Regent highlights 30th anniversary and big demand from Australia

The luncheon was hosted by Steve Odell, SVP and MD Asia Pacific, and Lisa Pile, VP Australia-New Zealand.

Keeping cruising alive

Odell, who thanked the journalists for ‘keeping the concept of cruising alive’ during the past year, briefed them on an increase in local demand for luxury cruising and closer-to-home itineraries.

He said a number of events are planned for 2022, including 30 special cruises to mark the anniversary.

Merger of two lines

What was Radisson Seven Seas Cruises was founded by Carlson Hospitality Worldwide in 1992 with the merger of two one-ship lines — Radisson Cruises which had the twin-hulled Radisson Diamond and Seven Seas Cruises which had Song of Flower.

The company was renamed Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2006, after Carlson’s upmarket hotel brand, and the following year it was acquired by Apollo Management.

In 2014 Norwegian Cruise Line, whose parent company is Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, acquired Prestige Cruise Holdings, created to manage the cruise portfolio of Apollo, which also owned Oceania Cruises.

Today Regent Seven Seas Cruises has five ships, each carrying no more than 750 passengers, and a sixth to be launched late 2023. Oceania Cruises has six ships, with a seventh to set sail in 2023, followed by a sister ship in 2025.

Odell touched on Regent’s free Extended Explorations, which allow passengers to extend their cruise holidays with pre-and-post land accommodation packages at no extra cost.

Seven Seas Explorer selling fast

He said advance bookings for the postponed inaugural season of Seven Seas Explorer in Australia at the end of the year are selling fast.

As previously reported, Seven Seas Explorer’s early 2021 maiden voyages from Sydney were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she is now scheduled to sail on a 16-night ‘Holiday Down Under’ Christmas/New Year cruise to New Zealand on December 20.

She is due to head for Asia in late January 2022.