Cruise Ship Review: The Art of Luxury Cruising With Regent’s SS Grandeur

Cruising on the Seven Seas Grandeur, launched in December 2023, is akin to living in an art museum, but better. The ship features elegant staterooms, a 1,600-piece art collection and the first Faberge egg at sea. In this floating museum, you can peruse the collection while sipping a cocktail and listening to an immersive digital art tour narrated by the living artists on the Regent mobile app.

The custom-made, Faberge egg in Deck 5’s Atrium, dubbed “Journey in Jewels,” is the first of its kind to be displayed permanently on a cruise ship. Faberge eggs symbolize a form of opulence that is rarely found on the high seas. Sarah Faberge, founding member of The Faberge Heritage Council and great-granddaughter of founder Peter Carl Faberge, was named the ship’s godmother and christened the ship. Journey in Jewels is just one piece of the ship’s multimillion-dollar art collection, which includes everything from a 40-foot-tall, hand-woven tapestry to a custom bronze and hand-cast glass bonsai cherry tree and works from world-renowned artist Pablo Picasso.

[Video: Faberge Egg “Journey in Jewels”]

Seeking out each piece of art onboard was a challenge. I recently sailed from Venice to Istanbul with my husband and a few clients and in 23 days onboard, I did not manage to find every piece of art.

The Suite Life

The staterooms are just as impressive. The all-suite, all-balcony ship has 15 stateroom categories. Many of the 373 suites feature separate sitting areas. Stateroom categories range from 307 square feet to the enormous 4,443-square-foot, $11,000-per-night Regent Suite, which has its own spa, a $250,000 Hastens Vividus mattress and nine different types of marble in the primary bathroom. Regrettably, I did not have the opportunity to tour that part of the art collection!

Even the smallest suites feature a sea-facing, king-size bed; a spacious walk-in closet; a living room and vanity area; a private balcony; and a stone- and marble-detailed bathroom with a large soaking tub and L’Occitane amenities. The suite’s neutral, sophisticated tones and textures made our Concierge suite a true gem.

Regent has upgraded it’s wifi to Starlink and the flat screen TVs offer Regent-exclusive PBS programming with topics ranging from photography to ancient history.

There is no need to overpack for a Regent cruise as laundry is included. While the dress code is enforced, it is now more common to see ladies dressed in slacks and blouses than ball gowns and men wearing coats but no ties to dinner. Formal Nights are now Formal Optional…most opt out.

All-inclusive Wining and Dining

Guests will find hints of luxury in the most unexpected places. In Compass Rose (billed as the largest specialty restaurant at sea, and Grandeur’s signature restaurant), custom-designed Versace chargers adorn each place setting and crystals sparkle from above. The customizable, build your-own dish options in Compass Rose are a nice touch, too, and provide many options for guests with dietary restrictions.

Make sure to try the reservation-only Prime 7 steakhouse, Asian-fusion Pacific Rim or French-inspired Chartreuse during your cruise. All specialty dining restaurants are included but require advance reservations and each suite can reserve a limit of one reservation per cruise segment per restaurant. 

I was certainly content with the plentiful options in the La Veranda buffet on Deck 11 during the day, and Italian options in the same venue as the restaurant transitioned to Sette Mari at night. The buffet at the Pool Grill is an option for breakfast and lunch, but not dinner anymore across the fleet. Coffee Connection serves breakfast and snacks throughout the day. 24/7 room service is always an option.

For those who enjoy cooking, the Culinary Arts Kitchen offers chef-led classes on sea days for a fee. The recipes are usually inspired by the itinerary utilizing fresh local ingredients when available. Each participant gets a cooking station with all the necessary ingredients for each recipe neatly arranged “mis en place”. The best part of class? Eating what you make while the sous chefs clean up the kitchen.

A sister ship to Regent Seven Seas Explorer and Regent Seven Seas Splendor, Grandeur will please longtime fans of the cruise line who will see familiar touches onboard, including several dining venues and lounges which serve each of Regent ships’ own signature cocktails. The newest drink, “The Grandeur” is a hand mixed blend of Remy Martin VSOP Cognac, Drambuie, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, honey, egg whites and old-fashioned bitters. Drinks and food are included in the fare, so clients will never have to worry about a large bill on departure day.

Entertainment and Edutainment at Sea

Like most Mediterranean itineraries, we had few sea days to enjoy the ship’s array of entertainment options. Destination lectures were few and far between but well done and well-attended. One of my favorite places on the ship is the library, furnished with comfortable seating and an extensive collection of hardcover books as well as coffee table books on topics from art to travel.

Games are a popular past time for most guests, with daily trivia competitions, bridge and Mahjong tournaments, and various carnival-like games for “Regent Points” which can be redeemed for swag at the end of each cruise. For gamblers, there is a casino near Compass Rose.

Evening entertainment centers around the lounges and Broadway-like shows in the Constellation Theatre. Guest artists rotate and perform comedy shows or musical acts. Piano tunes on the grand piano during cocktail hour and post-dinner in the Observation Lounge are a nice tradition. Late night dance parties and karaoke nights are popular.  

Spa and Fitness

The Serene Spa and Wellness Center located on Deck 5 aft is sublime. The fitness center is well-appointed with cardio equipment facing the sea. The facility also offers complimentary fitness classes like stretching, meditation and yoga. The sauna, steam, and cold room facilities are available to all guests even without a spa appointment. The spa is not operated by Regent Seven Seas. The spa services menu is extensive and the massage and nail services I booked were well done albeit outrageously priced compared to luxury spas in the United States.

Be sure to make spa and beauty appointments on embarkation day. The prime slots fill up quickly.

On the Sports Deck guests can opt for a round of bocce ball, shuffleboard, miniature golf, pickleball or even corn hole.

The Jacuzzis on the Pool Deck are popular, and the pool is rarely crowded. Chaise lounges are readily available and frequently used.

Always All Inclusive

Cruises on Regent Seven Seas ships include wine, spirits, beer, soda, water, coffee, tea and sports drinks, all gratuities, entertainment, dining (including meals at specialty restaurants), unlimited Wi-Fi, and most shore excursions. Aside from the spa and onboard gift shops, or elective purchases from the connoisseur’s wine list, there’s little to spend extra money on aboard a Regent cruise.

Many Regent cruise guests collect destinations, if not art. For them, it is not just about the cruise, but rather about sharing a luxury experience that is better value than a land vacation with their friends and family. There is a reason Regent Seven Seas boasts a high past guest ratio. Regent succeeds in delivering on its philosophy of the newest ship, “inspired by the past, and stunningly reimagined for the future.” I plan my future to include another cruise onboard the Seven Seas Grandeur.

Let’s get started planning your luxury cruise vacation! Reserve your complimentary consultation call with me to begin!