SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER CRUISE REVIEW

Regent Seven Seas Cruises  raised the standard and upped the ante of luxury cruising with the launch of  Seven Seas Explorer . Rachel had the opportunity to see ‘the world’s most luxurious ship’ for herself during a six-night cruise. Here’s her  Seven Seas Explorer cruise review …

I felt extremely privileged and excited to receive an invite from Regent Seven Seas to spend six nights on board the World’s Most Luxurious Cruise ship,  Seven Seas Explorer . I’ve previously sailed on Regent’s other three luxury cruise ships,  Seven Seas Mariner ,  Seven Seas Navigator , and  Seven Seas Voyager , so I looked forward with plenty of anticipation to experiencing the newest addition to the fleet, along with my husband.

Seven Seas Explorer Cruise Review

Using Regent Seven Seas Cruises website, ‘manage my booking’, I pre-booked the speciality restaurants and tours. I was very impressed with the vast of choice of included free excursions at all the ports of call. All the tours I selected were available to reserve, apart from one, so I waitlisted and this got confirmed a few days later. I would recommend booking the speciality restaurants and tours in advance, as it’s simple and easy to use, and you can always make changes once you are on board.

The full  Seven Seas Explorer  cruise was 13 days sailing from Rome to Lisbon, but I would be disembarking on day seven in Barcelona. Along with other Regent Seven Seas Cruises guests, my husband and I were met at Rome airport and taken directly to  Seven Seas Explorer . Check-in was swift and efficient, there was no waiting around; we were on board the cruise ship in about five minutes and being welcomed with a glass of champagne. Embarking on deck four, one can’t fail to notice the huge crystal chandelier that has pride of place at the top of the atrium on deck 5.

We headed to our suite to drop off our hand luggage. Feeling a bit peckish, we ate in the shade of the Pool Grill. As expected, the menu had a very wide choice. from smaller dishes like Lobster Nachos, and a choice of wraps and paninis or larger dishes such as pizzas, burgers, steak, and fish. I had a philly beef burger, which was mouth-wateringly delicious.

We headed back to our suite to unpack whilst sipping a glass of bubbly from our welcome bottle of chilled champagne, in time for safety drill later in the afternoon.

Suites on Seven Seas Explorer

Our suite was a category G2, deluxe veranda suite, situated on deck 6. Spacious, at 253 square foot (plus balcony), there is a sitting area, walk-in wardrobe with safe, good sized vanity area   with plenty of drawers and wall units, beautiful marble and stone bathroom with glass enclosed shower complete with L’Occitaine Mer & Mistral toiletries (grades H and G do not have a bathtub). I must make a special mention about the elite slumber bed, I have never slept in a more comfortable bed, if only I could have brought it home with me!

Offered as standard throughout the stateroom and suite categories is:

Higher grades of suites will have more amenities dependent on grade. I did manage to take a sneaky look at an F grade suite which is larger at 332 square foot (plus balcony). I preferred the layout of this suite with the bed facing out towards to ocean, and the bathroom was larger and included a bath tub too. I’d highly recommend an upgrade to an F grade which is only around £150 extra for a 7 day cruise, well worth it. Worth noting,  Seven Seas Explorer  has two ‘master suites’ which have two bedrooms and accommodate up to six guests. There are three wheelchair-accessible suites which have shower stalls instead of bathtubs.  Seven Seas Explorer  also has a couple of connecting suites, ideal for families.

Learn more about suites on Seven Seas Explorer

Our first evening, we dined in the main restaurant  Compass Rose , a beautiful elegant restaurant with an amazing menu with a capital A! One of my pet hates is when tables are too close together, but this certainly wasn’t the case in Compass Rose. The waiters were excellent, as was the food and wine, I could have eaten in this restaurant every night as there was such an extensive choice on the menu.

After a delicious meal, we made our way to the  Observation Lounge  to have a night cap. The lounge has floor to ceiling windows offering great views day and night. The lounge is an ideal place to relax during the day, it also is the venue for afternoon tea as well as pre-dinner drinks.

Our first port of call was  Livorno , from where you can visit Florence and Pisa. We decided to take the independent excursion to  Florence , where a coach just drops you off and picks you up, as we have been several times, and we preferred to ‘do our own thing’, mooch around and people watch.

