Regent Seven Seas Cruises has signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to construct a fourth vessel in its Prestige-Class series, scheduled for delivery in 2036. The order, announced on 20 February, confirms a sequenced fleet pipeline stretching a full decade and signals sustained confidence in high-yield, low-volume luxury travel demand.
The fourth ship follows the inaugural Seven Seas Prestige, which debuts in December 2026, with sister vessels entering service in 2030 and 2033. All four will be built at Fincantieri’s shipyards in Italy – the same partner responsible for delivering Regent’s flagship-class programme since its inception.
The announcement came alongside similar newbuild confirmations for sister brands Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises under parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH). The group now has 17 vessels on order across its three brands through 2037, supporting a projected 4% compound annual growth rate over that period.
A different philosophy of scale
The Prestige-Class design approach sets it apart from conventional fleet expansion logic. Seven Seas Prestige will be 40% larger than previous Regent vessels – at 77,000 gross tonnes – yet will accommodate only 10% more guests, carrying 822 passengers with 630 dedicated crew.
That ratio is deliberate. Rather than packing capacity into expanded hulls, Regent has invested the additional space in suite dimensions, public areas and per-guest amenity depth. The result is what the company describes as one of the highest space-to-guest and crew-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry.
The ship features 12 all-balcony suite categories, including four entirely new designs. The flagship accommodation is the Skyview Regent Suite, which the company claims is the largest all-inclusive ultra-luxury cruise suite ever built. Public spaces include the Starlight Atrium and Galileo’s Bar, while culinary provision spans 11 dining experiences – with a further concept still to be revealed.
The all-inclusive package covers unlimited shore excursions in every port of call, gourmet dining across specialty and al fresco venues, fine wines and spirits, Starlink Wi-Fi, valet laundry and a one-night pre-cruise hotel package for guests booked at Concierge level and above.
Commercial validation
The timing of the fourth-ship order reflects strong commercial momentum. Regent reported that January 2026 was the strongest booking month in its history, with total bookings up 20% year-on-year. According to the company, itineraries in the South Pacific and South America outperformed historical benchmarks, while demand for voyages of 15 days or more increased markedly. The proportion of guests booking multiple consecutive sailings also rose.
Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer at NCLH, cited the June 2025 sales launch of Seven Seas Prestige as a further indicator: the opening day generated the highest single-day booking volume ever recorded for a new Regent vessel.
The fourth-ship commitment, Montague said, reflects the group’s intention to lead the ultra-luxury cruise segment for the decade ahead. NCLH separately noted the order was structured to avoid material impact on near-term leverage or cash flow, with pre-delivery payment obligations immaterial until 2036 delivery.
Strategic positioning
The Prestige-Class programme marks Regent’s first entirely new ship category in ten years, following the Explorer Class. The sequenced ordering pattern – one vessel every three years from 2026 to 2036 – reflects a measured approach to capacity growth that avoids the demand dilution risks associated with rapid fleet scaling.
That approach aligns with a broader shift in premium travel behaviour. Research across the luxury hospitality sector consistently points to growing consumer preference for exclusive, low-density experiences over high-capacity volume offerings. Longer stays, deeper itineraries and elevated service ratios are increasingly the differentiators that command premium pricing.
For hospitality and travel executives, Regent’s model offers a studied example of how to grow without compromising the product proposition. The group is adding berths, but doing so at a pace and configuration that preserves the conditions – space, service, exclusivity – that underpin its value to guests.
Seven Seas Prestige sets sail on its inaugural 14-night transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Miami on 13 December 2026. From there, the ship will explore the Caribbean, Panama Canal, and European coastlines before the season concludes along the Iberian Peninsula and coast of France.
