I recently had the wonderful opportunity to experience sailing onboard Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer. Over the years I have sailed on several different cruise lines, both River and Ocean and I have to say that I was amazed/blown away by the sheer luxury and level of service that Regent offer.

As a six-star cruise line, Regent is all inclusive and this means exactly that. There are no hidden extras. Your fare covers all five exquisite specialty restaurants …more of which later! All drinks, including Moet Champagne, best label Whiskies and Brandies etc. A good choice of fabulous excursions at all the ports of call.  Pre-cruise 5-star hotels are included if required. Even Complimentary, unlimited cleaning and pressing of your clothes during the cruise. But what separates a 6-star cruise from the others and was immediately noticeable to me is the level of service, with the crew to passenger ratio being 1-1.5

The Explorer is a beautiful ship, and even before boarding I was struck by how graceful she appeared, with 10 Decks and only 373 cabins which are all Balcony Suites of various size. Upon boarding I was immediately impressed by the space and serenity, it was not at all busy and bustling as other cruise ships that I have been on, and as the days passed this proved to be the norm. There was always a true feeling of being special and looked after by the pleasant and attentive staff, whose service I found to be seamless and proficient.

As I was escorted to my suite, I noticed how meticulously clean and well maintained the ship is with the décor throughout being stylish and elegant with so many beautiful pieces of artwork to admire. The feel is warm with a slightly masculine charm about it from the dark wood and rich upholstery. There are many lounge areas to relax in including the library with its leatherbound armchairs and grand selection of amazing books – a real haven for a few hours of good old-fashioned resting and reading.

My Concierge Suite was wonderful, it was so spacious, there was a large walk-in dressing room with plenty of storage and full-length mirror. My huge bed was positioned facing the balcony and it was so magical to have the fresh night air and views of the moonlit sea.  The bathroom was beautiful/heaven with two basins set in black marble, a large walk-in rain shower even a full-size bathtub! Complete with lots of white fluffy towels and toweling bathrobe and slippers and spa quality toiletries. My balcony was large enough to accommodate a table with two chairs and two very comfy sun loungers which proved to be the perfect retreat for my afternoon nap after lunch and a glass of wine at the Pool Grill!

Each of the five specialty restaurants has its own individual theme and style with beautiful place settings, fine bone China and Crystal glasses. The variety of menus are superb, and the standard of food is far superior to any other that I have experienced at sea. The Compass Rose delivers the best in international cuisine it was great for breakfast as well as dinner. The Chartreuse offers modern French cuisine with a gorgeous Parisian décor. The Prime-7 is a sophisticated American steak restaurant where you can order filet mignon, porterhouse as well as fish. My favourite had to be the Pacific Rim which is a Pan Asian restaurant with a Tibetan prayer wheel at the entrance and a real Zen like ambience and fantastic food.

I was also able to take full advantage of the Serene Spa & Wellness area which is situated at the aft of the ship with male & female areas on each side. There is a sauna, aromatic steam room and an ice room all to be experienced. A huge range of therapies and treatments are available and the amazing staff are happy to explain all the benefits of the various choices. Just outside of the spa is the heated infinity pool with comfortable sun loungers and my go to after a pamper treatment.

The Fitness center and Gym is huge, well equipped and with views out to sea I felt more inspired to make use of the spinning bikes.  I was also able to enjoy some of the Yoga, Pilates and aerobics classes but if you are more of a regular walker or jogger, you can enjoy the specially designated track up on deck.

Other fun things to entertain on deck are the putting green, shuffleboard and golf net. There is also a Paddle tennis court and Bocce court.

An absolute must for those who enjoy food and cooking is the impressive Culinary Arts Kitchen, this has 18 culinary workstations, and you can take part in classes. There are also the Gourmet Explorer Tours where you can go ashore with your chef to the local markets to shop for spices, foods and wines and then enjoy a cooking a wonderful local dish.

For evening entertainment, the Constellation Theatre provides top class shows in beautiful surroundings. The Monte Carlo style Casino offers Blackjack, Roulette and Poker as well as slot machines. Or if you prefer a relaxing drink in the Observation lounge you will not be disappointed.

I would say, that if you haven’t yet tried a smaller six-star cruise and are more interested in an educational and cultural experience with the luxury then definitely try it, because although on the surface it may appear more expensive than the average, once you add up all the extras that are included it is a real must-do!

Written by Joanne Prime, Century Travel