Seven Seas Navigator

The 1999-built Seven Seas Navigator cruise ship is the smallest and oldest of the RSSC-Regent boats, followed by the "old-timers" Mariner (2001) and Voyager (2003).

The vessel (IMO number 9064126) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311050600) and registered in Nassau.

IMPORTANT: In February 2026, Avora Residences signed a lease/purchase agreement with NCLH's subsidiary Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) for Seven Seas Navigator. With this deal, the cruise residence brand officially entered a new premium real estate segment. The ship (to be renamed Avora Lumina) is scheduled to start operations for AVORA in January 2028, with a maiden voyage from Lisbon.

The NCLH-Avora agreement is structured as a 9-year charter with a nominal purchase option. Under this arrangement, Avora intends to retain, where feasible, the ship's operational systems, supplier networks, and service standards. Avora's leadership indicated that the approach will prioritize continuity while adapting the ship for permanent residency, describing the strategy as one of measured evolution rather than wholesale alteration.

History - construction and ownership

Regent Cruises (officially Regent Seven Seas Cruises / RSSC) is an all-inclusive, top-luxury cruise brand formerly known as "Radisson Seven Seas". Until 2014, the company (as part of Prestige Cruise Holdings) was owned by Apollo Management LP, one of the world's largest private equity investment firms. Since September 2014, RSSC and sister company Oceania Cruises have been owned by NCL Norwegian (shipowner), acquired for a total of USD 3 billion. Regent cruise ships are medium-sized, with a capacity of up to 800 passengers. The fleet consists of 6-star rated all-suite, all-balcony vessels with a space-to-guest ratio of around 70 and a staff-to-guest ratio of approximately 1-to-1.6 (among the industry's best). In terms of building cost per berth, RSSC liners are among the world's most expensive ships.

Evora Residences in Al Furjan, Dubai, is a new residential cruise line brand. The company was officially introduced in January 2025 by ANAX Developments (Dubai-based real estate developers). The Evora Lumina ship project was launched in February 2026 following the sale of Regent's ship Navigator.

In January 2025, AVORA also announced a strategic marketing alliance with Villa Vie Residences, positioning the AVORA brand as the luxury sea residential counterpart to VILLA VIE’s contemporary offering. Through the alliance with VILLA VIE, residents of both companies have reciprocal access privileges, allowing them to cross-utilize family and friends benefits between the residential ships.

The 490-passenger ship Seven Seas Navigator was originally built as a USSR-Soviet research vessel. RSSC purchased, stripped, and converted the ship into a contemporary top-luxury cruise liner—the company's first all-suite ship. The shipboard experience is very personal, as most crew members quickly learn passengers' names and individual preferences.

In January 2016, a USD 125 million drydock refurbishment program was announced for three RSSC ships. The aim was to bring the vessels in line with the new Seven Seas Explorer (2016-built). The two-year fleet renovation and upgrade program started with the smallest ship—Seven Seas Navigator. Voyager followed in Q4 2016, and Mariner in Q1 2017.

Avora Lumina ship review

Avora Lumina's staterooms/apartments are categorized as villa types (Dawn, Radiance, Solstice, Daybreak, Aura, Eclipse, Lumina). Residence sizes range between 28 and 109 m2 (300–1175 ft2, Dawn Villa to Lumina Villa).

Full ownership cruise apartment prices (2026 announcement) vary between USD 545,000 (Dawn Villa) and USD 4.288 million (Lumina Villa). AVORA also offers 5-year ownership options starting at USD 219,600.

Monthly fees (single occupancy) range between USD 8,355 (Dawn Villa) and USD 28,525 (Lumina Villa).

All ship residences feature marble-clad bathrooms, digital safes, espresso coffee machines, 24-hour room service (via personal concierge), and unlimited WiFi.

Avora Lumina will feature multiple dining venues with gourmet dishes prepared by renowned chefs, unlimited access to wellness facilities (spa, sauna, steam room, thermal suite, fitness center, and gym classes), a theater/show lounge, art gallery (also hosting live auctions), enrichment programming (guest lectures and presentations), and a business center.

AVORA cruises are also inclusive of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (cocktails, wines, beers, premium coffee and tea), housekeeping and laundry services (twice weekly), all gratuities, and port charges.

Decks and Cabins

Seven Seas Navigator staterooms (245 total in 11 suite categories) include 37 oceanview cabins, and approximately 85% of all staterooms have step-out balconies. The largest accommodations are the Master Suites (1065 ft2 / 99 m2 plus 110 ft2 / 10 m2 terrace).

