Seven Ways To Sell The New Seven Seas Explorer

If ever a luxury cruise ship reflected one man, it’s Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ newest vessel, which was christened in Monte Carlo on July 13. The ship was largely inspired and developed by Frank Del Rio, now president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), Regent’s parent company.

For his part, Del Rio is quick to point out that the 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer is “the most luxurious ship ever built” based on cost per suite, space to passenger ratio and crew to passenger ratio. He had commissioned the ship even before his former company, Prestige Cruises, parent of both Regent and Oceania Cruises, was acquired by NCLH. Del Rio was named president and CEO of NCLH in January 2015 after the departure of the previous CEO, Kevin Sheehan. It’s probably safe to say that Seven Seas Explorer would have been a vastly different ship without Del Rio to oversee it.

Indeed, Del Rio’s influence over Seven Seas Explorer is quite evident in its design, art and cuisine, something he’s been known for in the construction of other vessels, such as Oceania Marina and Oceania Riviera, as well as the newly refurbished Oceania Sirena. Explorer, Regent’s first new ship in 13 years, has more in common with those vessels than the company’s other three ships—Seven Seas Voyager, Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Navigator. Here’s how cruisers can best enjoy Seven Seas Explorer, as well as how travel agents can better sell it to their clients:

1. Enjoy the ship’s intricate design and decor
Regent turned to three different design firms—Tillburg Design, ICRAVE and CallisonRTKL—to deliver the ship’s highly detailed décor. These companies, which were personally overseen by Del Rio himself, used extensive Carrera marble (45,876 square feet of it) in the main hallways, restaurants and lounges. Many of the public spaces also feature some of 158 chandeliers and lighting fixtures made of high-priced crystal or Murano glass onboard. One of the new signature restaurants, Pacific Rim, has a giant bronze prayer wheel at entrance.

Seven Seas Explorer features marble-floored public hallways and chandeliers throughout.

2. Experience the high profile art work on board
Most guests don’t go on a cruise to experience the art, but Seven Seas Explorer might be one of the first ships to feature art as a major attraction. Ninety percent of the art was personally selected by Del Rio himself, even though he admitted during a press conference that he didn’t always choose it based on his personal taste, hoping instead that it would appeal to wide range of guests.

There are works by Picasso, Chagall, Miro and other masters, along with top contemporary artists that makes Seven Seas Explorer a literal floating art gallery, with Regent executives vowing to publish an art catalog for the ship later this year, and put plaques identifying the artists for every piece.

The ship is lined with high-priced art, including Picasso works, and Murano glass lighting fixtures.

3. Get more gourmet dining choices
Del Rio claims to be a “foodie” and his influence over the cuisine onboard is clear. Instead of selecting a celebrity chef, Del Rio says the company decided just to pay its highly trained chefs more than any other crew member.

The ship’s main Compass Rose restaurant now has a redesigned menu that offers guests the option to combine items in almost any way they choose. The new Chartreuse classic French restaurant, which will be rolled out throughout the Regent fleet over the next year, was already proving to be a hit in the pre-inaugural cruise, as was the new Pacific Rim pan-Asian restaurant, another first for Regent. The ship also offers Prime 7, the signature steakhouse already available on other Regent ships. Finally, there’s La Veranda, the ship’s buffet featuring regional specialties that reflect the cuisines of the countries visited by the ship. In the evenings, La Veranda is transformed into Sette Mari, the ship’s Italian restaurant. Separately, Culinary Arts Kitchen, located on Deck 11, is a hands-on cooking school where guests can learn new culinary skills and eat what they cook.

French restaurant Chartreuse is helping boost the level of cuisine onboard the ship.

4. Stay in some of the largest suites at sea
Much has been written already about the showcase $10,000-per-night Regent Suite that features 4,443 square feet of space overlooking the bow on Deck 14. The suite is complete with a $150,000 bed in the master bedroom, an in-suite spa and a $250,000 Steinway piano. But the fact is that all 375 suites on Explorer are much more spacious than any previous Regent ship and many of Regent’s competitors. Suites also have some of the largest and deepest balconies at sea, with a full set of deck chairs, chairs and tables. That makes up for somewhat less sun deck space in the upper regions of the ship. Suites are designed with small details in mind, including larger bathrooms with both showers and tubs, large flat-screen TVs, and larger sitting areas.

5. Relax in one of the largest spas in the luxury segment
Canyon Ranch Spa Club has been a feature of the three existing Regent ships, as well as on all of sister line Oceania’s vessels. But on Seven Seas Explorer, Canyon Ranch had a major role in the design and development of the spa, so the result is a larger facility that seems much bigger than the offerings from many competitors.

In the spa, there are seven treatment rooms and two large fitness rooms. The ship also features an outdoor relaxation area in its stern, complete with an infinity pool and two hot tubs.

6. Enjoy new entertainment options in the main theater
Seven Seas Explorer’s two-tier 694-seat Constellation Theater offers four brand new production shows developed in partnership with NCLH. Each show appeals to a slightly different demographic and is much more elaborate than shows on its other vessels.

The four shows are Peggy Lee, an original show that pays tribute to the American jazz and popular music crooner; My Revolution, a dance production by Burn the Floor that takes the audience back to Beatles, other British rockers and more; Paradis, a Parisian-style burlesque-type show that blends dance, song and spectacular costumes; and A Day in Hollywood, based off the Tony Award-winning musical comedy, which tells stories from Hollywood’s golden age.

7. Get an almost entirely all-inclusive experience at sea
Regent has become known for offering one of the most completely inclusive products at sea. Access to all restaurants, even the specialty dining venues, is included in the cruise fare, as well as most of the shore excursions, something unheard of until Regent instituted the policy roughly five years ago. Regent even offers business class air fare as part of the price. That may mean the fare is a bit higher than some competitors, but Regent executives argue that when everything is included, their line still offers a better value. Better yet for travel agents, the all-inclusive nature of the product means higher commissions overall. And Regent’s high percentage of repeat customers (roughly 70%, according to the company) also would seem to indicate more satisfied clients.