NEWS Regent Seven Seas welcomes 50 UK agents on Splendor. Harry Kemble reports from Italy
Regent showcases Splendor to select group of agents
A
gents will get to see new luxury ship Seven Seas Splendor first-hand this summer.
The 750-passenger vessel,
which debuted in Italy this week, will call at several UK ports during a 12-night round-trip sailing out of Southampton in August. Graham Sadler, Regent Seven
Seas Cruises’ managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “We will be showcasing this vessel this summer. It will be invite- only and we want to make sure that everyone who comes on this ship has a purpose and there is an output.” He said the line had not yet
chosen who would be invited. The UK is the second-biggest source market for the line after the US. Speaking on board the ship in
Civitavecchia, Italy, Jason Montague, the line’s president and chief
People are spending the same amount of money for suites on ships that have thousands of passengers
executive, welcomed competition from other premium and luxury lines entering the market, adding that there was “a huge opportunity” for growth. Montague said: “You love
competition if it is coming in the right way and they’re designing great ships. That is not a problem whatsoever. “The main luxury competitors
only have 25%-30% of the total suites in the industry. It means that people are going [on other lines] and spending the same amount of money for suites on ships that carry three, four or five thousand passengers.
“You cannot deliver the same type
of luxury experience that you can get on a ship like Splendor, Explorer, Mariner, Voyager and Navigator.” He also said that Regent’s value
proposition was “off the charts”. “This product is far different from what you might be getting
on alternative products where [passengers] think they are getting a better deal,” he said. The line, he said, was “100%
focused” on the 50-plus age group that “have the time and resources to travel and are looking for that truly luxurious experience”.
Seven Seas Splendor’s new features will be retrofitted on Explorer
Regent Seven Seas Cruises has revealed the differences between Seven Seas Explorer and new €422 million sister ship Splendor. The 750-passenger all-suite
ship began its maiden voyage from Barcelona to Miami this week after being delivered by Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri. Differences include an expanded
pool deck to allow on extra row of deckchairs. Francesco Semeraro, senior vice-president of hotel operations, said there was nearly
18 6 FEBRUARY 2020 Penthouse Suite
50% more space in the atrium to improve guest flow. “Many of the other changes
were to the operation and adding services and doing things differently from Explorer,” he said. “We have touched up every
recipe and in some cases we have drastically changed all the dishes or removed the dishes completely.” Semeraro said changes would be retrofitted onto Explorer, which
launched in 2016. i Cruise News You Can Use, page 32
travelweekly.co.uk
Seven Seas Splendor
Pool deck
Graham Sadler and Jason Montague
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