The ship has 12 decks, of which 8 are passenger-accessible and 7 contain cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Compass Rose restaurant is the main dining room on Seven Seas Navigator. It operates with open seating and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner without fixed dining assignments. La Veranda is the ship's daytime buffet restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch. In the evening, it transforms into a bistro serving Mediterranean cuisine. The specialty steakhouse restaurant "Prime 7" is complimentary but requires reservations for dinner. Dinner is served alfresco on Navigator's pool deck at least once during each cruise. Another option for casual lunch is the poolside grill. Dinner can also be ordered from the MDR menu during restaurant hours and served en suite.

Below is the complete list of Seven Seas Navigator restaurants and food bars.

• Compass Rose (main dining room restaurant with open-seating breakfast, lunch, and dinner; features European continental dishes and alternative choices including vegetarian options, Canyon Ranch Spa cuisine, and select dishes from Regent's Chartreuse menu with gourmet French specialties)
• Pool Grill (poolside fast-food bar serving the pool deck area)
• Prime 7 (reservations-only dinner restaurant with an American steakhouse menu)
• La Veranda / Sette Mari (casual dining venue operating as the ship’s self-service buffet restaurant; in the evening, the buffet transforms into “Sette Mari,” an Italian dinner restaurant, complimentary).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Highlights of the Seven Seas Navigator cruise ship experience include spacious suite accommodations (301 to 1,173 square feet), luxury en-suite facilities, excellent service throughout, a high space-per-passenger ratio (67.3 ft² of public space per passenger), diverse dining venues (including steakhouse and Italian restaurants), an upscale Canyon Ranch SpaClub (formerly Carita Spa), and ten Internet-ready computers.

Below is the complete list of Seven Seas Navigator lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Navigator Lounge (signature cocktail bar with grand piano; also serves casual early continental breakfast with fresh pastries and specialty coffees and teas)
• Library (combined library and Internet computer room)
• Coffee Connection (specialty coffee bar)
• Connoisseur Club (smoking lounge with comfortable leather armchairs offering hand-rolled Cuban cigars)
• Card Room / Conference Room (hosts bridge tournaments and lectures)
• Stars Lounge (disco nightclub with its own bar, live music entertainment, karaoke, and dance parties)
• Seven Seas Lounge (two-tier main show lounge for cabaret-style evening entertainment)
• The Boutique (duty-free shopping arcade offering luxury jewelry, precious stones, brand perfumes, watches, designer clothing, accessories, gifts, souvenirs, and Regent-logo merchandise)
• Casino (with two sections: slot machines and gaming tables)
• Navigator Pool area (large swimming pool, two whirlpools, sunbathing area with loungers, table tennis, and seating area served by the Pool Bar)
• Galileo’s Lounge (indoor/outdoor seating areas, dance floor, and grand piano for live performances; hosts daily trivia, afternoon tea, and live music events)
• Canyon Ranch SpaClub and Wellness Center (treatment rooms, saunas, steam rooms, and relaxation room; also includes the ship’s Beauty Salon, gym, and aerobics studio)
• Fitness Center (with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern equipment)
• The Top Deck (power walking/jogging track and sports court with mini-golf putting green and golf net).

Itineraries

Seven Seas Navigator's itinerary program includes Caribbean cruises from Miami and Alaska voyages from Vancouver BC. Regent Navigator also sails to New England with departures from New York and Montreal, as well as European Mediterranean itineraries from Civitavecchia-Rome, Venice, and Barcelona, including Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

Seven Seas Navigator's inaugural Mediterranean season was in 2016. In 2017, Regent's first World Voyage in six years departed from Miami (a 128-night roundtrip) visiting 31 countries on six continents. On January 8, 2018, Regent Navigator began a 137-night "World Cruise" roundtrip from Los Angeles (California, USA).

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Regent's ship Navigator was paused for two years (March 2020 through 2022) and was scheduled to restart operations on March 9 with Caribbean roundtrips from homeport Bridgetown Barbados.

Regent's Navigator ship was built in Genoa Italy and is RSSC's oldest and smallest ship compared to fleetmates Mariner and Voyager. Seven Seas Navigator's maiden voyage began on September 7, 1999.

