Christening of Seven Seas Grandeur Features Unveiling of the First Fabergé Egg to Reside Permanently at Sea
Regent Seven Seas Cruises hosted a glistening gala celebration in Miami, Florida on December 10, 2023, to welcome its newest ship, Seven Seas Grandeur™, A Heritage of Perfection.
VIP guests, including travel partners, local community leaders, media and loyal past guests, were invited to the exclusive black-tie evening ceremony on board the highly anticipated new vessel. The celebratory event marked a major milestone of Regent’s three decades of expertise in luxury cruising as the cruise line officially welcomed the sixth ship of The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet™.
As part of the celebrations, Regent unveiled Journey in Jewels, the first Fabergé Egg to permanently reside at sea. The Pièce de Résistance of a 1,600-piece art collection, the custom-designed masterpiece will now be on display in Seven Seas Grandeur’s stunning atrium, for all future luxury travelers to enjoy. The event also featured incredible entertainment from Emmy and Tony Award-Winning actress and singer and New Times best-selling author Kristin Chenoweth.
Sarah Fabergé, Founding Member of the Fabergé Heritage Council and great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé, performed her godmother duties at the elegant and exclusive gala event while wearing bespoke Fabergé jewelry, which will be auctioned for the Gemfields Foundation.
“Seven Seas Grandeur is the most anticipated new luxury ship to set sail this year, an achievement made possible through the combined craftmanship and exquisite eye for design excellence by Studio DADO and Fincantieri, who together with our team at Regent, have delivered a truly remarkable work of art,” said Harry Sommer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
“Each feature of this ship is more jaw-dropping than the last, from the world-class collection of art and tantalizing epicurean experiences, to the lavishly designed suites, restaurants, bars and lounges. Seven Seas Grandeur sets a new standard for service and comfort in the travel industry, and we are delighted to present this incredible new ship to discerning travelers as they explore the world with Regent.”
Inspired by the past and stunningly reimagined for the future, Seven Seas Grandeur exemplifies Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Heritage of Perfection with unrivaled space, unparalleled service, Epicurean Perfection, fascinating art and transformative experiences for guests as soon as they step on board. With a gross tonnage of 55,500, a crew of 548 staff and only 746 guests, the new ship will provide among the highest space- and staff-to-guest ratios in the industry.
Designed by the award-winning Studio DADO, Seven Seas Grandeur’s refined style, matchless elegance, and captivating beauty will exceed the expectations of luxury travelers. On board, guests will find captivatingly reimagined designs for signature restaurants such as Compass Rose, Chartreuse and Prime 7 among the exquisite dining choices. Seven Seas Grandeur features 15 stunning accommodation categories including the palatial, $11,000-a-night Regent Suite, contemporary yet timeless Distinctive Suites, and the beautifully appointed Spacious Suites.
“In a word, Seven Seas Grandeur is breathtaking, and we have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to christen our magnificent new ship,” said Andrea DeMarco, President of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “Regent is the pinnacle of luxury experiences, but not simply because we have the world’s most luxurious fleet with unrivaled space at sea. It’s the people who bring the Regent vision to life, delivering unforgettable moments to our guests that last a lifetime. Our success over the last 30 years has only been possible because of the tireless work and unwavering commitment to delivering unrivaled experiences by our crew and team members in our global offices each and every day.”
Following the gala event, guests on board Seven Seas Grandeur embarked on a three-night Caribbean sailing with everything the ship that embodies 30 years of unrivaled experiences has to offer, from unrivaled space in luxuriously appointed suites, to impeccable service in lavish bars and lounges, to epicurean perfection in five exquisite gourmet restaurants, and not forgetting free unlimited and immersive shore excursions.
Journey in Jewels – Inspired by the Seven Seas
During the ceremony, guests were also treated to a world first reveal of the exclusive objet d’art, known as the Fabergé x Regent ‘Journey in Jewels’ Egg Objet, which is the first Fabergé egg to permanently reside at sea.
