Seven Seas Navigator

Shore Excursions

Regent Seven Seas includes shore excursions in its cruise fares, but also offers more specialized tours for an added fee. On our cruise, there were always more free tours than upcharge tours on offer in each port. Included options could be an overview tour by bus, a biking or kayaking excursion, independent transportation to a big city like Rome or Florence (as well as highlights tours in those cities) or wine tastings. There really is a nice choice of complimentary offerings, with both passive and active options.

Extra-fee tours might include a cooking class, 4x4 tour or a city tour with more included admissions. For example, in Rome, the included tour visits the Colosseum (from the outside), Forum and Piazza Navona with free time to explore, while the extra-fee tour includes admission to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica.

We found both the free and for-fee excursions to be quite good with knowledgeable guides -- the difference was really with the activities.

Daytime and Evening Entertainment

With such destination-focused itineraries, daytime activities are rather limited. You'll find spa seminars and fitness classes, talks by the onboard lecturers, bingo and daily afternoon trivia in Galileo's Lounge, the Deck 11 observation lounge. A Ping-Pong table is tucked away behind a wall near the Deck 8 stairwell. Deck 12 has mini-golf, shuffleboard and two baggo setups (beanbag toss). Most Regent cruisers spend their days in port then congregate around the pool or hole up in their suites upon their return.

If you participate in anything competitive (trivia, organized deck games), you can win Regent points, which can be traded at the end of the cruise for logo swag. Some cruisers are very set on winning that baseball cap or pen.

Seven Seas Lounge is the main theater on decks 6 and 7, arranged stadium-style with no separate balcony. Every evening, there is one main 9:30 p.m. show, alternating between song-and-dance revues performed by the ship's cast of 12 singers and dancers and performances by guest artists, such as a piano showman or a comedian. Regent is in the process of upgrading its evening entertainment, but on our cruise, the shows ranged from lively and fun to very amateurish, though the singers did have good voices. The theater also hosts enrichment lectures and cooking demonstrations.

The ship's band, either altogether or as solo performers, play in Galileo's before dinner and after the show, and a piano entertainer holds forth in the Navigator Lounge. In the evening, you might find Name That Tune in the Navigator Lounge or karaoke in the Stars Lounge, but on many nights there are no scheduled activities, other than music and dancing in a couple of the lounges, after 9:30 p.m.

The small casino on Deck 7 was refreshed in 2016; the casino bar was replaced with a comfortable, contemporary-looking sitting area -- not that we ever saw anyone sitting there. Gamers can enjoy six tables of blackjack, roulette, craps or poker and an array of slot machines.

Enrichment

Regent Seven Seas partners with the Smithsonian Institution to bring onboard knowledgeable guest lecturers (art historians, authors, professors, former diplomats) to speak about topics related to the cruise destination. For example, on our Italy and Mediterranean cruise, an art historian spoke about the Renaissance in Florence and Rome, the Byzantine influence on Corfu and Provencal artists like Van Gogh and Cezanne. The Smithsonian speakers join shore excursions and are available to continue the conversation over dinner onboard.

Some sailings might have bridge instructors onboard, itinerary dependent.

Seven Seas Navigator Bars and Lounges

With nearly all drinks included in your fare, socializing or listening to music over a drink (or three, or seven) is the most popular evening pastime. Navigator has three main lounges, which people seem to choose depending on their taste in entertainment (dance band, pianist or background music). In general, we found the ship shuts down around midnight -- earlier if there's a long day of touring with early departures the next day. Note that the former Connoisseur Club cigar lounge no longer exists on this ship.

Navigator Lounge (Deck 6): The Navigator Lounge is a convivial cocktail venue where the ship's piano entertainer holds court or hosts Name That Tune after the main show lets out. It's right on the main Deck 6 thoroughfare and people get lured in as they walk by. The Coffee Connection serves as overflow seating. The cocktail menu offers a wealth of ideas -- including cocktails named after each of the Regent ships -- or you can make up your own from the list of complimentary liquors.

Stars Lounge (Deck 6): The Stars Lounge borders the ship's main theater, making it a perfect spot for pre- or post-dinner (and show) cocktails. On our cruise, it was fairly empty post-show, and an attempt at karaoke was a failure with no one game enough to have a go.

