Regent’s Jason Montague on Pent-Up Demand, Trends in Wave, and Record World Cruise Bookings

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the ultra-luxury brand operating under NCLH umbrella, has not sailed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s not stopping President and CEO Jason Montague from setting expectations high ahead of the brand’s expected restart later this year.

Montague, who spoke to Travel Market Report late last week, said that even after the financial crisis in 2008, Regent bounced back and had a record year in 2010, a feather in the cap and a testament to the Regent brand itself—and a trend he expects again once Regent restarts post-COVID shutdown.

“We are seeing big demand, truly,” Montague told TMR.

Wave season offers and World Cruise update
Regent is coming off of its most successful launch of a World Cruise in its history. In September, when the line opened bookings for its 2023 World Cruise, with prices ranging from $77,999 to $208,999 per guest, it shattered its record for the 2022 World Cruise.

“I was not expecting to sell out,” Montague said, adding that not only had Regent never sold out a World Cruise, but had never seen this much interest in sailing a complete World Cruise itinerary, rather than just individual segments.

Montague said that the movement is a testament not only to the all-inclusive nature of Regent, and the work travel advisors have done over the past year communicating that to their clients, but also to the growing pent-up demand that the cruise industry is seeing.

That pent-up demand can also be seen in the momentum from Regent’s Wave Season offer, which is valid through Feb. 28. As part of Regent’s Upgrade Your Horizon Wave Season offer, guests could get a two-category suite upgrade on all ships, in all destinations, plus 50% reduced deposits. While the entire Regent catalogue aside from its World Cruise and Grand Voyages was on offer, that didn’t last very long.

“It has been so successful we had to cut down the sailings,” Montague said. “It shows me with the records in how this all has progressed throughout January that there is just a tremendous amount of pent up demand.”

“For people who have been stuck in their homes and truly haven’t been able to go out, it obviously puts some more cash in their coffers but also helps them realize that they never know what’s going to happen. Those bucket-list experiences, which is where regent sails, are more attractive than ever and that’s probably why you are seeing the record bookings,” he said.

Travel advisor value
Regent’s all-inclusive nature drives a higher price point than some of the line’s competitors within the industry—“if you comp everything, you are going to pay for it,” Montague said—and while that could make it a tougher sale than others, Regent’s recent success has a lot to do with the work of its travel advisor partners.

“When our travel partners truly help explain the price point, we’re successful. The luxury space only has 25% to 30% of the space in the cruise industry and people are used to going on those much bigger ships. But if you put the right guest on the right cruise line they are going to be a cruiser for life,” Montague said.

“Our partners are always core and key to that aspect – because we are the truly the most inclusive experience our price points will always be higher and we need partners who can tell clients that we are relatively the same price but the experience you are getting from Regent is no comparison,” he added.

Regent also made a couple moves to help its travel advisor partners during the pandemic. The latest was tied to Upgrade Your Horizon where, for every new deposit, it is providing a $100 gift card to the travel advisor making the booking. Montague also said that the line is continuing to invest heavily in its training programs and marketing materials for the trade.

“Anything we can do to support them for this time we are doing. We want to be there for them,” he said.

Seven Seas Splendor update
Seven Seas Splendor, the second ship in Regent’s Explore Class, was scheduled to make its debut in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit. While Regent was able to welcome some onboard the vessel, which is a sister ship to Seven Seas Explorer, a ship that is often referred to as the most luxurious ship ever built, the plan now is to relaunch the ship once the line is able.

Splendor it outfitted with eye-popping luxury touches, with 15 different suite categories and more than 46,000 square feet of Italian marble onboard, including the marble-detailed bathrooms in each of its 375 guest suites and 500 crystal chandeliers illuminating the ship’s interior. Each balcony space per suite will average 138 square feet.

Elsewhere, the ship’s Observation Lounge, inspired by an English garden, will incorporate a light and airy color palette. A chandelier comprised of hand-painted porcelain flowers, peonies, and roses is the centerpiece. Specially commissioned art by Gorman Studios incorporates hand-painted English roses and flowers on glass screens to reflect the look of porcelain chandeliers.