Regent, formerly known by the vegetable-invoking name Radisson, has been a leading luxury cruise line since being founded in the year 1990. In 2014, the company was purchased by Norwegian’s parent company for about $3 billion, begging the question: what separates Regent from its competitors? Well, hey, we’re here for a reason. Let’s jump into it!
Fleet
Regent currently has four ships in its possession. Their oldest ship is the Seven Seas Navigator, which fits 490 passengers and 340 crew across 8 passenger decks. Fun fact: it’s the boat from the movie “After the Sunset”! The Seven Seas Voyager accommodates 706 passengers and 447 crew across 12 decks. Another fun fact: Forbes listed the Voyager’s world cruise Asia leg as the most expensive Asian cruise in 2006! There’s also the Seven Seas Mariner, which is slightly larger than the Voyager in terms of tonnage, yet only holds 700 passengers and 445 crew with 8 decks. The newest ship, the Seven Seas Explorer, fits 750 passengers, 552 crew and has 13 decks. Fun fact here: the ship features large amounts of marble, glass and gold!
Price
Just in case that last fun fact didn’t clue you in, these are expensive, prestigious ships. While there are some itineraries that are in the four digit range, a lot of them are somewhere in the $10,000 to $25,000 range. Like all cruise lines, prices scale alongside trip lengths, with a lot of the sub $10,000 itineraries lasting fewer than 10 days. The more expensive trips get pretty long: think multiple weeks. There are quite a few deal options on their websites search function, so that could help out, but it definitely won’t make any of these trips cheap, per se.
Activities/dining
You shouldn’t expect waterslides and volleyball aboard a ship like the Explorer, which is thought of as one of the most luxurious ships, well, ever. You can expect trivia, bocce ball, afternoon tea and “expert lecturers,” however. This is refined fun, folks! In terms of food, each ship has a variety of dining options, though one constant across the fleet is the Compass Rose. The fare there is decidedly fancy, with meals like beet carpaccio and veal medallions. You also have the option to design your own entree from a wide variety of options. Additionally, ships have other restaurants, including reservation only spots, that feature different types of cuisines ranging from French dining to steakhouse favorites.
Reputation
User reviews are mostly glowing for Regent, though there are some criticisms. Some love the opulence but think the shore excursions leave something to be desired, while other passengers praise the food while saying the Voyager is a bit outdated. U.S. News Travel, in their cruise line rankings, gave Regent a nod as fourth best luxury cruise line.
From all of this, it seems that Regent is for a specific type of person. The luxury offered is certainly remarkable, but the price points go with it. Additionally, it seems that there are certain aspects of their ships that don’t gel with all travelers, so do some research on all four before making a decision. Finally, while the dining seems mostly loved, some have criticized a select few restaurants. If you’re wanting to take a cruise with Regent, make sure the other luxury lines don’t seem like a better fit. But hey, at the end of the day, most passengers seemed more than pleased with their trips, and you could be too!
