Explorer sister ship to be built

[WesW]

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. today announced that it has reached an agreement with Fincantieri of Italy to construct a sister ship to Seven Seas Explorer for its Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand for delivery in 2020, according to a prepared statement. Scheduled for delivery in 2020, the ship will be 54,000 tons and carry 738 passengers

 

 

Just saw the sticky that LauraS posted above..kudos to cruise critic for being so far out front with the new Regent news.

 

 

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/14295-regent-orders-newbuild-for-2020-delivery.html

Edited March 31, 2016 by WesW

[Pepc]

The Miami-based luxury line's soon-to-debut Seven Seas Explorer, currently under construction in Italy, will be getting a sister in 2020, Regent parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced Thursday.

 

The as-yet-unnamed vessel will have many of the same high-end features and amenities being installed on the 750-passenger Explorer, which is scheduled to debut in July, the company said.

 

Explorer already is proving a huge hit with luxury-minded vacationers. Cabins for its inaugural season have been selling heavily. Its inaugural sailing sold out the first day it was on sale.

 

“The extraordinary demand generated by Seven Seas Explorer, including record-breaking booking volumes, reinforced our decision to expand our fleet with an additional ship that mirrors the same incredibly high standards of luxury," Regent president and COO Jason Montague said in a statement accompanying Thursday's announcement.

 

Regent has been billing Explorer as the most luxurious ship ever. At $450 million, it's the most expensive luxury ship ever built, and it'll boast one of the highest ratios of space to passengers in the history of cruising. It'll also have some of the largest, most elaborate accommodations at sea, including a single suite measuring 3,875-square-foot -- nearly 50% larger than the average house in the USA.

 

Explorer also will have a wide range of upscale eateries including new-for-the-line contemporary French and Asian restaurants, and a newly designed version of the line's signature steakhouse, Prime 7. A stylish spa operated by Canyon Ranch; a two-tiered, 694-seat theater; and an opulent Observation Lounge that evokes the 1920s also are in the works.

 

Regent on Thursday said the newly order ship would be even pricier than Explorer at 422 million euros -- about $480 million.

[Portolan]

Looking forward to being on Explorer next year and with another sip in the pipeline we hope to see more interesting itineraries than the bread-and-butter routine of the last few years.

[UUNetBill]

Hearing about another new build (which I hope has a more exciting name than Explorer) I can't help but wonder about the long-term plans for Navigator. :confused:

[Jim B]

Personally I hope it is short term plans for the Navigator.

Only thing I liked about it was the show theater.

[rcandkc]

I personally like the Navigator better than the Mariner, so different ships for different customers. Hope they keep her.

[liptastic]

I am also a navigator fan. Mybe it's a ship you either like or dislike ? It just seems to have a comfortable feel and also for me has felt much more friendly. I know it has its issues which are well known, but it has not impacted on our 2 cruises on board. Jean.

[Gilly]

Whilst on Mariner last month, we heard of a potentially interesting itinerary on Navigator for Summer 2017 which might be confirmed when the new programmes are announced - or not! (which is why I haven't been more specific - I don't want to put the cat among the pigeons ;-) ) But I agree, rcandkc, the more choice, the better.

[UUNetBill]

We have Navigator cruise #3 coming up in July, and I too am a Navigator fan. It has an intimate feel that I don't get on the other ships. Not that the other ships are bad, I love them, too, but they have a slightly different 'feel' - not better or worse, just different. I'd also like to see them keep her in service.