Take A Voyage On The Voyager In 6* Bliss & Luxury

On the Thursday 12^th September I was lucky enough to be invited trip on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, now Regent only come in to Southampton 2 or 3 times a year so getting the chance to see them in UK waters is certainly a very special opportunity.

 

Many have said that the Voyager is the best ship in the fleet so it’s always interesting to get my own personal perspective on the different ships in the different cruise lines, also with being on Silversea, Seabourn and Oceania earlier on in the year it’s a good comparison to see all of them,

 

The Regent Seven Seas Voyager is the newest Ship in the fleet however they adding a new ship, the Seven Seas Explorer in 2016, which will be slightly larger than the Voyager by 40 people. They also have the Seven Seas Mariner and the Seven Seas Navigator. The Ships all go through a refit about every two years to stay looking clean and fresh and the Voyager did not let down the Regent Expectations, Although the Seven Seas Voyager is due for a refit next month.

 

Regent Seven Seas state they offer ‘The Most Inclusive Luxury Cruise Experience’, they offer the same as Silversea and Seabourn in the fact that they are All Inclusive on board however Regent go one step further and other all of the Shore Excursions. So you can book a Regent Cruise, step on board and not part with another single penny. Now you may say well, Regent is more expensive however you could book a P&O Cruise, now firstly P&O are 4* and Regent are 6* so automatically you have the Quality difference. Secondly you need to purchase you drinks on board and depending on how much you drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, especially in the hot weather. Even if it’s just fruit juices or a Latte it still adds up. With Regent if you wanted to go on board you could drink only Champagne for the whole cruise, if you did this on P&O how much would it cost?

 

Thirdly you have all of your trips ashore and these again are to a 6* standard, and these are all free. So for example if you are in St Petersburg, this is one of the ports where you need a Visa, you can get off in the morning, do a morning trip, back on the ship for lunch and a relax and then back of in the evening to go and see the Ballet. So you can use this to your full advantage and see the country in you are in rather that doing a large group shore excursion or just get off and see the port as you are worried on the cost.

So although the upfront course will be more expensive however when you look at the inclusivity of Regent it certainly is worth it, now let me take you on board the Seven Seas Voyager to see what their ships are like.

 

As you enter on the ship at Southampton you go through the main terminal building however at most other ports of embarkation you would board the ship and the Constellation Theatre would be where you would go through the ‘Check In’ procedures.

 

Also you have the main ‘Atrium’ which is extremely modern and sleek with one main set of stairs leading up to deck five and from here upwards it splits in to, two staircases that hoover in the air between decks. This main staircase is where the Captain will come down and give his speeches throughout the cruise.

 

So also on deck four you have the Lower level of the ‘Constellation Theatre’, you have the ‘Connoisseur Club’ which is one of the only places you can smoke on the ship as you are not allowed to smoke in the cabins or on the balconies however this is something we are seeing now on many of the different cruise lines.

You have the Casino on this level and one of the things I really liked is that it is tucked away, if you didn’t look at the door which has Casino printed on the door you would not know it’s there. Whereas on some of the larger less inclusive cruise lines this is a vast open area which you can’t help but see as you are walking by.

 

On the port side the space is mirrored across, but this time you have a card and conference room, a private space which if you wanted to use for a private cocktail party I am sure this could be arranged.

On mirroring the Casino is the ‘Voyager Lounge’, now this is the night life venue. Now I thought this was rather small, although it depends if you like a late night, this is the place to go if you want to have a little dance and if you are feeling confident enough take part in the Karaoke. This used to be a very dark space with lots of deep blues, however they have lost the blue furniture and blue carpet and replaced this with cream colours.

 

At the back of the ship on this deck is the ‘Compass Rose’ this is the main restaurant on board, it is an open dining do you can just turn up and eat as and when you wish. The restaurant has a nice choice of table sizes from 2 to 8 so you can socialise should you wish or just have a romantic meal for two, whatever you feel in the mood for. There is an elegant feel in here but at the same time is did feel a bit plain, but the food was spectacular so it’s more about the food, it had the feel of a country house rather than a modern and sleek feel. ‘Compass Rose’ is the restaurant which can be found on all of Regents ships, it features European inspired continental dishes as well as dishes from regional variations. If you are more one for a healthy choice why not try the Canyon Spa Ranch cuisines. You will also find dishes from the Speciality restaurants on the menu in the ‘Compass Rose’

 

Right at the back of the restaurant you have another set of stairs so you can take these or walk back to the main ‘Atrium’ and take the Glass Lifts up to the higher decks. As you go up to deck five, if you go toward the forward end of the ship you have the upper level of the ‘Constellation Theatre’.

