Regent Voyager Named #1 Medium-Size Ship

If you're a fan of Regent Seven Seas' fleet of ships, you'll no doubt be pleased to hear that the Voyager was recently named the #1 medium-size ship in the Conde Nast Traveler 2007 Cruise Poll. The crew and Regent's guests are sure to be celebrating aboard Voyager right now as she sails the second segment of her 2007 World Cruise, somewhere between Cape Town and Mombasa on the way to Singapore.

What's so special about Voyager?
Historically speaking, Regent (formerly Radisson Seven Seas) was the first cruise line to launch an all-suite, all-balcony ship with the Seven Seas Mariner in 2001. The Voyager – making its debut two years later in 2003– was the line's second all-balcony ship. Now, cruisers fall into two camps: those who can't go back to cruising without a private veranda and those who are somehow able to make due without one. (I prefer balcony access and feel it adds so much to the cruise experience. There's nothing like enjoying a glass of wine on your private veranda as your ship departs a port of call!)

The intimate size of Voyager– 354 suites –and impressive space-per-guest ratio is part of what makes this ship so endearing to Regent die-hards. You never feel crowded on any of Regent's ships, but Voyager's logical layout emphasizes personal space for each cruiser.

Even entry-level suites (Category H) are larger – at 356 square feet, including balcony – than similar staterooms on all other cruise lines. The amenities are comparable to any five-star hotel on land. Personally, I find the European king-size beds on the Regent line – with down comforters and Egyptian cotton linens – to be incredibly comfortable! The bathrooms are accented with marble and a walk-in closet is roomy enough to store your luggage – even if you're prone to overpacking! The entire Regent fleet is being refurbished and part of the initiative includes flat-screen TVs with a CD/DVD system added to each suite. The 88 butler suites also include an iPod/Bose music system.

In 2007, Regent went "all-inclusive." This means the per person price of the cruise includes all shipboard gratuities; beverages, including select wines and spirits served throughout the ship; 24-hour room service; in-suite bar setup in butler suites; and refridgerator stocked with soft drinks, beer and bottled water (replenished daily).

Dining aboard Voyager is a treat, with four unique open-seating restaurants that feature varied cuisine. Open-seating dining gives Regent guests the flexibility they require: You can dine any time, at any restaurant, with anyone. Of course, you do have to make advance reservations for Signatures and Latitudes, the ship's two "specialty" restaurants.

The menu at Signatures is inspired by the French chefs of the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Le Cordon Bleu manages this dinner-only establishment and they also offer a special cooking workshop on many of Regent's itineraries aboard the Voyager and her sister ship, Mariner. A meal at Signatures may start with a poached lobster salad. You then move on to creamy mushroom soup with candied garlic before being served a sorbet palate cleanser. It's tough to select your main dish with options often including sauteed salmon filet, roast duck breast with an orange reduction, or roast venison. Dessert is a no-brainer: creme brulee!

Latitudes, the second reservations-only dining room, offers "Indochine" cuisine and presents a sampler menu with some tableside presentations. Think appetizers like spring rolls, shrimp toast, and beef satay followed by a marinated cucumber salad. Main courses – of which you'll be served a little of each offering on the menu – may be something like lobster with lime leaves, garlic-marinated chicken thighs, and rack of lamb.

However, some cruisers prefer Voyager's main dining room Compass Rose for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This lovely room – highlighted in pastel hues of peach, yellow, and green – offers upscale Continental cuisine. At dinner, you can select a la carte menu items or go for the chef's menu degustation (tasting menu). There's also a "Light & Healthy" menu, vegetarian options, and no added salt selections. Popular meals here include Dover sole, filet mignon, and Coq au Vin.

For a more casual dining experience, visit La Veranda with its indoor and outdoor seating. Breakfast and lunch are treated as buffets at this location. At dinner, it's transformed into an Italian trattoria with an antipasto and dessert buffet. You order your soup, pasta, salad and entree in an a la carte fashion. Don't miss the polenta or ossobuco!

Where Does She Sail?
No matter where you wish to vacation, Voyager probably ventures there once or twice a year. In the spring, summer and fall, you'll find her in the Baltic and Mediterranean. If you've got your heart set on a Caribbean cruise, the Voyager will take you there in late fall/early winter. (In December 2007, she'll also visit the Panama Canal.) And, at the beginning of January 2008, she'll depart for her 115-night World Cruise that wraps up on April 30.

What do you love about Regent's Voyager?
If you've sailed Voyager, tell us what you love about her. Just click on "Comments" link at the bottom of this post. Anyone can post...you don't need to be a member of Blogger.

For more information about Regent Seven Seas Cruises, call your travel agent, visit Regent's website or request a brochure from them at (866) 284-4079.

Photo courtesy of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.