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Regent Seven Seas Explorer: The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built?
Our cruise review of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Explorer
Itinerary: Miami, At Sea, At Sea, Bermuda, Bermuda, At Sea, At Sea, At Sea, At Sea, Horta (Azores), Ponta Delgada (Azores), At Sea, Funchal, At Sea, Lisbon (Disembark).
April 28, 2019 - It's a bold claim, for sure. Regent Seven Seas Cruises declares quite vehemently that Seven Seas Explorer is "The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built." But, is it? It's a claim we decided to put to the test during our 14-night transatlantic sailing from Miami to Lisbon.
The Ship
We embark on Deck 5, just above the grand staircase. One glance at this lobby and you immediately get a sense of style and elegance.
Visually, there is no question that Seven Seas Explorer's designers hit all the right marks when it comes to creating a luxurious environment. The ship is one of the most beautiful and tastefully decorated on which we have had the privilege to sail.
The public spaces are filled with beautiful works of art and clad in expensive marble, leather and coordinated fabrics. Function follows form throughout the ship, making it one of the easiest to find your way around. The Constellation Theater (Deck 4/5 forward) is spacious, has good sight lines and excellent acoustics
Constellation Theater
Deck 11 is the Lido Deck with a large pool flanked by two large hot tubs, the Pool Bar and the Pool Grill. Aft on 11 is La Veranda, the ship's Lido Buffet.
Deck 12 features the ship's jogging track, a very nice mini-golf course, a golf driving net, pickle ball court, Bocce court, and of course, shuffleboard.
Top quality wicker loungers surround the pool on Deck 11. Each is covered with terry cloth, and plush towels are provided.
Accommodations
A chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses have been placed in each suite to greet guests when they arrive.
Our Superior Suite was 332 sq. ft. with an additional 115 sq. ft. of balcony. The king-sized bed faces the balcony, and is one of the most comfortable beds you will find on a cruise ship. Each night stand has USB ports, electrical outlets and there is a clock on one of the nightstands.
Next to the bed is a long desk/dresser with a marble top. The desk has electrical outlets and is a comfortable workstation if you travel with a laptop. The desk becomes a vanity with a lighted makeup mirror (something that every cruise line should provide) and drawers to hold all of the potions and lotions that women require.
The bathroom is huge and is one of the nicest we have seen in a suite/stateroom this size on any ship. There is a full-sized bathtub with its own shower head and a separate shower stall,too. This makes it very easy for two people to shower at the same time.
The large vanity has two sinks and lots of storage in the form of shelves and drawers. Top-quality L'Occitane amenities are provided and replenished as needed. Large, plush towels are as nice as you will find in any five-star hotel. And, the toilet flush is very quiet for a cruise ship toilet.
The walk-in closet is not only large, but houses another dresser with tons of drawer storage. One of our favorite features of the closet are the hooks provided for hanging jackets, caps, pajamas, or whatever you desire.
The balcony is wide and deep with two padded lounge chairs that can recline to become mini-loungers.
The large wicker and glass table is perfect for al fresco dining. We enjoyed a beautiful room-service breakfast on the balcony on the morning we arrived in Bermuda.
The large flat-screen television is mounted in the sitting room, but is hinged so that it can swing into view of the bedroom. There is excellent programming with a variety of news channels, closed-circuit programming and movie channels. There is also a nice selection of movies on demand (complimentary).
The sitting room has a small sofa and glass coffee table on one end and the mini-fridge/bar, television and even more storage drawers at the opposite end of the room. The space can be segregated somewhat from the bedroom by pulling the curtain provided between the spaces.
It should be noted that our suite was whisper quiet throughout the entire 14-night cruise. We never heard our neighbors. As far as comfort goes, we would rate the Superior Suite a 5 out of 5. It is simply one of the very best stateroom/suites we have had the pleasure of occupying.
Food and Dining
Seven Seas Explorer offers guests a wide variety of dining options. La Veranda is the ship's lido buffet on Deck 11 aft. La Veranda is open for breakfast and lunch, offering a variety of choices. Seating is very elegant for a buffet with linen tablecloths, napkins and nice table settings. Waiters are on hand for drink orders and a selection of complimentary wines is offered at lunch.
One of our favorite features of La Veranda is the endless supply of fresh boiled shrimp each day. And, the spicy cocktail sauce is quite good.
The Pool Grill is located just forward of La Veranda on Deck 11. A smaller buffet is offered here and is the perfect lunch spot for those lounging poolside. On the port side, there is a covered dining space with great ocean views and table service. The Pool Grill menu offers a choice of sandwiches, hot dogs, panini, and burgers.
