A chic, luxe experience awaits those who sail onboard Regent Seven Seas, writes Alanah Eriksen. <\/p>\n
Forget what you think you know about holidaying on a cruise ship. <\/p>\n
\n No lining up at a crowded buffet, no cringey fluorescent drinks adorned with mini umbrellas, no kids shrieking as they launch
\n themselves down waterslides. No nervous calculations in your head every time you get a cocktail or use a service onboard, stressing about the bill you\u2019re racking up.\n <\/p>\n
Think designer crockery, plush white robes, undergarments pressed daily – and your personal waiter following you around an Italian smorgasboard with his little iPad to check the Octopus Carpaccio is in fact gluten-free.<\/p>\n
That last one may be an oddly specific example, but illustrates how devoted the Seven Seas Mariner staff are to ensuring our cruise was true luxury.<\/p>\n
Aboard what the company has dubbed \u201cThe World\u2019s Most Luxurious Fleet\u201d, mum and I sailed on the all-inclusive, 16-night Spectacular Asia at Night leg, which docked at Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore.<\/p>\n
The Mariner is currently travelling around the world, from Miami to Miami, January to June, with about 160 passengers doing the full trip.<\/p>\n
The room<\/p>\n
Our room, the Deluxe Veranda Suite. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
As soon as we boarded and were taken to our room – tiddly on a welcome glass of French Champagne – a knock at the door cemented the kind of service we could expect on the once-in-a-lifetime trip.<\/p>\n
Our ray of sunshine stewardess Rhodora stepped inside our twin 28sq m Deluxe Veranda Suite to explain she was there to cater to our every need.<\/p>\n
She got to know us quickly, delivering a fresh bottle of Heidsieck & Co Monopole brut to our mini-fridge every day after we ordered one on room service the first night and it vanished a bit too quickly. She had been quick to tell us she could stock the fridge with whatever we wanted.<\/p>\n
But the biggest opulence organised by our new best friend Rhodora was the daily laundry service. You place a bag outside your door each night and everything would come back clean and pressed the next day – even your socks.<\/p>\n
Our balcony was the perfect setting for both French Champagne in the evenings and coffee in the mornings. Photo \/ Alanah Eriksen<\/p>\n
It made dressing for dinner a breeze, especially when adhering to an \u201celegant casual\u201d dress code. After 6pm, guests must ditch the sarongs and flipflops for dresses, blouses, skirts or pant suits for women, or collared shirts and trousers for men.<\/p>\n
Our walk-in closet had enough room for two suitcases full of clothes and shoes, and meant you could unpack once and forget.<\/p>\n
All rooms on the ship have balconies and we spent plenty of time on the generously-sized loungers with morning coffees or evening bubbles.<\/p>\n
The bathroom was also a decent size for a boat room and was full of French L\u2019Occitane smellies, which were magically replaced by a fresh set every day.<\/p>\n
The food<\/p>\n
From the (at least) 30 meals we ate on board, I cannot remember a bad one.<\/p>\n
The Mariner boasts six restaurants: signature dining hall Compass Rose, Italian eatery Sette Mari, steakhouse Prime 7, French bistro La Chartreuse, breakfast and lunch buffet La Veranda and the Pool Grill. A cafe, Coffee Connection, also offers pastries and gourmet sandwiches.<\/p>\n
Our favourite was Sette Mari, which features an impressive appetiser buffet. But before you even get up to indulge, you are served a bread basket, marinated olives, bruschetta, aged parmesan and fried zucchini. And that\u2019s all before you\u2019ve even ordered a main. <\/p>\n
Our favourite meals from the cruise – from top left, Pacific White Sturgeon caviar on toast for breakfast, squid ink risotto, Alaskan crab and avocado with bloody Mary sauce, gratinated escargots with garlic butter, lobster tail and garlic herb butter and salmon coulibiac with vegetable rice pilaf. Photo \/ Alanah Eriksen
The ship’s Italian Sette Mari restaurant. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
The waiters and sommeliers make it their mission to remember your names and orders. When we returned to Sette Mari a second time, they were quick to bring out the prosecco – what I had ordered three days prior – and they weren\u2019t shy about refilling.<\/p>\n
At Compass Rose, Versace plates adorn every table before being whisked away once mains arrive. Our favourite meals from the ornate dining room included Alaskan crab and avocado with bloody Mary sauce, gratinated escargots, lobster tail and garlic herb butter and salmon coulibiac with vegetable rice pilaf. <\/p>\n
The breakfast buffet at La Veranda often included a special dish paired with an alcoholic beverage, like salmon frittatas and sangria, or Pacific White Sturgeon caviar on toast with Champagne. Bloody Mary\u2019s also made an appearance.<\/p>\n
The Mariner’s Compass Rose restaurant had Versace plates. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
Once staff discovered I was gluten-free, they bent over backwards to accommodate me – printing out the following day\u2019s menu and bringing it to my room, making sure there was an abundance of gluten-free bread at the table and encouraging me to pre-order so I wouldn\u2019t experience any delays.<\/p>\n
Pizzas at the Mariner’s Pool Grill. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
You could eat all day if you wanted to – meaning we weren\u2019t stressed about missing a meal while off the boat. The Pool Grill is open for lunch until late afternoon. At Coffee Connection there\u2019s a selection of breads, cheeses, meats and sweets constantly on offer.<\/p>\n
