Comparing Silversea vs. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is much like comparing lobster to filet mignon. Most cruisers would agree that both are divine. These two luxury lines pile on bliss-inducing amenities, each in its inimitable style. How to choose between the two? Check out the goods on how Regent stacks up against Silversea, and vice versa. After that, choosing your dream cruise should be as easy as, well, caviar pie.
In Silversea's nine-ship fleet, five are traditional ocean liners and four are expedition ships. For purposes of this article, we'll focus solely on the traditional cruise ships.
The 296-passenger Silver Wind debuted in 1994. The 382-passenger Silver Shadow launched in 2000; twin ship Silver Whisper debuted in 2001. In 2009, 540-passenger Silver Spirit launched as the next-generation flagship. In 2017, the line's newest flagship, 596-passenger Silver Muse, made its inaugural splash. Its twin debuts in 2020.
Regent Seven Seas' first-of-four cruise ships, 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator, launched in 1999. Twin 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner followed in 2001 and 2003, respectively. In 2016, the line took a luxe leap by unveiling 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer, billed by Regent as the most luxurious ship at sea. In 2020, Explorer's twin debuts.
Comparing fares is tricky; both lines call themselves all-inclusive yet each interprets the term differently. Regent Seven Seas' fares are generally higher, but Regent bundles in big-ticket items, such as airfare and shore excursions.
Alternative dining, 24-hour room service, gratuities, all beverages including alcohol and spirits (excluding a premium list), in-suite mini-bar with daily restocking (including wines and spirits), enrichment programs, laundry room use and town shuttles in most ports are included for all passengers. Depending upon the suite level, complimentary Wi-Fi (from one hour per passenger per day up to unlimited), pressing, laundry, ship-to-shore phone calls and other such perks are also included.
Regent Seven Seas' all-inclusive perks match Silversea's, except entry-level suite mini-bar alcohol is limited to beer. But Regent also adds round trip coach airfare for transcontinental flights and business class airfare for intercontinental flights, with departures from most major U.S. cities. Also included? Ground transfers between airport and ship, unlimited shore excursions (excluding premium excursions, like fancy French chateau wine dinners) and unlimited Wi-Fi. A one-night pre-cruise hotel stay is another perk if booked in a Concierge Suite or higher.
To determine which line really offers the biggest bang for your buck, pick two similar cruises on Silversea and Regent Seven Seas, say, a 10-day Rome to Athens sail in October, and note the fares for similar-size suites. Add airfare, and estimated shore excursions and Wi-Fi use to the Silversea cruise fare. Then see how the two measure up.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent Seven Seas if:
Silversea offers both wonderfully exotic itineraries and iconic destinations, and perpetually alters or introduces new ports, keeping devotees happy. Annual world cruises visit five continents, with many overnight stays in port.
Ships consistently sail the Mediterranean and Baltic regions, and Alaska. Far East, Australia and South American cruises are also popular. Regent mixes it up, offering both popular must-see destinations and charming out-of-the-way ports. Regent's annual world cruises also visit countries across five continents, with a few overnight stays and hundreds of included shore excursion options.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent if:
Both cruise lines deliver consistent, high-quality shore excursions. Both use English-speaking, knowledgeable and attentive guides. Tour groups are limited in size and transportation options are comfortable and air-conditioned. If the port dictates less cushy transportation (such as no A/C or bumpy roads), both lines note the challenges upfront.
Silversea can offer fabulous overnight shore excursions -- sometimes multiple days -- on exotic itineraries. Butlers aid passengers in departure, from serving full breakfasts at 4 a.m. in-suite to wheeling your roll-aboards off the ship and waving goodbye. Upon return, they await portside, greeting you with welcome home banners and a rose petal-strewn bubble bath in your suite.
Most shore excursions are complimentary and they're not just panoramic bus tours or quickie walkabouts, either. Impressive examples include a 6.5-hour jaunt featuring a national park, river cruise and lunch in Zadar, Croatia; and a drive from Rome to a stunning lake before a vineyard visit and tasting.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent if:
Silversea and Regent Seven Seas ships are all-suite, mostly with verandas. Both lines make suite living incredibly, well, sweet. Spacious suites are designed with timeless understated elegance. Soft earthy colors and textural furnishings abound, as do richly polished wood, marble and granite. Amenities include sitting areas, silken European sheets, plush bathrobes and slippers, hair dryers, vanities, flat-screen televisions and safes.
