Radisson Seven Seas Cruises has shed its identity. Owner Carlson Companies announced yesterday that it has paired the luxury cruise line with its upscale Regent Hotels Brand. The cruise line will now be called Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
But the change goes a lot deeper than just the name, says Jay Witzel, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Carlson Cruises Worldwide. "Our acclaimed cruise line is evolving to a new, higher level," Witzel says. "We're committed globally to the ultra-luxury segment as potentially one of the most rewarding opportunities for growth."
Over the course of the next year-and-a-half, Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be upgrading the suite design, d‚cor, amenities and technology offering of it all-balcony suite vessels. But more importantly, the company will be rolling out a number of product and service offerings that are, broadly, designed to incorporate the trend towards experiential travel into the cruise line's agenda. Regent Seven Seas will offer an itinerary that goes beyond the common run of ports of call, the company announced.
At the same time, Regent Hotels will be growing, with nine properties set to open in the United States, Asia, the Middle East and Europe over the next two years. The cruise line will be more closely aligned with the hotels, Witzel says, including the option of pre- and post-cruise hotel stays and cross-brand customer loyalty programs.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises' new products and services will all be designed to allow guests to customize their cruise their own tastes and interests, and fall under the category the company has branded The Regent Experience. This has two major components, the Regent Travel Concierge and an expansion of the Circles of Interest enrichment programs.
The Travel Concierge will expand the programs available to guests through new partnerships with Travel + Leisure magazine and Fodor's, as well as "a la carte" tours and a wide array of Concierge Collection land adventures like multi-night overland excursions. These can be booked online before the cruise.
The expanded Circle of Interest enrichment program now includes tracks (or "passion points") that link ship and shore activities by theme. These include food and wine, performing arts, photography, history, archaeology and literature, the environment and marine life (through Regent Seven Seas' partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society), antiques, jewelry and shopping, active exploration and wellness, art design and museums, families and friends, and romance.
As for upgrades to the ships themselves, these range from down comforters and Anichini Egyptian cotton linens to new mattresses and soft furnishings in public spaces to the installation of flat-screen TVs, DVD players and iPod music players with Bose speakers. High speed WiFi Internet access and cell service will be available on all ships.
Regent Hotels
The Regent Hotels brand is not standing still either. Nine new properties will open their doors around the world over the next two years, with major pushes in Florida and China
Four hotels are set to open in the United States, beginning with the Regent South Beach in Miami this summer. The 80-suite, five-story luxury condo hotel will feature large balconies and 36 suites with private patios and Roman hut tubs. It will be joined by the 124-suite Regent Bal Harbour in Florida in December, 2006 and the regent Winter Park Hotel and Residences near Orlando in early 2008. The Regent Boston at Battery Wharf Hotel and Residences will open late next year or early in 2008 with 150 condo rooms and 104 residences, an 18,000-square-foot spa and water-taxi service to Logan airport.
In China, the existing Regent Shanghai Will be joined by the 500-room Regent Beijing and 325-room Regent Ningbo in November 2006 and early next year, respectively. The The 350-room Regent Bangkok Hotel and residences will open in early 2008 .
The Regent Kuwiat, with 307 rooms and suite, 75 serviced apartments and 12 beachside chalets, as well as a spa, private beach club and significant meeting space, will open in 2007. The Regent Budapest in 2007 in the former home of the National Ballet School with 198 rooms and suites as well as a spa and state-of-the-art business center and conference rooms.