Seven Seas Grandeur Review: What’s It Really Like Two Years Later?

First sailing: November 2023 | Return visit: June 2026 | Review updated: August 2026

We first stepped aboard Seven Seas Grandeur in November 2023, just days before she entered service — three nights on her shakedown voyage from the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona to Trieste, before paying guests had set foot onboard. She was extraordinary to look at. But a brand-new ship is always going to make a strong first impression.

The real test is what happens after the novelty wears off. So when the opportunity came to sail her again — this time on the English Channel Icons itinerary, roundtrip Southampton, June 2026 — we took it. Same ship. Almost three years of service. And a very different perspective.

This is what we found.

Our Quick Verdict

Seven Seas Grandeur remains one of the most impressive ships in the Regent Seven Seas fleet.

Returning almost two years after our original experience gave us a much better perspective than a first-look review. The ship has matured well, retaining the elegant design, spacious accommodation and high level of service that impressed us when she was new.

Would we sail Grandeur again? Absolutely.

We've filmed a complete review of Seven Seas Grandeur on this second visit — covering the suite, every restaurant, the shore excursions, the entertainment, the Block Party with the Captain, and the honest then-vs-now comparison with our 2023 shakedown experience.

We sailed on Grandeur's shakedown voyage in November 2023 — an invited preview cruise from the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy, to Trieste. The ship was brand new, the finishing touches still being applied, and the crew were learning their routines in real time.

Our first impressions were genuinely positive. The atrium was — and remains — one of the most striking spaces at sea. The Fabergé egg at its centre, the sweeping staircase, the chandelier overhead. The artwork throughout the ship is extensive and worth exploring properly. The suites were generous. The potential was obvious.

But a shakedown cruise has inherent caveats. The galley was still calibrating. The service was enthusiastic but not yet settled. Some processes had the slight edge of a team that hadn't quite found its rhythm. We noted the promise and the rough edges in equal measure.

Read our original Seven Seas Grandeur preview cruise review..

Has the ship Aged Well?

Very well. For a vessel carrying up to 746 guests, operated intensively across two-plus years of service, the condition is impressive. The public spaces are immaculate. The suite we occupied — 850, adjacent to our 2023 cabin — was in excellent shape. The L'Occitane toiletries, the fully stocked minibar, the walk-in shower and hot tub bath: all exactly as they should be.

We did spot minor signs of wear — some marking on the staircase and lift handrails, and a handful of missing mosaic tiles around the pool. We mention them only because we know you'd notice. In the context of the ship as a whole, neither constitutes a concern. Pristine is still the right word.

Read our original Seven Seas Grandeur cruise review..

Does Grandeur Still Feel Special?

Yes — and arguably more so than on the shakedown. In 2023, the wow factor was bound up with novelty. On this second visit, with the novelty entirely absent, the ship earned its impression through substance rather than shine. The atrium is still one of the finest public spaces at sea. The design holds up. The art collection rewards repeat exploration.
The Block Party — where the Captain and senior officers do a full walkabout of every area of the ship to greet passengers personally — is a detail that tells you something important about how Regent runs these ships. The senior team isn't hidden behind a bridge or a velvet rope. They're visible, accessible, and clearly comfortable with it. That tone filters through the entire crew.

Has the Service Changed?

This is the area of most noticeable improvement. In 2023, the service was warm but occasionally uneven — you could sense a crew still learning the ship and its routines. Two years in, the team moves through Grandeur with the ease of people who know exactly what they're doing and enjoy doing it.
From Michelle, our suite attendant, to the restaurant teams to the bar staff who remembered preferences within a day — the service on this sailing was consistently excellent. Consistently, not occasionally. That's the distinction that matters at this price point.

Has the Dining Changed?

Significantly. The food on the shakedown was good; the food on this second visit was excellent — a meaningful difference in both quality and consistency. The wine list has also come into its own. The complimentary included list is now, in our view, the best we have encountered across any luxury line — better than Seabourn, better than Silversea. Not adequate. Genuinely good wine you would choose from a list rather than accept because it's free.

Seven Seas Grandeur: The Ship

Grandeur is the sixth ship in the Regent Seven Seas fleet and currently the newest. She was built by Fincantieri in Ancona, Italy at a reported cost of over $500 million — a figure Regent has leaned into with their positioning of her as 'the most luxurious ship ever built'. Two years in, it's a claim worth interrogating honestly. Our conclusion: it holds up better than you might expect from a marketing line.

