When Seven Seas Navigator arrives in Australian waters in early 2026 for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, it will act as a floating showroom for residential cruise newcomer Crescent Seas, it has been revealed.

The vessel will arrive in Australia in January 2026, the culmination of an 18-day voyage from Singapore to Sydney. It will return to the Harbour City in March 2026 during an 18-night sailing from Auckland.

Speaking to LATTE at the recent Savenio Symposium at the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, Crescent Seas’ newly appointed ANZ Sales Ambassador, Richard Davey explained the ship will feature a mock-up unit to introduce prospective buyers to its take on residential life at sea.

“If there’s mock ups there that we can show people when the ship’s in this area, then that’s going to help the sales effort enormously,” he said.

Because Navigator will still be operating as a cruise ship during this period, the team will take care to avoid any disruption to guests by arranging this dedicated space.

“We can’t overrun the ship. We can’t impact the people who are there enjoying their luxury cruise – for which they placed a handsome sum of money,” he said. “So it’s a balancing act, but we’ll do it.”

Unlike a standard cruise suite, the showroom will showcase the self-contained features that will tailor the spaces to long-term living, including a kitchenette. “It’s not all that different, but there are little touches — like a more livable space, a self-contained space,” Davey said.

Flexible configurations are also part of the vision, with buyers able to customise units or even combine multiple suites.

While full residential ownership is at the heart of Crescent Seas, the company is also launching a structured rental program, designed to both broaden accessibility and act as a sales funnel, Davey explained.

The goal is to allow future residents to trial the lifestyle before purchasing, as well as provide opportunities for owners to monetise unused time in their residence. “You go on for three weeks, and you love it so much, you buy a part of it,” he said. “Then you’ve done a rental already, then your agent’s been a part of that. So the rental is, in a way, part of the sales machine.”

Importantly, Crescent Seas is targeting longer-term rentals, not short stays, in the style of a country club. “We want them to be there for three weeks on end, for a decent amount of time, and pay a decent rent,” Davey said. “Not to be discounting, and not tactical pricing – just, this is the price. Please come on board. You’re welcome.”

Crescent Seas’ strong existing ties with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), the parent company of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, means the new venture is not starting from scratch. Indeed Davey describes the handing over of Navigator into the Crescent Seas fleet merely as a “handshake and a very smooth transition”.

The existing crew are being invited to stay on and catering and operational services will continue to be provided by Apollo and other shore-side service providers. This is expected to see Crescent Seas’ residential product resonate with those who have previously enjoyed sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “We’re a separate entity, but we’re still going to be friends with NCLH, which is good, and that gives us a great advantage,” he said.

“As a startup, we’re already started up,” Davey said. “We’ll wake up one day, and now she’s the Navigator, and then she’ll go forth and operate.”

The lessons learnt from their combined previous ventures have instilled a confidence in the Crescent Seas team. “We’re not the trailblazers. We’re just the next evolution,” Davey said.