Luxury Cruise Line Names Senior Officers For New Ship

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the ultra-luxury brand operated by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, revealed the senior officers who will sail aboard its upcoming Seven Seas Grandeur. The ship, now in her final stages of construction at a Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, will enter service in November 2023.

Captain, Top Officers Named For Seven Seas Grandeur

As Seven Seas Grandeur, the new ship from luxe line Regent Seven Seas Cruises, prepares for her debut in fall of 2023, the five senior officers who will lead her 532-member crew and oversee key departments were announced on September 19.

At the helm of the 55,000-gross ton ship will be Captain Luciano Montesanto, who hails from Italy’s Calabria region. His 20-year career in the cruise industry includes serving as captain of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Splendor. A graduate of the Nautical Institute, Montesanto began his career at sea as a cadet with a tanker shipping company.

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The captain marked his appointment to the new ship with a special announcement from the shipyard in Ancona, Italy, and offered updates on the ship and her construction.

“It is a tremendous privilege to have been named captain of a brand-new ship and to be a part of this incredible journey. As an Italian, I also take great pride in the fact that the ship is being constructed in Ancona, Italy,” Captain Montesanto said.

Along with Montesanto, the line named Franck Galzy as general manager; David Nevin as cruise director; Antonio Lagana as chief engineer; and Guiseppe Gargiulo as staff captain.

“We are proud to have assembled this highly accomplished leadership team to ensure every Seven Seas Grandeur voyage delivers Regent’s unrivaled experience for luxury travelers,” said Andrea DeMarco, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“Together, they will guide our passionate team with unmatched expertise and experience to create an inviting atmosphere and embody the epitome of hospitality for our guests,” added DeMarco.

Meet Seven Seas Grandeur’s Officers

Galzy, general manager, will oversee all hotel, and food and beverage services. He is a graduate of the CAFA Sommelier Wine School in Angers, France, and joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 1999. He became the cruise line’s youngest general manager in 2009.

Nevin, cruise director, hails from Canada and attended the Musical Theatre at Sheridan College in Toronto. He became a cruise ship entertainer in 2001 and in 2016, joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises as assistant cruise director. Promoted to cruise director in 2018, Nevin has spent 20 years at sea.

Like the captain, Lagana, chief engineer, also hails from Calabria, Italy. After studying at the Nautical College in Messina, Italy, he served in the Italian Navy and worked in the cargo ship industry. Lagana joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2011 as staff chief engineer.

Garguilo, who will serve as staff captain, is from Naples, Italy, and studied at the Nautical School in Sorrento, Italy, before working on cargo ships. He joined the cruise industry in 2003, and hails from a family of seafarers.

Ship’s Launch, Naming Ceremony Set

Construction of the 746-guest luxury cruise ship began in November 2021, and the ship was floated out on January 26, 2023. Now receiving her finishing touches, Seven Seas Grandeur will launch in Trieste, Italy, with a 7-day cruise to Barcelona departing on November 18, 2023.

She will sail a 14-day transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Miami on November 25, and her christening ceremony will be held at PortMiami on December 10.

The luxury ship will feature a special Fabergé object d’art, called Journey in Jewels. To mark the artwork’s placement, Sarah Fabergé, the great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé, will serve as godmother at the naming ceremony.

Following the ceremony, the ship will depart on a 3-night christening cruise before homeporting from Miami for the winter, sailing a series of 7- to 16-night itineraries, including Panama Canal transits on some voyages.