Regent Seven Seas Cruises April eNewsletter

April 2008 ~ Issue 5


Captain Knut Hanssen’s cruise celebrates return to Norway
Norway is a land of rich maritime history and natural beauty, from its inspiring mountain peaks and majestic waterfalls to the deep blue waters coursing through its towering fjords. Norway’s Geirangerfjord region is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Oslo, the capital, features an intriguing mix of architectural styles and a history dating back 900 years. This summer, none other than Seven Seas Voyager master and Norway resident Captain Knut Hanssen will host guests on a journey highlighting Norway’s stunning natural landscape and rich seafaring culture.  

Captain Hanssen’s 15-night cruise from Dover to Copenhagen departs June 24, 2008 aboard Seven Seas Voyager. Familiar to many Regent Seven Seas guests as the past master of the iconic luxury ship Song of Flower, Captain Hanssen’s experiences in Norway include service as a North Sea Captain in the Royal Navy. He currently resides in Alesund, Norway.

During the cruise, Captain Hanssen will share his insider’s views of the Norwegian fjords, which are the centerpiece of this itinerary. The itinerary features calls at Hellesylt, Geiranger, Longyearbyen (Spitzbergen), Honningsvag and Flåm, each home to towering fjords, monumental waterfalls, lush forests, snow-capped mountain peaks and abundant wildlife.

The cruise will also feature a special guest: Bard Kolltveit, Director of Research at Oslo’s Norwegian Maritime Museum. The museum features extensive collections and displays detailing Norway’s history through its relationship with the sea. Kolltveit has authored more than one dozen scholarly and popular maritime books, as well as articles in various Norwegian and foreign publications.

Above: Captain Knut Hanssen

For more information, please follow this link:
http://www.rssc.com/voyage/details.jsp?code=VOY080624&offerId=1863722&page=board

Antiques Expert Hosts Black Sea “Spotlight” voyage
Hilary Kay is a lifelong lover of antiques. This summer, the world-famous personality from BBC-TV’s Antiques Roadshow will host “Spotlight on Antiques,” a featured enrichment program on a 10-night, Istanbul to Athens voyage departing this summer aboard Seven Seas Navigator.  

Spotlight on Antiques will feature a comprehensive lineup of events highlighted by lectures, shopping hints, and guided tours with leading experts and appraisers. This exciting week will end with a big finale - an antiques show in the Seven Seas Navigator Show Lounge on the journey’s penultimate day.

Beginning July 2, 2008, Kay will lead guests on a voyage to uncover a wide range of treasured collectibles in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Crimea, and the Ukraine. Kay will next focus on Russian history during a port call in Sochi, after which Seven Seas Navigator will return to Turkey, where she will host a meeting with meet several expert appraisers who will provide valuable insights. The cruise then continues through the Dardanelles before concluding in Greece.

Kay joined Antiques Roadshow in 1979 and has since become one of the program’s most familiar faces, exploring everything from 17th century embroideries to tinplate robots circa 1960. In 2004, she presented a landmark BBC One-TV series, Brilliantly British, which explored the lives of furniture design and pottery legends Thomas Chippendale, Josiah Wedgwood and William Morris. Hilary has also been a featured guest on a variety of British television and radio programs including 20th Century Roadshow, Antiques Inspectors and The Great Antiques Hunt.

Twenty year-old Kay joined the legendary London-based auction house Sotheby’s in 1977 and within a year was named head of an expert department. She went on to become Sotheby’s youngest-ever auctioneer. By the time she left the prestigious firm in 1999, Kay was Sotheby’s Senior Director, in charge of several expert departments.

Above: Hilary Kay; Seven Seas Navigator

For more information, please follow this link:
http://www.rssc.com/voyage/details.jsp?code=NAV080702&offerId=1546497&page=board


Dazzling Dance Highlights Re-vamped Onboard Entertainment
Regent Seven Seas Cruises recently completed a multi-million dollar upgrade of its fleetwide entertainment programming with the addition of professional ballroom dance teams, new production shows featuring “The Regent Singers and Dancers,” and the largest live orchestra of any luxury cruise line.

Several of the new shows feature professional ballroom couples performing original choreography showcasing Latin, swing, waltz and other dance styles. The dancers also offer complimentary lessons for guests on days at sea.

Nine-piece “Regent Signature Orchestra” units perform aboard Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator, lending concert-quality musical support to production shows and breakings into smaller units for combo performances around the ships. These talented artists provide stimulating late-night accompaniment to nighttime cocktail hours in lounges as well as afternoon tea around the ships.

The new numbers include cabaret revues and five feature productions for each ship, all with live music by the orchestra and a permanent cast of up to 10 singers and dancers.  Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Navigator will also feature the musical “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” with music by singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, whose signature tenor voice produced a string of Billboard hits in the 1950s and 60s. Seven Seas Voyager also features “Romance Romance,” another exciting musical revue.

Did you know?
Gratuities are included in the cruise fare for all RSSC vessels. Guests who feel strongly about expressing their gratitude to the crew are encouraged to make a donation to the Crew Welfare Fund at the Purser’s Office. The fund is used to underwrite crew parties and events.

Press Releases
Get the latest press releases on Regent Seven Seas Cruises by clicking the hyperlinks or visiting www.RSSC.com.

Photography Downloads
For downloadable, high-resolution photography, visit http://www.rssc.com/download/home.jsp

About Regent Seven Seas Cruises – Regent Seven Seas, a Prestige Cruise Holdings company, operates a fleet of medium-sized luxury cruise ships that visit over 300 ports on all seven continents, including Antarctica. RSSC is consistently rated among the world’s top three cruise lines by readers of luxury travel magazines. Travel professionals worldwide voted RSSC the “World’s Best Luxury Cruise Line” for the fourth consecutive year as part of the 2007 Travel Weekly Awards and readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine voted RSSC “World’s Best Small-Ship Cruise Line” in 2007.  For further information, contact Regent Seven Seas Cruises, 1000 Corporate Drive, Suite 500, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33334. For brochures, call toll-free (866) 284-4079; for reservation information call toll-free (800) 285-1835; or visit www.RSSC.com

About Prestige Cruise Holdings – Prestige Cruise Holdings (PCH) is a subsidiary of Apollo Management L.P. and the parent corporation of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises. Formed in 2007 to manage select assets in Apollo Management’s cruise investment portfolio, PCH is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Del Rio, the founder of Oceania Cruises. PCH is the market leader in the Upper Premium and Luxury segments of the cruise industry with more than 4,450 berths between the Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises brands, a number the company expects will grow to more than 6,700 berths by 2011.