SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER, the most luxurious ship of the
world? BlingBling and Picasso included ...
by Earl of
Cruise
As the mass market, or in a more smothening wording -
volume market, is filled with seeming "uncountable" 2,000 (small!),
3,000, 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 or 7,000 passenger vessels, there is no other
choice than escaping into the luxury market.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES brandnew SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN SEAS
CRUISES
For smaller companies it is the only way to live in
the niche of the 5star market. As they can´t compete with the megalodons of the
cruise industry. And the former elitarian cruise turned into an industry for
the masses - "democratization of cruises". Some of those big business companies have some
"gem stones" in their portefolio, CARNIVAL - SEABOURN, TUI - HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES, ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES - AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES, GENTING - CRYSTAL
and APOLLO - REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, but APOLLO owns too OCEANIA and NCL. A
special cruise offer in the luxury category is SEACLOUD CRUISES, owned by a
German fonds emission house.
The "singles" in the luxury cruise are
SLIVERSEA - owned by the families Vlassov and Lefévre, SCENIC, PAUL GAUGIN CRUISES - a part of the Polynesian Beachcomber hotels, SEA DREAM YACHT CLUB -
owned by Atle Brynestad, PONANT - owned by a French family fonds, I guess I
have forgotten none.
What is the standard for being 5star, or as it is named
in the USA 6star? For us European, there is no 6star. Claimed or named as such
or not. Each company claims on its own his standard and stars. A big confusion
for the customers, named as guests in the luxury business. It is, when used
visiting markets, the one crying the loudest and weirdest, is getting the most
attention. There is no international organisation which is checking the
international hospitality industry and the cruise ships in special. So we have
only "self claimed" announcements about from the lines, or printed in
cruise test books, as FROMMER´s, FRODO´s, BERLITZ, KREUZFAHRT GUIDE to name a
few. And then there are travellers and their blogs or columns in several print
magazines and newspapers. Each with an own starting point for luxury.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES Veranda Suite on SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN
SEAS CRUISES
Luxury is per definionem what someone does not need
... it is too opulence, outstanding but not vulgar. The modern, now ancient
definition of luxury, started in 17/18th century in France at the court of
Louis XIV. But today real luxury is still for the few, who can afford and it is
not for masses. The so called democratisation of luxury has created two kinds
of luxury - that with and without luster.
For me personally, a luxury cruise ship shouldn´t have
more than 400 or max 500 passengers on board and crew passenger ratio of min
1:1. And space, space and space. No blingbling, neon, squeeking loudspeakers, plastic,
prefabricated food and crews running around as if in an ant hill. With that a
ship for the max 500 guests on board must be big.
For me, all luxury offers, with more than 500 guests on
board and less than 1:1 crew (service!), are more or less a top offer, yes, but
in the mass market!
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES Observation Lounge on SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN
SEAS CRUISES
The SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER is gathering crowds in the ports,
thanks to her marketing and the claimed luxury. As I have read, even Russian
Billionaires are watching the ship entering the port of Monaco. And after
embarking at Quai Rainier III. the light flashes from smartphones and kameras drowned
the sunlight - why photographing with a flash when the sun is shining bright is
a miracle to me.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES Deckplan of SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN
SEAS CRUISES
The SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER has 224,1 meters in length, 31,1
meter width and 7,1 meter draught. Passenger capacity 750 in 375
suites with 552 crew (1,36 pax to 1 crew), and 10 decks. REGENT SEVEN SEAS
CRUISES payed € 412 million for its new "most luxurious ship of the world".
The top suite has 412,7m² or 4.443ft².
The Veranda Suite, as the "starter" has 20 m2 or 219 ft2
and a balkony of 8 m2 or 88 ft2 - not really a
suite, as a suite has to have min two rooms with a door ... therefore a
stateroom. But 20m²? The EUROPA of HAPAG-LLOYD is starting at 27m² and a
balkony. But on SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER the walk in wardrobe is a real walk-in wardrobe.
The starting price is US$ 7,200 per
person for a week in the Mediterranean in the Veranda Suite. But when you
consider it is All-Inclusive from the business-class flights to and from Europe,
spacious stateroom, all excursions, dining and drinks it provides incredible
value, according to Del Rio. Not only according to him. I would say it is a
good offer for an upscaled cruise.
And compared to a yacht, even a
Russian billionaires one, this stateroom is bigger than most of the cabins on
these yachts. And even the master suites are sometimes smaller than the
Explorer Suite.
But the same stateroom is offered in
the Caribbean for US$ 4,300 ... okay there is no trans Atlantic flight needed,
but still a flight.
This looks to me like a bargain. And
here we have it. The Caribbean cruise is original and covering cost? Or the
Mediterranean cruise is overpriced.
And REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES does often give
bargins on its sailings.
To me bargains are downgrasing the product.
But seeing in the promo video the "standard
alcoholic beverage" for the guests on board "the most
luxurious ship ever built" ... I am expecting the beverage above
the "normal everywhere drinks" ... The Med is definitely overpriced.
