised, such as a farm visit in a Turkish village that I was disappointed to miss due to availability. That particular excursion ended up being more of a dining experience, I was told, but none of the attendees I spoke with complained about the traditional feast they’d been fed.

Photo: Alex Bresler

The only complaint I heard repeatedly was that the evening entertainment, while nice, paled in comparison to the rest of the experience. Similar feedback exists online, comparing Regent’s live music, comedy, and more elaborate shows to the Broadway-caliber performances on cruise lines such as Norwegian. Fortunately for travelers, Norwegian acquired Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2014 and has pledged to improve the on-board entertainment.

With the Seven Seas Grandeur set to launch in November of this year, it’ll be exciting to see what new adventures await future Regent cruisers.