Explora Journeys Compared to Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Understanding the Differences
Our travel executive, Jayson, has sailed Regent Seven Seas and Explora Journeys- this experience brings a compelling and first-hand approach to comparing the two luxury brands. You'll find that Regent is more formal through the day, whereas Explora is relaxed comfort during the day and business-casual into the evenings. If you've sailed Regent Seven Seas, then be prepared for a very different hospitality-driven concept known as: Explora Journeys.
Regent Seven Seas is the more traditional “everything is included, and we’ll take care of everything” luxury cruise. Explora Journeys is the more modern “luxury hotel/resort at sea” experience.
Here are the top 5 distinguishing differences:
Regent Seven Seas | Explora Journeys | |
1. Core philosophy | Ultra-luxury cruising — highly personalized service, formal luxury heritage, and an exceptionally inclusive cruise product. Well maintained ships are aged with few new ships offered. | Luxury hospitality at sea — designed more like a sophisticated European hotel/resort or private yacht. Newest luxury ship fleet in the luxury category since 2021. |
2. Shore excursions | Major differentiator: thousands of included shore excursions across 550+ ports. Exploration is a major part of the value proposition. | Destination experiences are more selectively curated, with emphasis on immersion, longer stays and less-traveled destinations rather than making thousands of excursions the centerpiece. |
3. Ship & suite design | Classic, elegant luxury-cruise design with relatively small ships and suites. Regent's fleet includes ships with roughly 373–409 suites. | Much more contemporary and residential. Every suite has an ocean view, private terrace, floor-to-ceiling windows and a strong "Home at Sea" concept with 461 suites onboard. |
4. Dining & onboard atmosphere | Refined, traditional luxury dining with a stronger classic luxury-cruise feel, with fewer dining venues to choose from. | More restaurant/resort-oriented: multiple culinary venues, sophisticated bars, expansive pool areas and a more relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Explora II, for example, has six restaurants and 12 bars/lounges. |
5. Who it's best for | The refined traveler saying: “I want the most comprehensive luxury cruise package possible.” | The hospitality-seeking traveler saying: “I want an exceptional luxury hotel, great food, beautiful design and privacy—but I happen to be traveling by ship.” |
The biggest practical difference: what “all-inclusive” means
Both are highly inclusive, but the value is packaged differently.
Regent's strength is exploration. Regent explicitly promotes thousands of included shore excursions, along with its broad all-inclusive proposition.
Explora's strength is the onboard lifestyle. Its standard inclusions emphasize nine culinary experiences, unlimited beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities, wellness access and a suite-centric experience.
That distinction is important when comparing the two brands.
Regent vs. Explora: Which One is Better?
One isn't better than another, rather each provides a very unique experience. The luxury products are designed around different motivations:
Regent = Explore More🌎 Included excursions🍷 Traditional ultra-luxury🤵 Highly personalized service🚢 Luxury cruise experience💎 Exceptional inclusiveness
Explora = Live Better at Sea🏨 Luxury hotel-at-sea feel🍽️ Restaurant-quality culinary variety🍸 Sophisticated bars & lounges🌊 Oceanfront suites with private terraces🧘 Wellness, space, privacy and contemporary design
And there's one particularly powerful Explora selling point for travelers to understand: the ships feel much more like a contemporary luxury resort than a conventional cruise ship. Explora itself describes its ships as evoking the intimacy of a private yacht and emphasizes space, serenity and its “Home at Sea” concept.
In one sentence for a client:
“Regent is for the traveler who wants the world included; Explora is for the traveler who wants the luxury hotel experience to come with them around the world.”
That is probably the cleanest distinction I would use in a Regent vs. Explora comparison.
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