Cruising in style aboard Regent Seven Seas Grandeur.
Cruising in style aboard Regent Seven Seas Grandeur.
Seven Seas Grandeur is Regent’s newest ship, launched in November 2023, with a reputation for exceptional service, luxurious suites, excellent dining, and all-inclusive offerings. Here’s what it’s like on board.
Johanna Thornton spent 10 days on board Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, one of six ships in Regent’s all-inclusive luxury cruise line, trademarked as “the world’s most luxurious fleet”. Setting sail from Venice, Italy, on the ‘Crossroads and Ionian Grandeur Cruise’ itinerary, the sailing took in stunning locations such as Santorini, Kotor, and Istanbul, but with all the amenities available onboard guests never have to leave the dock.
DESIGN: Three Picassos, chandeliers and a Faberge Egg
Designed by the award-winning Miami-based Studio Dado to a brief of “refined style, matchless elegance, and breath-taking beauty”, the designers have certainly hit the mark with surfaces in gold, marble, rich wood, bevelled glass, textural wallcoverings and extensive custom lighting. There is no surface that hasn’t been touched with a design brush and it’s a sensory overload in the best possible way.
The wow factor begins as soon as you board the ship into the grand atrium which spans decks four and five, with a sweeping staircase and a crystal-encrusted chandelier designed by renowned Czech lighting specialists Preciosa, one of 503 chandeliers on board.
You don’t have to leave the ship for an art gallery experience, with the walls covered in notable works curated by Regent’s art director Sarah Hall Smith. From the glass-sided central lift, you can marvel at the 12m handwoven tapestry The Enchanted Tree by Brazilian artist Walter Goldfarb, one of 1600 pieces of art on board.
Regent Seven Seas Grandeur's stunning atrium with 12m tapestry. Photo / Stephen Beaudet
It’s hard to imagine getting used to passing paintings by Picasso on your way to dinner (there are three on board: Toros y Toreros, Antes de picar al toro and Picador picando al toro, con matador al quite), but with the breadth of art this extensive, you become accustomed to opulence.
Case in point, a very expensive Faberge Egg, Journey in Jewels, displayed inside a glass case near the concierge desks. The art experience guide on the Regent Seven Seas app provides background on the featured artists and a self-guided art tour is a nice way to spend an afternoon on board.
One of the most beautiful spaces on the ship is the library, a peaceful retreat on deck 11 and a lovely spot to sit quietly with a book or read the day’s papers. Decked out in rich mahogany, marble tiles and dark wood parquet floors, the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves compete with your favourite bookstore for reading material and you’re welcome to borrow any book you like and return it later.
The living room in Regent Seven Seas Grandeur's Regent Suite.
SUITES: Rivalling the world’s finest hotels
There are 15 suite categories on board Seven Seas Grandeur, ranging in size from 28.5sq m to 413sq m, all of which have a private balcony. The latter is the ship’s largest and grandest, the Regent Suite, with 270-degree views overlooking the bow.
Defining the luxury and opulence on board, the Regent Suite is exceptionally elegant, featuring only the best furnishings, artwork and accessories. Rivalling some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, the Regent Suite has a separate sitting and dining area, three walk-in closets and two marble and stone bathrooms.
The master bedroom is one of two generous bedrooms (there’s a third bedroom and bathroom available for guests or staff), boasting a handmade luxury Savoir No. 1 bed that retails for $246,000. There’s also an in-room spa with a sauna, steam room and unlimited access to in-room spa treatments. The price tag for this suite ($18,000 per night) comes with a butler and a driver for personalised shore excursions.
Guests of the Regent Suite also have exclusive use of a 12-seat private dining room the Study located between two of the specialty restaurants where no expense has been spared on the decor.
Regent Suite's master bedroom and the Savoir No.1 bed.
My suite is one of five ‘spacious suites’, the Superior Suite, which at 38sq m (including the balcony) is more than comfortable, with a sitting area that closes off from the king-size bed with floor-to-ceiling curtains and a private balcony with two lounge chairs and a table. This is the place to be when the ship leaves port at 5pm with a spritz in hand, watching the scenery pass by, bathed in the warm Mediterranean sun.
The marble-accented bathroom has two sinks, a full-size marble bath and a generous shower with a rain showerhead. The complimentary toiletries are L’Occitane, replenished daily, and the towels are oversized, white and fluffy. The handsome dark wood walk-in wardrobe has plenty of space for clothes, shoes and accessories, as well as a safe.
The cost of a European cruise aboard Regent Seven Seas Grandeur varies depending on the itinerary, duration and suite you select, but you can expect to pay upwards of $17,380 per person.
Regent is an all-inclusive luxury cruise line, which means for Australian and New Zealand guests the ticket price covers unlimited complimentary shore excursions at each port, all food and drinks onboard, including dinner and drinks at the specialty restaurants, fine wines and spirits at the cocktail lounges, entertainment, internet access, valet laundry, gratuities, a fully stocked mini bar with drinks of your choice, and one-night pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.
For me, that meant the beautiful Hilton Molino Stucky on Giudecca Island in Venice with views of the historic town centre and the city’s highest rooftop bar, a more than fabulous way to begin a luxury cruise.
