In the fall, we received an irresistible invitation to get a first look at the Regent Seven Seas Grandeur. The three-night Miami–Bahamas–Miami cruise was to be the official christening of the sixth and newest member of the Regent Seven Seas fleet, a 735-foot Explorer Class vessel that cost over half a billion dollars to build.

In advance of our trip, we found communication from Regent to be timely and thorough. The online check-in process was easy, and Regent sent emails containing our boarding passes, final sailing reminders and a safety video. At the dock, staff welcomed us with gourmet chocolates and aguas frescas and ushered us toward the gleaming Grandeur moored on Biscayne Bay. No matter how many times I’ve done it, boarding a cruise ship always gives me a rush of excitement. And faced with this sleek new vessel, I’ll admit there was an extra flutter. At the ship’s entrance stood the sacrificial bottle of Veuve Clicquot, awaiting its celebratory demise.

The Grandeur is the sister ship to the Seven Seas Splendor and the Seven Seas Explorer, and like those, it holds up to 746 guests and a crew of 548. With this new build, though, Regent has raised the bar, and the result is unbridled opulence from stem to stern.