With just four small ships, Regent Seven Seas Cruises calls on more than 300 ports worldwide each year, from Alaska to Africa, and does so in high contemporary style. Regent is notable for its relaxed luxury, its spacious suites and its all-inclusive fares. The fares cover not only suites with balconies but also basic gratuities, shore excursions, some hotel stays, internet services, pre- and post-cruise tours and virtually all drinks (from soda to liquor). This is a premium cruise line that very much deserves its “all-inclusive” label. And for the 2017–2018 season, Regent will cover even intercontinental round-trip business-class airfare for all its guests.

Regent Seven Seas’ commitment to luxury sailing began more than a decade ago in 2001, when the line introduced the first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship in the industry, the 708-passenger Seven Seas Mariner. The 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator and the 708-passenger Seven Seas Voyager followed suit. All three ships are noted for their elegance, attentive service, open-seating main dining rooms and gourmet specialty restaurants, as well as their casinos, theaters, nightclubs and Canyon Ranch SpaClubs. A favorite of professional couples over age 50, affluent retirees and seasoned travelers, Regent Seven Seas Cruises provides relaxed experiences tailored to socializing, and although not required, many passengers dress for dinner.

Regent grabbed some big headlines this year with the inauguration of its fourth vessel, the 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer, heralded as the most luxurious ship at sea. To live up to its billing, Regent added a spa with an infinity pool and an 18-station hands-on Culinary Arts Kitchen, complementing an already impressive lineup of French, Asian and steak-and-seafood specialty restaurants. The exclamation point on the Seven Seas Explorer is its Regent Suite, at 3,875 square feet the largest stateroom in the cruising industry. This super-cabin spans the entire width of the ship, affording passengers a 270- degree panoramic view. Equipped with its own spa, sauna and steam room; the services of a driver at every port for private excursions; and a custom-built Steinway grand piano, this stateroom makes a statement.

The Seven Seas Explorer set sail on its initial cruise this July from Monaco and is now calling on ports in the Mediterranean. Starting in December, Explorer will winter in Miami and from there sail the Caribbean in the same exceptional but informal style as Regent’s three original and recently refurbished ships.

For those who can plan well in advance, Regent has another treat in store, too: a 137-day Navigate the World cruise on the Seven Seas Navigator. Setting out in January 2018, this circumnavigation of the globe breaks into six convenient segments that can also be booked separately — Los Angeles to Auckland, Auckland to Perth, Perth to Singapore, Singapore to Cape Town, Cape Town to Rio and Rio back to L.A. — bolstering Regent’s claim that its luxury voyages encompass the best of the best across the world’s “seven seas.”