I went on a luxury cruise for the first time. This is what I learned (2024)

Not many people get the chance to experience their first cruise aboard the Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, which is one of six Regent Seven Seas ships in “The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet”, but Johanna Thornton did just that with a 10-day cruise from Venice, Italy to Athens, Greece, cruising the

Seven Seas Grandeur is Regent’s newest ship, launched in November 2023, with a reputation for exceptional service, luxurious suites, excellent dining, and all-inclusive offerings. There was a lot to discover about the art of cruising on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, which departed from Venice, Italy and sailed to some of Europe’s most stunning destinations, like Santorini and Istanbul. Here are some learnings.

It pays to get the terminology correct

Port, starboard, aft, bow. Nautical terminology is par for the course on a cruise and I made my first faux pas before I’d even boarded Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, telling fellow passengers how excited I was to board the “boat” as we waited on the dock in Venice. “It’s a ship, not a boat. Ships carry boats,” a fellow cruiser quickly corrected me. “That’s something you want to get right before you board.” As someone aiming to look like I belonged on a luxury cruise, I deleted boat from my vocabulary.

Your suite won’t be ready when you do get on board

Cruise ships run a strict schedule, and often the day of boarding for new guests is the day of departure for the previous. Staff need time to turn around the suites and for most guests arriving on the day of departure, it’ll mean a welcome Champagne (or two or three) and lunch at La Veranda restaurant on the pool deck. This is hardly a chore, and only adds to the excitement of the room reveals later in the afternoon, which is broadcast over the ship’s speaker system from the captain’s deck.

Suite layouts range from 28.5 square metres to 413sq m

Yes, 413. Of the 15 suite categories on board, the Regent Suite is the ship’s largest and grandest. It features two bedrooms (plus a separate guest bedroom and bathroom, for staff, one would assume), a spacious living room with a separate sitting and dining area, three walk-in closets (three!) and two marble and stone bathrooms. There’s also an in-room spa with a sauna, steam room and unlimited access to spa treatments.

My suite, the Superior Suite, is 38sq m, which is bigger than my first apartment. I arrived to a bottle of Veuve in a Champagne bucket, chocolate-dipped strawberries on a silver tray, and the minibar stocked with cold drinks.

The suite is comfortable, with a sitting area that closes off from the bed with floor-to-ceiling curtains and a private balcony with room for two lounge chairs. I’m sharing a suite with my mum, and our sleeping arrangements are two beautifully made king singles, with individual nightstands and reading lights, and room to store our luggage underneath. We’d later marvel at the exceptional quality of the 1000 thread-count, Egyptian cotton sheets, which are so famous on board they’re available for guests to buy. In the marble-accented bathroom, there are two sinks, a full-size marble bath and a generous rain shower The complimentary toiletries are L’Occitane, replenished daily, and the towels are oversized, white and fluffy. The best part? A handsome dark wood walk-in wardrobe with all the space you could ever need.

Everything is free, well nearly everything

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is an all-inclusive luxury cruise line, which means for Australian and New Zealand guests the ticket price covers unlimited complimentary shore excursions, dinner and drinks at the speciality restaurants, fine wines and spirits at the co*cktail lounges, entertainment, internet access, valet laundry, gratuities, a fully stocked mini bar, and one-night pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.

It took me a week to adjust to ordering whatever I wanted at breakfast, lunch and dinner and then just walking out without paying. It’s an exhilarating feeling knowing that nothing on the menu is off limits but we didn’t go overboard when it came to ordering, except for always saying yes to dessert. I’ve heard of people ordering one of everything just because they can on cruises, but on Regent the clientele are used to the good life and I don’t spot many tables heaving with lobster and caviar. Although you’re more than welcome to order extra lobster to add to your lobster bisque, which I saw one diner do.

At The Observation Lounge co*cktail bar, you can join friends for pre-dinner drinks and no one has to handle the bill afterwards. It makes socialising a breeze and lowers the stakes of asking someone to join you for dinner when no one has to pay. This experience does ruin you for real life and there’s no greater reality check than the price of a mediocre coffee at Dubai airport.

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As part of the ship’s all-inclusive offering, the mini bar is stocked with an ever-replenished selection of beverages of your choice. Do you want a fresh bottle of chardonnay added every day? co*ke? Sparkling water? We found we barely used our minibar with the abundance of food and drink offerings on board the ship. We looked forward to our pre-dinner co*cktails in the Observation Lounge or from the Pool Deck bar to enjoy poolside.

There are no tea or coffee facilities available in your room

“There’s no coffee machine in our room?” I exclaimed to Mum on arrival. “This is not going to work.” The absence of a tea and coffee station isn’t an oversight, it’s a safety issue because having appliances plugged in is a fire hazard. Staff on board unplug lamps, hair dryers and chargers as part of their cleaning and turn downs. If you want tea or coffee on board, you can either order it via room service or head to Coffee Connection on level five, where barista-made coffee is on offer, as well as a selection of light refreshments like pastries, toast, fruit, yoghurt and muesli. There’s also high tea in the Meridian Lounge available from 4pm.