“Fabergé’s storied legacy of unwavering perfection, unparalleled craftsmanship, and relentless pursuit of excellence aligns harmoniously with the core values of our own distinguished luxury brand,” added DeMarco.
Crafted in England from 18k white gold, the outer ‘shell’ of the egg has been enameled in an ombre of blues, representative of the colors of the sea. This ‘shell’ consists of seven intricate blades, a number carefully chosen to celebrate the seven seas that Regent’s ships traverse. Just like a wave, each blade breaks into a ‘sea foam’ of pearls and white diamonds at the tips in a truly extraordinary aesthetic feat.
The majestic egg sits upon a plinth adorned with emeralds, tsavorites, blue sapphires and white diamonds, set in Fabergé’s ‘Emotion style’, with colorful gems specially chosen to evoke the colors of the ocean. This gem-set plinth is anchored to a stand which reflects layers of waves accented with pearls and diamonds at the edges; more geometric and symmetrical in a nod to the helm of Seven Seas Grandeur.
By rotating the pearl ‘helm’ anti-clockwise, the seven blades delicately open in unison, to reveal a surprise hidden within – another hand painted egg, which is cradled by a ‘wave’ and delicately rotates, revealing the changing gradient of colors of the sunrises and sunsets at sea, and seasonal elements you can witness aboard Seven Seas Grandeur. This egg has also been decorated with an abundance of sparkling gemstones, including a stunning diamond-set frost pattern which wraps around the egg surprise, inspired by the Fabergé Winter Egg of 1913. Hand-carved mother-of-pearl clouds, alongside white opals set in 18k yellow gold, are also featured – the warmth of the yellow gold evokes the sunshine, and the opals represent the rainbows which emerge through the clash of weather.
In two groundbreaking firsts, Fabergé has applied the complex technique of ombre lacquering to Journey in Jewels and has developed a bespoke mechanism which powers the rotation of the egg surprise. The intricate development of this mechanism by Fabergé’s Workmaster Paul Jones, who has over 40 years of experience, has taken many months to perfect.
“I am honored to have been chosen as Godmother to this exceptional new ship which, like Fabergé, has been inspired by the past and reimagined for the future,” said Sarah Fabergé, founding member of the Fabergé Heritage Council and great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé. “The Fabergé x Regent ‘Journey in Jewels’ Egg Objet is inspired by the colors of the sea; the blues and the greens of the water that reflect and sparkle in sunlight.”
As Godmother, Sarah Fabergé will host a Fabergé Spotlight Voyage on board Seven Seas Grandeur, sailing July 1, 2024, enveloping luxury travelers into the world of Fabergé with small group master-class programs, exclusive access to unique and intimate shore-side tours, jeweled egg demonstrations and fascinating lectures and screenings.
Bespoke Fabergé Jewelry Auctioned for Charity
As part of Regent’s partnership with Fabergé, the jewellery maison has created a set of bespoke, one-of-a-kind earrings and matching ring, worn by Sarah Fabergé during the christening ceremony.
These exquisite pieces, crafted from 18k white gold, hand painted with blue guilloché enamel and set with white diamonds and pearls, will be on display on Seven Seas Grandeur’s Christening voyage and were opened for auction during the Christening event.
The auction will be live on RSSC.com/ships/seven_seas_grandeur/faberge-charity-auction from December 11, 2023, until December 22, 2023, and the money raised will go to the Gemfields Foundation, the charitable arm of Gemfields, which is the parent company of Fabergé.
The Foundation’s purpose is to further the prevention or relief of poverty and advance wildlife conservation in sub-Saharan Africa. To date, the UK-registered charity has funded the construction of several primary schools and a solar-powered computer laboratory. Notably, the charity’s impactful projects span countries which Regent visits, such as Madagascar and Mozambique.
(Christening of Seven Seas Grandeur Features Unveiling of the First Fabergé Egg to Reside Permanently at Sea – Regent Seven Seas Cruises)
