The arrival of Seven Seas Prestige into the cruise market will change the way advisors sell cruise, with its onboard offering designed with guest feedback and travel trends in mind, according to Regent Seven Seas Cruises VP Sales and GM, Asia Pacific Lisa Pile.
At an event at Sydney’s Langham Hotel on Friday, Pile shared details of the new vessel, which will debut in December 2026, with both media and travel advisors. Among the features showcased were its range of new suite types, with the Skyview Regent Suite a particular highlight. At 817 square metres, it is the world’s largest cruise ship suite.
“These suites will change the way you sell,” she said. ” They are truly magnificent.”
This focus on innovation around its premium suites aligns with customer expectations and desires, according to Pile. “We always sell from the top down, completely opposite to hotels,” she noted.
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This isn’t the only way she believes Prestige’s features and enhancements will reshape advisors’ conversations with clients. With a greater focus on personalisation, longer sailings and a reimagined onboard experience, it has been designed according to customer feedback. Space is a key feature, with the vessel 40% larger but with only 10% more guests.
“It’s a combination in all the feedback we’ve received over the 10 years of having the Explorer class ship, but also we went out and we got consumer insights from our guests, and also from our travel advisor partners,” Pile said.
That feedback has directly influenced design changes, including those larger spaces, floor-to-ceiling glass and additional al fresco dining areas.“Especially from Australia’s point of view, we love that residential feel, that lovely space,” Pile told LATTE. The ship’s stand-out staff-to-guest ratio also ensures guests are well taken care of. “There’s a one to three staff to guest ratio. It is hyper personalised.”
This new level of personalisation is crucial given the changing patterns in the market. “Don’t forget that our average standing out of Australia now is about 23 nights,” she explained. “When you’re serving for that length of time, you want those different spaces. You also might want to dip into the social aspect, but you also might want to enjoy that private time, and that magnificent balcony gives them that bit more space.”
While preferences vary to a certain degree across regions, the core appeal remains consistent. “When you’re looking at luxury travel, they all love the hyper personalisation,” Pile said. “It’s about emotional luxury – that feeling that you get when you walk in, the small attention to detail.”