As it was a Sunday the transfer was only an hour, however it can take up to two hours depending on traffic. Florence is a lovely city to explore and soak up the atmosphere, and is always a pleasure to visit.

Our coach arrived back at the ship late afternoon and a lovely surprise awaited us, as we walked out of the terminal building we were greeted by about 50 crew members who were singing and dancing   the guests on board, with the added touch of Champagne and a chilled towel   which was very welcome.

Our six days were pretty action packed so we took the opportunity to explore some more of the public areas and take more photos.

Deck 5 is home to the reception and concierge team who are always on hand 24/7 to assist with anything your heart desires. This area is very spacious with tasteful furniture, plenty of tables and chairs. It also has a wonderful view of the large chandelier which hangs between a stunning double staircase.

On deck 5 you will also find the  Constellation Theatre, Meridian Lounge, The Café, Business Centre, Pacific Rim Restaurant  and the luxurious  Canyon Ranch Spa . Not having enough free time for a spa treatment I just wandered through the Spa area to capture some photos.

At the far end of the Spa is the infinity pool, although the ship was full I was pleasantly surprised to find there were only a handful of people using the pool. Deck 4 is home to the  Compass Rose, Explorer Lounge, Casino  and the lower level of the  Constellation  Lounge . The ship’s boutiques can also be found here, selling designer handbags, perfumes, fashion accessories and jewellery.

This evening we were dining at  Chartreuse , I loved this restaurant on Seven Seas Explorer, the setting was superb with views of the ocean and a Parisian menu to die for! I had duck foie gras terrine with sauternes Jelly, Toasted Brioche and Marinated Apricots, followed by seared Barbary duck breast with glazed turnips, candied Morello cherries and sour cherry mustard – sublime indeed, and making my mouth water as I am typing this! Tonight, we decided to have a night cap or two in the  Explorer Lounge . I liked the layout and feel of this lounge and it is a great place to meet up with friends. The resident musicians were excellent and showcased a varied repertoire to suit all tastes.

Waking up in  Monte Carlo , what a beautiful way to start the day. We had pre-booked a full day tour today: ‘Stars of the Cote D’Azur, Cannes & Grass’, which was included on Seven Seas Explorer. Our first stop was Cannes where we spent a short time exploring the promenade area and the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Our next visit was to Fragonard, a perfume factory which isn’t ‘my cup of tea’; I would have preferred to have spent longer in Cannes and missed the factory visit.

Our next stop,  Saint Paul in Provence  made up for that though. It was such a quaint village perched on a rocky outcrop and we had enough time here to explore the maze of narrow charming streets with window boxes overflowing with beautiful scented flowers, and artists’ and craft workshops tucked into the rock walls. The  Fondation Maeght , a museum of modern art, has a good collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and other works from the 20th century. Whilst meandering uphill we came across a lovely hilltop restaurant,  Hostelleries Les Remparts , where we had a lunch time snack and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. This village is a little gem, well worth visiting.

This evening we dined in  Compass Rose  which again didn’t fail to impress!

Hello  Saint Tropez , what a stunning display of fabulous yachts in view whilst relaxing on our balcony this morning! As our tour wasn’t leaving until one o’clock, we wandered ashore. The marina was lined with local artists displaying their work of arts and on the other side lots of restaurants, cafes and designer boutiques. The area was very busy – although  Seven Seas Explorer  was the only ship in port, it was August, prime holiday time, especially for the French. We also spotted lots of cute ‘posh’ dogs and the odd Ferrari or two!

We headed back to the ship for an early lunch outside at  La Veranda . We had lunch here on a few occasions so we could enjoy the views whilst enjoying a scrumptious lunch. It is buffet style, and what a choice there is! Unlike other ships I have sailed on, we never had a problem getting a table, all very civilised. In the evening this area transforms into ‘ Sette Mari at La Veranda ’ and enjoy candlelit, al fresco dining under the stars and moonlit skies. Depending on which part of the world you are in, the cuisine will reflect the local cuisine.