The burgers served at the Pool Grill are quite good, as are the French fries (when served hot). We were served cold fries a couple of times and had to ask the waiter to bring a fresh batch, which they always were happy to do.
Cheeseburger and Fries at the Pool Grill
Our only disappointment at the Pool Grill was with the pizza. It sort of tasted like a frozen pizza and was not up to the standard of Regent's other food offerings.
Pizza at Pool Grill
Extensive Room Service Breakfast Menu
Room Service was excellent on our sailing. We had breakfast in our suite three different times and, each time, the food arrived on time and warm. A Room Service breakfast menu is placed on the bed each evening. The menu is extensive. Just fill out the menu before going to bed, hang it outside on your doorknob, and the food arrives the next morning at the requested time.
Eggs Benedict
When the food arrives, the server prepares the coffee table (or balcony table, if you choose to dine al fresco) with a linen tablecloth, napkins and every other amenity you would expect if you were dining in Compass Rose. It is five-star room service, for sure. Our Eggs Benedict arrived warm, with perfectly poached eggs and topped with delicious Hollandaise.
The 24-hour room service menu is quite extensive and, during dinner hours, you can order from the Compass Rose menu.
Compass Rose is the ship's main restaurant (Deck 4 midship).
Compass Rose
Compass Rose is open for breakfast and dinner each day. This the place to come if you want full service with a menu that changes each evening. Compass Rose has the most elegant charger plates and table settings we have seen to date.
Compass Rose also has the largest "always available" menu selection we have ever seen on a cruise ship. The entire left side of the menu (and, it is a very large menu) lists items that are always available.
Lobster Bisque at Compass Rose
Prime 7 (Deck 10 aft) is Regent's steak house and it quickly became one of our favorites on board Seven Seas Explorer. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and reservations are required for dinner. There is also a small bar at Prime 7 where you can enjoy a cocktail while waiting for your table.
Prime 7 is deceptively large. If you arrive early for lunch, you should be able to find a nice table for two with an ocean view. Rickee enjoyed the BBQ pulled pork sliders on more than one occasion.
BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
The best part of lunch at Prime 7 is the dessert carousel containing six different delicious treats that are the perfect size for two to share.
Dessert Carousel at Prime 7
Dinner at Prime 7 is very elegant and service is top notch. The menu features many prime beef offerings, but there are other options for those who enjoy seafood. Rickee's Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious, as was my Rib Eye.
Chartreuse is the ship's French-themed restaurant, also located on Deck 10 aft (port side). Like Prime 7, Chartreuse is open for lunch and dinner each day. We had lunch and dinner here only once. The restaurant is beautiful, however, we felt like the service was slower here than any of the other restaurants.
French Onion Soup at Chartreuse
Lamb Chops
Our dinner here was somewhat disappointing. My lamb chops were well seasoned, but very tough. And again, service was slow. In their defense, the restaurant was full. But, Prime 7 was full when we dined there, and service was crisp.
Beautiful bread basket at Sette Mari
In the evenings, the port side of La Veranda becomes Sette Mari, an Italian-themed bistro. Sette Mari is sort of a hybrid between a buffet and table service restaurant, which is a little confusing at first. The menu is quite large, and changes every couple of days.
Soups and main courses are ordered from the menu while salads, antipasti and desserts are self-serve from the buffet area. However, several antipasti selections are also placed on the table by the waiter.
Bruschetta selections are brought to the table
Sette Mari quickly became another one of our favorite 'go-to' restaurants because reservations are not required here. The service was excellent from our three-time waiter, Armando. And, you can watch your meal being prepared in the open kitchen there.
Open Kitchen at Sette Mari
One of my personal favorite dining venues is Pacific Rim, the Asian-fusion restaurant on Deck 5 aft which is only open for dinner.
The menu here offers a variety of Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese-inpsired dishes. The Peking Duck Salad was one of our favorites.
Peking Duck Salad
Shu Mei dumplings
The atmosphere, service and food at Pacific Rim were among the best we found on Seven Seas Explorer. All restaurants on board are complimentary and complimentary wine is offered at lunch and dinner. The complimentary wine selection was as good as any we have found on any luxury ship, and better than most. Overall, food quality was very good and service was what you would expect from a five-star cruise line.
Entertainment
We were extremely pleased with the quality and variety of entertainment on board Seven Seas Explorer. The production shows (3 on our cruise) were as good as we have seen on any ship, of any size. We counted twelve singers and dancers, which is unheard of on a ship this size.
