Imagine waking up to floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean after sleeping in a bed that costs more than most luxury cars.
After a gourmet breakfast, you tickle the ivories of your Dakota Jackson-designed Steinway piano before slipping into a palatial en-suite bathroom for a Swedish massage.
It’s not the scenario that springs to mind when thinking about a typical cruise. But there’s nothing typical — including the price — about the swankiest suite at sea: a 4,443-square-foot den of delights aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new Seven Seas Explorer (say that seven times fast).
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“If one room made the statement that this is the most luxurious cruise ship ever built, (it’s) the Regent Suite,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Regent’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
“Two Picassos hang outside the suite; they weren’t good enough to be inside,” quipped Del Rio, who was intimately involved in the design of Explorer, Regent’s first new build in 13 years.
The 750-passenger vessel debuted last year in Europe. It’s spending most of the winter cruising the Caribbean from its home port in Miami.
Even the smallest cabin aboard the all-suite, all-balcony ship is a relatively roomy 307 square feet, but the crown jewel is the Regent. Reporters and travel agents got to snoop around in it when the ship arrived in Miami in December.
Perched on Deck 14 at the ship’s bow, the two-bedroom enclave is decked out with marble, Lalique vases and other fineries. A wraparound veranda and glass-enclosed “garden” deliver 270-degree views. The king-sized mattress from Savoir Beds retails for $90,000.
“The ship was built with the 1-percenters in mind,” Del Rio said. “This ship is a trophy to those who’ve succeeded in whatever walks of life.”
You’d better be mighty successful to swing the Regent Suite: It costs about $10,000 a night (www.rssc.com). That includes a boatload of perks, like butler service, business-class airfare, a private car and driver in every port, and unlimited treatments in the en-suite spa, complete with sauna and steam room. They’ve even thrown in a teeth-whitening kit. Because if you can afford this, you have plenty to smile about.
Twitter @lorirackl
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