The front of this deck it’s a passenger services area with the ‘Reception and Concierge’, you will also find ‘Destination Services’ and the ‘Cruise Sales’. On the Starboard side you have ‘Coffee Connection’ this is where you can go for a light spot of Brunch or a snack, maybe a nice Latte or Cappuccino. Towards the middle of the ship you have the Boutiques so this is one of the only places where you can choose to spend a penny, maybe so nice perfume or a nice new handbag?

 

Here you also have Club.Com, this is the on board internet café, here you can hire a dvd to watch in Suite, or have a browse on the web, as they say you should mix business and pleasure however we all know that’s when you go away its impossible to go without checking the emails.

Prime 7 is one of the Speciality restaurants, with Regent, these come with no supplement however you do need to make a reservation. These restaurant come with a set number of times you can visit however, should you fancy going again speak to the maître as if they can get you another reservation they will, however they limit it in order so everyone can try these amazing restaurants.

 

Prime 7 is there Classic American grill offering unique interpretations of steaks and seafood dishes. Dishes here range from a jumbo lump crab cake to a combination of three steak tartare. You could have a USDA Prime porterhouse steak which is 32 ounces, and for dessert how about a ‘Golden Cake’? This is a 14 layer Valrhona chocolate cake with roasted pistachio sauce.

 

At the very back of deck five you have ‘Horizon Lounge’, this is a large area sweeping across the back, it leads on to open deck so you can sit back and watch the sunset with a martini where ever you may be, Venice, Barbados or Quebec!! This area is also the chill out area before dinner or have a drink before bed time, there is also chilled out entertainment in the evenings.

 

This bar is also the entry point for ‘Signatures’, this is the on-board signature French restaurant, here you will find haute French cuisine to delight the most discerning of palates. This restaurant was decorated to the highest standard and was extremely modern and had a rather zingy feel to it.

 

Next we take the lifts up to deck six, as you reach the top of the stairs you have the ‘Library’ and the ‘Art Director’ selling fine art. There are also chill out areas to sit down read a newspaper and have a nice cup of tea or something stronger. Whatever you desire.

 

Towards the front you have the ‘Beauty Salon’ where you can have your hair done or maybe a manicure? On the front of deck six we have the area that no-one really likes, the ‘Gym’, the fitness centre was a bit like the Casino you know it’s there but you could go the whole cruise without actually seeing it! There is also steam rooms and sauna’s here as well as an aerobics area. Now for all you out there who like a treat down with the ‘Fitness Centre’ is the ‘Spa’. The products used here are Canyon Ranch which is famously known in America for being the best spa products money can buy!

 

Other than that on deck six is a range of accommodation which I will touch on later, oh and a laundrette. There is one of these per passenger accommodation decks.

Decks six, seven, eight, nine and ten are all accommodation decks, now with the Voyager they are only Balcony suites and above. No Oceanview windows nor Inside, this also means there is only one corridor directly down the middle of the ship so it’s easier to find your way back to you stateroom even after a few drinks.

So as we take the lift or the floating staircase up to deck 11, this is the main pool deck. There are 4 staterooms on this deck as well, these are ‘Grand Suites’ and ‘Master Suites’ these are ideally located for the ‘Observation Lounge’ which area is a nice quite area where you can enjoy a drink or sit back a read a book. It has floor to ceiling windows and is wrapped around the front of the ship with spectacular views.

 

 

Deck 11 is where the ‘Floating’ staircase ends, so unless you have a head for heights if you have a lean over the banister you can see all the way down from deck 11 to deck to deck 4.

 

As you leave the inside and step out on to open deck you are greeted by a large expansive pool deck. The thing I don’t like is when you step out and the deck chairs are side by side as far as the eye can see, but not on here, as you walk out they have been paired up and separated to give a sense of privacy and intimately. With the higher rated cruise lines they use larger ships but have fewer passengers which means they have more space per passenger and that they can space the deck chairs out as they have the extra room.

 

 

On the pool deck there is also a ‘Pool Grill’ which serves an expansive choice of food to enjoy Al Fresco in the open air whilst relaxing or maybe a trip to the ‘Pool Bar’. Have a glass of Champagne whilst relaxing in a hot tub. Sounds Lovely, doesn’t it?

 

Towards the back of the ship we have ‘La Veranda’ which during the day is a buffet style restaurant, again the back of the ship has been opened up to allow for Al Fresco dining and then during the Evening it turns in to ‘Sette Mari’. ‘La Veranda’ serves elegant breakfast and lunch with anticipating mix of regional specialities. When it turns to ‘Sette Mari’ you can enjoy authentic antipasti and Italian speciality.