All the staterooms and
suites have balkonies. The colour scheme is a loungy brown-beige in the cabins
and suites. While claime to have a walk-in wardrobe, here you can. Which is a
good thing. But those who expect an espresso machine - none. The Bath is made
with marble, two wash tubs, a roomy shower, seperate bathtub ... only a steward/ess
is missing handing the towel, isn´t included.
In the Explorer Suite, a bed is installed that
would have cost US $ 150,000, and was provided with a horse hair (Rosshaar)
mattress for an additional $ 90,000. I guess there are enough horses around,
REGENT has not to breed extra horses for. But what if a guest is allergic to
animal hair? It is exchanged.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES Explorer Suite of SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN
SEAS CRUISES
The crew is available 24h a
day - 1 crew member per 1,36 guests in total. And there are duties, not direct
related to passengers - the technical and nautical department on board. This is
reducing the number of the "serving saints" by aproximately 90 crew
members. The reality is 1crew member (steward/ess) for 1,63 guest on board,
when all beds are occupied.
If you need desperately a
snack inbetween the time you are in the restaurants, Entrecôte with
delicious Pasta? ... no problem ... on the veranda? ... si
heureux, immédiatement ... Passengers normally die of starvation
on board.
And indeed, when you watch
careful, and the steward is obviously out of your sight, he hurries up.
Otherwise, their moves are toned and adequate for a luxury service.
While the dress code is
"casual elegant". And thankfully, you won´t see guests in bermuda
shorts or sweat pants walking and odd t-shirts walking around or entering the
ding room. Ladies are wearing for diner "le petit moir" and the
gentlemen jackets or suit jackets. Okay the first or second button of a shirt or
polo shirt is open. The dress and fashion misshaps are reduced to a minimum.
Several bars will offer the
guests an Aperitif. Canapees with Fois-Gras, caviar and shrimps will be served
at a good live-jazz-cocktail. No peanuts. Champagne is served freely. Get the
purchasers for REGENT a red carpet entrance at the Chateau´s?
Six restaurants are offered
for dining. Three of those are exceptinel.
REGENT
SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, Restaurant Chartreuse on
SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Jérôme Toumelin, a scholar of Alain-Ducasse, is
cooking in the Chartreuse, strict French! Wonderful, but not with the charisma
for a Michelin rating. Instead of Amuses Bouches, the Entré is served
immediately ... looks like bean counting.
In the Prime 7 ground premiumsteaks made from the
japanese Wagyu till Dry-aged-classics on your plate and surprise your palate.
Also, very straight American Surf&Turf. While dining here you should look
at the walls - Picassos and Chagall are greeting, originals. Trust is luxury
too, they are not especially secured. It one is missing, all of a sudden, I
guess, the luggae will be checked discrete.
REGENT
SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, Restaurant Pacific Rim on
SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
The Pacific Rim is enlighted with darkeing lamps.
Which is a nice contrast. But why there has been installed - press relese - US$
500,000, 2,7t - Tibetan Prayer Mill makes me wonder at all.
Inside are served Asian delicacies, such as Sashimi, Dim
Sum and Pink Tiger Prawns. The service is excellent and the waiters seem to
smell the whims and wishes of their guests. Here you feel as in Shangri-Lah.
REGENT
SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, Restaurant Pacific Rim, the Tibetian Prayer Mill on
SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
REGENT
SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, Restaurant Compass Rose on
SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER - courtesy REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
You want to learn cocking like a chef? No problem, for
an extra cash of US$ 89,00, you book a course at the Culinary Art Kitchen.
After, you may desert the fabulous cuisine on board and cock in your cabin ...
if you could.
As well not include is the SPA on board SEAVEN SEAS
EXPLORER. It is a CANYON RANCH SPA, which you may know from other exclusive, or
that sxclusive companies, and their boats. Therefore you may know the prices to
pay for a treatment. But here a Midas was designing. At bit over the top -
golden. The area is spacious and offers at the stern an infinity pool. It seem
to become a must on every ship to have minimum one of these, yes dramatic and
great, pools.
The two story Constellation
theatre looks like an homage to the famous show palaces of the world. The guest
has space and neat side table for drinks, and strech his legs. But the shows
are good but less perfect than you may know from the mass market ships.
Space is offerd too in the
touchy ancient library, with it floor to cieling windows. Earcup armchairs
offer a tranquille reverie, with an included Cognac, if this vessel, the REGENT
SEVEN SEAS CRUISES, SEVEN SEAS EXPORER, really is the "most
luxurious ship of the world" or not.
The eye is not really offend, over all, except, my
tate, the SPA and the lobby - here we have the BlingBling. Mahagony, Murano
glass, artworks, efficient service, over all excellent food, spacious public
rooms, but smaller than expected cabins (sold as suites), but spacious real
suites, the SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER is a good offer. But not the top of the luxury.
Therefore are to many people on board. Even if you find nearly everywhere a
place for yourself.
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