Seven Seas Splendor

Scheduled for launch in 2020, Seven Seas Splendor cruise ship is the newest RSSC liner, with sistership Explorer (2016) and fleet mate to the older Voyager, Navigator and Mariner.

History - construction and ownership

Regent Cruises (officially Regent Seven Seas Cruises / RSSC) is an all-inclusive, top-luxury cruise brand fka "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 investment equity funds. Since September 2014, RSSC and the sister company Oceania Cruises are owned by NCL Norwegian (shipowner), acquired at the total cost of USD 3 billion. Regent cruise ships are medium-sized, with capacity up to 800 passengers. The fleet consists of 6-star rated all-suite and all-balcony vessels with a space-to-guest ratio around 70 and staff-to-guest ratio 1-to-1,6 (some of industry's best). As building cost per berth, RSSC liners are among the world's most expensive ships.

For the vessel's interior design, RSSC contracted the Florida-based firm "Studio DADO". The DADO-designed venues include Observation Lounge, Constellation Theater, Card Room, Connoisseur Club, Pacific Rim Restaurant, ship's Spa as well as all the 55 suites (categories Penthouse, Grand, Superior).

Cruise itinerary program

Seven Seas Splendor itinerary program is based on Caribbean, North America and Europe (Mediterranean) cruises, with Transatlantic repositioning crossings and Panama Canal transition between Florida and California. The inaugural cruise season (2020 summer) is in Europe, featuring 15 port destinations, including Italian and French Riviera, Greek Islands, British Isles (see the list of all scheduled inaugural itineraries in the ship's "wiki" section).

Cabins

Like all Regent ships, Seven Seas Splendor staterooms (total 375) are all suites grouped in 16 categories. All cabins also have private step-out balconies.

The cost of the Regent Suite on the new Splendor ship signifies the ultimate RSSC cruise luxury package experience. For an amazing 3875 ft2 suite accommodation (1181 m2, with the terrace), guest can enjoy the superior pampering vacation travel that the Regent cruise line is worldwide famous with. This accommodation is not only the largest but also the most expensive one at sea - yours for just GBP 4800 per person, per day.

Cabins designer was Tillberg Design of Sweden.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Regent's Splendor ship offers cooking classes in fleet's first specially dedicated Culinary Arts Kitchen. The teaching kitchen offers dishes crafted with locally-sourced ingredients. Food-themed excursions ashore are available for booking via RSSC's Gourmet Explorer Tours. On these tours, passengers can enjoy gourmet food prepared by renowned local chefs, as well as wine tasting at premium estates and local food market visits.

Follows the complete list of Seven Seas Splendor restaurants and food bars.

• Compass Rose (main dining room restaurant, open-seating breakfast, lunch and dinner; features European Continental dishes and alternative choices - vegetarian, specialities from the Spa menu, select dishes from Regent's Chartreuse menu with gourmet French cuisine)
• Chartreuse (Regent's new speciality restaurant with French cuisine, also serving speciality cocktails with Chartreuse liqueur; offers one of the most exquisite gourmet experiences at sea)
• Prime 7 (reservations-only dinner restaurant with American Steakhouse menu)
• La Veranda / Sette Mari (casual dining venue; operates as ship's self-service buffet restaurant; in the evenings, the buffet transforms into "Sette Mari" Italian dinner restaurant, complimentary. The Destination Corner serves the local dishes of the destination.)
• Culinary Arts Kitchen (cooking school with 18 cooking stations in 3 rows; each is equipped with quartz countertop and stainless steel sink; the cooking school has floor-ceiling windows, and boasts 12 different classes themed as fish and shellfish, food and wine, mini-desserts, healthy cooking, etc. As part of the program, Regent Seven Seas also offers "Gourmet Explorer Tours" ashore).
• Pacific Rim (Pan-Asian restaurant, dinner-only, with an art installation of a large dragon)
• Coffee Connection is an alfresco seating area.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

While the design of Seven Seas Splendor is decidedly more contemporary luxe than the fleet mates, RSSC strikes a balance between its much-loved traditional features and a more modern ambience.

Follows the complete list of Seven Seas Splendor lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Constellation Theater (2-deck high main show lounge for grand music and show productions; also features "Cirque Rock'n Roll" aerial acrobatics spectacle)
• Atrium (2-deck high open-floor area)
• Club.com (Internet computers room); Library
• Connoisseur Club (smoking lounge with comfortable leather armchairs; offers hand-rolled Cuban cigars)
• Card Rooms (hosts bridge tournaments and lectures)
• Explorer Lounge and Bar (disco nightclub; operates as a piano bar during the day with resident pianist performances)
• Meridian Lounge (serves as an entertainment lounge with leather furniture, blue carpeting, dark-wood panelling, antique flooring; has its own bar; serves speciality cocktails)
• Coffee Bar
• Horizon Lounge (with a large dance floor; hosts daily trivia shows and offers Afternoon Tea)
• Observation Lounge (grand piano bar with live music performances in the evenings)
• The Boutique (duty-free shopping arcade: luxury jewellery, precious stones, brand perfumes, watches, designer clothes, accessories, gifts, souvenirs, Regent-logo wear)
• Casino (with 2 sections: for the slot machines, and for the gaming tables)
• Canyon Ranch SpaClub and Wellness Center consists of 8 Treatment Rooms, Saunas (incl infrared sauna), Steam Rooms (incl aromatic steam room), Cold Room (temperature 54 F / 12 C), Thermal Suite, Shower Room (varying degrees of water pressure, therapeutic audio effects / waterfalls, thunderstorms), Relaxation Room, infinity pool (resistance swimming pool/aft), also Beauty Salon, Gym and Aerobics Studio. Some of the Spa's features include the cocoon-inspired design, central-location Swarovski crystal sculpture, chrysalis (made of silk wrappings), marble flooring, light-grained wood, exquisite treatments.
• Fitness Center (deck 6) has floor-ceiling windows and modern equipment (cardio and weight machines, free weights), separate studio for classes (cycling, yoga, Pilates).

