BARCELONA -- Just how swanky is luxury line Regent's new Seven Seas Explorer? See for yourself with a scroll through the carousel above.
USA TODAY this week is among a handful of news outlets getting early access to the soon-to-be-christened, 750-passenger vessel, and we're posting our first photos here and at our Twitter page and Facebook page.
Billed as the most luxurious cruise ship ever, Explorer features some of the largest, most elaborate accommodations at sea, including a single suite measuring 3,875-square-foot -- nearly 50% larger than the average house in the USA.
Explorer also has a wide range of upscale eateries including new-for-the-line contemporary French and Asian restaurants, and a newly designed version of the line's signature steakhouse, Prime 7. A stylish spa operated by Canyon Ranch; a two-tiered, 694-seat theater; and an opulent observation lounge that evokes the 1920s are other notable features.
At $450 million, Explorer is the most expensive luxury ship ever built and boast one of the highest ratios of space to passengers in the history of cruising. Like Regent's last two new ships, it's an all-suite vessel. Only a handful of luxury lines, including Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Silversea Cruises, offer all-suite vessels.
Explorer will be christened Wednesday by Princess Charlene of Monaco. It initially will sail in the Mediterranean, offering a range of eight- to 14-night sailings starting at $6,799 per person. It'll re-position to the Caribbean for the winter.
Explorer is Regent's first new ship in more than a decade. With its addition, the line has four vessels.
Just how luxurious are Regent ships? Click through the carousels below for our exclusive photo tour and behind-the-scenes videos of the line's recently revamped Seven Seas Mariner.