Every cabin on Grandeur is a suite with a private balcony. There are no interior cabins, no partial-view compromises. The suite categories range from Deluxe Veranda at entry level through Concierge, Penthouse and above, up to the Master and Regent Suites at the top.

Our Suite — June 2026

We sailed in Suite 850 — one position from our 2023 cabin, which gave us an interesting comparison point. The suite is genuinely generous in size: a proper sitting area with a two-seater sofa, an ample coffee table, a coffee machine, a dressing table with magnifying mirror, and storage that comfortably accommodated a ten-day wardrobe without spatial creativity.

The bed faces the balcony and the sea. It sounds like a small detail. On the first morning at sea, watching open water through the glass before you've moved, it doesn't feel small. The balcony itself is large, with two comfortable chairs and a proper table — we used it every evening.
Practical details worth knowing: the minibar is fully stocked and fully included — no end-of-voyage surprise on the account. USB Type A and Type C outlets are on both sides of the bed, which is more useful than it sounds if you've ever shared one socket with a travelling companion. The safe is in the dressing area, which provides ample hanging space alongside it.

The bathroom is exceptional: a genuine walk-in shower with proper turning room, and a hot tub bath. The L'Occitane toiletries are good. One note: the slippers are a touch disappointing for a ship at this price point — even sister line Oceania does better there. Come on, Regent.

We've published a detailed look at the Concierge Suite layout, storage, bathroom and balcony on our earlier Grandeur review.

Read our Seven Seas Grandeur Concierge Suite review →

In-Suite Technology

The internet runs on Starlink, which is an improvement on the maritime connectivity of previous generations. In practice: usable for emails, browsing and the occasional video call. Don't plan on streaming 4K mid-Atlantic. At peak times with 746 guests competing for bandwidth, you feel it. It's fine for what most people need — just calibrate expectations accordingly.

The interactive TV is functional if a little clunky. The feature we used every single day, however — and the one we'd recommend you explore in the first hour onboard — is the restaurant menus. Through the TV and the Regent app, you can browse the current day's full menu for every restaurant before you leave the suite. Every venue, every course, updated daily. On a ship with six included dining venues, that changes how you plan your day completely.

The Atrium

The atrium remains Grandeur's showpiece. The Fabergé egg at its centre cost more than most people's houses and works as a piece of art in a space designed around it — not a gimmick but a genuine focal point. The sweeping staircase and chandelier complete a room that is, two years on, still genuinely impressive. The art collection throughout the ship is extensive and worth following through the Regent app's dedicated art tour feature.

Observation Lounge

Our favourite space on the ship. Forward-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows, views over the bow at sea. Early morning with a coffee and open water ahead — there is no better spot on the ship. In the English Channel, with the French or Spanish coast visible, it earns its position emphatically.

Pool Deck

Well-proportioned for a ship of this capacity. With 746 guests, sun lounger pressure is minimal — no competitive towel-placing at dawn, no queuing for chairs. The pool bar is good, the service attentive. The Pool Grill, open 11am–3pm and 6–9pm, is covered in the dining section below and deserves more attention than it typically receives in reviews.
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Pool deck — daytime. Pool Grill setup. Bordeaux BBQ evening if footage available.

Constellation Theatre

The main theatre for evening production shows. The entertainment we saw was West End standard — and we don't use that phrase loosely. The shows are produced by NCL Creative Productions from Tampa: twelve performers, professional choreography and staging, and a production quality you would pay to see in a London theatre. If you've been mildly dismissive of cruise ship entertainment in the past, this is worth reconsidering.
The Crew Capers show — a talent night where crew from housekeeping, dining, the engine room and galley perform traditional dances, songs and comedy from their home countries — was a particular highlight. Always one of the most genuine evenings of any cruise.

Coffee Connections

This is where we'll be honest. Coffee Connections is Regent's answer to Seabourn Square and the Silversea Arts Café — the social hub of the ship, in theory. In practice, it doesn't match either rival. The space is a corridor rather than a destination, seating is limited at busy times, and it lacks the atmosphere that makes those alternative spaces genuinely magnetic. The coffee is good; the surroundings don't do it justice. This was our observation in 2023 and it remains true in 2026.

Meridian Lounge — Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea is held in the Meridian Lounge. The tea and scones are pleasant; the room is noticeably dark — surprising on a ship with this much glass elsewhere. When guests return from shore excursions to find restaurants closed and need somewhere to sit, the Lounge becomes chaotic and understaffed. On two occasions we simply gave up and made tea in the suite. It's the one area where the gap between the concept and the execution is most visible.