Enjoy cocktails at the Observation Lounge with its gardenia-shaped chandelier.
SERVICE: Daily valet laundry and personalised news from home
On Regent Seven Seas Grandeur there are a maximum of 746 guests per sailing and 548 staff. This ratio of staff to guests ensures the highest level of personal service and means you always feel taken care of, whether you’re lounging on the pool deck, dining at one of the restaurants, or relaxing in your suite.
I noticed many return cruisers know the staff by name and vice versa, a testament to the relationships formed on board over the 10 days. At the cocktail lounges, bar staff will remember your favourite drink, at the restaurants they’ll have your dietary requirements on file. They’ll be standing on the dock with a cold towel, water and a smile when you return after a long excursion in the sun.
I was particularly impressed with the suite attendants, who left it immaculately clean every day, as well as regularly checking in about whether anything needed adjusting. There was no greater joy than returning to the suite after a long excursion to find your laundry freshly washed and pressed and waiting for you on a hanger, and your undergarments and socks pressed, folded and wrapped in tissue paper inside a Regent box. Daily valet laundry is all part of the service.
Staff also took extra care with in-suite room service, arriving with crisp white tablecloths and silverware to transform your sitting area or balcony into your own personal restaurant. You can also pre-order coffee and breakfast to your suite for the next morning, which I did often.
After dinner, they’d have the suite ready for the evening, with the TV turned towards the bed, the curtains pulled, and the beds turned down and ready for you. On the desk, there’d be a copy of New Zealand Today, containing personalised news from your home country, from the results of the Warriors game to the latest in politics.
A typical blue-shuttered house in Oia, Santorini. Photo / Johanna Thornton
SHORE EXCURSIONS: As seamless as they are stylish
The itinerary for the 10-day ‘Crossroads and Ionian Grandeur Cruise’ began in Venice, Italy, sailing to Ancona, Kotor, in Montenegro; Igoumenitsa and Santorini in Greece; Izmir and Istanbul in Tukey; and back to Greece again via Lesbos and finally, Athens.
At each port, there are free shore excursions to make the most of, which you can book in advance, which range from guided tours to boat rides, wine tastings to city walks. It pays to get in early as some excursions are better than others, and the best ones book out, offering a waiting list.
While viewing a town through a bus window might not seem very intrepid, in some places, like Santorini - a clifftop town in the Aegean Sea known for its volcanic peaks, black sand beaches, bright white houses and blue-domed churches - it had its advantages, taking the stress out of taxis and cable cars in this over-touristed town. Regent’s ‘Santorini shopping experience’ excursion took us to the popular Oia Village and Fira Town via an air-conditioned tour bus with time to explore each location on foot.
Arriving in Oia at about 9.30am, we squeezed past streams of tourists up narrow cobblestone lanes to find the main shopping promenade (Niolaou Nomikou Street), which runs the length of the village at its highest point, with magical views of the cliffside houses and shimmering sea below. Dotted with jewellery boutiques, handicrafts and souvenir shops, we’re tempted to purchase something at Comment store, with its curated collection of Greek fashion and accessories from the likes of Babo and Mary Katrantzou.
Oia gets busy fast, and by 11am as we descended the steps back down to the bus, hordes of new arrivals were heading up, with a long queue of tourists jostling to take photos next to Instagram-famous St Anastasi and St Spirydon Churches.
In the equally busy Fira, Santorini’s capital a 20-minute drive away, there is more shopping, cafes and restaurants with stunning sea views. Don’t miss the Greek salad and sunshine yellow, saffron-infused fava bean dip (trust me) on the balcony at Kaliya restaurant, with a local wine or Yellow Donkey pale ale to wash it down.
Regent Cruises makes getting back on board seamless by anchoring in Skala directly below Fira and offering a quick tender ride from the shore to the ship - cold towels and water at the ready. Talk about travelling in style.
The Greek salad at Kaliya in Fira, Santorini. Photo / Johanna Thornton
OVERNIGHT STAYS: Extra time to immerse yourself in local culture
Istanbul was the highlight of the cruise, with an overnight stay allowing passengers extra time to immerse themselves in this special destination and dine off ship if they wished.
The ‘panoramic Istanbul’ excursion took us by tour bus from the Asian side of Istanbul to the European side, where we visited the Blue Mosque and Byzantine Hippodrome up close.
A short walk away is the Grand Bazaar, the world’s oldest and largest covered market, covering 61 streets with more than 4000 shops attracting up to 400,000 shoppers a day. We barely made it 10 minutes into this overwhelming, bustling market selling everything from shoes to sunglasses, before the air seemed too thin and the crush of people became unmanageable.
A consolation was the cafe and shop, Fescafe, we discovered around the corner, selling beautiful Turkish linens and soap, which we stocked up on as gifts for family.
The next day we took the opportunity to explore Istanbul on foot, discovering the historic Beyoglu neighbourhood, a hillside of winding streets, Ottoman and neoclassical buildings and interesting boutiques. We strolled across the Galata Bridge to the Spice Market, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, where we’re offered samples of pomegranate tea, Turkish delight and dates.