There is a dress code and it does get enforced

In the evenings the dress code is “elegant casual” which means a skirt or trousers with a blouse or sweater, a pantsuit or dress for women, and for men it’s trousers and a collared shirt; a sports jacket is optional and ties are not required. Jeans are not permitted, which was a curveball for a lover of great denim. Diners on board definitely make an effort with their dinner attire, especially for the speciality restaurants and dressing for dinner became a highlight of the day for Mum and me. We sailed through a wardrobe of dresses, silk shirts, tailored trousers, blazers and high heels and never felt overdressed – it was fun. The dress code does get enforced too: a friend I made onboard was in one of the co*cktail lounges when the clock struck 6pm and was politely asked to vacate because she was wearing her excursion outfit of activewear and sneakers after the allocated time.

The food is excellent

There are seven dining options on board, including five specialty restaurants, and many ship conversations centre around the night’s dinner reservation.

If any space represents the high-octane glamour of Regent Seven Seas Grandeur, it’s Compass Rose, the ship’s largest speciality restaurant and a reliable option for lunch or dinner any day of the journey. Bookings aren’t necessary here and it easily accommodates larger groups, meaning it’s the restaurant of choice for spontaneous dinners with new friends. The wow factor starts at the entry with a sculptural glass and metal waterfall cascading behind the host stand. Inside the dining room, there’s a canopy of crystal-covered “trees” that glow with light, their branches creating a stunning lattice effect on the ceiling. It reminded me of Gothic-style vaulted ceilings inside European churches with grand curved pillars. At Compass Rose, Calcutta marble glitters with a gold vein and crystal-shaped leaves adorn the walls. It’s a sensory overload that extends to the Versace tableware and crystal glassware.

To eat, you can build your dish by choosing from a range of proteins like lobster tail, whole Dover sole, New Zealand lamb chops and Black Angus fillet mignon, adding a sauce (garlic butter, madeira-truffle, green peppercorn to name a few) and a side (lyonnaise potatoes, asparagus or buttered vegetables). You can also choose from the menu of appetisers and chef’s specials or let the executive chef choose with the degustation menu.

Pacific Rim is a standout, the ship’s pan-Asian restaurant offering refined plates of sashimi, pork and shrimp shui mai, duck confit adobo, miso black cod and sticky Chinese barbecue ribs. Like each of the speciality restaurants, Pacific Rim has a unique look and feel, with a palette of elegant black, gold and green and a life-size bonsai cherry tree by Savoy Studios made from bronze and hand-cut glass. Pacific Rim books out quickly so be sure to pre-book before you get on board.

Mum and I had a great night at Prime 7, the interior of which is inspired by a New York City steakhouse with a menu of speciality beef cuts, seafood and iconic starters like jumbo shrimp co*cktail and caesar salad. If those dinner options sound run of the mill, the design of the restaurant is anything but. Thinkglamorous red leather wingback chairs, custom-made onyx and leather chandeliers, bevelled glass surfaces, stitched leather detailing in the ceilings and curved pillars, and even Persian rugs at the rear of the ship.

At Chartreuse, the menu is classic French and the dishes are truly beautiful – possibly the most dazzling on the ship, so have your phone ready. Dine on escargot with anchovy and pommery mustard cream, duck with turnips and cherries and souffle aux fromages (emmenthal and blue cheese souffle).

The interior favours high-octane glamour

Design is by the award-winning Miami-based Studio Dado to a brief of “refined style, matchless elegance, and breath-taking beauty”, and they have certainly hit the mark with surfaces in gold, marble, textured wallcoverings, rich wood, bevelled glass and crystals. More is more, baby!

There’s entertainment every night

There’s a lot to keep you busy on board. From swimming in the pool or lounging in the spa (or just relaxing on the pool deck), to a round of mini golf or pickleball on the top deck, a workout in the gym, trivia and cards in the Card Room, shopping at the ship’s luxury boutiques or booking in for a cooking class. There’s also after-dinner entertainment every night at Constellation Theatre, from music to dance and stand up comedy. The 500-seat theatre is impressive, with red velvet-covered swivel seats and chic banquets. If music and dance are your thing, Regent’s own The Grandeur Production Company performs four Broadway-style shows including Pasion, a celebration of the Tango. I went to UK comedian Steven Stevens’ set with a martini in hand and had some good laughs before his show descended into elderly humour and musical theatre, but the audience loved it. The theatre also screens movie nights, playing blockbuster movies like The Beekeeper on the big screen and handing out popcorn.

There’s a spa on board, and it’s very luxe

The Serene Spa & Wellness Centre has one of the most impressive entryways I’ve ever seen, with a marble-lined walkway illuminated with glowing lamps. The spa has exquisite studios for hair and nail treatments and private treatment rooms offering massage, facials and body wraps. There’s also a gym with a daily fitness schedule of Pilates, HIIT, stretching and more. Outside on the stern, a spa and pool are an atmospheric place to hang out when the ship is in motion. You can also enjoy an infrared sauna, cold room and steam room.

