Let me tell you about our seamless, stress-free luxurious experience which commenced the moment that we arrived at the cruise port in Piraeus – our luggage was whisked away and we breezed through check in in less than 2 minutes. Stepping on to the quay, the Seven Seas Grandeur cruise liner literally gleamed in the Grecian sun, rising majestically out of the water.
I made my grand entrance falling up the gangplank, tripping on my new palazzo pants as I was too busy staring at the vessel in wonder. Two sets of immaculately white gloved hands shot out and caught me, the welcoming staff solicitously helping me to a chair in the palatial Atrium, where I was warmly greeted and handed a glass of champagne.
First impressions count – the wow factor really ramped up here: the Atrium was a delight to behold, 2 decks high with a soaring ceiling, grand staircase and an actual Fabergé egg on display!
This stunning piece de resistance, which for me encapsulates the essence of what the Grandeur represents, was especially created for the Seven Seas Grandeur, which had its inaugural voyage in November 2023, over a period of 2 years and has all the colours and nuances of the ocean. Breathtaking.
This is a timely opportunity to mention the $6million dollars of artwork on board – the Grandeur is literally a floating art installation of 1600 pieces, including a Chagal and multiple Picassos in addition to original art designed and commissioned just for the Ship: splendid sculptures, hand woven tapestries, undulating wall art and paintings from every school and genre in every perceivable corner.
The colour scheme throughout this lavish and spacious cathedral is an opulent chrome and cream, understated luxury which melds effortlessly with artisan crafted marble and wood fittings and fixtures. Each individual section goes on to develop its own identity whilst continuing the theme of, well, grandeur!
On embarkation, we were handed a key card linked to a credit card and put away our purses for the duration of our voyage; it’s a great leveler, there’s no need to tote your designer handbag around with you, unless you want to of course, and there’s no awkward moments fumbling for gratuities for the service staff, or settling your drinks bill.
Everything is included – all top-drawer drinks, luxury dining, spa, gym, entertainment – even a plethora of guided shore excursions. Although if you do fancy a turn of the roulette wheel in the casino, then that’s on you, and a few spa treatments are extra, as is that £1200 bottle of Petrus that you fancy treating yourself with!
We were treated to a tour of the Grandeur by our knowledgeable hosts Sasha, Senior Account Manager at The PC Agency and James, Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and quickly became acclimatized to the main restaurants, bars, boutiques, the library, the fitness areas, spa and the Constellation theatre. These gracious hosts were available each day to answer any questions and invited us to pre-dinner drinks on the observation deck each evening.
This tour was swiftly followed by a delightful al fresco lunch on the fabulous pool deck with personable waiting staff ensuring we had a refreshing cold drink whilst relaxing on the sun loungers with memory foam cushions under a cloudless cerulean sky.
The pool bar was a focal point of the ship due to its proximity to the cooling outdoor pool and jacuzzis, where you can mingle with fellow passengers from all over the world and strike up an easy, amiable conversation. Most travelers I spoke to had chosen to sail on the Grandeur for the Regent’s reputation of providing unsurpassed, sheer luxury cruises, and others had booked for a special occasion, for example, a milestone anniversary and in one case, a marriage proposal!
One and all agreed that this was the best Cruise they had ever experienced, mostly for the exceptional gastronomic experience, but also because they enjoyed the sense of wellbeing, and the way they were cared for on the trip.
Talking of bars, I was hard pressed to visit all of them! The bartenders were affable and suggested concoctions and drinks for the undecided. We were also offered inventive canapes to wash down our champagne cocktails!
Seven Seas Grandeur has 8 restaurants, 3 of which a reservation is required for dinner and there is a dress code; Gentlemen to wear jackets and ladies to dress elegantly. It was truly inspiring to see the ladies dressed like jewels and the men looking sharp, who doesn’t love to dress up?!
On our first night, sailing away from Piraeus to the open ocean, we dined at Prime 7, located on deck 10 Aft, a sublime steak restaurant. The sommelier recommended wines to accompany the melt in the mouth Porterhouse steak that I opted for, and suggested mocktails for my companion who did not drink alcohol. Replete with fine dining and divine wine, we had an early night and slept with the balcony door open with the moonlight streaming in and the sea like a sheet of glass.
The second night we dined at Chartreuse, a top-class French restaurant. Fabulous food and fabulous décor, one could imagine Coco Chanel reclining on the banquette admiring the panoramic ocean views, partaking in plates created by designer chefs! Exquisitely presented haute cuisine in a Parisian setting – very, very special.
On the third night we graced the Pacific Rim restaurant located on deck 5 Aft. The wonderful seafood restaurant really is the jewel in the crown, in my opinion. We tried the lobster tempura on recommendation from our host James, with an exquisite Sancerre selected by the sommelier.
We also tried the Compass Rose which did not require a reservation. The décor in this restaurant is simply breathtaking. The ceiling and pillars are crafted to look like a vaulted forest canopy, so beautiful. We also tried Seti Mare restaurant with its open kitchen. This is the best Italian restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of dining in.
