Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)
Seven Seas Voyager
★★★★+
Berlitz’s Ratings
Ship: 430 out of 500
Accommodation: 176 out of 200
Food: 324 out of 400
Service: 306 out of 400
Entertainment: 82 out of 100
Cruise: 324 out of 400
Overall Score: 1642 out of 2000
Seven Seas Voyager Statistics
Size: Small Ship
Tonnage: 42,363
Lifestyle: Luxury/Premium
Cruise Line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Former Names: none
IMO Number: 9247144
Builder: T. Mariotti (Italy)
Original Cost: $240 million
Entered Service: Mar 2003
Registry: Bahamas
Length (ft/m): 669.2/204.0
Beam (ft/m): 94.5/28.8
Draft (ft/m): 23.0/7.0
Propulsion/Propellers: diesel-electric (16,000kW)/2 azimuthing pods
Passenger Decks: 9
Total Crew: 445
Passengers (lower beds): 708
Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds): 59.8
Passenger/Crew Ratio (lower beds): 1.65
Cabins (total): 354
Size Range (sq ft/m): 356.0-1,399.3/33.0-130.0
Cabins (for one person): 0
Cabins (with private balcony): 354
Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 4
Wheelchair accessibility: Best
Cabin Current: 110 volts
Elevators: 6
Casino (gaming tables): Yes
Slot Machines: Yes
Swimming Pools: 1
Hot Tubs (on deck): 3
Self-Service Launderette: Yes
Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No
Library: Yes
Onboard currency: US$
This is premium all-inclusive cruising with space and style
Overview. Seven Seas Voyager would be ideally suited to well-traveled couples and single travelers, typically over 50, seeking excellent itineraries, fine food, and good service, with some entertainment, in a contemporary ship that’s elegant and comfortable.
The Ship. Seven Seas Voyager was built in 32 blocks, with the same basic hull design as Seven Seas Mariner, with a few modifications. Following a 2013 multi-million dollar makeover, there is now a complete outdoor walk-around deck, and a forward observation area (both on Deck 12).
Inside, there is a decent range of public rooms, almost all located under the accommodation decks. Three sets of stairways mean it is easy to find your way around. An atrium lobby spans nine decks, with the lowest level opening directly onto the tender landing stage.
Facilities include five bars, a showlounge that spans two decks, an observation lounge, a casino, a shopping concourse, a large library, Internet-connect center, Club.com and business center (Coffee.com), a card room, and a small conference room. There is also a nightclub, Voyager, with an oval-shaped dance floor, a cigar-smoking lounge, the Connoisseur Club for cigars and cognacs, and an ‘art’ gallery.
Accommodation. There are about a dozen different accommodation price grades. As the ship was built with a central corridor design, this has allowed for larger suites and bathrooms than aboard Seven Seas Mariner. This is Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ second ‘all-suites, all-balconies’ ship - although that’s not strictly correct as not all sleeping areas are completely separated from living areas.
All grades of accommodation have private, marble-clad bathrooms with tub, walk-in closet with personal safe, and most suite entrances are recessed away from passenger hallways (a central corridor), so as to provide extra quietness. All have a private balcony, although all except those in the Master Suites and Grand Suites measure only 50 sq ft (4.6 sq m); all have pleasing teak decking. Partitions are of the partial type, except for the Master Suites and Grand Suites, which have full floor-to-ceiling partitions, and are completely private.
Master Suites. Basically 1,162 sq ft/108 sq m, these two suites, 1100 and 1001, each expand to 1,403 sq ft (130 sq m) when paired with one Grand Suite via an interconnecting door, while 700 and 701 measure 1,335 sq ft (124 sq m). Each has two separate bedrooms, living room with TV/DVD player, walk-in closet with personal safe, dining area, large, two marble-clad bathrooms with tub and separate shower enclosure, and private teakwood-decked balconies. These suites are directly under the navigation bridge. Butler service is provided, as is a Nespresso coffee machine. The bathrooms, which are open to the bedroom, have a stand-alone tub with integral shower, separate shower, toilet, bidet, and washbasin. The private balcony, with floor-to-ceiling partitions, has teak decking and deck furniture.
Grand Suites. These two suites (1104, 1005) are one deck above the navigation bridge and each is 876 sq ft/81 sq m. They are pleasant living spaces, and have a separate bedroom, living room with TV/DVD player, walk-in closet, dining area, and two marble-clad bathing areas. One bathing area, open to the bedroom, although a curtain can be used to close it off, has a large five-sided sit-in tub placed in a glass-walled enclosure on the balcony - but with no access door to the balcony, which can be accessed only from the lounge/dining area. The second is a bathroom with separate shower enclosure, bidet, toilet, and washbasin. The suites have a private balcony with port or starboard views. There is also a guest toilet. Butler service is provided, as is a Nespresso coffee machine. The private balcony is similar to that in the Master Suites.