At 4pm there\u2019s a high tea. Because we travelled over Easter, we were treated to a special chocolate buffet which was truly a work of art. Massive eggs were intricately painted to resemble rabbits and chooks alongside a macaroon tower and chocolate fondue station.<\/p>\n
At 6pm canapes are served at all the bars. And then of course there is 24-hour room service, which helped for our early starts for excursions.<\/p>\n
The entertainment<\/p>\n
There are three bars onboard, offering various entertainment each night, from grand piano playing to Sweet Caroline belted out at karaoke.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also the Connoisseur Club, which Regent describes as \u201can elegant hideaway that calls to mind gentleman\u2019s clubs of old … where cigars are savoured.\u201d<\/p>\n
After drinks and dinner we would often end up at the lavish Constellation Theatre to watch musicals or comedy produced by the ship\u2019s talented team of Broadway choreographers and directors.<\/p>\n
Our favourite bar was at the bow of the ship on the top floor, the Observation Lounge, partly because it offered panoramic ocean views. But mostly because we got to mingle with the well-heeled guests we may not have otherwise talked to in our daily lives.<\/p>\n
The Observation Lounge. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
Head butler Raju Mathew, who runs a team of nine butlers serving the top suites, says his guests are mostly retirees, although he\u2019s served some celebrities, including country music star Shania Twain in the penthouse of another Regent ship.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spend US$10,000 to $12,000 a day. I look at them as celebrities, every one of them. A lot of guests are repeat guests.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey expect the same level of service every time, if not more. So the pressure is always there. It\u2019s mostly about creating memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Head butler Raju Mathew aboard the Mariner. Photo \/ Alanah Eriksen<\/p>\n
General manager on the boat Norbert Tesar remembers being asked to a high tea onboard one afternoon not knowing who the guest was, only to discover it was actor Gene Hackman.<\/p>\n
While we were onboard, a couple and their two adult children had booked the top three suites for a round-the-world cruise – including the 186sq m Signature Suite, which is larger than the average New Zealand home (126sq m in 2022 according to Statistics NZ).<\/p>\n
The 186sq m Signature Suite is bigger than the average New Zealand home. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
The family had done a round-the-world cruise the year before and would be doing three more over the next three years, for approximately $800,000 a year.<\/p>\n
Activities<\/p>\n
The pool deck. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
With capacity for just 700 guests and 445 staff, one never feels crowded on the boat. There are always plenty of sun loungers surrounding the pool and three spas, while waiters are quick to ask what you\u2019d like next before your empty glass hits the table. <\/p>\n
One man is even tasked with wiping your sunglasses clean, should you need it. <\/p>\n
The Mariner’s library. Photo \/ RSSC
The casino. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
The ship has a games deck with shuffleboard and golf, a gym which offers daily complimentary classes, a cosy library, a casino and two boutique stores where you can pick up the latest Gucci handbag or Rolex.<\/p>\n
The Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner’s boutique. Photo \/ RSSC
Golf on the sports deck. Photo \/ RSSC<\/p>\n
Excursions<\/p>\n
When we could tear ourselves away from caviar and cocktails, there were dozens of complimentary excursions to choose from.<\/p>\n
Coming off the ship into Southeast Asian countries was a massive juxtaposition to luxury on the high seas but a good opportunity to see how locals live and try some authentic cuisine. <\/p>\n
From decadent dining to flawless service, it\u2019s easy to see why so many guests come back year after year for a cruise experience that embodies luxury from start to end. <\/p>\n
Details<\/p>\n
Regent Seven Seas Cruises\u2019 16-night Spectacular Asia at Night leg<\/p>\n
The Mariner\u2019s Isle Crossroads\u2019 10-night cruise (Singapore to Bali), departs November 27, 2027.<\/p>\n
It includes up to 34 shore excursions in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya and Bali.<\/p>\n
A deluxe Veranda Suite costs $14,540 per person.<\/p>\n
For more information see RSSC.com or call 0800 625 692.<\/p>\n
New Zealand Herald flew courtesy of Cathay Pacific and sailed courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A chic, luxe experience awaits those who sail onboard Regent Seven Seas, writes Alanah Eriksen. Forget what you…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[216490,27495,2372,15895,2037,42153,156,216491,17515,302,13840,15220,116400,56715,3025,111,139,69,90,17097,216489,18248,23432,202,223,7563,6923,17450,9192],"class_list":["post-421652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-alanah","tag-awaits","tag-board","tag-chic","tag-cruise","tag-cruises","tag-entertainment","tag-eriksen","tag-experience","tag-its","tag-like","tag-line","tag-luxe","tag-luxurious","tag-most","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-onboard","tag-regent","tag-sail","tag-seas","tag-seven","tag-the","tag-those","tag-what","tag-worlds","tag-writes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}