Seven Seas Splendor, the newest luxury cruise ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, took another step toward its February 2020 debut with a float out ceremony that saw the ship’s hull touch the sea for the first time. The event took place February 9, 2019, at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy, with Francesca Giovagnoli, a 17-year, second-generation Fincantieri employee, serving as the ship’s madrina, or godmother.
The fifth ship in Regent’s fleet, the all-suite Seven Seas Splendor will have a capacity of 750 guests, which the cruise line says will allow for one of the highest space and staff-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry. The ship’s top-tier accommodation will be the 3,000-square-foot Regent Suite, which will have a 1,300-square-foot wraparound veranda; an in-suite spa retreat with sauna, steam room and treatment area with unlimited spa treatments; unobstructed 270-degree views over the ship’s bow; and a glass-enclosed solarium sitting area on top of the bridge. Regent Suite guests will also get a dedicated personal butler, as well as a personal car with driver and guide in every port.
During last summer’s keel-laying ceremony for the new ship, Travel Agent got a chance to tour mock-ups of two other suite categories, the Penthouse Suite and the Concierge Suite. These have a somewhat lighter color scheme than the suites on the ship’s sibling vessel, the Seven Seas Explorer, as well as ocean-facing beds and additional American power outlets and USB ports.
All told, the ship will have 14 suite categories, in addition to the Regent Suite, ranging from 300 to 2,100 square feet in size.
Looking ahead, after Seven Seas Splendor sets sail in 2020, Regent plans to add a sixth, as-yet-unnamed ship in 2023. The luxury line also wrapped a fleet refurbishment program last year.
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