The Seven Seas Splendor carries 746 passengers and 548 crew and is marketed as one of the world's most luxurious cruise ships.
The Seven Seas Splendor carries 746 passengers and 548 crew and is marketed as one of the world's most luxurious cruise ships.
Step aboard one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships, where Picasso hangs on the walls, cocktails are crafted to your name, and even the putting green comes with a sea view, writes Shayne Currie
Trotting up the gangplank of the Seven Seas Splendor is akin to turning left atthe entrance of an airplane. And then sauntering through the business cabin, to the rarefied air of first class.
And not just any first class – imagine a ship where you have the choice of five speciality restaurants each evening; a passenger-crew ratio of almost 1-1; a personal concierge service; and a $9.97 million art collection that would be the envy of many gallery curators on land.
My wife and I boarded the Seven Seas Splendor in Italy as relative cruise-ship novices. We’d been on one cruise before – a personal trip just six months earlier – along a similar route in the Mediterranean.
That was a four-star ship and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. But the Seven Seas Splendor takes cruising, and the stars, to a new galaxy.
It’s marketed as one of the world’s most luxurious cruise ships.
There’s certainly enough on board that it becomes a genuine toss-up as to whether you stay put, in the lap of luxury, or venture out to see historic ruins or a centuries-old church. The journey, as they say, is the destination.
After five nights on board – we ventured from Salerno in western Italy and stopped at Kusadasi in Turkey before a final night in Athens, Greece – we were enamoured.
Aside from some of the better-known, perhaps expected treats on board, there were also some gems, slightly less marketed but no less accessible.
Here, then, are a mix – seven of our top highlights of the Seven Seas Splendor:
The library
We spent hours in the comfort of one of the many leather chairs in the nooks and crannies, and among the wood-panelled shelves, of the 11th-deck library. The collection is vast, with rare titles. You might need to bring your own Lee Child – and there’d be no problem doing so – but this is a chance to delve into Taschen luxury art books and coffee-table photography and travel tomes. There’s also the computer printouts of daily newspapers if you’ve had enough of the phone screen – indulge in the New York Times, the Daily Telegraph UK or the Wall Street Journal. And while on reading matter – how’s this for personalised service – a two-sheet NZ newspaper was delivered to our room each evening, with all the day’s highlights from home. A news junkie’s paradise.
Personalised cocktails
Cocktails are impossible to avoid on the Seven Seas Splendor.
Each of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ six ships – the Splendor, Explorer, Grandeur, Mariner, Navigator and Voyager – has a specially named cocktail. I got through them all, in the course of my travel journalism responsibilities, obviously. “The Splendor” – a tasty blend of crown royal, lemon juice, ginger, honey and citrus bitters – was the best and most potent. But I might be biased.
The sports deck
The golf lessons I bought for my wife for Christmas came back to bite me, when she beat me by one shot in the inaugural Seven Seas Splendor Italian Open. The 18-hole putting course on the outdoor 12th deck makes for a competitive landscape, with unrivalled and constantly changing views. I took out my frustration with a 3-wood driver, and ventured to the golf net nearby. Also available – paddle tennis, croquet, shuffleboard and bocce. Let the games begin.
Pablo Picasso's Le Taureau Noir (lithograph) is on display in Prime 7, the ship's premier steakhouse, on board Seven Seas Splendor.
Steakhouse restaurant Prime 7 was our favourite speciality eatery – but Pacific Rim wasn’t far behind. Pablo Picasso’s Le Taureau Noir (lithograph) greets you at the reception of Prime 7. My 18-ounce bone-in rib steak was cooked to medium-rare perfection; while my wife devoured the whole Maine Lobster. The service was first-class, too – and refreshingly honest. For our night in Pacific Rim, we were steered away from the duck (a little too dry on this occasion) and on to melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, pork and prawn siu mai, crispy soft shell crab tempura and Thai red chicken curry.
The Concierge Suite
This was our home away from home for five nights. Honestly, you could live in the room and not venture out for a week. With a marble bathroom, walk-in closet, and a roomy deck, we had the space and, yes, a concierge – Rafael – looking after our every whim. He stocked the mini-bar each evening with our personalised choices – a fresh lager or two, and a bottle of sauvignon blanc wine; and some water and sugar-free Cokes for in between. And the bed was heaven – we were already on Cloud 9; the bed was the physical embodiment of that.
The Regent Suite
The Regent Suite has a private outdoor spa pool on board the Seven Seas Splendor.
This is huge, but hidden away. We couldn’t get access to visit one of the most luxurious suites in the cruise world – it was occupied, and for £11,000 ($24,700) per person, per night, the least you might expect is some privacy from prying travel journalists. Located on deck 14, the Regent Suite sweeps around the front of the ship – essentially it’s the same footprint as the bridge and observation lounge on the decks below. Inside you’ll find another Picasso, a private in-suite spa with sauna, steam room and jet tub and access to the finest wines and amenities.
A late-night dance
After dinner or a show – the Constellation Theatre’s calendar of events was chocka with a different musical or show every night – we landed on the intimate Splendor Lounge as the place to be. We watched as a group of four women stormed the dance floor, singing their hearts out, hand in hand, to Dionne Warwick’s That’s What Friends Are For. We took to the floor later for a final farewell dance/sway to a ship of our dreams, before a nightcap cocktail.
Details
Seven Seas Splendor departs May 15, 2026, from Athens (Piraeus) for a 7-night cruise to Athens, Santorini, Heraklion, Mykonos, and Istanbul.
Deluxe Veranda Suite G2 from $10,610 per person
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie was a guest of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, sailing on Seven Seas Splendor from Salerno, Italy, to Athens Greece. For more information on Revent Seven Seas Cruises, visit rssc.com.
