Caviar for Breakfast

Regent Seven Seas Cruises holds a unique place in the world of cruising. The high-end brand of parent Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, its six ships are in the rarified ultra-luxury category — but Regent stands out by offering a complete all-inclusive package. Included in the price are a spacious suite with balcony, all meals (including specialty restaurants), drinks (including beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails), tours (with a wide variety of choices in each port), gratuities, airport and hotel transfers, and even laundry and pressing. In some categories, first-class flights and pre-cruise hotels are included. Regent management told us its greatest marketing challenge is showing potential guests that with a single, up-front cost, they could actually pay less than on other lines.

As soon as we boarded Seven Seas Splendor for a week-long Caribbean cruise from Miami, the luxury and service stood out. Walking around with welcome Champagne in hand, the 46,000 square feet of fine Italian marble on walls and floors, and more than 500 stunning chandeliers, created an ambience unlike any we’ve experienced in 25 years of cruising. The ship, with a tonnage of 55,000, has a capacity for just 746 guests, all in 373 balcony suites ranging from an impressive 307 to more than 4,000 square feet. The crew of 548 provides the best staff-to-guest ratio at sea. Splendor’s younger twin sister, Seven Seas Grandeur, launched in 2023, is virtually identical but with one fewer guest suite. 

Luxe Life On Board

We were in one of the smaller suites but were impressed with the layout and generous storage spaces including a walk-in closet. The long couch and convenient work desk were separated from the bed area by privacy blackout curtains while the balcony, with its generous table and two cushioned wicker chairs, was one of the largest we’ve ever seen. The bed itself was extremely comfortable with high thread-count sheets and excellent adjustable reading lights. There were several convenient USB and power outlets. The thermostat was controlled by up and down — warmer and cooler — arrows rather than an actual temperature setting. The small fridge could be filled with whatever complimentary drinks we wanted. The marble-lined bathroom had just one smallish sink but a large shower area with both a regular shower head and a rainforest-style shower. 

Rooms are cleaned and refreshed twice a day, and newspaper summaries (from the USA, Canada, Britain and other countries) are put on the bed each evening along with tomorrow’s schedule (the spacious library includes a daily, full edition of The New York Times). The large, high-resolution TV had… 

By John and Sandra Nowlan
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