Goodbye Radisson, hello Regent... - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

PagodaSwan · 03-08-2006, 05:10 AM

Radisson is no longer the company name for this cruise line. The parent company has merged it with Regent Hotels....

Quote:

Radisson makes the switch to Regent
7/3/2006
A long-anticipated name change became official today when the Carlson Companies announced Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' rebranding as Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Also, Carlson is merging its cruise business with its luxury Regent Hotels into a single Regent brand that will be based in the company's Fort Lauderdale cruise headquarters and led by RSSC president Mark Conroy.

‘By aligning our ships and hotels, we’re able to create a seamless integration of ship-to-shore experiences, giving our guests such options as pre- and post-cruise hotel stays in Regent Hotels around the world and special benefits across brands to reward their loyalty,’ said Jay Witzel, president and ceo of Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Carlson Cruises Worldwide.

Regent Hotels offers a portfolio of eight properties, due to expand to 16 in the next five years. More immediately, over the next 18 months, Carlson will make a multimillion-dollar investment to upgrade the cruise fleet’s soft furnishings in suites and public areas. Changes will commence with the Seven Seas Mariner on April 18 in San Francisco.

The look of all staterooms and suites will be redesigned and upgraded with new amenities such as down comforters and pure Egyptian cotton percale Anichini brand linens with satin-stitch embroidery. Rooms will gain cashmere throws for lounging or use on the private balconies, and new Regent luxury bathroom amenities will be added.

Other upgrades will include flat-screen TVs and DVD players, while upper category suites will gain iPod systems pre-set with music and Bose speakers. High-speed wireless Internet access and cell phone service will also be available on all ships.

The rebranding from Radisson to Regent Seven Seas ‘keeps pace with valuable insights gained from guests, prospective affluent travelers and our extensive proprietary research,’ Conroy said.

Regent Hotels range from the Regent Beverly Wilshire in the U.S. to the new Regent in Shanghai, with nine additional properties in development around the world, including South Beach, Bal Harbour, Winter Park, Boston, Beijing, Bangkok, Ningbo, Kuwait and Budapest.(Seatrade)