Seven Seas Explorer Production Cast
The vocalists were extremely talented, as were the dancers. Costumes, and lighting were also very well done. The Constellation Theater adds to the experience with excellent acoustics, a great sound system and good sight lines.
Janneke displays her amazing vocals
In addition to excellent production shows, the guest entertainers were the best we have ever seen on any cruise ship. (Remember, we have been on more than 135 cruises, so when we say they were that good, it should not be taken lightly). Jenene Caramiello was quite simply one of the best female vocalists we have ever seen in person.
Janene Caramiello
Juliette Primrose
We were equally impressed with violinist, Juliette Primrose. Between 2003 and 2011, Ms. Primrose toured the globe as lead fiddle-player for Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance.
There were other excellent entertainers throughout the cruise that we missed due to late dining. However, we heard nothing but praise from other guests for these acts, which included, among others, a magician, a comedian, a classical pianist, and vocalists. Veteran Cruise Director, Lorraine Weimerskirch, knows how to entertain guests and is quite a performer herself.
Cruise Director, Lorraine Weimerskirch
Rickee, knocking down bowling pins
Throughout our many cruises, there are only a handful of cruise directors that we remember and are anxious to meet again. Lorraine is now a member of that small group. On transatlantic cruises, Regent often puts on a County Fair on one of the sea days. Typically, the County Fair is held on the pool deck, but with the cool and windy weather we had, the activities were moved into the main lobby. Each department comes up with their own game for guests to play and raffle tickets are handed out for points scored. Nice prizes are raffled off at the end of the fair to those holding the winning tickets.
Everyone had a great time at the County Fair, and it is something unique to a Regent cruise. At one point, a huge group of guests broke into a Mama Mia flash mob.
Mama Mia Flash Mob at County Fair
There were also a whole host of games and other activities offered throughout the cruise. Team Trivia was held each afternoon and was so popular it had to be held in the Constellation Theater on sea days to accommodate everyone. Guests can earn Regent Reward points for playing trivia, or completing the daily Mensa Quiz, or with other activities around the ship.
Regent Rewards
The Regent Rewards can be redeemed on the last day of the cruise for some very nice logo items.
Some of the Regent Reward logo items
Another very popular activity is the Culinary Arts Kitchen (Deck 11 forward). This full-blown training kitchen allows guests to learn various cooking techniques and knife skills from a professional chef. Each guest has a cooking station with two induction cooktops, cookware, tools, knives, cutting boards, aprons and towels.
The chef introduces each course to be prepared and demonstrates the technique before students return to their stations to replicate what the chef has shown. In my class, we created a delicious roasted vegetable bruschetta, seared scallops, and a grilled flank steak.
Chef Celms demonstrates techniques for the class
The Culinary Arts Kitchen is one of the best activities I have enjoyed on any cruise. It is well worth the $89 per person fee. The classes fill up quickly, with many guests taking several during the cruise. The best part of the class is, at the end, you get to eat what you have prepared!
My grilled flank steak
If staying in shape is important to you, you are in luck. An outdoor jogging/walking track on Deck 12 is the perfect place for a few laps around the ship while enjoying a view of the ocean. A fully-equipped fitness center offers every conceivable cardio machine as well as TehnoGym weight machines.
TechnoGym weight machines
The Canyon Ranch Spa offers a wide variety of massages as well as full salon services, just in case your hair and nails require some attention. The Casino on Deck 4 midship has a variety of table games including Blackjack and Roulette and quite a few "one-arm bandits." You can also see a magic act here. Right before your eyes, the slot machines can turn a $20 bill into a 15-cent voucher!
And, of course, sea days were filled with a host of other activities, too many to list here. Enrichment lectures, an Iron Chef-style cooking competition, and Bingo are just a few of the many things going on around the ship.
Shore Excursions
Perhaps the greatest value of a Regent Seven Seas cruise is the unlimited free shore excursions. Of course, they are not really free (since you pay for them as part of your cruise), but they are included in the cruise fare, which is rather unique in the luxury cruise market. However, because the excursions are free, they can fill up very quickly. When we tried to pre-book excursions through the website more than 30 days in advance, many excursions were already fully booked and unavailable. Lesson learned: book your cruise well in advance, and book your excursions as soon as you receive your confirmation.
When you pre-book your excursions online, your excursion tickets will be waiting for you in your suite upon embarkation. If you wish to change an excursion to a different choice, you can request a change up to 48 hours before the date of the excursion. You can also request to be placed on a waiting list if an any spots open up on a fully-booked excursion in which you are interested. We found the folks at the Destination Services desk to be very nice and helpful, even though our one request to change an excursion did not materialize. If you wish to explore a port on your own, Regent often provides a complimentary shuttle service from the port into town. This is a very nice service, and a great benefit.
