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.