Regent Seven Seas Cruises knows a thing or two about creating a luxe cruise experience, so it’s no surprise that the cruise line’s newest ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, takes the glamour up a notch to deliver an all-inclusive, all-balcony suite luxury experience that offers top value.
Earlier this year, Recommend stepped on board this 373-suite sailing beauty—sister ship to Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer—for a sailing out of PortMiami, where the ship was christened in December 2023.
The 746-guest Grandeur, the third in the line’s Explorer Class, has the same footprint as her sisters but with a tweaked color palette and a totally reimagined Compass Rose, the ship’s main dining venue, which features Versace plates and enchanted forest-inspired aesthetics.
Overall, we found Grandeur’s design elegant with marble, crystal and other high-quality touches at every turn.
“What really makes a statement about this ship and the Regent brand is the value your clients get when compared to a premium brand,” explains Shawn Tubman, Sr. VP, sales and trade marketing for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “When you add up all the premium cruise charges at the end of the experience and compare it to our all-inclusive concept, you see the value in our brand. We did a value comparison study that showed we are truly an all-inclusive line—there’s no upcharge for champagne and fine wines, specialty dining venues, the hydrothermal suite, shore excursions, laundry services, gratuities, WiFi, transfers and even airfare. It’s all included in the price.”
The Suite Life
We were oh so comfortable in our Concierge Suite, which gave us 332 sq. ft. of well-designed living space plus a large verandah (they range from 115 to 132 sq. ft. in this category). These suites feature a bathroom with a separate tub and shower and two sinks with L’Occitane amenities and plenty of storage space. We also loved the walk-in closet. The suite’s neutral, sophisticated and soothing tones and textures complemented by an understated upscale setting made our home away from home a true gem.
I also relished the fact that while lounging in bed I was met with ocean views as well as a great entertainment program on the flat-screen TV, offering Regent-exclusive PBS programming with topics ranging from photography and scientific discoveries to ancient history.
There are 15 suite categories to sell on the Grandeur: from the 307-sq.-ft. Veranda Suite to the 4,443-sq.-ft. Regent Suite.
Great Spaces on Board Seven Seas Grandeur
There is a plethora of places to explore on board Grandeur during the day and into the evening, but let me first point to the 1,600-piece art collection that includes the only permanent Fabergé Egg at sea, multiple Picassos and an amazing bronze-and-glass Bonsai Cherry Tree sculpture at the entrance of the Pacific Rim restaurant (one of six dining venues to choose from, incidentally). After feasting our eyes on the onboard art via the Regent mobile app, which offers an immersive digital art tour, we set off for the library furnished with cozy seating and an extensive collection of hardcover books that includes novels as well as coffee table books touching on topics from art to travel.
The ship also sports the Serene Spa & Wellness center as well as a separate fitness center offering a myriad of classes at no upcharge. Of special note is the hydrothermal suite, which features a collection of thermal chambers, including an infrared sauna, a cold room, an experiential shower and an aromatic steam room. The ship also has a sports deck with a bocce court, shuffleboard, a putting green and a paddle tennis court a well as a jogging court. Sun worshippers have a couple of options when it comes to hanging poolside—one area features a DJ who starts spinning at noon and there’s another space with an infinity-edge plunge pool that’s more tranquil.
Entertainment & Dining
Clients have a variety of entertainment to choose from, including shows in the 2-level Constellation Theater as well as happenings in the Observation Lounge, which offers majestic ocean views during the day and piano tunes on the baby grand during cocktail hour and post-dinner.
The Grandeur and Meridian lounges, with specialty cocktails, also provide musical entertainment as well as a late-night dance party. Additionally, there’s the state-of-the-art and welcoming Culinary Arts Kitchen where your clients can participate in cooking classes that take inspiration from the destinations visited during the sailing.
Speaking of culinary options, beyond Compass Rose, where passengers can customize their entrees, there’s Asian fusion at Pacific Rim, French cuisine at Chartreuse—featuring Coco Chanel-inspired chandeliers—and steakhouse fare at Prime 7. All three require reservations, unlike Sette Mari at La Veranda, which serves Italian cuisine each evening.
When not transformed into Sette Mari, La Veranda serves breakfast and lunch and features a delightful alfresco area for casual dining. Other options include the buffet at the Pool Grill and Coffee Connection for breakfast and snacks throughout the day. And finally, passengers can opt for room service, available 24/7.
Travel Advisors Should Know
Tubman points out that travel advisors can help themselves by letting “us help them. We just developed Regent Elevate, a trade support program to help our trade partners understand our customers better, with tools to help prospect better and sharing what we know about our customers so they can grow their Regent business. This info is found in our travel agent center.
“Included in the center is the knowledge about the personas that travel advisors should look for when selling the Regent brand”. On that note, Tubman says travel advisors should target two top groups: understated traditionalists, who are unassuming, worldly and wealthy and love learning about and visiting new cultures; and active explorers who want to get out there and take advantage of all of the excursions, particularly active ones.
Says Steve Odell, Regent’s chief sales officer, “Our customers are destination collectors and for them it’s not just about the cruise, it’s about a luxury experience that is a better value than a land vacation.”
Odell also points out that luxury travelers want to be assured that they are traveling with the right crowd and with like-minded travelers. “The Regent brand is like a boutique hotel where we are on a very high level of service,” he says.
“Travel advisors are our lifeline,” adds Tubman. “We’re showing travel advisors
that there’s a huge opportunity to sell luxury cruises. Demand for luxury cruising is growing and Regent is meeting that demand with ships like Grandeur.”
Tubman also reminds advisors that “the difference in the Regent brand is the combination of the inclusiveness that we offer and what it presents to our guests when they are on board; it is all about customizing the experience for them. That frees them up; they don’t have to worry about who’s paying for what. It’s a liberating experience”.
He, notes, too that, “Travel advisors can even [request to] customize the suite minibar for their clients beforehand; we’ll make sure it’s stocked with their client’s favorite spirits and drinks.”
“We have a high past guest ratio,” continues Tubman, and he advises reselling their customers to new destinations and recommends Regent’s new Total Immersion itineraries where there are fewer ports, and all with overnight stays. There are six of these new itineraries being offered in 2024 and 2025 on Grandeur’s sister ships, set to be offered on Grandeur in the future.
Ready for booking now on Grandeur is a 10-night Fabergé Spotlight Voyage departing on July 1, 2024, from Rome hosted by the ship’s godmother, Sarah Fabergé.
One last note for travel advisors to remember, says Tubman, is that the all-inclusive price of Grandeur is commissionable to travel advisors whereas, on other ships, not all extras are commissionable. Tubman closes by reminding travel advisors that there’s
never been a better time to focus onselling luxury cruises.
For more information, visit rssc.com.
