From Seatrade Insider:

Regent to pour $40m into ship refurbs
15/9/2008
Regent Seven Seas Cruises gave more details on its planned ship refurbishments, reported here earlier, and said approximately $40m will go into enhancements of Seven Seas Voyager, Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Navigator.

This follows approximately $20m spent on the fleet over the past two years. Regent president Mark Conroy said the program will 'see each of the ships emerge essentially brand new.'

The work on Seven Seas Voyager will commence in December, followed by Seven Seas Mariner in January and Seven Seas Navigator in the first half of 2010.

In addition to technical work, almost every area of the ships will be refurbished, with public rooms being substantially re-designed with new furniture, fabrics and materials under the direction of Yran & Storbraaten, working with Regent’s vessel operations team. Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner will be refurbished at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, with details and the location of Seven Seas Navigator’s 2010 drydock to be announced at a later date.

As Conroy earlier told Seatrade Insider, a new alternative dining venue will replace the current Indochine-menu Latitudes restaurants. The new spot will be a steakhouse named Prime Seven.

Also, lounges and public rooms will be redesigned to create more spacious areas for relaxation, and a new lounge and dining areas will be added around the Pool Grill. New carpeting, wall covering, upholstery, light fixtures and drapes will be installed in most public areas and suites.

The addition of pizza ovens and ice-cream bars will add more casual dining choices. Seven Seas Voyager will gain a coffee and snack bar area similar to the Coffee Connection on Seven Seas Mariner.

Frank Del Rio, chairman of Prestige Cruise Holdings, said the investment will elevate the passenger experience and also 'provides a glimpse of what the future holds,' likely hinting at the plans under discussion for a Regent newbuild.

Great article, Peggy! This sounds intriguing: "and a new lounge and dining areas will be added around the Pool Grill."

Thanks, Peggy - Sounds like an Oceania ship to me. They have a big "living room" type area off the pool grill that is pretty nice and cabanas....sorry the Navigator won't be started until 2010. We are booked Nov 2009...

Is there a picture of the Oceania "Living room" area on their web site? I'd be curious to see what it looks like . . . .

I know you've enjoyed the Oceania ships.

Peggy

edited to add that I checked the pool deck on the web site and couldn't find anything . . .

Here is the Pool Lounge...you need Java since it's a virtual tour...

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/T_Mai...bb88-6ec24268e573&File=DECK%20LOUNGE

Thanks . . I was able to look at it.

What would be your best guess as to where this might happen on the Voyager? Forward where the pool bar is (not likely)? Where the ping pong table is? Or aft near the entrance to La Veranda?

Peggy

Oh please, just no cabanas! I wonder too, but it mostly all sounds good. the Indochine concept didn't work well for me, really.

I liked the outdoor lounge too but wouldn't that take up a lot of the outdoor dining space? I agree with Wendy, NO cabanas!

Gee, I don't know exactly where on top it is. I think it's near Tapas on the Terrace but I was having too much fun to pay attention since my last cruise was on the Baltics and so port intensive, you just get where you're going and it's time to go elsewhere. We only had two sea days out of 15 days. It's a great spot to just watch the world go by. They rope it off for private dinner parties there in nice weather. It's really a lovely area.

Do you remember the little area on the Diamond with the overstuffed chairs and the end tables on the pool deck? That was a really nice and popular set up. (as least I think it was the Diamond, it might of been the Song of Flower but I don't think so?)

O's cabanas are in that wasted space on the top deck near the bow. I wouldn't pay for a cabana but those who do love them.

Karen I think you are right we had that on DDD???? Bunch of gals sat there "yacking" every day - and couples at night -

You are right karen, it was on the Diamond. It was my favorite thing about that ship. We've spent hours in those comfy shaded chairs yacking away!

No, NO ice cream bar! I will end up looking like an elephant! It is my weakness.

Ardis

I'm trying to visualize that area on Diamond. Was it in a corner of the pool deck? I remember the pool on Diamond, it was very nice. I remember the hot tub, and I remember a bar at the other end (mid-ship.) I just can't visualize the place you're talking about.

Wendy, let me look at the DDD photos on the Kodak site, maybe someone took a picture of the area.


Editing to add, I could only find one album and I saw the area but it was off in the distance.

I remember that area on the Diamond--it was a great place to sit and chat with friends. Other than the dining room, it was the best place on the ship.

I wonder what this means for the new ship - delayed I presume, cancelled I fear. With credit tight and the economy in or near free-fall, delaying the new ship is probably a prudent decision, but do the existing ships really need a $40 million refurbishment? They seem pretty nice to me.

Adding a Coffee Corner on Voyager is a clear winner, and revamping Latitudes is overdue; you could almost always get a table there at the last minute, which tells you something about demand for that style of dining. I just hope the refurbishment is not a consolation prize for dropping the new build entirely. And I gather we will be able to check out the improvements to Voyager during VIKINGS next May. Bravo!

Neither of us can recall the little area on the Diamond with the overstuffed chairs and the end tables on the pool deck. But we were only on the Diamond once, for a Fall crossing from Rome eight years ago, and memories seem to fade faster and faster with advancing age! Sounds nice, though. We agree – nix on cabanas!

Karen, That seating area was on the Diamond. It had a couple tables and overstuffed chairs. It was right behind the bar area near the pool. Since the Diamond didn't have a cigar room inside it was the area where cigar smokers congregated after dinner. On our last Diamond cruise just before the sale they were using the aft bar, it was always too windy.

Michael, I hope we get an area like that again when the ships get updated!

I am so excited reading about the plans for the Mariner dry dock. I am sailing on January 15th right after it comes out. But I'm wondering, since the prior cruise ends January 4th....how much "refurbishment" can they do in 10 days? :woh:

The lounge area on the pool deck on Oceania is aft where there is lots of open space. It truly is very comfortable and nice because it is shaded. Great place to take a nap! Never has been crowded during my cruises.

You would be surprised how much they can get done in a short period of time. They have everything so well planned and have a multitude of workmen that can work wonders.