Sneak peek at Seven Seas Grandeur, one of many world’s costliest cruise ships
TPG’s Ashley Kosciolek accepted a free journey from Regent Seven Seas Cruises to attend the revealing of Seven Seas Grandeur. The opinions expressed under are completely hers and weren’t topic to evaluation by the road.
What do you get if you combine excellent design with a great deal of marble and glimmering lights, mix it with free drinks, ideas, Wi-Fi and shore excursions, and, for good measure, toss in a collection that prices $11,000 per evening?
The result’s Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ brand-new Seven Seas Grandeur, which is without doubt one of the costliest cruise ships afloat. It value the cruise line greater than $517 million, together with $9 million for the artwork assortment, which contains a custom-designed Faberge egg.
Put in your finest costume or your best swimsuit or tux, and make an entrance at dinner by strolling down the atrium’s grand staircase. Join a cooking class on the onboard culinary kitchen, the place you will spend two hours sipping wine as a chef exhibits you the way to make a number of delectable dishes. Or take pleasure in night cocktails and reside piano music within the beautiful top-deck Remark Lounge.
In true Regent vogue, the road has managed to create a glamorous ambiance that can make any passenger really feel like they’re crucial individual on Earth. It does a wonderful job of catering to its goal market — mature adults who’re educated and nicely traveled — in an environment the place rest is vital and shipboard life is finest loved slowly.
Here is what I liked about this glowing new ship — and what I did not.
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5 issues I liked
The cabins
Discuss feeling spoiled. Though I did not have a butler on my crusing, my 332-square-foot Concierge Suite — which included a 132-square-foot balcony — was so nicely appointed it felt like the kind of cabin that will include a private attendant on different cruise strains.
Along with separate sleeping and lounging areas (which could be separated by a curtain), I had a walk-in closet and a marble lavatory that felt no less than twice the dimensions of loos on customary cruise ships.
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However do not be fooled: This sort of lodging is squarely within the center on Seven Seas Grandeur. There are six cabin classes under it and eight above, that means that lavish digs are just about customary if you sail on this ship.
I completely liked touches just like the closet’s sliding door, which glides into the wall as a substitute of awkwardly opening out into the room; the plentiful shops (each 110-volt North American and 220-volt European) and USB ports, with a lot close to the vainness and on each side of the mattress; and the trendy cabin controls, which permit passengers to vary the temperature and point out whether or not they want cabin service or want to be left undisturbed.
The design
The principle factor that units Seven Seas Grandeur other than its sister ships, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer, is its design. This latest ship within the Explorer Class was wholly put collectively by Studio Dado, the famend Miami-based design agency liable for solely sure elements of earlier vessels. It brightened up many public areas to make them really feel ethereal and spacious, reworked the choice eating places and ensured the areas circulate nicely into each other.
The atrium space sparkles with a sweeping staircase, marble flooring and an overhead chandelier designed to resemble a tangle of diamond tennis bracelets.
The Compass Rose restaurant, the ship’s foremost eating room, felt like what you’d get if architect and designer Antoni Gaudí had been born within the time of “The Jetsons.” The decor melds vivid whites with pops of grey and cranberry, and tables are set amongst crystal-inlaid pillars paying homage to timber. It is glitzy with out ever being cheesy. (Simply take a look at the Versace dinnerware on the tables.)
By no means in all my sailings have I seen such a grand MDR.
As for the opposite eateries, every has its personal tastefully lavish vibe. Whereas Italian restaurant Sette Mari at La Veranda stays pretty impartial as a part of the buffet space, the vessel’s different three specialty venues stand out in an enormous approach. Asian restaurant Pacific Rim on Deck 5 seems like an elite New York Metropolis supper membership with an Asian twist, full with darkish partitions and earth-toned furnishings. A panoramic sculpture of a tree, populated with lots of of pink glass cherry blossoms, greets passengers on the entrance.
The Prime 7 steakhouse and French restaurant Chartreuse are situated throughout from each other on Deck 10. Each entryways are bedecked in leather-based accents that steadiness masculine and female aesthetics. Prime 7’s entrance contains a brown leather-based patchwork with handles that make the items appear like suitcases or steamer trunks. Chartreuse’s entryway is outfitted with massive black leather-based 3D flowers designed by Chanel.
Inside, Prime 7 matches what it serves with vivid crimson chairs surrounded by brown tones. Chartreuse’s inside design can also be pretty literal, with blacks and grays punctuated by pops of chartreuse-colored glass and glittering overhead lighting fixtures in the identical hue.
Moreover, a rigorously curated artwork assortment of 1,600 items is unfold all through the ship, full with a digital tour that is provided through the Regent cell app. The gathering is anchored by a custom-designed Faberge egg that is displayed in a case on the middle of the visitor companies space.
It is clear that an immeasurable quantity of consideration was given to each design selection, from colours to art work to furnishings.
The Pool Grill
Once I sidled as much as the Pool Grill on the ultimate day of my crusing and ordered a burger, I used to be not anticipating it to be my favourite meal on the ship, nevertheless it was. Name it some of the nice surprises on my voyage.
Along with the truffle beef burger with caramelized onions and truffle aioli, I additionally requested for a facet of candy potato fries, an order of tomato bruschetta and a caprese panini, figuring I might attempt a bit of every. Happily for my abdomen, however sadly for my waistline, every was so phenomenal that I ate each chunk.