On Sun Deck are located Power Walking/Jogging Track, Sports Court, Paddle Tennis Court, Bocce Court, Mini-Golf putting green, Golf Nets, Shuffleboard. Lido Deck's pool area houses a large swimming pool, 2 Jacuzzies (spa pools / whirlpool hot tubs), sunbathing area with loungers, tennis tables, seating area with tables and deckchairs. Sundeck is served by the Pool Bar.

Regent's Seven Seas Splendor is the world's 2nd cruise ship (after Explorer) with a Pickleball Court. The installation was done by Adventure Golf Services (a company specializing in custom-designed mini-golf courses).

• This is a combo court serving 2 sports - Pickleball and Paddle Tennis.
• Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, court tennis and table tennis. The game is played by 2, 3 or 4 players using solid paddles (made of wood or composites) to hit a perforated polymer ball over a net.
• The company also installed other products - paddle tennis court, shuffleboard, 18-hole putting green course, GolfCourt Hitting Bay (golf driving range), Bocce court. All these products use patented interlocking panels fabricated in Traverse City (Michigan USA).
• Adventure Golf Services is the leading manufacturer and installer for the cruise ship industry, with signature products like miniature golf courses, putting greens, shuffleboard, bocce ball, croquet courts, golf driving cages.

The vessel was ordered on March 1, 2016, with scheduled delivery on March 31, 2020. Ship's name (Seven Seas Splendor) was chosen from 2600+ suggestions from 14,000+ people (RSSC's loyal customers, travel agents, company employees) submitted in September 2017.

Vessel's construction officially started on March 15, 2018, with the steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona Italy. The special event was attended by Jason Montague (RSSC's President and CEO); Robin Lindsay (NCLH's Executive VP of Vessel Operations) and Giovanni Stecconi (Ancona Shipyard's Director).

On June 28, 2018, was held the keel-laying ceremony. Vessel's launch (float-out from drydock) was on February 9, 2019.

Ship's Captain is Serena Melani (1974-born). She will be the industry's first female Captain to launch a newbuild cruise vessel. Serena Melani works for RSSC since 2010 when started as Bridge Officer on the fleetmate Seven Seas Voyager. She became Captain in 2016 and before Splendor was Master of the fleetmates Explorer, Mariner and Navigator.

On December 4, 2019, RSSC announced the name of Seven Seas Splendor's Godmother - Christie Brinkley. The 1954-born (as Christie Lee Hudson) Brinkley is a US model, actress and entrepreneur, best-known for her 25-year career as the face of CoverGirl (US cosmetics brand) founded by Noxzema Chemical Company in 1961 and subsequently acquired by Procter & Gamble (1989) and Coty Inc (2017). Coty Inc currently owns ~77 brands, including Bourjois, Clairol, Max Factor, OPI, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Wella, CoverGirl.

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was officially delivered from Fincantieri to RSSC on January 30, 2020. The ceremony was attended by Frank Del Rio (NCLH's President and CEO), Jason Montague (RSSC's President and CEO) and Luigi Matarazzo (Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division's General Manager). The cruise ship's christening ceremony was on February 21, 2020, held in PortMiami Florida. The event was marked by a live concert by Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel "Seal" (1963-born British singer).

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2020

Cruise liner's maiden season includes voyages in the Caribbean, North America and Europe (Mediterranean). Most popular call ports were San Juan Puerto Rico, Cabo San Lucas Mexico, NYC New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona and Cartagena Spain, St Tropez France, Dubrovnik Croatia, Amalfi Coast Italy, Corfu Greece.

Following the Transatlantic repositioning crossing (February 7), the Splendor ship cruises through Panama Canal (Miami to LA, departure February 25) visiting along the route Cartagena Colombia and Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Next itinerary (March 14) is again a Panama Canal transit from Los Angeles to Miami, then to NYC New York. On April 16 starts the 14-night eastbound Transatlantic cruise from NYC to Barcelona. The 12-night inaugural Mediterranean cruise is from Barcelona to Venice (overnight).

In addition to the above 6x 2020 winter itineraries, the "Inaugural Europe Collection" (summer 2020) includes the following 15 itineraries:

1. May 12 "Enchanting Mediterranean" from Venice to Rome (in Cannes on May 18 / during the Film Festival)
2. May 21 "Exquisite Riviera" from Rome to Barcelona (in Monte Carlo on May 24 / during Monaco Grand Prix)
3. July 6 "Secret Isles" (Rome to Venice)
4. July 13 "Spirit of Greece" (roundtrip from Venice)
5. July 23 "Festa in Italia" (Venice to Barcelona)
6. August 4 "Iberian Peaks and Coasts" (Barcelona to Southampton UK)
7. August 18 "British Immersion" (roundtrip from Southampton)
8. August 30 "Europe Beyond Measure" (Southampton to Monte Carlo)
9. September 14 "Spanish Embrace" (Monte Carlo to Rome)
10. September 24 "Aegean Treasures" (Rome to Athens)
11. October 4 "Grecian Wonders" (Rome to Istanbul)
12. October 14 "Ancient Ruins and Picturesque Shores" (Istanbul to Venice)
13. October 24 "An Italian Romance" (Venice to Rome)
14. November 3 "Lovely Mediterranean" (Rome to Barcelona)
15. November 13 "The Perfect Sojourn" (Transatlantic repositioning cruise from Barcelona to Miami)