The older the ship, the smaller the suite. Entry levels range from 240 square feet up to 334 square feet with picture windows only. The largest begin at 1,019 square feet and zoom up to 1,970 square feet, with verandas. All passengers enjoy butler service.
All four ships' smallest suites average about 300 square feet. The largest run from 1,067 square feet to Seven Seas Explorer's gigantic 4,443-square-foot Regent Suite, and all offer verandas. Regent only provides butlers to passengers booked in Penthouse Suites or higher.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent Seven Seas if:
Both lines can knock your gastronomic socks off. Get ready to feast on pricy dishes like lobster and filet mignon while servers spoil you rotten in dazzling dining rooms. Give the chef a heads-up, and you can pretty much eat whatever you want whenever you want. Both lines include complimentary 24-hour room service, with dinner elegantly served course-by-course in your suite or on the veranda.
Silversea collaborates with Relais & Chateaux, a high-end collection of boutique hotels and restaurants lauded for outstanding cuisine. Le Champagne, the only Relais & Chateaux restaurant at sea, features lavish tasting menus of exquisite dishes paired with fine wines. This intimate dining concept is found fleetwide. (It's called La Dame by Relais & Chateaux on Silver Muse.)
Wind, Shadow and Whisper feature five dining options, Spirit offers seven and Muse a whopping nine (including room service fleetwide).
Seven Seas Explorer offers the most ambitious dining -- eight choices, the most of Regent's four ships. Among the signature venues are Pacific Rim for Pan-Asian creations, Chartreuse for modern French fare and Compass Rose (dubbed their largest specialty restaurant yet much like a main dining room). Navigator offers six dining venues; Voyager and Mariner both have seven. (All counts include room service.)
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent Seven Seas if:
Both Silversea and Regent Seven Seas include all beverages, from specialty coffees and teas to wine, Champagne, beer and spirits.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent if:
Expect a more genteel nightlife onboard luxury ships than on premium or mass-market cruise lines. On both Silversea and Regent Seven Seas, passengers enjoy small-production musical shows, schmooze and drink in lounges and bars, and occasionally hit the casino and dance to live bands or DJ's spinning tunes. Wee-hours partying is rare.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent Seven Seas if:
Both lines cater to empty-nester couples. If children are onboard, they're usually older and well-behaved and on family-friendly Alaska and Mediterranean cruises during holidays and summer. Neither line offers babysitting services.
Only Silver Muse offers a complimentary Activities Center for children between 6 and 16 years old. Run by a dedicated host with formal training in recreation, child development or related fields, the clubhouse-style lounge is open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., although most activities are during the daytime. Organized fun for younger tykes can include decorating T-shirts or taking a bridge tour. Tweens and teenagers learn to make pizza, play dodgeball and try Zumba. Parents can bring kids to play with toys, video and board games when the room isn't in use. Once or twice per cruise, fun evening events dubbed "No Parents Night-Out" ($20 fee per child), such as organized pizza dinners and ice cream socials, are scheduled.
On all other Silversea ships, select summer voyages between mid-June until the end of August offer youth counselors. Complimentary activities include face-painting, pool parties, stargazing, table tennis and galley and bridge visits. (If enough children are booked during the Christmas holidays, a youth counselor and special activities may be available then, as well.)
Regent Seven Seas features a Club Mariner Youth Program on select voyages (mostly in Alaska, some in Europe) from May through early August. The program is led and supervised by specially trained counselors. Activities are scheduled for two age groups, 5- to12-year-olds and 13- to 17-year-olds, and include fun stuff like decorating cookies, scavenger hunts and pizza, popcorn and movie nights. There's no dedicated play space; the groups take over lesser-used lounges.
Choose Silversea if:
Choose Regent Seven Seas if:
Updated October 31, 2017