The class that stopped changing
Seven Seas Explorer arrived in 2016 with the loudest claim in cruising attached to her: the most luxurious ship ever built. Marketing departments say that sort of thing routinely, but Explorer had the receipts — a 3,875 square foot Regent Suite with its own spa room and a custom Steinway, and 375 suites all with private balconies on a hull of just 55,254 tons carrying only 750 guests.
What happened next is the interesting part. Splendor followed in 2020 and Grandeur in 2023, and both are the same ship. Not similar — the same. Identical tonnage, identical guest count, identical 375 suites, same designers at Studio DADO, same layout and same restaurants. Across seven years and two deliveries, Regent changed almost nothing structural.
That is a compliment, not a criticism, and it is worth understanding before you compare fares. The differences between these three are decorative: Grandeur got about 1,600 artworks including three Picassos and a permanently installed Fabergé egg, and her Regent Suite is 570 square feet larger than Explorer's. Beyond that you are choosing an itinerary, not a ship.
Do not pay a meaningful premium for a newer sister. If Grandeur and Explorer are sailing similar routes at different prices, the cheaper one is very likely the better buy — you are getting the same 55,254-ton ship with the same 375 suites and the same crew ratio. Spend the difference on a higher suite grade instead.
What each sister actually added
What each sister actually added
Same tonnage, same suite count, same designer. Tap through and watch the differences turn out to be almost entirely decorative.
Specifications per Fincantieri delivery releases and maritime records; verified July 2026. Art installations and suite categories occasionally change — confirm before booking around a specific piece.
The three ships, compared
| Measure | Grandeur |
|---|---|
| Delivered | 13 Nov 2023 |
| Shipyard | Ancona |
| Gross tonnage | 55,254 |
| Guests (double) | 750 |
| Suites | 375 |
| Balconies | 100% |
| Regent Suite | 4,445 sq ft |
| Signature extra | Fabergé egg, 3 Picassos |
Six of those eight rows are identical across all three ships. That is unusual even among sister ships, and it is the strongest single argument for booking on price and route rather than on delivery year.
The Regent Suite is the one place the class genuinely escalates. Explorer's original runs 3,875 square feet including a 960 square foot terrace, with a private spa room where treatments are included and a Steinway built for the room. Grandeur's is 4,445 square feet with a wraparound terrace. Both are among the largest and most expensive accommodations at sea, and both are usually booked far in advance.
One structural footnote worth knowing: Grandeur splits her 375 suites across 15 categories. More categories means finer gradations of price and position, which in practice gives you slightly more control over what you pay for on her than on her two older sisters.
How the class scores
These are relative scores within Regent, not against cruising at large. This class is the fleet's center of gravity — it is what most people mean when they picture a Regent ship, and it scores accordingly. It gives up a little on itinerary reach, because 55,254 tons cannot always follow Navigator or the mid-size pair into the tightest harbors, and a little on value, because these are the fares the line leads with.
Who the class fits
Book the Explorer class if you…
- Want the definitive modern Regent experience — this trio is the line's center of gravity
- Value the largest public rooms and the widest restaurant choice in the fleet
- Are traveling as a wider family or group and want space to spread out
- Are considering a top suite: the Regent Suite ceiling here is the highest in the current fleet
- Prefer universal balconies with no category to check — all 375 suites have one
Look at another class if…
- Your itinerary hinges on small, awkward ports — the mid-size pair and Navigator reach more of them
- You want the lowest Regent fare; that is usually Navigator
- You want Regent's latest ship: Prestige arrives December 2026 with 22,000 more tons
- You would rather sail with a few hundred guests than 750
- You are hoping a newer sister is a better ship — on this class she measurably is not
If you asked us to pick
Keep exploring the fleet
Ask Seabound about the class
Explorer, Splendor or Grandeur?
Because these three are effectively the same ship, our answer usually starts with price and itinerary rather than hull. Tell us your dates and what you want to see and we will find the best-value sister for the route — and flag when a suite upgrade beats a newer ship.
Instant answers from our guides · an independent advisory, not affiliated with or endorsed by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Quick answers
What is the difference between Seven Seas Explorer, Splendor and Grandeur?
Structurally, almost nothing. All three are 55,254 gross tons, carry 750 guests at double occupancy, contain 375 suites all with private balconies, and were designed by Studio DADO. The real differences are decorative: Grandeur carries about 1,600 artworks including three Picassos and a permanently installed Fabergé egg, and her Regent Suite is 4,445 square feet against Explorer's 3,875.
Which Explorer-class ship is best?
Whichever is sailing the itinerary you want at the better price. Because the three are functionally identical, paying a premium for a newer sister buys you very little. If a top suite or the art collection matters, Grandeur is the pick; otherwise treat them as interchangeable and spend the saving on a higher suite grade.
How big is the Regent Suite?
It depends which ship. On Seven Seas Explorer it runs 3,875 square feet including a 960 square foot terrace, with a private spa room offering complimentary treatments and a custom Steinway grand piano. On Seven Seas Grandeur it is 4,445 square feet with a wraparound terrace. Both are among the largest accommodations at sea and both book well ahead.
Is there really a Fabergé egg on Seven Seas Grandeur?
Yes — a commissioned piece called “Journey in Jewels,” displayed in the Deck 5 atrium. Regent describes it as the first and only Fabergé egg to reside permanently at sea, and Sarah Fabergé — great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé — is the ship's godmother. It sits alongside a collection of roughly 1,600 pieces that includes three Picasso works in the Prime 7 steakhouse on deck 10.
Do all Explorer-class suites have balconies?
Yes — all 375 suites on each of the three ships have a private balcony. That differs from Seven Seas Navigator, where about one suite in ten has no veranda, so it is one fewer thing to check when booking this class.
How does the Explorer class compare to Seven Seas Prestige?
Prestige, arriving December 2026, is a step up in scale: about 77,000 gross tons and 822 guests against the Explorer class's 55,254 tons and 750 guests, with 411 suites across 12 all-new categories. The Explorer class remains the fleet's proven center; Prestige is the new top end, including an 8,000-plus square foot Skyview Regent Suite.
Three identical sisters. Book the itinerary and the price — never the delivery year.
Talk to a Seabound advisor