Tag Archives: Explorer-class ships

Regent Announces 2027 World Cruise with 71 Ports

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Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced its 2027 World Cruise, sailing from January 11, 2027, onboard the Seven Seas Splendor, according to a press release.

Sailing from Miami, Florida to New York, the 2027 World of Splendor adventure travels to 71 ports of call in the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Europe. Guests will travel 35,668 nautical miles across three oceans, exploring 40 countries on six continents.

Also included are over 480 shore excursions and 14 overnight stays,  as well as a chance to visit 73 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Prices for the 140-night world tour start at $91,499 per guest for a Veranda Suite and up to $839,999 per guest for the Regent Suite.

“We have seen continued interest and demand to venture further afield and for longer durations and so we are thrilled to announce that our 2027 World Cruise will take place on board Seven Seas Splendor, offering more luxury travelers the opportunity to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Andrea DeMarco, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“This will be the first time a World Cruise will sail on board one of our magnificent Explorer-Class ships, Seven Seas Splendor, which was launched in 2020 and offers the highest standards of unrivaled luxury, and features the one-of-a-kind, 4,443 square foot Regent Suite.”

In addition, for the first time, travelers can embark on this World Cruise in the most exclusive address residence at sea – the Regent Suite. The Regent Suite experience onboard is priced at $1.7 million dollars for two guests.

Two more expedition ships for rapidly expanding Ponant

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Ponant has now ordered six Explorer-class ships. The first two arrive this year.FORT LAUDERDALE — Ponant plans to build two more Explorer-class ships for delivery in 2020.

The two ships will be called Le Bellot and Le Surville. They will be the fifth and sixth in a class that starts with two ships arriving in 2018 (Le Laperouse in June and Le Champlain in September), followed by two (Le Bougainville and Le Kerguelen) in 2019.

Like the other Explorer ships, Le Bellot and Le Surville are named for French navigators (Joseph Rene Bellot and Jean-François-Marie de Surville).

Together with Ponant’s current five-ship fleet and an icebreaker due in 2021, the French luxury expedition line expects to have 12 ships in service by 2021.

The seven new ships represent a $2 billion investment, said Herve Bellaiche, Ponant’s chief sales and marketing officer. “No other company has invested that kind of amount in small ships,” he said.

Ponant announced the new ships at a press conference at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference. The event was attended by founder Jean Emmanuel Sauvee, who created the company 30 years ago to revive the French cruising tradition embodied by the steamships Normandie and France.

However, the idea was adapted to modern times, with Ponant becoming a small-ship line while still holding to the French ocean heritage of luxury interiors and fine cuisine. “Small is best. Destination is key,” Sauvee said in summarizing the line’s philosophy.

Sauvee said Ponant expects to have 460 departures in 2021. Edie Rodriguez, hired last fall as Ponant’s Americas brand chair and corporate special advisor, said the growth makes marketing in North America imperative. “As we grow from five ships to 12, clearly, we need to conquer the U.S. market,” Rodriguez said.