 

 

On deck 12 this sits on top of the pool deck and therefore is a lot smaller, all that is on deck 12 is a jogging track around the centre of the ship looking down on the pool, at the back there is a paddle tennis court, and on the front there is a putting green, golf nets and shuffleboard.

 

So that’s the elegant Seven Seas Voyager, so now I will run over the staterooms you can choice from, the lead in suite is the ‘Deluxe Suite’ these are 356 square feet, these are also the same as the ‘Concierge Suites’. The suites have a 50 square feet balcony making for lots of outside space.

 

The have an expansive bathroom complete with separate shower and bath tub, the bathrooms is filled with marble and finished with L’Occitane and Hermes toiletries. The ‘Concierge Suites’ come with a Free pre-cruise luxury hotel packages, priority online shore excursions and dinning reservations, 15 minutes free phone time and 30 minutes free internet access , you also receive additional discounts on alcohol and on pre and post stays. You also get a coffee brewer and cashmere blanket, and a very special Regent gift.

 

Once you hit the Penthouse Suites and above you receive all of the above, plus the use of a butler, they can ensure that the laundry is taken, cleaned and delivered back to your suite, they can also make reservations for on shore excursions and in the restaurants. They will also serve canapés when you return from your day ashore.

 

 

Penthouse suite guests also benefit from Business Class Flights on all European cruises although this is subject to availability.

So when you look at the Penthouse, the Catergorys ‘C’. These range from 386 square feet to 443 square feet. The actual suites are a set 306 square feet however Balconies can range from 80 square feet to 137 square feet. These are what I would call equivalent to a mini-suite on a standard cruise line so a rather spacious suite for a lead in grade. These are all on the Aft of the ship.

 

The ‘A-B’ Categories of Penthouse are in a more midships position however smaller that the ‘C’. These are laid out differently also, the ‘C’ are long and narrowing although the ‘A-B’ are more in a square shape. The Bathrooms come with the same separate bath and shower as the ‘Deluxe Suites’

 

They are 370 square feet and have much smaller balcony at 50 square feet, most of the suites can be made up as interconnecting.

Next up are the ‘Seven Seas Suite’, there are two types of these ones that are forward and others which are at the aft of the ship. Personally I prefer the aft ones as I love being on the back however they have their different benefits as you will see below.

The suites that are further forward again are the same as the ‘Penthouses’ in the way that they are smaller, the are 545 square feet, they offer a separate dining and sitting area with access to the balcony which is 50 square feet. There is a large bathroom and separate bedroom, with a picture window. It also has another separate toilet for friends visiting your suite, so they don’t need to use the main bathroom.

 

 

The ‘Seven Seas Suite’ on the aft are a lot larger, ranging from 657-734 square feet, however the suites are all 441 square feet but the balconies range from 166-293 square feet. When they consider that the balconies are normally 50 square feet so that is the benefit to these, as they wrap around the back of the ship so they have the more spectacular views out over the back of the ship. These have a dividing wall in-between the living area and the bedroom, these suites are ideal if you like spending time on your own balcony.

 

 

 

Next Suite on the list is the ‘Voyager Suite’, these are 604 square feet. The balcony again is only 50 square feet which is quite unusual on the larger suites, however the ‘Voyager Suite’ was very glamorous and had a very open feel to it. It is spilt in to a separate living area, complete with a dining area, and separate bedroom, both the living room and the bedroom have a picture window the balcony directly in the middle of the cabin where as it tends to be on the left or right of the suite if you look at the individual stateroom layouts. This also ensures that it lets lots of light in to the suite.

 

 

The ‘Grand Suite’ has the most amazing bathroom, these are 876 square feet and have a larger balcony which runs the length of the living area which is 123 square feet, so lots of outside space, the living room is divided in to a seating area, dining area and there is also a large writing desk. There is also a separate toilet for use for visitors

 

 

As you go through to the bedroom, you are greeted with a tiled and decked area next to the window with a raised whirlpool bath for those evenings you want to sit there a relax in your own whirlpool bath and look out to sea, there is also a separate bathrooms and walk in closet, as well as the bedroom area. It also has two doors to enter the suite, one that opens on to the living area and the other in the bedroom.

 

 

Lastly and the top suite on board is the ‘Master Suite’ these come as two bedrooms and are around 1400 square feet, with a balcony at a 187 square feet, these Master Suites are very expansive with a huge dining table, an expansive seating area, and a bar. It also has a master bathroom complete with a roll top bath and separate super shower, 2 separate toilets and a walk in closet. One or two master bedrooms. The layout of these Suites vary to position on board the Voyager.

 

 

 

Regent offer what is said to be the most inclusive cruises afloat, so fancy a go?

Let me know what your thoughts are?

www.tomstravels.co.uk – 0800 408 6143 – [email protected]