A curious fact is that Seven Seas Navigator was partially built in Russia (the former USSR). The vessel's hull was constructed in Leningrad (now Sankt Petersburg), then purchased by RSSC and completed in Italy by the shipbuilding company T. Mariotti (Genoa). Another "fun fact" is that the ship appeared in the movie "After the Sunset" (2004).

On September 2, 2014, NCL Norwegian purchased Prestige Cruise Holdings (owner of Oceania Cruises and RSSC) for USD 3.025 billion, thus becoming the official owner of all vessels in both fleets.

Regent Navigator's itinerary calendar includes operational regions such as Alaska, the Caribbean, South America (Brazil Amazon cruises from Florida), Canada (New England Fall Foliage cruises), and Panama Canal transits during repositioning voyages.

Regent Seven Seas Navigator is among the top-luxury World Cruise ships, offering an annual Around the World itinerary. These voyages include up to 30 countries and numerous exotic ports of call across Asia, Australia, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa, as well as Transatlantic crossings and Panama Canal and/or Suez Canal transits.

In mid-April 2016, RSSC announced upgraded fares that added free international flights to all 2017–2018 cruise itineraries. These round-trip business-class air travel deals were added to the company's signature all-inclusive package, which already includes wines, spirits, soda, water, unlimited internet, free shore excursions, prepaid gratuities, and pre- and post-cruise hotel stays and transfers. The air-inclusive cruise deals involve international flights departing from 26 cities in the USA and Canada, regardless of the suite category booked.

The Apollo Group provides all RSSC ships with the entire onboard hotel product and services. This includes administration, food preparation and service staff, housekeeping staff, as well as vessel provisioning and crewing. Other cruise lines served by Apollo include Thomson UK (Marella Cruises) and Oceania.

In summer 2017, the ship was scheduled to sail a Northwest Passage Cruise transiting the Canadian Arctic Ocean territories. However, due to an unfavorable weather forecast (excessive sea ice along the route in July), the voyage was canceled at the end of August 2016. Booked passengers received full refunds and an additional USD 1,000 onboard credit applicable to any other 2016 or 2017 Regent cruise. Travel partners with guests booked on the trip received USD 250 per booking. Navigator's 63-day one-way itinerary was planned from Miami Florida to Montreal Quebec (scheduled June 17 to August 18, 2017). The planned "Arctic" ports of call included Seward Alaska (Jul 19), Homer Alaska (Jul 21), Kodiak Island Alaska (Jul 22), Dutch Harbor Unalaska (Jul 24), Nome Alaska (Jul 26), Herschel Island Yukon Canada (Jul 29), Tuktoyaktuk NT Canada (Jul 30), Victoria Island (Aug 2), King William Island (Aug 3), Upernavik Greenland (Aug 5), Uummannaq Greenland (Aug 7), Nuuk Greenland (Aug 9), Paamiut Greenland (Aug 10), Qaqortoq Greenland (Aug 11), Corner Brook Newfoundland (Aug 14), Saguenay Quebec (Aug 16) and Quebec City (Aug 17).

In 2018, the ship offered an Around the World cruise (round-trip from the USA, departing Los Angeles CA on January 8). The 137-day itinerary (Jan 8 – May 25, 2018) included 64 ports in 28 countries on five continents. Signature destinations included Hawaii (USA), South Pacific islands, Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal), South Africa, a Transatlantic crossing, South America, the Caribbean, and a Panama Canal transit. Regent's World Cruise 2018 deals were price-inclusive of shore excursions in all ports of call, first-class airfare, visa packages, luggage and unlimited laundry services, shipboard medical services, and satellite phone time. Pricing started from USD 60,000 per person (Deluxe Window Suite).

Crescent Seas Residences at Sea (Crescent Heights cruise brand)

In March 2025 it was announced that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH) would charter Seven Seas Navigator in 2026 to Crescent Heights Inc (a Miami-based real estate development company founded in 1989). Reportedly, the vessel was long-term leased for USD 230 million. Seven Seas Navigator's final cruise for Regent is currently scheduled for October 2, 2026. In December 2027, Crescent Navigator was planned to be joined by fleetmate Oceania Insignia (acquired in April 2025).

Starting operations for the new shipowner (Crescent Heights) in Q4 2026, Regent's oldest vessel (the 27-year-old Seven Seas Navigator) was planned to undergo a drydock reconstruction and full refurbishment to become a luxury residential superyacht.