Not far from here are the historic rainbow-coloured wooden houses of Balat, which are worth adding to your itinerary. But you don’t have to travel far to have a great time in Istanbul, with the ship berthed in Galataport, the new world world-class cruise ship port and waterfront complex.
It comes complete with an underground terminal transporting you straight into the heart of the city and a seaside promenade with views of the Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara, brimming with luxury shopping and restaurants, as well as attractions such as the Istanbul Modern art gallery.
Istanbul's Blue Mosque. Photo / Johanna Thornton
FOOD AND DRINK: Seven dazzling options and Versace dinnerwear
The food on board Regent Seven Seas Grandeur is plentiful and excellent, with seven dining options, including five specialty restaurants. There is no hotter topic among guests than what restaurant you’ve booked for dinner that night, which you can arrange with concierge staff on board, as well as pre-booking three specialty restaurants ahead of the cruise.
Most guests enjoy a buffet-style breakfast at La Veranda restaurant on the pool deck, where you can get acclimatised to your latest port with a coffee, fresh fruit and a Danish at a sunny outdoor table. Lunch is available at the specialty restaurants and La Veranda or off-ship on an excursion.
You don’t need a booking for the ship’s largest and most extra restaurant, Compass Rose. The dining room dazzles with a canopy of crystal-covered “trees” that glow with light, their branches creating a lattice effect across the ceiling. Every surface shimmers with gold-veined Calcutta marble and crystal-shaped leaves glinting from walls and pillars. Even the tables are set with specially designed grey and gold Versace dinnerware.
The glittering and grand Compass Rose.
The menu is build-your-own, with a range of quality proteins to choose from such as lobster tail, whole Dover sole, New Zealand lamb chops and black angus fillet mignon. There’s a sauce menu (beurre blanc, caper butter, chimichurri) and sides to select from (potato gratin, sauteed mushrooms or green beans).
If you don’t feel like choosing, there’s a degustation menu designed by the executive chef as well as daily specials and a “wellness” selection of healthy dishes, like Peruvian-style cod ceviche and soothing chicken noodle soup.
One of Regent’s signature restaurants, Chartreuse, serves elevated French fare like soupe de poissons with brandade, mussels and aioli, and tournedos de boeuf grillé rossini with brioche, truffle royale, seared foie gras and sauce pergourdine.
It’s decadent, and so is the decor, designed in the style of a Parisian fine dining restaurant, and a lovely spot to dine at sunset. The wine list is French, from the Heidsieck Champagne to the Chablis from Burgundy and the Châteauneuf-du-Pap from the Rhone Valley.
Pacific Rim Restaurant.
Pacific Rim serves a pan-Asian menu of refined plates of sashimi, pork and shrimp shui mai, Korean barbecue lamb chops, seaweed and wakame salad, and sticky Chinese barbecue ribs. Like each of the specialty restaurants, Pacific Rim has a unique look and feel, with a palette of elegant black, gold and green, windows frosted with a lotus flower decal, and a life-size bonsai cherry tree by Savoy Studios made from bronze and hand-cut glass at the entrance.
My favourite restaurant was the most lowkey – the Italian-inspired Sette Mari at La Veranda (this is where breakfast is served near the pool deck but at night it transforms into an Italian restaurant). You can head to the buffet and choose your Italian antipasti, salad and dessert (don’t miss the cannolis) at your leisure, or opt for table service.
The perfectly al dente pasta is made to order and comforting in a familiar way – with penne rigate alla bolognese, cabonara and lasagne on offer but also risotto ai frutti di mare and osso bucco milanese. To drink, there is a selection of excellent Italian wines.
Regent Seven Seas Grandeur - the pool deck. Photo / Stephen Beaudet
WELLBEING AND ACTIVITIES: High-end or high-intensity
There’s a lot to keep you busy on board, from swimming in the pool, to a round of mini golf or pickleball on the top deck or a workout in the gym. Passages, the ship’s daily newsletter, itemises all the activities for the day, from excursions to disco dance classes, trivia and mahjong, to diamond cleaning tutorials and blackjack tournaments. There’s also luxury shopping on board the ship and highly sought-after cooking classes in the Culinary Arts Kitchen with executive chef and director of culinary enrichment Kathryn Kelly.
At the 500-seat Constellation Theatre, there’s nightly after-dinner entertainment from music to dance and comedy. Regent’s own Grandeur Production Company performs four Broadway-style shows including a celebration of the tango.
The Serene Spa and Wellness Centre on level five has beautifully appointed studios for hair and nail touch-ups and private treatment rooms offering massages and facials. The gym offers a daily fitness schedule of pilates, HIIT, stretching and more, or workout at your own pace with views of the wake. Outside on the stern, there’s a pool and spa, and you can also make use of the infrared sauna, cold room and steam room.
Regent Seven Seas Grandeur spa entrance.
ITINERARIES
Regent Seven Seas Cruises ‘Icons of Greece’ tour from Athens to Venice departs October 5, 2025 for 10 nights, from $17,380 staying in a G2 Veranda suite. For more information visit RSSC.com, phone 0800 625 692 (NZ) or contact your travel adviser.