Galileo's (Deck 11): Navigator's top-deck lounge is typically the most popular public space, with an active bar, circular dance floor and piano. The celestially themed space is lively both before and after dinner, for music and dancing, with the Navigator Show Band playing themed sets in the later evening. An iPad offers a DIY jukebox option once the band finishes. The outdoor deck behind Galileo's is the space for an alfresco drink or a smoke (starboard side) with your cognac. During the day, Galileo's is the spot for afternoon tea and trivia.

Seven Seas Navigator Outdoor Recreation

On Deck 10, the sun deck features a medium-size saltwater swimming pool flanked by two hot tubs. There's always plenty of space for sunning on this deck, as well as on Deck 11 overlooking the pool. The cushioned loungers are dressed in white terry cloth covers, so you can sunbathe or snooze in comfort.

Deck 11 is popular with fitness walkers, though it's not a proper track. Deck 12 forward is the place for putting, shuffleboard and beanbag toss.

Seven Seas Navigator Services

Deck 6, a hub of activity, houses the reception, concierge and tour desks, the future cruise consultant's office and the Coffee Connection, which has a handful of internet-connected terminals for those not relying on personal devices. There are printers, too, but ask the manager to help you because the printers aren't setup for casual users to print.

Every suite onboard receives one free account for unlimited internet access on one device. If you'd like to use the Wi-Fi on two devices at once, or more than one person in your suite wants to go online simultaneously, you'll need to purchase additional time plans. You can pay as you go 99 cents per minute or buy 200 minutes for $160 -- each of these options incurs a $3.95 activation fee -- or get unlimited use for $29.99 per day, with no activation fee. Despite upgrades, the Wi-Fi is still slow, and certain devices connect more easily than others.

Deck 6 also offers a card room/meeting room (with plenty of table space for puzzles), and the library, with cozy seating areas, daily newspapers from around the world and a nice selection of books to borrow.

The ship's shops are on Deck 7, and sell jewelry and watches, perfume and cosmetics, snacks and toiletries, clothing, handbags and souvenirs.

Self-service laundry rooms are located within the suite corridors on decks 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Each has two washers and dryers (detergent is provided), a utility sink, ironing board and iron. The laundry is quite popular; every time we passed by someone was in there washing or ironing, so plan in advance if you need to wash a load, as there might be a queue.

The medical center is located on Deck 4.

Smoking is not permitted in any indoor venue or on cabin balconies. It's allowed only on the starboard side of Galileo's outdoor deck and in one designated area of the pool deck.

Seven Seas Navigator Spa & Fitness

Though small, the ship's Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Deck 12 makes up for its size with excellent treatment services. Separate male and female locker rooms each include complimentary steam and sauna. Canyon Ranch also runs the upscale beauty salon. Prices are higher than at more mainstream cruise spas; 50-minute massages start at $165, and the cheapest pedicure is $81.

There's a surprisingly spacious gym and fully equipped aerobics and yoga room. The gym features Lifecycles, free weights, striders, StairMasters, treadmills, weight benches, a Nautilus machine, workout mats and step benches. A fridge is stocked with bottles of water, vitaminwater and sports drinks, and earbuds are available if you forgot yours. A full-time fitness instructor also is available and schedules an array of activities every day (stretching, Pilates, indoor cycling and more). There's no extra charge for fitness classes, but don't expect the intense level of workout you're used to at home.

Every meal is included on Seven Seas Navigator, from buffet breakfasts to fancy steakhouse dining, burgers and milkshakes by the pool, pastries at the Coffee Connection and course-by-course meals served in your suite. Whether it's bouillon served poolside midmorning or afternoon tea in Galileo's Lounge mid-afternoon, you'll be able to find something to eat at any hour of the day or night.

Most venues -- including Compass Rose (the main dining room), La Veranda (the buffet) and Sette Mari (the sit-down Italian restaurant in La Veranda at dinner) -- are open seating, and you can choose when you'd like to dine as well as whether to share a table with others or choose a table just for your party. We never had trouble getting a table for two. Prime 7 is the only venue that requires reservations, and if you're choosy about times, we recommend you make your reservation online as soon as you can.