All dining on Grandeur is included — every restaurant, every meal, no cover charges. The wine list is complimentary and, in our experience across Seabourn, Silversea, Cunard and others, is the best included list we have encountered at sea. Each restaurant has its own suggested wine theme — Chartreuse leads with French wines, for example — but ask for your preferred wine in any restaurant and the team will generally oblige.

Chartreuse — Our Favourite

The French restaurant, and our standout. Exceptional cooking, tableside service that is attentive without being performative, and a setting that completes the occasion. We went back for both lunch and dinner on multiple occasions — the most honest endorsement we can give when four other specialty restaurants are available at no additional cost. The Pouilly Fumé Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley was outstanding.

Prime 7 — Steakhouse

A very close second. Proper steakhouse quality — not the compromised version that ship's galley constraints sometimes produce. The Picasso works on the walls are worth pausing over. We ate lunch and dinner here across the sailing. The Dover Sole was good, though we'd note it didn't quite reach the execution we've enjoyed at Cunard's equivalent.

Pacific Rim — Best Service

The food is complex, precise and genuinely Asian in character — not simplified for a Western audience. The service in Pacific Rim was, across the whole ship, the most impressive we encountered: attentive, knowledgeable and engaged. We'd put this in our top three without hesitation.

Sette Mari — Italian

La Veranda by day transforms into Sette Mari by evening. A relaxed Italian option with good pasta and an excellent antipasti selection — always our prelude to a proper Italian meal. The atmosphere is pleasant if slightly busier than the other specialty restaurants. A good choice for a lighter evening.

Compass Rose — Main Dining Room

Opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner — which sounds obvious until you've been on luxury lines where the main restaurant is dinner-only and mornings become a binary choice between a buffet and room service. The Compass Rose flexibility changes the rhythm of the whole ship positively. Beautiful room. V8 juice at breakfast was noted with approval plus warm croissants. Service was occasionally slow at breakfast but consistently good at dinner.

The Pool Grill

Typically overlooked in reviews and shouldn't be. Open 11am–3pm and 6–9pm, offering proper burgers, good hot dogs and freshly made pizza — table service in the evening, with tablecloths. The standard is consistently higher than the casual framing suggests.

The Bordeaux BBQ on the pool deck was one of the memorable eating experiences of the trip. Regent put on a dedicated regional menu using Bordeaux-region produce — not a standard grill night with a regional label stuck on it. Masses of food, proper thought behind the selection, wine, late-afternoon sun, and the Gironde in the background. Any ship can put on a poolside BBQ. Not every ship thinks about where it is when it does.

The Shopping with the Chef Experience — Bilbao

This is a paid experience — $159 per person — and worth mentioning separately because it sits outside the all-inclusive model. The Chef-Led Market Shopping tour in Bilbao took a small group of eleven guests to the market with the ship's chef to select ingredients for pinchos — the Basque version of tapas.

Our local guide, Anna, had encyclopaedic knowledge of the food and took us to a local bar for a glass of wine and a crab and beef pinchos before we returned to the ship.
One of the best Culinary Arts tours we've done, albeit a paid one. The difference in quality between the included excursions and the paid specialist experiences is noticeable throughout the cruise. If you see a Culinary Arts Centre tour on your programme, we'd recommend making the investment.

Service is where the two-year difference is most clearly felt. In 2023, the warmth was genuine but the confidence was still developing. In 2026, the crew moves through the ship with the ease of people who know their routines, know their guests, and enjoy the work.

• Suite attendant Michelle: professional, unobtrusive, consistently excellent throughout
• Restaurant teams: preferences remembered without prompting, requests handled without fuss
• Bar staff: drink orders retained from the first day across the whole sailing
• Embarkation: smooth, calm, efficient — despite the airbridge being out of service on our day, necessitating the traditional gangway
• The Block Party: the Captain and all senior officers walking every public area of the ship to greet guests personally. A simple idea, genuinely well executed, and a visible signal of how the ship is led.

The one area where service fell below the overall standard was Afternoon Tea in the Meridian Lounge on busy days — when the combination of a small space, a lot of guests and limited staffing created a difficult situation. The team were clearly trying; the system around them wasn't supporting them adequately.

Our sailing was roundtrip Southampton, calling at Saint-Malo, La Rochelle, Bordeaux (with an overnight), Biarritz, Bilbao and La Coruña. An interesting name for a cruise that doesn't actually visit any Channel ports — but the itinerary itself is genuinely varied: Atlantic France, the Basque coast and northern Spain offer a cross-section of culture, food and scenery that a conventional Mediterranean sailing doesn't provide.

