Regent Seven Seas Cruises has taken delivery of its sixth ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, which started welcoming guests on November 18.
Designed by the Studio DADO and built by Fincantieri in Ancona, Italy in just over two years, Seven Seas Grandeur is able to hold 746 guests and provide them with transformative experiences on board.
Seven Seas Grandeur boasts 15 accommodation categories, eight dining experiences, a Culinary Arts Kitchen offering hands-on classes and special demonstrations, four new stage productions, as well as house a 1,600-piece art collection featuring a custom designed masterpiece – Journey in Jewels – the first Fabergé Egg to permanently reside at sea.
In addition, the ship will debut Regent’s very first digital art tour, Art Experience, which is available through the new Regent Mobile App from December 2023.
The ship’s maiden voyage set sail from Venice (Trieste), Italy to Barcelona, Spain on November 18, and will later traverse the Atlantic to Miami, Florida for an exclusive gala event on December 10, where her godmother Sarah Fabergé, founding member of The Fabergé Heritage Council and great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé, will perform her christening duties.
Other sailings include the Caribbean, two transits of the Panama Canal as well as an itinerary sailing the US Eastern Seaboard, before sailing back across the Atlantic from New York to Barcelona in March 2024 to explore the Mediterranean. Seven Seas Grandeur will then sail to Canada and New England in September and October, before culminating a year of travel by exploring more of the Caribbean to close out 2024.
Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said: “Seven Seas Grandeur’s inaugural season is all but sold out, which is testament to the burgeoning popularity of the unrivalled Regent experience and also reflective of the ship being the most anticipated launch of 2023.”
“As the appetite for luxury travel continues to grow, the delivery of Seven Seas Grandeur provides even more opportunities to cruise the world while enjoying the highest standards of hospitality in lavish and spacious surroundings,” added Andrea DeMarco, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
He previously served as the general manager of Hilton Adelaide for nearly five years.
Having been with the SkyTeam Alliance carrier for 17 years, Chang will move to Phnom Penh for his new role. He was previously based at the airline’s headquarters in Seoul where he was in charge of marketing for Europe and South-east Asia.
In his new role, he will leverage his extensive experience to further enhance guest experiences and elevate the hotel’s reputation.
As for Sangmookda, he will manage a portfolio of over 30 properties where over a third are expected to open over the next three years. With over two decades of experience in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, he brings with him strong operational and commercial expertise from the past management of large hotel portfolios under leading hotel chains such as Marriott International, Minor Hotels and the former Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Planeterra’s work with the Kao Tep Pitak Community Restaurant has been recognised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for its community-based tourism efforts.
Planeterra’s highly effective model of local regeneration empowers small communities around the world to take control of their lives and conserve their environment and traditions through sustainable tourism.
It helped Kao Tep Pitak Community Restaurant gain public awareness, which used to be elusive despite the villagers’ enthusiasm for travellers and warm hospitality. The few who came would stay only briefly, snapping a quick photo of the area’s main attraction – its elegant suspension bridge – before leaving..
By working with Planeterra to develop its tourism programme, Kao Tep Pitak Community Restaurant was able to incentivise locals by providing them with a reliable income while promoting local entrepreneurs and inculcating a sense of pride and self-esteem among participants.
Planeterra enabled the restaurant’s project to gain traction by providing food and hygiene training, guidance on how to improve the tourism experience, as well as vital funding to complete the construction of a community centre, which first began in 2016. The completed centre includes a communal area, kitchen, dining room, and guest bathrooms.
With Planeterra’s partner, G Adventures, the project has drawn thousands of visitors to the community to sample the Kao Tep Pitak way of life, discover local arts and crafts, sample the incredible cuisine and explore the local landscape.
“We are thrilled to congratulate our esteemed community partners, Kao Tep Pitak, on their well-deserved recognition at the Responsible Thailand Awards 2023,” said Tricia Schers, director, partnerships and development, Planeterra. “Their dedication to community-based tourism exemplifies the positive impact that responsible travel can have on Thailand’s nature, local communities, wildlife, and heritage.”