The food is well prepared and presented throughout Navigator, with dishes mostly ranging from "just fine" to "amazing." We preferred La Veranda for breakfast, the Pool Grill for lunch and Sette Mari and Prime 7 for dinner; Compass Rose always served a lovely meal, but we didn't find it quite as alluring.

Compass Rose (Deck 5): The 384-seat Compass Rose received a huge amount of attention during the ship's 2016 refurbishment -- it was completely rebuilt -- and now features a tasteful neutral-centric color scheme with blue and silver highlights. Windows run the length of the restaurant on both walls. Seating is open with plenty of two-tops, and on our cruise, the venue was never crowded. Passengers can enter the elegant Compass Rose from either end.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available here. Breakfast has all the usual suspects -- fruit, cereal, eggs, pancakes, waffles, breakfast meat.

The lunch menu at Compass Rose was upgraded in late 2016 to include a fixed menu of appetizers and entrees sourced from the specialty restaurants found aboard Regent’s newest ship, Seven Seas Explorer. Try the grilled prime burger from Prime 7 (also located on Navigator), classic croque monsieur (or croque madame, served with an egg, sunny side up) from French Bistro-style Chartreuse and tuna tartare from Asian eatery Pacific Rim.

A selection of rotating daily house specials highlight an additional appetizer, soup, pasta, fish (like grilled mahi-mahi with mango peach salsa and lemongrass sauce) and main option; a variety of eight dessert choices round out the menu.

Features of the robust and customizable multicourse dinner menu now include a fixed left side of the menu calling out staples of 13 types of meat, fish and seafood mains, cooked to preference (grilled, baked, broiled, poached or roasted), and available with an accompanying selection of sauces and garnishes. Feel free to mix and match -- go for traditional lobster and steak, or mix lamb chops and shrimp.

There are also favorite appetizers (like shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque or beef carpaccio), as well as soups and salads. An assortment of sides include sweet potato fries, sauteed spinach and Brussels sprouts; there’s also a fresh pasta of the day.

The righthand side of the menu features rotating nightly specials with appetizers, pasta plates and entrees (like roasted pork tenderloin or pan-seared dole filet) turned out by the executive chef, along with a suggested multicourse menu degustation if you prefer to let the chef choose. Specially designated Canyon Ranch Spa plates are also available.

Every evening, there is at least one vegetarian dish to choose from in the selection of appetizers and mains (and so designated on the menu with a special icon), like Mediterranean squash and zucchini, stuffed with mushroom duxelles, tomato sauce and quinoa salad. (Gluten-free and other special diets can be accommodated with at least 24 hours advance notice.)

A separate enhanced dessert menu calls out cheese plates (paired with port wine), house-made ice creams and sorbets and an assortment of cakes and pastries.

At lunch and dinner, waiters serve a daily red and white wine, but you can also request other wines off the complimentary or premium menus or order a cocktail. If you make a special order, be prepared to wait as the drinks waiter pulls the bottle; they don't all seem to be close at hand.

La Veranda (Deck 10): La Veranda offers a buffet-style breakfast and lunch featuring regional specialties. Breakfast is popular here, and the limited outdoor seating is hard to come by. Cold options include cereal, muesli, yogurt, meats, cheeses and fruit, while hot options might be scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage. A sign indicates the daily special, typically something like pancakes, and you can request eggs to order at the central station that divides the buffet from the seating area. On select mornings, Champagne and caviar with blinis are set out for your indulgence.

At lunch, the egg station becomes a pasta station, and buffet options switch to salad (both DIY and premade) and dessert bars, as well as hot entrees (fried hake fillet, marinated chicken souvlaki).

Sette Mari (Deck 10): In the evening, La Veranda transforms into Sette Mari, an Italian venue with buffet and cooked-to-order options. The festive meal begins with a selection of Italian breads and appetizers (veal meatballs and fried mozzarella, bruschetta) brought to the table and salad, antipasti and soup presented on the buffet. The meal continues with your menu selections from a list of pasta (gnocchi with pesto, lasagna, a daily risotto) and mains (veal scaloppini, grilled swordfish, osso buco), and finishes with an array of desserts on the buffet (though you can order ice cream to the table). Compliment your meal with Italian wines, including prosecco, and your dessert with flavored grappa (chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut).