The free tour we chose for this afternoon was  Grimaud & Port Grimaud . All the tours we chose on this trip were by coach so we could discover more inland areas of our ports of call. As with everything Regent, the tour coaches were not jammed packed, as tours are kept to small numbers allowing guests plenty of space.

After a scenic drive along the gulf, we arrived at  Port Grimaud . This area was designed in the early 60’s by the French architect, Francois Spoerry, who created a mini Venice from former swampland and covers 100 hectares. Here we enjoyed a leisurely boat ride around the canals and islands. All the houses are well kept, colourful and very picturesque. Boats of all sizes and designs were bobbing about outside these beautiful houses, this area has a mooring capacity of 3000! Houses were being built at the rates of 100-200 a year and there are now 2500 houses and seven kilometres of canals.

After our ride we had reasonable time to take a walk around, there were a good number of restaurants and cafes along the canals and main square, not to mention a good few ice cream parlours, which were very popular, and the beautifully presented sweets shops, which have barrels of sweets, not beer! Our tour continued to the medieval village of  Grimaud , which is nestled in the Maures Mountains. Here you can enjoy the beautiful view of the bay of St Tropez – taking pride of place, we could see  Seven Seas Explorer , making a great photo opportunity. (We were anchored here and were tendered ashore. This is a well-kept tranquil village, full of bougainvillea covered walls and lots of alleyways to explore. All the houses had been carefully renovated and in keeping with medieval times. We really enjoyed this tour.

Tonight we had pre-booked a table for four in  Pacific Rim  so we could dine with friends. We were soon offered a complimentary grapefruit cocktail served in the most amazing glasses, along with a selection of three crackers and chilli sauce dip. There is so much choice on the menu here, so with four dining we could pick a wide selection and share. There was a good choice for every course, appetisers, signature appetisers, Dim Sum, Soups, fish & seafood, vegetarian, meat dishes, side dishes and desserts. We all selected something different from each course, and boy did we have a feast! We ordered quite a few dishes as they all sounded so good and all were delicious. None were too hot and spicy and all had delicate well balanced flavours. The Canadian Lobster Tempura was a hit, so were the Open Top Pork and Shrimp Shui Mai. In fact, all the courses were incredible and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Other dishes on the Pacific Rim menu included:

We were in the restaurant for three hours and were the last to leave. Like all the speciality restaurants there is so much choice you will want to dine in there more than once!

Today we are in  Toulon , this marina was very different to Monte Carlo and St Tropez, as the glitzy yachts were replaced with fishing boats. We wandered into Toulon where there was a local market, having been here before I knew there wasn’t a great deal to see as it is very much a working port and town, however it is a good base for exploring the surrounding countryside. We didn’t spend long ashore as I was keen to look around some of the other areas on the ship and as most guests were either ashore or on deck, it gave me a good opportunity to take photos without disturbing the guests.

Seven Seas Explorer  has a beautiful well stocked library, complete with comfortable leather armchairs, and even the floor was leather!

I managed a peak in the  Culinary Arts Kitchen , a class had just finished, so I popped back a little later to get some snaps after it had been cleaned. As with everything Regent does to perfection, the Culinary Arts kitchen has state of the art equipment, well laid out and designed. The classes cater for all tastes and levels of aptitude, whether you are a beginner or experienced ‘in the kitchen department’ you will receive individualized hands-on instruction. There is a wide choice of classes ranging from French, Italian, Greek, desserts and even tea time favourites. Classes cost around $89. Regent also offer  Gourmet Explorer Tours  in many ports of call, which give guests the opportunity to experience and learn the local secrets, flavours, dishes, and techniques. The exclusive tours include visiting local markets, and sampling local wines in some of the region’s finest vineyards.

We wandered up to deck 12 where the sports deck is, the area includes deck shuffleboard, putting greens, golf nets, paddle tennis, and the bocce court. For the energetic, there is the jogging track of course.

Our afternoon tour was leaving in about an hour so we went down one deck to  La Veranda  and enjoyed another fantastic lunch on deck. This afternoon we were visiting Le Castellet and Sanary Sur Mer. Our first stop was Castellet, a typical Provencal hilltop village which dates back to the 11th century. Lovingly restored, the stonework houses, shops and walls are awash with bougainvillea, wisteria and lavender, bursts of colour at every turn. There are numerous little shops selling pottery, ceramics, candles, art and leather crafts.