There were not many ports on our 14-day transatlantic sailing so we only ended up taking two excursions. Both excursions were very well managed, and they could easily cost $100 per person or more on any other cruise line. On a port-intensive sailing, the complimentary excursions would become a huge value proposition that any luxury cruise enthusiast should take into consideration.
Bars and Lounges
There are several bars/lounges on Seven Seas Explorer. The Pool Bar is obviously located on the Pool Deck, 11 midship. Explorer's Lounge (our second favorite) is on Deck 4 midship, just outside of Compass Rose. Meridian Lounge is on Deck 5 midship. Our favorite lounge was Observation Lounge on Deck 11 forward. There are also small bars at Prime 7 and Chartreuse. Cocktails are served in the Constellation Theater before shows. You could also get a drink at The Cafe on Deck 5 and in the Connoisseur Club on Deck 11.
Regardless of where you choose to quench your thirst, bar service is excellent and bartenders are generous with their pours. We frequented Observation Lounge enough that, by the third visit, our waiter knew my drink preference. All cocktails, beer and wine (except for some premium wines), bottled water and soft drinks are complimentary. At 6:00pm each evening in the bars and lounges, trays of canapés are offered.
The Coffee Connection on Deck 5 midship is a popular place to meet for a Cappuccino or Double Latte. A Barista is on hand starting at 6:30am to prepare your favorite coffee drink. In the mornings, an extensive continental breakfast buffet is available here including cold cuts, pastries, donuts, cookies, fruit, cereal and yogurt. There is also an automated coffee machine available which is available around the clock.
Summary
In order to be accurate in my assessment of the 'luxuriousness' of Seven Seas Explorer, I thought it appropriate to Google the definition of 'luxury', and here's what I found:
“A condition of abundance or great ease and comfort; sumptuous environment lived in luxury; something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary; an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease”
In trying to determine whether or not Seven Seas Explorer is, in fact, 'The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built', why not rely on Merriam Webster to make the call? Our experience on the ship was such that every word in italics in the definition above applies to Seven Seas Explorer. She could, indeed, be the most luxurious ship ever built.
Big City. Small Ship...
Big City. Small Ship. Lots of Public Television. Cruising on Regent Seven Seas Navigator.
By John and Sandra Nowlan
It’s hard to dislike New York City. The Big Apple, in spite of its crowds and controlled chaos, is especially appealing as the starting and ending city for a ten day cruise on one of the few ultra-luxury, all-inclusive lines. And when the cruise line is Regent Seven Seas with its “Spotlight on Public Broadcasting” theme, you know the level of service, cuisine, entertainment and information will be difficult to match.
Also hard to match was our pre-cruise hotel choice. The Four Seasons on East 57th Street was designed by IM Pei and is close to Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and Times Square. The rooms are very large by New York standards and the well-trained staff has a ‘can-do’ attitude, even extending to a wide choice of slipper sizes and complimentary additional toiletries if needed – combs, razors, toothbrushes.
A friendly greeting at Four Seasons Hotel, New York
Our dinner choice was also ideal. Del Frisco’s Grille at nearby Rockefeller Center has a comfortable ambience (leather chairs), an excellent wait staff and an imaginative menu. We enjoyed Cheese Steak Egg Rolls, Ahi Tacos, Prime Short Rib Stroganoff and the Catch of the Day – Fresh Halibut.
Del Frisco's Ahi Tuna Appetizer
Boarding the 500 passenger Seven Seas Navigator at the Manhattan Cruise Port was, as expected, fairly quick and very well organized. Launched in 1999, the ship does show some signs of wear but has aged quite well. At noon our rooms weren’t yet ready so, after a welcoming glass of champagne, we enjoyed an excellent light lunch by the pool and explored the ship. Particularly impressive were the well stocked library, the card room (already busy with bridge keeners), several comfortable lounges with well stocked bars (all wine, beer and spirits are complimentary) and the large main theatre. The tiered seating had the best sight lines we’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. We went to a show most evenings and were dazzled by the 12 member ensemble of singers and dancers. All talented pros. The accompanying Regent orchestra was small – just five members with a piano, drums, two guitars and an overworked saxophone player. An extra brass or woodwind instrument would have been welcome.