Even though this venue is a dressed up buffet, the table service was impressively attentive, with servers ready to carry your laden plates from the buffet to the table for you. We found it the most fun of the three main dining options, and the food rivaled meals you'd find at the other dinner venues.

The menu changes every two days, so you can rotate Sette Mari in with your Compass Rose dining and not feel like you're repeating dishes. However, on occasional long days in port (such as Livorno and Civitavecchia), the dining team will sometimes offer a more casual dinner buffet with a regional theme, rather than offer Sette Mari.

Pool Grill (Deck 10): The Pool Grill on Deck 10 is not your typical cruise ship burger bar. Its extensive lunch menu, typically served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, offers a vast array of made-to-order sandwiches, with several vegetarian options. Choose from two types of hot dogs, five types of hamburgers and burgers made from turkey, salmon, tuna, Portobello mushroom, vegetables or tofu. It also serves sandwiches and grilled or blackened fish. Salad offerings and side dishes are available and perfectly prepared French fries accompany grill orders.

With appropriate weather and itinerary timing, a festive poolside barbecue fish lunch (typically with four or more fish choices, including sushi, paella and mussels) is a gustatory highlight.

In August 2018, the Pool Grill launched casual evening alfresco dining, too; it’s the only evening venue on the ship where no evening dress code applies. Thanks to outdoor heat lamps -- and blankets draped over chairs on chillier nights -- the venue operates so long as the winds are not too high, and the temps are above 50 degrees or so. With a jacket, it was quite comfortable during our dining experience, with temps hovering in the mid-50s on an autumn evening.

The menu remains the same nightly, with a focus on fresh salads, grilled sides (like charred corn on the cob or roasted potatoes) and a grilled-to-order selection of BBQ meats and fish (or for vegetarians, marinated veggie kebabs and veggie burgers are available); there's also a cheese and dessert station. At the Pool Bar at the other end of the pool, bouillon is served from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and ice cream and milkshakes are available until about 4 p.m., sometimes later.

Prime 7 (Deck 10): The Prime 7 menu is so big that you could eat here every night and always try something new. The clubby steakhouse, done in dark woods and dark leather wing-backed chairs, is the premier alternate restaurant, and reservations are highly sought after as it only serves 74 to 78 passengers each night. Make your booking as soon as you're allowed before your cruise; if you're lucky, you might be able to score a second one once onboard. (Top suites get unlimited reservations.) Every table at this intimate venue has a view out the windows that line one entire wall.

The menu focuses on steak and seafood, with other meat options, as well. The entrees are huge, and you'll definitely want to try one or two starters and dessert, so pace yourself. All beef products served are U.S.D.A.-approved, and the menu includes Prime New York strip, Prime porterhouse, Prime filet mignon (6- or 10-ounce) and the restaurant's signature surf-and-turf, with your choice of lobster or Alaskan king crab legs as your "surf." There's also lobster, New Zealand lamb chops, pork, veal and roast chicken. Sides include twice-baked potatoes, creamed spinach, truffle fries and caramelized root vegetables. Desserts are hard to resist with options like Key lime pie, Chicago-style cheesecake, molten Callebaut chocolate cake and the decadent (and popular) caramel popcorn sundae.

Afternoon Tea (Deck 11): Traditional tea is served in Galileo's, the ship's observatory lounge, in the late afternoon. Choose from a buffet selection of real English scones with jam and clotted cream, finger sandwiches and fruit, and a waiter will serve you Twinings tea and wheel a trolley around with desserts and petits fours. Stay for trivia if you like.

Coffee Connection (Deck 6): Complimentary specialty coffees, tea and hot chocolate are available from a machine in the Coffee Connection 24/7. Throughout the day, you'll find continental breakfast options, fruit and cookies here, as well.

Room Service: Room service is available 24 hours a day and is much more extensive than that found on many other ships. Along with made-to-order eggs and continental items for breakfast and a range of intriguing entree items for lunch and dinner (grilled medallions of beef tenderloin, chicken breast with salsa cruda and vegetable masala, to name a few), passengers can order from the Compass Rose menu (found on your interactive TV) during lunch and dinner hours. Add in the possibility of course-by-course dining and a white tablecloth setup, and in-suite and on-balcony dining is an attractive alternative to the restaurants on nights you don't want to dress up.