Inside the $450MILLION cruise ship – this is what it’s like to travel on the ‘most luxurious liner ever built’

Not all cruises start with an epic departure, but when my ship sets off from Sydney it’s a pinch-me moment.

While sipping champagne, we sail past the famous Opera House and then under Sydney’s equally iconic Harbour Bridge, chatting excitedly about the voyage ahead.

I’m onboard Regent Seven Seas’ luxury ship, the Seven Seas Explorer, for a two-week cruise from Australia to Auckland, New Zealand – and capturing the trip on camera.

We’re following in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest explorers, including Captain Cook, voyaging to Tasmania as well as many stops on the eastern coast of New Zealand, visiting the country’s south and north islands.

Even though the Seven Seas Explorer is far more luxurious and speedy than the ship Cook would have sailed in, our journey still requires several days at sea.

And as I scout out the ship’s 13 decks, it’s clear that, despite only carrying 750 passengers, the Explorer has a staggering array of facilities, including a tennis court, driving range, pool, and multiple hot tubs.  

And that’s just the outside.

Head indoors through the spa and, beyond the sauna and steam room, you’ll find a second pool – this one’s an infinity job at the stern where you can ogle the ship’s wake and watch out for dolphins. 

The Explorer is billed (and copyrighted!) as the ‘Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built’. Here, Jo is pictured in front of one of the ship’s pools

I spot a large pod frolicking, but the second I try filming them they shy away.

Regent Seven Seas – which cost a staggering $450MILLION to build – has a reputation for being one of the world’s most lavish cruise lines and the Seven Seas Explorer, billed (and copyrighted!) as the ‘Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built’, claims to offer the most all-inclusive luxury experience.

Yes, the fare’s a little pricier than on competitive bigger ships, but what you get in return is far more exclusive and inclusive.

Cabins are all considered suites and mine is deluxe with a deep balcony, walk-in wardrobe, and marble bathroom.

Décor is sumptuous – think dazzling blue crystal chandeliers and Picassos on the wall. I even spot a Marc Chagall artwork.

Dinner is served on Versace plates and should you not fancy the main dining room’s menu then you can simply order lobster, filet mignon, or Dover sole instead.

Pictured is the inside of the Explorer, with Jo describing the decor as ‘sumptuous’

Jo spots a Picasso artwork on the wall of the ship (pictured), as well as one by Marc Chagall

Above is the ship’s infinity pool from which, Jo says, ‘you can ogle the ship’s wake and watch out for dolphins’. ‘I spot a large pod frolicking, but the second I try filming them they shy away,’ she adds

Jo says: ‘Dinner is served on Versace plates [pictured] and should you not fancy the main dining room’s menu then you can simply order lobster, filet mignon, or Dover sole instead’

And everything is thrown in for free: gratuities, laundry, excursions, you name it.

Fancy a cocktail? You can drink whatever and whenever you want. Prefer wine? High-end vintages are poured freely.

As we cross the Tasman Sea I laze by the pool and indulge in a multitude of activities you’d normally have to pay extra for on a cruise, like Pilates, Yoga, and specialty dining.

The smoked salmon blinis, lobster bisque, and seared Barbary Duck Breast at the French bistro Chartreuse are all exceptional.

Once we reach Hobart, Tasmania, I enjoy my first free shore excursion, a trip to a wildlife sanctuary that rescues injured and orphaned marsupials.

Here I see my first ever Tasmanian Devil and hand-feed kangaroos.

‘Cabins are all considered suites and mine is deluxe’, says Jo. Pictured is her bedroom onboard the cruise

As well as a walk-in wardrobe and marble bathroom, Jo’s cabin has its own lounge, pictured

‘Yes, the fare’s a little pricier than on competitive bigger ships, but what you get in return is far more exclusive and inclusive’, says Jo. Her room has a ‘deep balcony’, pictured above

One cutie, who I nickname Skippy, gets up so close and personal that we practically lock lips.

But, with it being such a small ship, it’s the service that feels extra personal.

Within a day the barista’s memorised my order, and every time my steward and I cross paths I’m greeted with ‘Hello, Mrs. Joanna’.

More importantly, the sommelier soon learns that I’m partial to a particularly fine appellation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape French wine and it’s never a problem for them to fetch me a bottle!

After 48 hours at sea, we finally reach New Zealand’s fjords.

The first, Milford Sound, was described by Rudyard Kipling as the 8th Wonder of the World.

Here the turquoise waters are hemmed in by the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps and around every corner there’s a silvery waterfall tumbling down a sheer rock face.

Everything is included in the price of the Explorer, even shore excursions. Here. Jo is pictured hand-feeding kangaroos at a wildlife sanctuary in Hobart, Tasmania. ‘One cutie, who I nickname Skippy, gets up so close and personal that we practically lock lips,’ she says

Above, Jo relaxes in the onboard spa’s sauna, looking out to sea. The spa also includes a steam room

The Explorer has a ‘staggering array of facilities’, says Jo, including a tennis court and driving range – on which she can be seen playing golf in the picture

It’s powerful, silent scenery that calms the mind and is good for the soul – and I manage to capture Bowen Falls on camera.

Afterwards, we sail through another fjord Doubtful Sound, so-named by Cook, who took one look at it and doubted he’d be able to sail back out if he ventured in.

For the next week, we stop at a new port daily and every excursion brings a fresh adventure.

One day it’s a jeep safari, on which we spot baby blue penguins and mother seals nursing pups.

Next, we kayak to a sacred Maori waterfall. At the geothermal park of Te Puia, a Maori family performs the infamous ceremonial ‘Haka’ dance for us.

Here, the earth sizzles and steams with bubbling mud pits and the biggest geyser in the southern hemisphere.

One of the stops on the cruise is Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s fjords, ‘described by Rudyard Kipling as the 8th Wonder of the World’. Jo says: ‘Here the turquoise waters are hemmed in by the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps and around every corner there’s a silvery waterfall tumbling down a sheer rock face.’ Above is Bowen Falls, a waterfall at Milford Sound

Jo finishes: ‘A cruise Down Under is an extraordinary, bucket list voyage that takes you so close to the bottom of the world that simply getting there feels like an expedition. And there’s no better vessel to do it in than the Explorer’

It’s also home to the flightless kiwi bird – once 70 million of them, but now only around 70,000 left.

Occasionally I prefer to explore independently. That’s how I end up on the steepest street in the world in Dunedin and on a three-hour hike in Akaroa.

In the capital Wellington I even join a free tour of Parliament.

New Zealanders are clearly flower lovers because every single destination has a Botanic Garden and I take a stroll through each one.

A cruise Down Under is an extraordinary, bucket list voyage that takes you so close to the bottom of the world that simply getting there feels like an expedition.

And there’s no better vessel to do it in than the Explorer.

Not only will you experience adventure, culture, and antipodean wildlife, but you’ll also enjoy an unparalleled dose of the high life.

For more videos from Jo, visit her YouTube channel – Go with Jo