The standard of the poolside meals is price writing dwelling about as a result of it is nearly as good as or higher than the meals you’d discover in the primary eating rooms on most different cruise strains’ ships. Sure, the fare in Seven Seas Grandeur’s foremost eating room and various eating places can also be improbable, however you’d anticipate these meals to be standouts. But it is clear that the ship’s culinary group places effort into each meal on board, even essentially the most informal.
The quiet areas
As somebody who’s all the time searching for an opportunity to flee the frenetic tempo of life ashore, I can not stress sufficient how a lot I appreciated a few onboard quiet areas that afforded me a spot to learn that wasn’t my cabin.
I discovered the beautiful Remark Lounge on Deck 11 to be pretty quiet in the course of the daytime, particularly on port days. It was simple to snag a desk by one of many sweeping home windows so I might benefit from the view. The area additionally serves as a venue for each day trivia and a spot to catch reside piano music within the night.
Libraries are being phased out on most mainstream cruise ships, however I used to be happy to study that there is one on Deck 11 of Seven Seas Grandeur. It is a darkish, cozy area with wall-to-wall books, tables for perusing coffee-table titles, comfortable seating and even a few alcoves for individuals who must focus.
The Culinary Arts Kitchen
I am a agency believer that the true mark of one thing’s high quality is whether or not it is able to successful over a skeptic.
I despise cooking. Between searching for substances, prepping every thing, doing the precise cooking after which washing all of the dishes afterward, I discover it irritating, time-consuming and extra trouble than it is price.
Nonetheless, I attempted one in all Regent’s famed Culinary Arts Kitchen cooking lessons with one of many ship’s onboard cooks, and I had a blast. (I believe a part of the reason being as a result of every thing was prepped and ready for me after I obtained there, so all I needed to do was toss it in a pan after which eat it.)
The chef was pleasant and humorous, and she or he took the time to elucidate among the historical past and strategies behind every dish we cooked.
What I skilled was an abridged model that lasted solely an hour, throughout which era we made spaghetti in lemon sauce, adopted by crepes with blueberries and ice cream. Usually, the lessons — which begin at $89 per individual — final about two hours and have a number of dishes. Areas are restricted, so e book early.
3 issues I did not look after
The leisure
The present I noticed — “Marauder’s Ball,” the one one of many ship’s 4 manufacturing exhibits provided in the course of the christening voyage — featured pirates pillaging jewellery and different riches from the rich elite as they attended the launch of a brand new ship.
Total, it felt too busy with props like ropes and flags that distracted from the primary motion, and the present felt too lengthy for a way unfastened the plot was. Additional, it is unusual to me that the only present time every evening is 9:30 p.m., which is late, given that the majority exhibits run for a full hour.
All of that mentioned, the singers and dancers had been phenomenal, and it is clear Regent sunk loads of time, cash and creativity into the costumes and units. Nonetheless, the top consequence simply did not stack up in comparison with leisure on larger cruise ships.
The room service
You recognize a ship is nice when most of what you are placing underneath the “didn’t like” column is little stuff. That is the case right here.
Complimentary room service is simply one other perk of an upscale, inclusive cruise ship. Regent gives room service breakfast playing cards that you simply fill out and grasp exterior your door at evening for supply the next morning. On the second evening of the crusing, I hung my order — a cheese omelet with a facet of extra-crispy bacon and occasional — and went to mattress.
The following morning, somebody from the room service division referred to as to let me know my order was on the way in which and to apologize that it was coming quarter-hour early — one thing I did not thoughts in any respect.
My meals arrived, and the one who delivered it kindly set every thing up for me, together with a white tablecloth. The plating was nice, and I used to be so excited to dig in — till I minimize into my omelet and found it wasn’t the cheese omelet I had ordered, however a ham-and-cheese omelet. Since I do not eat ham, I referred to as room service to politely request a substitute.
I used to be impressed with how rapidly the substitute omelet arrived, however after I minimize into it, it was undercooked and inedible. When the egg ran out onto the plate, I gave up and went to the onboard cafe for an extremely stale bagel as a substitute.
Total, the service was great, however the in-cabin eating expertise wants a bit extra work.
Crowded public areas
Though a lot of the ship’s public areas appeared like they might be the right measurement in proportion to the dimensions of the vessel, I discovered {that a} couple had inadequate area.
On multiple event, I ventured to Espresso Connection, the onboard cafe, for a cuppa (attempt the gingerbread cappuccino), and each desk was full. The area is at capability for seating, so it is not potential so as to add extra. Nevertheless it’s clear the cafe is extra well-liked than its seating space can deal with.
The identical is true of the adjoining Meridian Lounge, which usually hosts cocktail hours and afternoon tea. The cocktail occasion I attended rapidly grew to become overcrowded with standing room solely. I attempted to take a look at afternoon tea, however I could not discover an out there desk, so I left. (That was disappointing, as I used to be advised afternoon tea was a spotlight.)
Backside line
Regent’s Seven Seas Grandeur is without doubt one of the most elegant and splendid ships afloat. Its design is outstanding, exuding an upscale air that is unmatched on some other vessel I’ve sailed. The cabins are attractive houses away from dwelling.
The ship’s slower tempo means you possibly can linger over a meal or a dialog by the pool and you will not really feel such as you’re lacking out on a signature exercise. That, blended with an abundance of calm, quiet areas and a scarcity of fear about your remaining invoice, means extra room for rest in your Seven Seas Grandeur trip.
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