Travel
Cruising With Regent Seven Seas
In the days of the Titanic and Queen Mary, cruising was reserved for the rich and sometimes famous. As the industry expanded, it began to reach out beyond the elite class to a wide range of travelers of average means. The television show “Love Boat” allowed people to see what cruising might be like from the comfort of their living rooms. While many new cruise lines appeared to cater to this new demand, there has always been a select few lines that continued to attract high-end clientele who expect the best in comfort and service. Some of these lines have come and gone over the years, such as Royal Viking. Others have arrived to replace them, and one of the current stars is Regent Seven Seas.
Formerly known as Radisson Seven Seas, Regent is now one of the consistently top-rated cruise lines in the world. Featuring four ships in the 330-700 passenger range, Regent sails to many of the world’s favorite ports of call. My experience aboard the Voyager began in Rome and traveled west through the Mediterranean.
The Voyager belongs to a rare class of ships that offer all suites with private balconies. The suite sizes range from 356 sq.ft. up to 1,403 sq.ft. and provide many amenities including: separate living and sleeping area (with larger suites having separate bedrooms); large bathrooms with full bathtub and shower and marble vanity area; European king bed which can be reconfigured as twin beds; interactive flat screen TV and media center; and walk-in closets with personal safe. The more expensive suites also include butler service.
The service aboard Voyager was impeccable and the dining experience was unsurpassed in my personal experience. Boasting one of the highest crew/passenger ratios in the industry, the staff is highly trained and pays attention to all the details. From the cabin stewards to the dining room attendants, everyone was friendly and supremely accommodating to the needs of every passenger.
There are four main restaurants that offer a diversity of culinary cuisines from around the world. When you dine and with whom is your choice as there are no assigned seatings or table numbers. The Compass Rose is the main restaurant, serving traditional continental cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner in an elegant setting. It features beautiful ocean views from every table. Signatures Restaurant offers legendary French cuisine inspired by Le Cordon Bleu of Paris. Latitudes is where you will find authentic Indochine specialties in an exquisitely intimate and cozy atmosphere. La Veranda presents elaborate breakfast and lunch buffets in a casual, informal setting on the upper deck. In all the venues, select wines are paired with each menu item, and special vintages are available from the well-stocked cellars as well.
The ship has a revolutionary propulsion system known as the Dolphin Pod designed by STN Atlas and John Crane-Lips. It consists of electrically-powered, steerable propeller drives located beneath the stern. The electric motors are powered by onboard diesel engine generators. The beauty of this system is that it is amazingly quiet and affords maximum maneuverability as the drives can be rotated 360 degrees during docking. You experience none of the grinding and vibration that is so common among other ships that use side thrusters while entering and leaving port.
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