High Life on the High Seas
The newest über-luxury ship sets sail on a trip around the Mediterranean and Sally Macmillan goes along for a test-cruise.
Charlene, Her Serene Highness the Princess of Monaco, christened the world’s most expensive luxury ship, Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer, in a suitably glittering ceremony in Monte Carlo, one of the world’s most glamorous cities. Renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli performed at the event – indeed, the ship’s send-off was designed to be as world-beating as the ship itself.
Billed by Regent Seven Seas as “the most luxurious ship ever”, my expectations were high when I boarded the ship in Civitavecchia, Rome, just four weeks after the christening, for a seven-night Mediterranean “sampler” cruise.
The ship’s figures are jaw-dropping: it cost in excess of $500 million to build; the art collection is worth millions; there’s enough marble to cover the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza five times over, and it boasts one of the biggest suites at sea, the Regent Suite. Not only is the two-bedroom Regent Suite big, it is unbelievably opulent. It has a private spa, a Steinway piano in the living room and a wrap-around balcony with 270-degree views over the bow. It costs $13,000 a night – and is fully booked until early next year. At 38 square metres, the suite I shared with my cruise companion on Deck 8 is a fraction of the size of the 413-square-metre Regent Suite, but it’s still elegantly decorated, light and airy, with a generous balcony, plus a lavish marble bathroom kitted with double sinks, a bath and large shower.
After our first night on board, which included a cocktail reception where French Champagne flowed freely, followed by dinner at the al fresco Sette Mari restaurant to make the most of the 8pm sailaway, Seven Seas Explorer arrived early the next morning at the sprawling industrial port of Livorno. As at all ports, the cruise line offers a range of shore excursions included in the fare as well as customised Regent Choice tours, which cost anything from under $130 to $700-plus. The free tours fill up quickly, so it’s worth booking in advance or as soon as you embark. We chose to stay onboard and check out the ship; others set off to cycle around Lucca or take trips to Pisa, Lucca, Siena and San Gimignano.
Monaco magic
New to the cruise line are Gourmet Explorer excursions, led by chefs Kelly and Noelle, who run the cookery classes in the Culinary Arts Kitchen. There are three types of culinary tour: “super-luxe”, which involve visits to markets or specialist producers of wine, cheese and olives, followed by lunch at Michelin-starred or Relais & Chateaux properties; “port education”, where guests explore regional gourmet highlights; and “foraging” trips to markets, for ingredients which guests use later in the on-board Culinary Arts Kitchen.
Monte Carlo was our next port of call. We opted to explore Monaco’s immaculately manicured capital city independently and a hop-on/hop-off bus tour gave us an overview of its gardens, villas and famous casino. At the historic Palais Princier de Monaco – the official residence of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene – we joined the crowds to watch the daily changing of the guard. The ship stays in most ports until late at night, which makes for more relaxed days ashore than most cruise lines offer. It left Monaco just before midnight, when the casino closed.
“You can eat caviar and lobster every day if you like.”
Tempted in St Tropez
The following day, we stopped at St Tropez and headed to the market at Place des Lices. Here, you can buy anything from fresh flowers, fruit and spices to clothes, shoes, accessories and antiques. It’s chock-a-block with browsers and buyers, but if you’re determined, you can snag a bargain.
We strolled around the Old Harbour, where traditional fishing boats can be seen among the rows of gleaming gin palaces (motor yachts), had coffee at busy, atmospheric cafes and then headed back to Seven Seas Explorer for a late lunch. The ship is endowed with exceptional restaurants, so it wasn’t a tough decision, despite the tempting restaurants in St Tropez.
On the ship, you can eat caviar and lobster every day if you like – guests get through more than 900kg of lobster and 15kg of caviar on a typical 14-day cruise. The main restaurant, Compass Rose, serves Continental cuisine in a vast space crowned by a stunning blue Murano glass chandelier; the plates and table settings were designed exclusively for the ship by Versace. Chartreuse, a French restaurant, and the Asian-fusion Pacific Rim are both new to the cruise line, while Prime 7 is a signature restaurant on all the Regent ships. The meals I sampled in each super-stylish venue were all outstanding, but my favourite was Chartreuse.
My cruise companion used the gym to work off a few cruise kilojoules and reported it made the equipment in her upscale London club look like something from last century. I got as far as the fabulous spa, but let her do the heavy lifting while I contemplated the range of pampering treatments.
The last two days of the cruise passed in a blur of onboard and onshore activities. In Palamós, Spain, one of the ship’s excursions would have been a better choice than the city bus tour we took, but we had three days in Barcelona to look forward to.
Barcelona brilliance
This vibrant city is packed with culture and two tours we took of its many highlights – Antoni Gaudi’s architecture and the Picasso Museum – were also offered on the ship.
Talking of Picasso, there are several of his works on board, as well as pieces by Chagall, Miró and other artists. When you’re creating a ship at this level of extreme luxury, every detail speaks a thousand words.
SHIP FACTS
Seven Seas Explorer accommodates 750 passengers in 16 categories of suites, which all have balconies. Suites range in size from 28 sqm for Veranda Suites to 413 sqm for the Regent Suite. Facilities include seven restaurants, three lounges, cafes, a casino, library, card room, Constellation Theater, sports deck, pool, fitness centre, Canyon Ranch spa, Culinary Arts Kitchen and business centre.
BOOKINGS
Seven Seas Explorer cruises in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe between April 2017 and November 2017, and is based in Miami for the Northern Hemisphere winter. Mediterranean itineraries range from seven to 21 nights, For example, fares for a 10-night cruise from Rome to Lisbon, departing on April 26, 2017, start at $8700. For more details, phone 1300 455 200 or visit rssc.com.