Russell W. Galbut (a founding partner of Crescent Heights) explained that the company selected ships with configurations suitable for conversion into opulent cruising yachts. The vessel's scheduled refurbishment in 2026 (USD 50+ million) would involve three design firms—Lissoni & Partners (Milano, Italy), Journey Group (Charlottesville, VA USA), and MAWD (London, England UK)—each contributing to different aspects of the redevelopment.

Upon completion, Crescent Navigator was expected to feature 210 staterooms/residences priced between USD 750,000 and USD 8 million. Owners' annual maintenance fees would start at USD 210,000, covering onboard dining and housekeeping, 24-hour butler service, and internet access.

New amenities were planned to include white-glove butler service for all residences and Starlink internet connectivity to facilitate remote work or schooling. Sales for these residences were scheduled to commence on April 9, 2026, with a sales gallery available in Miami for prospective buyers.

Crescent Navigator was scheduled to restart operations in December 2026.

Crescent Seas also planned to introduce three additional residence ships over the next five years, building a five-ship fleet by 2030.

Residents would embark on extended voyages worldwide, with stays of two to three days in each destination.

To ensure a first-class level of service, the existing crews would continue to operate and maintain the vessels.

Onboard hospitality services would be managed by The Apollo Group, renowned for providing high-quality service and dining experiences.

However, NCLH's two ship lease agreements (signed in March 2025) were terminated on September 30, 2025. Both 10-year lease deals (for Regent's Navigator and Oceania's Insignia) were 10-year charters with a purchase option at the conclusion of the leases.

Seven Seas Navigator refurbishments review

Drydock 2019

During the ship's 2019 drydock refurbishment (June, conducted by Damen Shiprepair Brest France), the following venues were updated.

Prime 7 (steakhouse) was completely redesigned, with gold-accented dark blue walls, leather armchairs, wood finishes, new artworks and marble sculptures, and new patterned flooring.

Navigator Lounge received new furnishings. Stars Lounge's carpets were replaced. Constellation Theater received new marble tables (beneath the dance floor).

The Pool Grill received a new infrared grill.

The Atrium, all elevators, and hallways received new carpeting and wall coverings.

The Spa's entrance area was fitted with pebble-stone tiles leading to the teak-covered spa desk. The treatment rooms and relaxation room were updated. The Beauty Salon was expanded (with a new area for pedicures and manicures), and new hair and makeup services were added.

All stateroom closets were upgraded with additional chests and drawers, along with new plush carpeting and upholstery. The cabins' balconies' teak flooring was refinished.

The ship's air-conditioning and water pipes were replaced.

Drydock 2016

The list of changes and updates completed during the 2016 drydock refurbishment (March 31–April 13, conducted at Marseille Fos Port France) included a new entertainment program with Broadway-style shows and comedy productions.

All public spaces and passenger rooms were renovated and their amenities upgraded, including new furniture, bedding (bed linens and mattresses), flat-screen TVs, carpeting, wall coverings, curtains, color schemes, bath towels, and new cabin balcony furniture.

All suites and public spaces (including the Pool Deck) received new stone floors, deck flooring, new sun loungers, a redesigned pool area, hot-tub shades, and an infrared outdoor grill. Among the updated venues were La Veranda restaurant, the Internet Cafe, and the Library.

The old Library was replaced by Coffee Connection (a specialty coffee bar). The new Library was created in the space previously occupied by the Connoisseur Lounge.

The list of redesigned venues included Galileo's Lounge, Navigator Lounge, Compass Rose, La Veranda, Card /Conference Room, Casino, and Pool Bar.

In 2017, new menus were introduced at the Compass Rose main dining restaurant.

RSSC's 2016–2017 ship refurbishments cost the parent company NCLH a total of USD 125 million.

Drydock 2012

The list of changes after the ship's 2012 drydock included:

• All Navigator cruise accommodations in the Master and Grand Suite categories were redecorated. They also received new furniture (built-in cabinetry, dining tables, headboards, bedding, and balcony furniture), new upholstery, lighting, wall coverings, plush carpeting, and original artworks.
• All suites in the “Concierge” category and above were equipped with illy coffee machines.
• At the La Veranda restaurant (on deck 10), the "Sette Mari at La Veranda" intimate Italian dining experience was introduced.
• The “Prime 7” steakhouse (on deck 10) was expanded with 22 additional seats.
• The Galileo Lounge (on deck 11) was redecorated.
• The saunas in the SpaClub (on deck 12) were renovated.
• The Pool’s teak-covered deck area (on deck 10) was renewed.

All public spaces received new carpeting, and all cabin balconies received new teak decking.