I never had room for desserts, but they looked amazing. I was fortunate enough to be shown around the Ship’s gastronomic empire by the Senior Executive Chef Michael Meyepa. What a revelation! The Grandeur takes fine dining to another level. Each restaurant has its own spotlessly clean kitchen and the only thing that is not made in situ are bagels!
During my tour I saw the specialist chocolatiers create magnificent chocolate centrepieces and gorgeous ice sculptures. And then there are the stores: I won’t bore you with the figures, but for a 10-day voyage at sea the following key items are required:
- 1,200 lbs of lobster
- 1,000 lbs of filet mignon
- 500 lbs of smoked salmon
- 500 lbs of chocolate
- 20 lbs of caviar
- 1,500 bottles of champagne
- 5,000 bottles of wine
- 65 white varieties of wine, 130 red, five rose, six dessert and 18 varieties of champagne
- and sparkling wine.
Nothing is reused/repurposed and surprisingly, you will be pleased to know that there is scarcely any waste.
The chefs can anticipate and cater to all guests as the communication pre-voyage from Regent Cruises is outstanding. Any passenger preferences are identified and the attention to detail is astonishing, for example, all waiters knowing I prefer sparkling water and a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, not necessarily in the same glass, made meals even more extra special.
There is a veritable army of highly trained personnel to cater to one’s every need, service is unobtrusive, in no way obsequious and above all the staff genuinely want to make your cruise wonderful; they are warm and welcoming, they work as a well-oiled machine, and they are turned out impeccably.
They also do not expect gratuities as service is included in your package. Hats off to the Training Team, they have excelled! It’s worth mentioning that there are 548 crew of 39 nationalities and 24 languages and a maximum of 746 passengers, the highest ratio seen today in luxury cruising.
Let’s talk about our suite: Our deluxe verandah suite on the 6th deck was bigger than some one- bed apartments in London! There was a lovely, chilled bottle of Veuve Cliquot, a bottle of Moet in the fridge and a basket of fresh fruit to welcome us, moreover the staff introduced themselves to us when bringing our luggage.
The décor was warm neutrals with beautifully wood crafted furniture and fittings, and the lighting was ambient and promoted relaxation. We had a separate lounge area with a comfortable sofa, a fridge, everything you could need and the option to call room service 24 hours a day (if you had any room left after the sumptuous meals)
The cabin had two extremely comfortable beds, a family- sized walk-in shower room resplendent with marble floors and with everything you could possibly need to pamper yourself clean. There was also a dressing room complete with wardrobe space and a safe, where we could just put our cases in and shut the door, so the cabin never looked untidy (the staff came twice daily to clean our suite).
The balcony was huge, with comfortable cushioned rattan furniture (the cushions were magically bought in the room every night whilst we were at dinner!) and a table where we had breakfast every morning with a view over the sparkling waters of the Aegean.
There are other suites available, some of which are favoured by single travelers and slightly smaller, and let’s not forget, the spectacular Regency Suite.
The entertainment on board was world class, accomplished musicians and bands, plus musical extravaganzas nightly in the magnificent constellation theatre and the bars, and even the pool deck. For those wanting to burn the midnight oil, there was karaoke and a juke box!
The Entertainment program was available daily in the in-cabin entertainment centre, presented by a dedicated Team led by Cruise Director David Nevin, a consummate professional who kept things fresh and interesting.
The sailing itself was very smooth and effortless, I never knew when we were gliding through the water! We were fortunate to be taken for a tour of the bridge by Captain ‘Aris’ Aristeidis Mertzanis, who if he ever gets fed up piloting the most luxurious ship ever built, could have a successful career in stand-up comedy!
He regaled us with funny anecdotes of the idiosyncrasies of the different countries’ Port Authorities he was obliged to deal with – he was able to navigate expertly through these murky waters of seafaring politics!
The bridge resembled the Starship Enterprise; state-of-the art technology which assisted the Captain in commanding the Grandeur. I must admit that I had taken our safety as a given, so was impressed when he highlighted the equipment such as the stabilizers, the anchors, the wheel and back up plans in the case of power failure. Captain Aris also defined the operating processes which take into account any eventuality.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises takes safety very seriously, and even before we arrived, we had already watched a safety video. Our very first stop on boarding was to check in and familiarize ourselves with our designated muster point in the event of an emergency. During the cruise there was an all-crew emergency drill which the Captain affirmed went like clockwork. Good to know.
For those wishing to keep up their fitness regime, the 6th floor has an extensive gym with weights, aerobic machines and furthermore, there is a running track, golf course and putting range on the top deck! There is also a basketball court.
I personally felt exhilarated after walking around the ship all day – I smashed my steps goals daily just going to dinner from my suite. But it didn’t feel like I was exerting myself as the eye was drawn to the artwork along each corridor and there were frequent opportunities to stop (in the bar) for a rest. Even the elevators are works of art and have a very art deco feel about them.
This seasoned traveler (resplendent with salt and pepper hair!) cannot emphasize how well and rested I felt after my perfect experience on the most luxurious ship ever built. Discerning passengers will appreciate the accomplishment by Regent Seven Seas cruises to provide simply the best cruise holiday ever.
I note that the Grandeur will be offering a Miami cruise in the winter – now that’s something I am seriously considering!