All shore excursions are included in the Regent fare. Honestly, the quality was variable — some genuinely excellent, a couple that we'd describe as a disappointing use of time. The paid experiences, where available, were consistently stronger. As a general principle: if the Culinary Arts Centre or a similar specialist tour is offered on your port day, it's likely to be the better use of your time than a standard coach excursion.

• Saint-Malo: approaching by tender with the medieval walls rising from the water is one of the best port arrivals we've experienced. The old town has excellent independent shops. Our guided walking tour was led by a very young guide who struggled to control the group — the port itself rather than the excursion was the highlight.
• Bordeaux (overnight): an outstanding stop. Walking into the city, finding our truffle shop, the vineyard tour at Boutinet organic estate, Chartreuse with a window view over the Gironde, and the BBQ on the pool deck in the evening. One of the finest two days of any cruise we've taken.
• Bilbao: the Guggenheim, the old town, the food culture — and, for us, the Chef-Led Market tour. If you have free time, use it well.
• La Coruña: a four-hour tour, two hours walking, two hours at tapas bars. The tapas were not to our taste — heavy on cured meat and mussels — but the city itself is pleasant.
• Biarritz and Lorient: pleasant ports, though our Basque Country tour from Biarritz was the most disappointing excursion of the cruise — three hours that added up to less than the sum of their parts. The main street of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, once we returned independently, was considerably more enjoyable.

We've sailed on Seven Seas Grandeur, Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Splendor, plus Navigator and Voyager. Drawing a direct comparison is always imperfect — itinerary, crew and condition vary — but in broad terms here are our thoughts on the newer Explorer class ships:

• Grandeur vs Explorer: Grandeur feels newer and fresher, with a bolder design statement. Explorer remains elegant and well-regarded, but Grandeur's suite hardware (particularly the bathroom) has the edge.
• Grandeur vs Splendor: closely matched ships — Splendor is Grandeur's nearest equivalent in scale and positioning. We'd call it broadly even, with Grandeur's wine list and entertainment programme currently ahead.

For a full comparison of Regent ships, see our Regent Seven Seas Cruises guide →

The fare on a Regent sailing includes all-suite accommodation with a private balcony, all drinks including a genuinely excellent wine list, all dining across every restaurant, all shore excursions, all gratuities, and — on most itineraries — business class flights if booked as a package. When you run the numbers against a comparable hotel stay plus flights plus meals plus excursions, the gap between Regent's headline fare and comparable alternatives narrows considerably.

What isn't included: Serene Spa & Wellness spa treatments, the casino, and specialist paid excursions like the Culurary Art Tour we did. Worth knowing before you set your budget.
Our honest view: Grandeur justifies its position at the top of the luxury market. Not because every element is flawless — it isn't — but because the combination of hardware, food and wine, service and entertainment adds up to an experience that is consistently excellent rather than occasionally excellent. That consistency is what you're paying for.

Who Is Seven Seas Grandeur Best For?

• Experienced luxury cruisers who want a genuinely all-inclusive product without supplementary charges at every turn
• Passengers who prioritise food and wine over destination-heavy itineraries
• Those who appreciate a smaller ship atmosphere — 746 guests is intimate by modern standards
• Anyone who wants to compare it directly to Seabourn or Silversea — the differences are real, and Grandeur holds up well

Who Might Look Elsewhere?

• Passengers for whom a dedicated, atmospheric coffee lounge is a priority — Seabourn Square remains the benchmark
• Those who want an extensive spa programme at no extra cost — Canyon Ranch is excellent but charged separately
• Anyone primarily motivated by port-intensive itineraries or expedition activities with strong included excursion quality — the variability here is genuine

Not sure if Regent is the right cruise line for you? Try of Free Cruise Quiz to help you decide which one is right for you.

Our Verdict: Would We Sail Seven Seas Grandeur Again?

Yes — without hesitation.

Returning to a ship nearly three years after first sailing on her is the real test of whether it deserves its reputation. Novelty fades. First impressions are easy. What's harder is consistency: a crew that's still engaged, a product that's still delivering, a ship that's been looked after.
Grandeur passes that test. The food has improved. The wine list is outstanding. The service is settled and warm. The entertainment is genuinely good. The suite works. The ship is in excellent condition.

We went in as honest sceptics. We left as converts.