Regent Seven Seas Voyager anchored off Visby, Sweden
The 700-passenger, all-suite, all-balcony Voyager, along with sister Mariner, is luxurious and spacious, offering multiple elegantly designed lounges, restaurants and suites in rich fabrics and warm colors. Every stateroom is a well-appointed mini palace boasting a balcony and some 445 gracious European and international crew dote on guests, leaving nothing to chance.
Public rooms include a glamorous two-deck theater for Vegas-style production shows, a disco, casino and an atmospheric Observation Lounge set high up on the top deck. Enjoy 180-degree sea views from the curved bar and plush seating. You’ll also find a well-stocked library, a clubby cigar lounge, a card room, Internet center, gym and Canyon Ranch spa offering a host of rejuvenating treatments. Stroll to the spacious Deck 11 and take a dip in the pool or one of three hot tubs, or just chill out on a deck chair and revel in the beautiful surroundings both onboard and off. For a bit of outdoor exercise, avail of the paddle-tennis court, golf driving nets, shuffleboard courts, and jogging track.
Dining On Seven Seas Voyager
At mealtime, take your pick of chic four restaurants, including a single, open-seating main dining room, plus an indoor/outdoor casual restaurant. For dinner only, choose between two intimate reservations-only (but no-charge) restaurants, one serving exquisite French and the other steak and seafood. If you don’t want to stroll too far from your chaise lounge, dine on grilled food served poolside.
Spacious suites on Seven Seas Voyager
Staterooms & Suites On Seven Seas Voyager
When retiring to your cabin, chances are it will be a dreamy Deluxe Suite, a 306-square-foot above with a 50-square-foot balcony, that comprises the bulk of the ship’s accommodations. Lovely marble bathrooms are even better than on Mariner, and also boast separate showers and bathtub.
The top suites include the forward-facing, 1,204-square-foot Master Suites and the 359-square-foot Horizon Suites, which have great views of the ship’s wake.
All staterooms have king-size beds convertible to twins, bathrobes and slippers, flatscreen TV with DVD player, stocked mini-fridge and a large walk-in closet. Balconies aren’t perfectly private though, as the walls separating them do not extend all the way to the edge of the ship’s rail. The Penthouses on up to Master Suites all include butler service — but of course.
Room With A View: Looking Out At Visby, Sweden
Highlights From Avid Cruiser’s Seven Seas Voyager Cruise
Regent’s all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager boasts an extremely roomy space ratio: 66. Ships with high space ratios, I find, can appear empty, even when sailing full. You can walk down a hallway and not run into anyone. If you’re one who appreciates your personal space, you’ll feel comfortable on a ship with a high space ratio.
Staterooms too (or actually they’re called suites on the 700-passenger all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager) were large. The smallest on Seven Seas Voyager (category H) measures a generous 356 square feet with the balcony. All staterooms feature large and beautiful bathrooms with separate tubs and showers.
The Suite Life
I inserted my key to enter Penthouse Suite 1049, a category A stateroom measuring 370 square feet. Regent recently spent $20 million in vessel refurbishments that brought big enhancements to the staterooms and public areas of the four-year-old Seven Seas Voyager(as well as sister Seven Seas Mariner and the 490-guest Seven Seas Navigator). Those ships feature wireless service for laptop computers and faster Internet connectivity overall, cell phone service, and iPods with Bose speakers in Butler suites.
Suites come with butler service.
Other enhanced amenities include bed linens, duvets, cashmere throws and bathrobes from the luxury brand Anichini; new towels and slippers; and new Regent-brand bathroom amenities. Master and Grand Suites aboard the three ships now also feature personal Nespresso coffee machines, while each of the three ships’ Club.com computer lounges also have state-of-the-art espresso bars.
Penthouse-category suites come with a butler. I wasn’t sure what to do with mine, so I asked. I learned that I could use my butler to make dining reservations at the extremely popular alternative restaurants, Signatures and Latitudes. My butler suggested that I make reservations within the first day or two of boarding. Be sure to heed the advice if you’d like to dine in either or both of these fine restaurants.
I also used my butler to choose my preferred canapés each day from a variety of options. Butlers, according to Ved Sharma, head butler on Seven Seas Voyager, are there to make your life easier. They can do everything from help you with your high-tech equipment — digital cameras, iPods and so on — to making tender reservations for going ashore.
“You can never define the role of a butler,” Sharma says. “It is so elaborate. Probably the most handy thing a butler can do is help you host a cocktail party in your suite.”
Sharma’s most unusual request: the guest who wanted a suckling pig served in his suite. The wish was fulfilled. Sometimes, however, butlers cannot meet a guest’s request, such as the passenger who wanted bananas when the ship ran out during a crossing. The butlers got creative, however, and brought the guest pancakes made with frozen bananas.
Free Booze
Seven Seas Voyager is truly all-inclusive. Fares include beer, select wines and spirits served throughout the ship.
A Loyal Following
On my cruise from Rome to Nice, there were quite a few passengers who had cruised with Regent multiple times — and for good reason. The cruise line’s loyalty program is one of the industry’s best.
Victoria Gallegos, a cruise consultant on Regent Seven Seas Voyager, says there are five tiers of the program, known as Seven Seas Society. Those who have sailed 21-74 nights, in the Silver category, receive complimentary internet access, one hour complimentary phone time and more. Platinum members who have sailed 200-399 nights receive all the perks of the previous categories plus an additional six hours of phone usage, air deviation, pressing, laundry services and more. Those who have sailed 400 or more nights receive everything from the previous tiers plus transfers to and from their homes and dry cleaning on board ship.
Best Value
I talked with George Burke, an accountant who developed an Excel spreadsheet comparing the value that individual cruise lines offer relative to the fare paid. His conclusion: The lead price point for Seven Seas Voyager and other ships in the Regent fleet may appear higher than the fares on premium-category vessels or other luxury ships, but the picture changes once you factor in all that you get on Regent. Regent was actually cheaper on a per-square-foot basis than other premium and luxury lines in Burke’s analysis. And he did his work before Regent changed its policy to include alcohol free of charge.
You won’t need to dig into your pocket for gratuities either, which are included in the fare. Add to that the perks for Regent repeaters — free internet access and phone usage and did we mention free booze? But it’s not just the free bubbly that make Regent’s guests so ebullient. The overall high standard of service and the value of the Regent experience itself gives good reason for cheer.
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