£300million, 51,000 tonnes and just 750 guests: Inside the world’s most luxurious cruise ship… 

  • complete with a suite four times bigger than the average HOUSE
  • Ship weighs 56,000 tons and can carry 750 guests in luxury throughout with huge amounts of space
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  • The Regent Suite measures 3,875-square-foot, the average house size in the UK is 1,042 square-feet
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  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises reported both single-day and first week record bookings for the Explorer
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The Regent Seven Seas Cruises Explorer will come in at 732ft in length, but will carry just 750 guests in total and every room will be a suite.

With gourmet dining throughout, marble floors, crystal chandeliers and one ‘residence’ that is almost four times bigger than the average house in the UK, the vessel is certainly set to take the luxury ship market by storm.

The Penthouse on the Seven Seas Explorer will offer luxury and importantly decent amount of space for guests to relax

The Penthouse on the Seven Seas Explorer will offer luxury and importantly decent amount of space for guests to relax

There are already two dining rooms built on board the Seven Seas Explorer, with plans for more to be constructed before first sail

There are already two dining rooms built on board the Seven Seas Explorer, with plans for more to be constructed before first sail

The Seven Seas Explorer is still under construction, but already the plans for rendering are spectacular 

The Seven Seas Explorer is still under construction, but already the plans for rendering are spectacular 

The ship is designed to be the most luxurious ship ever built, with the one-of-a-kind, opulent 3,875-square-foot Regent Suite, extravagantly designed lounges and showplaces, and lavish gourmet restaurants. The average size of a house in the UK is around 1,042-square-feet, so the top suite is almost four times the size of this.

‘We meticulously designed every detail aboard Seven Seas Explorer in order to make it the most luxurious ship ever built, and we are thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive response from our past guests and travel partners,’ said Graham Sadler, managing director of Regent Seven Seas Cruises UK.

The living area inside the Regent Suite, that measures in total almost four times the size of an average UK house, oozes class and style

The living area inside the Regent Suite, that measures in total almost four times the size of an average UK house, oozes class and style

The bathroom of the Regent Suite will come with all the mod cons, but will retain a glamorous edge that will excite guests

The bathroom of the Regent Suite will come with all the mod cons, but will retain a glamorous edge that will excite guests

How could you not feel relaxed in this? The bedroom of the Regent Suite is bright and airy and is sure to guarantee a good night's sleep

How could you not feel relaxed in this? The bedroom of the Regent Suite is bright and airy and is sure to guarantee a good night’s sleep

‘Our booking experience echoed that of our offices in the US and with the maiden voyage nearly sold out and demand for the inaugural season being extremely strong, it underscores the global excitement surrounding the world’s most luxurious ship.’

The world’s most luxurious ship is already surpassing expectations, as Regent Seven Seas Cruises reported both single-day and first week record bookings for the line’s new flagship Seven Seas Explorer.

The ship went on sale exclusively to members of the line’s loyalty programme, the Seven Seas Society, on January 19, and reservations made that day surpassed the line’s previous single-day revenue record by nearly three times.

The welcome on board the luxury cruise ship is sure to leave guests wide-eyed with anticipation of what to expect next

The lounge on the Explorer can suit any mood; you can quite easily relax with a nice cocktail on an evening, or have a morning pick-me-up


The lounge on the Explorer can suit any mood; you can quite easily relax with a nice cocktail on an evening, or have a morning pick-me-up

The Observation Lounge abroad the Explorer is sure to be a favourite haunt, catching glimpses of sunsets and sunrise

The Observation Lounge abroad the Explorer is sure to be a favourite haunt, catching glimpses of sunsets and sunrise

The new level of grandeur offered on Seven Seas Explorer generated strong demand for the ship’s inaugural season, resulting in a new weekly sales record for Regent Seven Seas Cruises that more than doubled the previous high.

Currently, reservations for Seven Seas Explorer are limited to past cruisers with the line and will become widely available from February 4.

Scheduled to set sail in the summer of 2016, Seven Seas Explorer’s maiden voyage will be a 14-night sailing from Monte Carlo to Venice on 20 July 2016. The inaugural season highlights a variety of iconic locations throughout the Mediterranean including Ibiza, Barcelona, St. Tropez and Venice.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is setting a new standard for luxury cruise holidays with the launch of Seven Seas Explorer.

Royal Caribbean Release Update On Third Oasis Class Ship

Third Oasis Class

Royal Caribbean have released new photos from the French shipyard where the third oasis class vessel is being constructed.

The unnamed cruise ship is currently being constructed at the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. It will be the same class as Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas but at a slightly larger 227,700 gross tons. take a look at the photos below released by the cruise line:

Not much information has been released yet but we do know that the ship will make its debut in April 2016 so expect more details to be released by Royal Caribbean over the coming months. The ship will feature seven distinct themed areas just like her sister ships. Also we’re pretty sure Royal Caribbean will offer something innovative and new to the cruise industry. Cruise Hive will keep readers informed as new details are released but until then feel free to post in the comments below about what you would like to see featured on the Third oasis class ship.

The ABC Guide on How to Retire on a Cruise Ship

For most people, a cruise ship is a place to relax for a week or two out of the year but for 86-year-old Lee Wachtstetter, the Crystal Serenity cruise ship has been her permanent home for the past seven years – amounting to an annual payout of $164,000 (£108,215).

After the death of her husband, the Florida widow took her daughter’s advice and sold her ten-acre, five bedroom home in Fort Lauderdale, replacing it with a 1,070-passenger vessel.

Speaking to Asbury Park Press, Ms Wachtstetter said it was her husband Mason who sparked her passion for cruising.

“During our 50-year marriage we did 89 cruises. I’ve done nearly a hundred more and 15 world cruises. The day before my husband died of cancer in 1997, he told me, ‘Don’t stop cruising.’ So here I am today living a stress-free, fairy-tale life,” she recalled.

Known aboard the 11-year-old Crystal Serenity ship as Mama Lee, Ms Wachtstetter has been living on the luxury vessel for longer than its 655 crew members.

After visiting more than 100 countries in her lifetime, it’s rare that Lee goes ashore and prefers to have the quiet ship to herself while passengers leave to explore the visiting destination.

The only time she makes an exception is when the vessel stops at Istanbul. “I can’t resist the Grand Bazaar. You can find gorgeously regal or glitzy outfits there, perfect for formal or casual wear and not terribly expensive. I have to restrain myself every time because of my limited cabin space,” Ms Wachtstetter admitted.

Living on a cruise ship means that Lee often misses her family. Her daughter has since passed away but she keeps in touch with her three sons and seven grandchildren via her laptop computer.

But despite being away from her loved ones, Ms Wachtstetter is far from lonely and frequently makes friends with passengers.

She spends lots of her time onboard in Crystal Serenity’s Palm Court lounge doing needlepoint work – a favourite pastime for the last 50 years.

There are three other women who also live on the vessel, but none have been residing for as long as Lee.

Hubert Buelacher, Serenity’s hotel director, described her as “an amazing woman, one of a kind”.

Would you ever live on a cruise ship, if so Which One?