In one of the squares a gentleman was making fresh fruit delights from scratch, each one taking him about 10 minutes, no wonder the queue was so long but obviously worth the wait. Looking for a panama hat? There was a delightful little shop selling every type of panama you can imagine and was very popular with the tourists. This village was quite busy, but not over-crowded. We walked uphill to the castle, which is now the town hall, from here you have wonderful views of the surrounding area, Sainte Baume Massif. Our next stop was Sanary sue Mer, a 16th century pretty port town in the heart of Provence. The harbour is lined with palm trees and pastel coloured houses. In a square there is a 13th century watchtower which now houses the Frederic Dumas Historical Diving Museum which exhibits a unique collection of original diving equipment. It is here that Jacques Cousteau developed diving equipment and his diving skills together with Frederic Dumas and Phillipe Thaillez. Needless to say this resort is very popular with scuba divers.

This evening we dined in  Prime 7 . There is a welcoming bar and sitting area at the entrance to Prime 7 where you can enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail whilst feasting your eyes upon a couple of Picassos and a Chagall! This restaurant has the feel of a members only club and I noticed there were more small groups of guests dining together than the other restaurants, it also had a much livelier atmosphere. Another tough decision, what to choose? I opted for Foie Gras Slider to start, Clam Chowder and it just had to be Prime 7’s signature dish, Surf & Turf. Again, no room for dessert or cheese and biscuits!

Today we were in  Palamos , and it was our last day onboard as we disembark part way through this 13 day cruise in Barcelona. Our tour this afternoon was to a village on the Costa Brava, Peratallada, home to just over 200 inhabitants, and a quaint Catalan village, with a maze of cobblestone streets carved from stone. As the name translates, ‘cut from rock’ the houses and archways are all carved from rock. Overlooking the village is the castle, which dates back to the 11th century and is the most famous building in the immediate area, surrounding the town is the moat which was carved into the stone. This tour was described as ‘Trolley Train Panoramic Tour’ however a lot of time was spent in Peratallada, which fortunately was very pleasant. The trolley train was only a small part of the tour, about 30 minutes and took us through a couple of nearby villages.

Arriving back at the ship we cooled ourselves down with a drink or two at the pool bar and enjoyed some late afternoon sun. Sadly, it was time to think about packing so we headed back to our suite to pack. This evening we went for a pre-dinner drink in the  Meridian Lounge , whilst we decided whether to go to the Compass Rose or enjoy the warm evening al fresco at  Sette Mari at La Veranda . We didn’t want to eat until a little later so opted for Sette Mari, which boasted a charming ambience and rustic Italian cuisine, just like nonna used to make.

As this cruise was sailing full it enabled me to judge how Seven Seas Explorer and its crew performed – and would it live up to my expectations?

This itinerary was right up my street – and decent time in each port of call is always a deciding factor for me when cruising, I don’t want to be rushing around and like to enjoy the ports of call and stay longer ashore if I wish. This cruise was ideal, sailing away from Florence and Toulon early evening, and Monte Carlo, St Tropez and Palamos not until nearly midnight.

Having read the updates whilst  Seven Seas Explorer  was being built I knew this ship would be stunning -however, seeing it with my own eyes I was blown away. I fell in love with all the public areas, so spacious and calming, it oozed class and elegance. I wonder how many ‘hours of thought’ went into the interior design, the fabrics, the lighting; no detail was too small.

Despite the ship being full, I didn’t spot a single queue, as plenty of staff were around to attend to everyone’s needs, and have time to chat to guests. I didn’t notice many spare tables in any of the restaurants I dined in, the waiters were first class with plenty of time to explain the menu and make suggestions. The wine waiters paired the perfect wines for our chosen dishes. The staff always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Nothing was rushed and nothing was too much trouble.

The whole ship has a very tranquil feel to it, just what you want on a holiday. A truly special ship that makes every guest feel special too. Learn more about  Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Seven Seas Explorer

If you would like to book a cruise with Regent, contact our dedicated cruise specialists today!