Regent Seven Seas Cruises marks Seven Seas Prestige keel laying at Fincantieri 

Regent Seven Seas Cruises marked a significant construction milestone on Thursday with the keel-laying ceremony for Seven Seas Prestige, the first vessel in its new Prestige class. 

The ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice, where the ultra-luxury cruise ship is currently under construction.

Scheduled for delivery in 2026, Seven Seas Prestige will usher in a new era for the brand, building on the success of the Explorer class while introducing a range of new features. 

At 77,000 gross tons and 257 metres in length, the vessel will accommodate approximately 850 guests across 434 suites, offering a high space-to-guest ratio consistent with Regent’s luxury positioning.

While the design takes inspiration from the Explorer-class ships introduced in 2016, Seven Seas Prestige will debut new suite categories and elevated dining concepts, signalling a continued evolution in Regent’s onboard experience. 

The Prestige class is notably larger than the line’s current ships—including Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Grandeur—with an increase of roughly 20,000 gross tons and capacity for an additional 100 passengers.

The keel-laying, a key shipbuilding milestone, marks the official start of a ship’s physical construction. In keeping with maritime tradition, three commemorative coins were placed beneath the keel and will later be retrieved and affixed to the navigation mast before the float out. 

The tradition is intended to bestow good fortune and safe passage on the ship and its future guests.

Seven Seas Prestige is the first of two confirmed Prestige-class ships, with a second vessel already on order. Details including the name and delivery timeline of the sister ship have yet to be announced.

The addition of this new class reflects parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ continued investment in the luxury cruise sector, and the growing demand for spacious, experience-led cruising. 

All of the world’s leading luxury lines, including Carnival-owned Seabourn, Explora Cruises (part of the MSC Cruises Group), and Royal Caribbean Group’s Silversea, currently have newbuild orders under construction, or have recently taken delivery of new vessels.

Explora Journeys in particular has four vessels due for delivery through 2028.

Once delivered, Seven Seas Prestige is expected to set new benchmarks in the industry for all-inclusive, ultra-luxury travel at sea, reinforcing Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ position as a leader in its segment.