Shore excursions take you to some of the wonders of the world

There are free shore excursions at every port, which you can and should book in advance, as the best ones fill up quickly. These range from guided tours to boat rides, wine tastings to city walks, with tour buses parked on the dock ready to transport you to some of the wonders of the world. We loved the guided tour of Ancient Ephesus in Izmir, Turkey, a Unesco world heritage site that has preserved this ancient Roman city and uncovered architectural gems like the terraced houses, which were the palatial houses of the wealthy constructed during the 1st century AD.

In Montenegro, we toured another Unesco site, the Old Town of Kotor, a medieval city enclosed by 20m-high walls and ventured inside the monumental Venetian-style Church of Our Lady’s Temple, which took 120 years to build (1789–1909). While the Old Town was stunning, a highlight of the cruise was sailing out of the Bay of Kotor, which is surrounded by mountainous peaks and the bluest sea, like Montenegro’s answer to Queenstown.

Exploring each port is great, but you’ll grow to love getting back on board at the end of the day

At the start of the cruise, I was concerned about the amount of time we’d be spending on board the ship. Our journey was taking us to amazing places like Santorini in Greece, Kotor in the magical country of Montenegro, and Istanbul in Turkey and I wanted to spend every minute I could soaking up the experiences on shore. But, to my surprise, I began to look forward to returning “home” to the ship.

This crystalised on an incredibly hot day in tourist-filled Santorini, where the cobblestone alleyways were so full of people it was a 40-minute wait to see Oia’s famous blue-roofed St Anastasi church and two hours to queue for the cable cars that would transport us down the hill to the ship. Seven Seas Grandeur, which was anchored within sight in the harbour, looked like an oasis from the busyness of Oia.

Even more so after we opted to take the 600 slippery stone steps down the hill instead of the cable car, past the saddest-looking donkeys dressed up in bells and colourful bridles, waiting in the searing heat to take tourists up the hill (please, don’t ride the donkeys!).

One hour later, sweaty and frazzled, we reached Regent staff waiting with cold towels and water, ready to whisk us away via a short tender ride to the ship where our suites would be immaculately clean, our things put away and the bar staff ready to pour an afternoon spritz. Having everything taken care of, including dinner later that night, is like coming home to a dream. It’s a feeling you can get used to far too quickly.

The library is the best room on the ship

Hushed and quiet, the library became a favourite spot to sit with a book or to catch up on emails. But this was no ordinary library; it was one of the most visually beautiful spaces onboard. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are laden with reading material which you’re welcome to borrow. The library has an honesty policy, meaning you can take whatever you like to read and bring it back when you’re done. I noted all the latest and greatest best-selling reads, including Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood, as well as a solid selection of travel books to plan the next trip of a lifetime. The handsome wooden reading table was popular with guests, containing all the day’s papers from The New York Times to The Guardian.

You can have your laundry done for free – every day

The joy of returning to your suite after a long excursion to find your laundry freshly washed and pressed and waiting for you on a hanger, and your undergarments and socks pressed, folded and wrapped in tissue paper inside a Regent box on your bed cannot be overstated. This service makes returning to real life very hard; if only I could leave a bag full of laundry on my door at home and have it returned in impeccable condition and ready to wear to dinner and drinks that night.

Regent has millions of dollars worth of art on board

The art collection on board is so dazzling that you get used to walking past Picassos on your way to dinner. There are 1600 pieces of art on board, including three Picassos — Toros y Toreros; Antes de picar al toro and Picador picando al toro, con matador al quite — and a very expensive Faberge Egg, Journey in Jewels, displayed inside a glass case near the executive concierge desk. When riding the central glass elevator you can admire the 12-metre handwoven tapestry by Brazilian artist Walter Goldfarb called The Enchanted Tree. Or stroll the length of deck five where the walls are lined with piece after piece, including photography, paintings and tapestries. You can find out more about the artist behind them via the Art Experience guide on the Regent Seven Seas app, which is only available on board.

There are a maximum of 746 guests per sailing, and 548 staff

This ratio of staff to guests ensures the highest level of personal service and means you always feel taken care of, whether you’re lounging on the pool deck, dining at one of the restaurants, or relaxing in your suite. I noticed many return cruisers know the staff by name and vice versa, a testament to the relationships formed on board over the 10 days. The staff go out of their way to make guests feel special by remembering their favourite drink and dietary requirements, setting up room service like a fine dining restaurant with a white tablecloth and silverware, even on your balcony; leaving chocolates on the bed and daily news from your home country, and organising all kinds of special touches — I saw some gold “70″ balloons on a passenger’s suite door one day.

When is the next similar cruise?

Regent Seven Seas Cruises “Icons of Greece” tour from Athens to Venice departs October 5, 2025, for 10 nights, from NZ$17,380 staying in a G2 Veranda suite. For more information please visit RSSC.com, phone 0800 625 692 (NZ) or contact your travel adviser.

Johanna Thornton sailed aboard Regent Seven Seas Grandeur courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

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