Seven Seas Navigator
Our recently refurbished suite, like all basic rooms, was a very generous 300 square feet plus a balcony. There’s a curtain divider between the bed and the sitting area. The king size bed (excellent reading lights) had a black cushioned headboard and there was an amazing amount of storage space including a very welcome walk in closet. The marble bathroom included both a bathtub and a separate shower. The large screen TV had a wide variety of American and British channels plus movie and information channels. But no CNN.
On a ship of this size, we didn’t expect an extensive menu in the main dining room. We were wrong. The Compass Rose on Deck 5 (anytime dining) has large, ocean view windows and, as we were told by the Food and Beverage Manager, a menu identical to Regent’s larger ships. It was impressive with an “always” menu on the left hand side (including shrimp, steak and foie gras) and daily selections on the right. Unlike many cruise ships, the Executive Chef visits fish markets in some ports and brings aboard fresh fish for the dining venues. Very impressive.
Crab Salad Appetizer Compass Rose
La Veranda, the buffet restaurant on Deck 10 turns into an excellent Italian restaurant in the evening and the Poolside Grill always had a wide selection of salads, burgers, hot dogs and fish burgers. The only “Reservation Required” restaurant (no extra cost) was the 70 seat Prime 7 on Deck 10. Great beef cuts, lobster and fresh fish highlighted the creative menu.
The quality cuisine matched the outstanding theme of this cruise – Spotlight on Public Broadcasting. Since 2004, an organization called Artful Travelers has partnered with Regent and PBS/NPR outlets in the US to bring top journalists, filmmakers and producers aboard Regent ships to discuss public radio and television and show examples of their craft. The Artful Travelers President, Kevin Corcoran, told us that famed broadcaster Jim Lehrer was the first PBS guest speaker 14 years ago and now, 30 cruises later, the concept is working better than ever.
Kevin Corcoran, President of Artful Travelers
On our cruise we were fortunate to meet and enjoy presentations by Sam Paul (“Live from the Met”, “Bernstein in Berlin”), Justin Weinstein (“Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey” and “An Honest Liar”, about James ‘The Amazing’ Randi), Alison Chernick (“ITZHAK”, a profile of violinist Itzhak Perlman) and Hari Sreenivasan, the host of PBS Newshour Weekend. All guests were invited to share a dinner table in Compass Rose with these broadcast personalities.
With Sam Paul’s connection to Leonard Bernstein, America’s first classical music superstar, he was able to help arrange a tour in Boston of the travelling exhibit, “Leonard Bernstein at 100”. Commemorating the 100th birthday (in August) of the famed composer, conductor and social activist, the remarkable display with many personal artifacts covers the broad spectrum of Bernstein’s remarkable career.
Bernstein’s piano. Part of Leonard Bernstein at 100 exhibit in Boston.
On the same day, we visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, overlooking Boston and Dorchester Bay. It offers a retrospective of the president’s Massachusetts heritage, spectacular rise to prominence and untimely death in Dallas.
Kennedy Library and Museum Boston
Unlike most cruise lines, the majority of tours on Regent are complimentary and we were given many choices at each port. In Newport, Rhode Island, we joined a walking tour of this colonbial New England town. We admired its strict rules about preserving historic buildings.
Walking tour of historic Newport RI
Because of bad weather we couldn’t stop in Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a bit surreal the next day as Navigator visited our home port of Halifax. But, even in the rain, fellow guests loved it. We played tourist and joined a Duck Boat tour (the Harbour Hopper) since we’d always seen it around town but never experienced the fun of a land and water tour. We learned several new facts about the Nova Scotia capital.
Harbour Hopper Duckboat
Our final stop (before a return to New York) was Bermuda on a “Bermudaful Day” as the locals like to call it. It was a delight seeing all the white roofed houses of St. George’s Parish as well as the many beaches and historic buildings of this British colony. Most exciting was a tour of the Crystal Caves, natural limestone caverns discovered over a century ago by boys searching for their cricket ball. Excellent lighting and walkways over the underground pools made for a memorable, if spooky, attraction.
Inside Bermuda's Crystal Caves
Back on board we arrived just in time for an excellent dinner and the Krew Kapers, a talent show by members of the crew. We’ve seen crew shows on other ships but this one was very special, including sophisticated technical effects. “The Incinerator Man” (his job is to feed the ship’s incinerator) was a marvelous crooner. One of the modest and polite wait staff named Ola changed her personality entirely with a scintillating belly dance. We did a double take.
Lively Crew Show
Back in New York, disembarkation was smooth and effortless. It made us appreciate even more the value of an all-inclusive cruise with a staff dedicated to our comfort and pleasure.