Seven Seas Voyager - Seven Seas Cruises
Fact File
Vessel: Regent Seven Seas Voyager
Cruise line:Regent Seven Seas Cruises (formerly Radisson)
Star rating: not yet rated
Tonnage: 41,827 GRT
Max passenger capacity: 752
Entered service: 2003
Description:Voyager and her sister ship, Mariner, are the world's only all-suite, all-balcony cruise ships. Voyager is perfect for long-range cruising. Its suites are spacious, ranging from 33 to 130 square metres. All feature a king-size bed (which converts to twins), walk-in closet, safe, CD/DVD player, bar refrigerator and marble bathroom with separate shower and bathtub. Penthouse level suites and up also have butler service.
Two major drawcards are Voyager's "big ship" facilities, which include a variety of lounges, a theatre, a spa and fitness centre, a library, and a pool with two hot tubs. The other is fine dining. In addition to 24-hour room service, there are four restaurants with an open-seating policy.
Seven Seas Voyager
For a diverse itinerary and plenty of sea days, it's hard to beat a segment of a world cruise.
Leaning against the rail of our balcony, flutes of champagne in hand, we can hear an animated conversation filtering up from the deck below. The debate is which city had the most scenic harbour - Sydney or Hong Kong?
Regent's Seven Seas Voyager was docked overnight in Sydney's Circular Quay. It was February, and the last throes of sunset had cast a warm glow over the opera house sails, and behind us the city lights shimmered in colourful contrast to the grey expanse of the harbour bridge.
We could have been relaxing in one of Voyager's air-conditioned lounges enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail. Then again, we reasoned, it's not every evening that you get to see Sydney's vibrant heart from a private balcony on a luxury cruise ship - even if it is hot and humid.
Voyager had arrived in Sydney the previous day, completing the first segment of its 2006 World Cruise. Next, it would embark on a 22-day voyage to Hong Kong, visiting seven diverse destinations in Australia and Southeast Asia en-route.
The itinerary would give the debaters below a chance to settle their "harbour" argument. But as far as we were concerned, at that moment, Sydney had the edge.
Overcast conditions the following afternoon didn't detract from the natural spectacle of sailing through the Sydney Harbour heads and into the Tasman Sea.
The first half of this cruise visited four popular Australian ports of call. Each had its own unique attractions - the Victorian architecture in Melbourne; the Botanic Garden in Adelaide; and Albany's history and dramatic coastline. In Fremantle, however, the highlight was participating in an Australian obsession - a day at the races.
After a few hours, exploring "Freo's" historic buildings, a fleet of buses transported more than half of the ship's 700 passengers to Perth's picturesque Ascot Racecourse. In an exclusive track-side marquee we nibbled on canaps and cooled down on fine Australian wines and beer while pondering the horses listed in our racing guides.
Events such as these have become a Regent trademark and they're reserved for world cruises. A complimentary add-on, usually a gala dinner or a show, is designed to give passengers a unique experience in a particular location.
After all the excitement, we relaxed into three sea days, plying the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Cruising aficionados know that once you've set sail, the ship quickly becomes your universe. The outside world fades as you become lulled into a more leisurely way of living.
On a world cruise this is taken to unprecedented levels. There are also more sea days, overnight stops, and ports of call off the beaten track.
A major bonus of Voyager is that its suites are spacious. Ours was a Class C Horizon suite, and at over 28 square metres there was more than enough room to spread out during a three-week voyage.
Thanks to its location at the rear of the ship, it also had an extra-large, partially-covered balcony of just under 12 square metres. It was perfect for relaxing in isolation with a good book. The 24-hour room service meant it could also be converted into your very own outdoor dining venue.
Another major part of the luxury cruise experience is dining, and from a pool deck hamburger to a gala dinner, Regent has generated a loyal following based on its food and wine alone.
Unlike some ships, where alternative dining venues come with a surcharge, Voyager has three restaurants in addition to the main dining room, each offering a different culinary experience. There's the Mediterranean La Veranda, and Latitudes, which takes on a different theme depending on where the ship is cruising. Our favourite, however, was Signatures which features a set menu of classic French dishes designed and prepared by chefs trained by the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary institution.
It's a reservations-only venue requiring a jacket for men, and is extremely popular. In fact, we were told by one regular Regent cruiser that it's so popular, on short cruises it can get booked out.
Another spot we frequented during the day was Coffee Corner, located on deck five. Although a ship of Voyager's size and luxury could benefit from a European-style caf (like the Bistro on Crystal Symphony), the self-service coffee machine was convenient for a hit of caffeine without the wait.
Voyager's public lounges used to have a bit of a reputation for being deserted at night. With such spacious accommodations - and in-suite bar and DVD players - many guests gave nightlife a miss in favour of a quiet night "in". However, we found the ship to be a hive of activity post-dinner. A varied program of live entertainment, featuring several Broadway-style shows, lured plenty of guests into the Constellation theatre on most nights.
On a five-star ship like Voyager, there's a long list of activities to fill every minute of your day, should you feel inclined to keep busy. Or you can just take advantage of the isolation and do nothing. For the Australian contingent, the second half of the cruise provided the most diversity and colour. After a stop at Padang Bai - a sleepy fishing village on the east coast of Bali - we enjoyed an overnight stay at Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.
A torrid history has seen this city destroyed twice in the past century - the last time by the retreating British early in World War Two. Today it's an uninspiring concrete sprawl with only the towering Crocker Range providing a scenic backdrop to ease the eye. Borneo's main attractions, however, are its natural wonders.
Our explorations were divided into a lively morning cultural show, followed by a leisurely ride on a vintage train through the verdant countryside. Then we were treated to another special event - a private visit to the Sabah Zoological and Botanical Park (due to open to the public in late 2006), to see some of Borneo's famous but endangered orang-utans.
As our buses pulled up at the park, it was obvious the weather wasn't going to play ball. What started off as a tropical shower evolved into a torrential downpour. But it didn't bother the small family of orang-utans, nor did it dampen the spirit of the passengers.
Our final stop, and one of the most anticipated, was Manila. Many of the crew are from the Philippines and it offered an opportunity to catch up with friends and family. For passengers, it was a chance to explore a fascinating and spirited city with a reputation for being chaotic and corrupt.
An extensive day-long tour revealed many sides to Manila's day-to-day life, but what really left a lingering impression was the historic Intramuros area. There was Fort Santiago, which served as the military headquarters of the Spanish, British, American and Japanese regimes, and Casa Manila, a grand mansion that has been restored as a museum depicting colonial life from the mid-1800s.
As the voyage neared its end, one final "special event" was awaiting us. I used to think that flying into Hong Kong offered an amazing view but there are few experiences that match sailing into its harbour. As Voyager entered the Tathong Channel, Hong Kong Island was on the port side. Meanwhile at starboard was a unique vista of the sprawling south-eastern corner of the New Territories. Flanking both sides of the channel were untidy rows of tightly packed apartment blocks, and on the choppy water below, all manner of vessels from traditional junks to high-speed passenger ferries were engaged in a rush-hour dash.
Eventually Voyager berthed at Ocean Terminal, and our eyes feasted on a 360-degree panorama of Hong Kong. The skyline was simply dizzying. If it hadn't already done so, this was the moment when the "wow" factor really kicked in.
I could not help but be reminded of the debate back in Sydney. Did Hong Kong have a more scenic harbour than Sydney after all? The answer didn't really matter. All we had to worry about was waiting for the announcement that the ship had been cleared by customs before we could go ashore to explore one of world's most dynamic cities. The harbour debate could wait for another time.
Written by Joanna Hall - 25 Spring 2006