Voyager Suites. Measuring 603 sq ft/56 sq m, these eight suites, on port and starboard sides of the atrium on three decks, have a separate bedroom, living room with TV/DVD player, walk-in closet, dining area, large marble-clad bathroom with tub and separate shower enclosure, and a good-size private balcony with either port or starboard views. Butler service is provided. The balcony has teakwood deck, part partitions, and white plastic deck furniture.
Seven Seas Suites. Six spacious suites measuring 657 sq ft/61 sq m are located aft overlooking the ship’s stern and have a generous wraparound balcony. However, the balconies can be partly overlooked. They have teak decking, but white plastic deck furniture. Butler service is provided. Another four Seven Seas Suites, located amidships, measure a slightly smaller 545 sq ft (51 sq m), and have small balconies with either port or starboard views. They have a separate bedroom, living room with infotainment, walk-in closet, dining area, and large marble-clad bathroom with a combination tub/shower.
Penthouse Suites. There are 32 Category ‘A’ Penthouse Suites and 32 Category ‘B’ Penthouse Suites - Category ‘A’ Suites have the better location, but the size is the same at 370 sq ft/34.3 sq m. These have a sleeping area with dressing table and adjacent lounge area, walk-in closet, and bathroom with tub, washbasin, separate shower enclosure, and toilet. The balcony is accessed from the lounge. The balcony has teakwood deck, part partitions, and white plastic deck furniture. Butler service is provided.
Horizon Suites. The 29 Horizon Suites, measuring 522 sq ft/48.4 sq m, overlook the stern, some being sandwiched between the larger Seven Seas Suites, and have a good-size balcony and aft-facing views. They have a separate bedroom, living room with TV/DVD player, walk-in closet, dining area, and a large marble-clad bathroom with a combination tub/shower. The balcony has teakwood deck, part partitions, and white plastic deck furniture.
All other cabins. Categories C-H in the brochure, listed as Deluxe Suites and measuring 356 sq ft/33 sq m, have twin beds that convert to a queen-size bed (European duvets are standard), small walk-in closet, marble-lined bathroom with combination tub/shower, cotton bathrobe and towels, vanity desk, hairdryer, flat-screen infotainment center, refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and bar set-up on embarkation, and personal safe. The sleeping area is separated from the living area only by partial room dividers, and therefore they are cabins - albeit good-size ones - rather than suites.
Four wheelchair-accessible suites (761, 762, 859, and 860) are all as close to an elevator as one could possibly get, and provide ample living space, together with a large roll-in shower and all bathroom fittings at the correct height.
Dining. The 570-seat Compass Rose Restaurant is the main dining room. It has tables for two to 10 and dining is on an open seating basis, so you can dine with whomever you choose, when you choose. In general, the cuisine is very good, and there’s plenty of choice.
Other dining options. The 80-seat Prime 7 Steakhouse is the smallest of the specialty dining venues. It features a range of superb USDA prime, dry-aged steaks as well as chops, oven-roasted half chicken, Alaskan king crab legs, and Maine lobster. It’s the most intimate dining spot - though, again, the single-deck ceiling height makes it feel busy - and it can get noisy. There is seating for two, four, or six, and reservations are required.
Signatures ‘supper club’ seats 120, and has ocean views along the room’s port side. It is directed and staffed by chefs wearing the white toque and blue riband of Le Cordon Bleu, the prestigious culinary society, whose cuisine is classic French. Seating is at tables of two, four, or six, and reservations are required.
For more casual meals, La Veranda is a large self-serve indoor/outdoor café with seats for 450, and the decor is fresh and light. This eatery has several food islands and substantial counter display space. At night, it is transformed into Sette Mari - an Italian eatery with some excellent pasta-based dishes.
The outdoor Pool Grill and ice cream bar, adjacent to the swimming pool, is a popular eatery. It features a creative list of burgers as well as various sandwiches.
Entertainment. The stunning Constellation Showlounge spans two decks, and sight lines are very good from almost all seats. A troupe of 10 singers/dancers provides colorful mini-Las Vegas-style revues and production shows. Cabaret acts provide stand-alone evening shows. The ship carries a main showband, several small musical groups and soloists.
Spa/Fitness. For details of the Canyon Ranch SpaClub and other sporting facilities, see the listing for Seven Seas Mariner. An 18 percent gratuity is included in treatment and beauty salon services prices.