There’s something reassuringly old-world about the idea of commissioning a new ocean liner in an age obsessed with apps and algorithms. Yet Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has done just that, quietly signing on the dotted line for a third Prestige-Class ship for its ultra-luxury jewel, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Due for delivery in 2033, the ship will round out a trilogy that begins with Seven Seas Prestige™ in 2026 and its yet-to-be-named sister in 2030. If the first two are the overture and intermezzo, this will be the grand finale — all strings, no cymbal crashes.
Steady as She Grows
Cruise bosses are fond of the word strategy, and Jason Montague, NCLH’s suavely titled Chief Luxury Officer, reached for it again.
“This newbuild order continues our measured, strategic expansion within the luxury space,” he said. “It reflects our confidence in the growing demand for Regent’s best-in-class offering and reaffirms our long-standing partnership with Fincantieri, one rooted in craftsmanship and shared pursuit of perfection.”
A “measured expansion” indeed more evolution than revolution. Regent isn’t chasing headlines with megaships and waterparks; it’s doubling down on what it already does embarrassingly well: spoiling a modest number of guests in indecent comfort.
Italy’s Handiwork
If anyone knows how to build something that looks expensive before you even step aboard, it’s Fincantieri. The Italian yard has turned naval steel into floating poetry for decades.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri’s CEO and Managing Director, sounded every bit the maestro:
“This latest contract confirms the trust NCLH places in Fincantieri’s expertise to deliver innovative, sustainable, and exquisitely crafted ships that meet the evolving aspirations of the luxury cruise market.”
The translation? Expect a vessel that’s as much about design as destination — Italian flair meets maritime engineering, with a sustainability brief sharp enough to impress even Brussels.
A Room – or a Residence?
Regent’s Prestige-Class ships mark its first entirely new class in a decade. At 77,000 tons and carrying only 822 guests, each ship offers what the line calls Unrivalled Space at Sea, a phrase that sounds like marketing until you see the ratio of crew (630) to passengers and realise it might actually be true.
The accommodation list reads like a real estate brochure. Every suite has a balcony; four are new designs, capped by the Skyview Regent Suite, billed as the most extensive all-inclusive suite in cruise history. Two-level lofts, marbled bathrooms, and, one assumes, enough square metres to host a small diplomatic reception.
Public spaces are being treated with equal affection. A light-filled Starlight Atrium will become the ship’s social compass, while Galileo’s Bar promises art, ambience, and a properly made martini shaken, not algorithmically suggested.
The Fine Art of Eating Well
Regent has always understood that a well-fed traveller is a loyal one. The Prestige ships will feature 11 dining experiences, including Azure, a new Mediterranean mezze concept that evokes lazy Amalfi afternoons and crisp white wine.
Returning favourites Chartreuse, Prime 7, and Pacific Rim will keep devotees happy, though the line is already teasing an unannounced venue. In Regent’s world, secrecy is seasoning; anticipation is part of the menu.
Behind the polished plates lies a philosophy the brand calls “Epicurean Perfection.” It’s less about abundance than authenticity, more Riviera than Vegas buffet.
Counting the Cost of Elegance
Industry watchers estimate that each Prestige-Class ship could cost NCLH US $700 million or more. Yet in a market chasing the affluent traveller with the same zeal once reserved for middle-class package deals, it’s a calculated risk.
Unlike its mass-market cousins, Regent isn’t in a hurry to fill stadium-sized ships. It prefers intimacy, predictability, and service that knows your favourite wine before you do. That formula, nurtured through a pandemic and an inflation hangover, is proving resilient.
An Ocean of Opportunity
For NCLH, the move strengthens a three-tier empire: Norwegian Cruise Line for the mainstream, Oceania for the culinary-minded, and Regent for those who believe luxury should whisper, not shout.
This tiered approach has let the company bounce back briskly. The cruise market, once written off as a relic of another era, is steaming again, and at the top end, cabins are selling faster than you can say bon voyage.
What Lies Ahead
The 2033 delivery date feels distant, but shipbuilding is the long game of years of planning, design reviews, and steel cutting before the champagne hits the bow. By then, technology will have evolved, emissions rules will have tightened, and the definition of “luxury” may have shifted again.
Yet one suspects Regent will adapt as it always has: elegantly, expensively, and without breaking a sweat. After all, true luxury doesn’t chase trends; it lets trends chase it.
If the Prestige trilogy is anything to go by, the future of ultra-luxury cruising won’t just be afloat, it’ll be afloat with style.
By Yves Thomas – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes
About the Writer
Something quietly magnetic about Yves Thomas is the poised calm of someone who’s seen the world from both sides of the reception desk. A graduate of Bangkok University International, Yves earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Tourism and Hospitality Management and stepped straight into the beating heart of Thailand’s travel industry.
She worked with some of the country’s finest destination management companies, mastering the art of making other people’s holidays unforgettable.
In time, the call of the open road grew louder than boardroom meetings. Yves packed her bags, swapped conference calls for compass points, and set off to rediscover the joy of travel on her own terms. Somewhere between Chiang Mai and Copenhagen, she began writing small reflections that soon became her travel blog, a journal full of warmth and insight.
Now calling Hua Hin home, Yves has joined Global Travel Media to share those reflections with a broader audience not as a publicist, but as a storyteller with a traveller’s soul and a professional’s eye for detail.
