The newest ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises could be a sure-fire sell for travellers with cash to splash on an ultra-luxury sailing
Tipping spoon after spoon of sugar into my lumpy yoghurt as seagulls swirl above the rippling Bosphorus, I chat with a couple of new-found friends in a shady Istanbul cafe.
I’m on a small, local-led tour that feels far from the typical shore excursion – but nothing about sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises is ordinary. Docked a few miles south is the line’s newest ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, the latest of three Explorer Class vessels.
When I embarked a few days prior at Kusadasi, port for the ancient site of Ephesus, the ship’s sleek and monochromatic design was the first thing that struck me – though its crystal light fixtures, flute of Heidsieck champagne at check-in and the Fabergé egg on board hinted at Regent’s ‘six-star’ rating.
Regent Seven Seas shore excursions in the Med
Regent has an extensive selection of included shore excursions in every port, so I didn’t have too long to settle in before stepping back onshore.
My first adventure was to a peaceful mountain hut purported to be the last home of the Virgin Mary, though it took a hair-raising journey up steep, hairpin-bend roads to get there. “It takes 10 minutes to go up, and two to go down. But don’t worry, it’s safe…” our guide Metin reassured us, as my ears popped from the ascent.
We lined up under the plane trees and waited to duck through the stone doorway. A red Turkish carpet led past stone walls featuring icons of the saints to an altar where some passengers stopped to pray, while others went outside and topped up holy water supplies or scribbled wishes on paper and tied them to the wishing wall.
Travelling back down the mountain takes a little more than two minutes, but we were soon at the Ephesus Museum. Having visited this vast Unesco-listed ancient site before, I picked this excursion to learn something new in the museum.
Although there are about 64,000 items in the collection – stretching from the ancient Hittites to the more modern Ottomans – half-an-hour is ample time to explore independently (even for my partner, a historian).
The museum saves the best for last: a dark hall populated only by two larger-than-life, multiple-breasted statues of the goddess Artemis. After all, the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, are just a 10-minute walk away.
Metin shepherds us back to the ship. As I make my way to my Deluxe Veranda suite, I barely see another soul, despite the ship operating close to capacity. Regent promises ‘unrivalled space at sea’ and this suite delivers, with a separate sitting area and expansive balcony.
For dinner, I’d reserved a table at French-themed Chartreuse, one of Grandeur’s speciality restaurants. The glittering peridot-coloured panels in the ceiling were dazzling, but a sommelier pulled my focus back to the menu. The wines – all French, naturally – are paired to each course, from an artichoke and black-truffle tart laced with edible gold flakes to chocolate-drenched Opéra Maison cake.
Small ports
The following morning, we awoke to new shores in the Greek port of Kavala. With a small harbour directly beneath the Old Town, which passengers can easily walk to, Regent currently runs only two shore excursions from Kavala – either the archaeological site of Philippi or a trip to Xanthi, the medieval ‘city of a thousand colours’.
Philippi, a 4th-century BC city built by Philip II of Macedon, had it all: a theatre, market, forum, religious sites, mosaic-filled houses and even a steady supply of gold from nearby mines.
But among all the ancient might, our guide Andreana pointed out a cartwheel-like etching hewn into the floor and dared the group to guess what it was. Theories ranged from a calendar to a calculator, but she explained with a chuckle: “It’s just a game, similar to modern tic-tac-toe. Kids will always be kids.”
The final leg of the cruise, from Kavala to Istanbul, took in some of the world’s most storied shores. As we sailed past Mount Athos – a monastic Orthodox peninsula shrouded in both haze and mysticism – we dined in Sette Mari. This casual Italian family-style restaurant offers phenomenal panzerotti (fried calzone), though advise clients to get there early, as we waited 25 minutes for an alfresco table with a sunset view.
That evening, the ship’s captain told us we would be cruising through the narrow Dardanelles around 1am. Opting to stay up, I headed to the Constellation Theatre to catch the final moments of Ignite the Night, an all-singing, all-dancing show inspired by American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. “We might be a small ship, but we have big entertainment,” says the compère – and I couldn’t agree more.
Istanbul on a cruise
Sailing into Istanbul had long been on our bucket list and as we passed the Golden Horn, the tiered gardens of Topkapi Palace and the six minarets of the Blue Mosque felt close enough to touch. Under the shadow of the 14th-century Galata Tower, Grandeur docked in the slick Galataport terminal, which opened in 2021.
A network of underground tunnels and customs checkpoints took us to the minibus for our excursion, Old Neighbourhoods of Istanbul, where we learnt it would be just us and another couple exploring the megacity from a local’s perspective. Our youthful guide, Muti, broke the ice by encouraging us to ask him anything: “About the people, even religion or the government. I’m happy to talk,” he said.
His tour focused on three neighbourhoods on Istanbul’s Asian side. We started in former Jewish and Armenian district Kuzguncuk, where we inspected the inscriptions on a mosque. We carried on to former Greek district Cengelkoy, where a street market filled the air with the scent of sizzling kokoreç, an offal dish with roots in the Byzantine empire.
The final neighbourhood, Kanlica, is renowned for wooden Ottoman-era mansions overlooking the Bosphorus, and thick yoghurt made from cows’ and sheep’s milk – served with a sachet of icing sugar, so you can sweeten it yourself. The five of us grabbed a pot and discussed what to do next.
With an overnight in Istanbul, I contemplated the city’s legendary nightlife – yet I chose to admire the glittering lights from Grandeur’s top deck, as there seemed no finer place.
Book it: Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 12-night Travel Through Time voyage from Istanbul to Venice (Fusina) costs from £7,469 per person in a Veranda Suite, based on two sharing, departing April 16, 2025. The price includes flights, transfers, gratuities, valet laundry, Wi-Fi and shore excursions.
rssc.com/agent
3 selling tips for Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Paul Beale, UK vice-president of sales, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
1. Educate yourself
Regent Elevate provides market research, support and training. Also, explore the range of courses in our new RSSC University.
2. Agent incentives
Become a member of our exclusive Regent Trade ‘agents only’ Facebook group and make the most of ship visits and other agent opportunities.
3. Be proactive
Our business development team can help profile target guests, assist with branded mailings and even organise events to help you close a sale.
Fast fact
Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new 850-passenger Prestige Class ships will roll out from 2026, offering new accommodation categories and dining options
PICTURES: Filippo Vinardi; Stephen Beaudet; Shutterstock/muratart
