The ultra-luxury residential cruise brand Crescent Seas, newly introduced to the industry just weeks ago, already is expanding the scope of its business by announcing it will add a second ship to its operations.
Oceania Cruises’ 700-guest Insignia will join the Crescent Seas fleet in late 2027 following an extravagant $50 million renovation. Once completed, the ship will offer 290 luxury residences costing between $650,000 and $10 million apiece.
The stem-to-stern overhaul will completely transform the ship, which entered service in 1998. Insignia was built as an R-class ship for Renaissance Cruises and operates under the Oceania brand as a Regatta-class vessel.
Oceania Cruises bought Insignia in 2004, and briefly leased the ship to Hapag-Lloyd Cruises from 2012 to 2014. As a Crescent Seas ship, Insignia will offer wealthy guests plenty of high-end services such as private butlers and gourmet cuisine.
Crescent Seas announced in early March that it would begin operating Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Navigator in December 2026. Like Insignia, the 490-guest Seven Seas Navigator will undergo a $50 million upgrade and offer 210 residences at prices ranging from $750,000 to $8 million each.
Eventually, Crescent Seas plans to assemble a five-ship fleet offering luxury residential accommodations and global itineraries that will feature up to five days in each port visited.
“Imagine traveling the world without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. With our ownership model, families can share once-in-a-lifetime experiences seamlessly,” said Marisa Galbut, president of Crescent Seas.
“Forget the hassle of planning vacations—embrace the freedom of remote work while exploring the world from your own residence at sea,” added Galbut.
Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are both owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), which has a past link to Crescent Seas: Russell W. Galbut, founder and chairman of Crescent Seas, is a former chairman of NCLH.
Neither NCLH nor Crescent Seas has revealed the financial terms of the agreements. They also have not confirmed whether Insignia and Seven Seas Navigator are lease deals or acquisitions. However, the arrangements are said to be part of a bigger, $230 million agreement between the two companies.
It is also unclear whether the names of the ships will change once the handovers and renovations are complete. But one aspect of the onboard experience will remain the same; both ships will continue to be staffed by The Apollo Group, which currently manages the ships’ hospitality operations.
Crescent Seas has competition in the residential cruise space. Among the most well-known is the Villa Vie Residences line, whose Villa Vie Odyssey sails continuous around-the-world cruises every 3.5 years and offers a variety of cabin purchase options.
However, Villa Vie Residences does not provide the level of ultra-luxury that Crescent Seas seeks to attain.
New Ships to Replace Vessels Headed to Crescent Seas
Meanwhile, at NCLH, Insignia and Seven Seas Navigator won’t be missed for long, since the company has new ships on order for both its Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.
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As part of a huge new-build construction order and fleet expansion plan detailed in 2024, Oceania Cruises will receive two new 86,000-gross ton ships, each with capacity for 1,450 guests. The vessels are due to enter service in 2027 and 2029.
At Regent Seven Seas Cruises, two slightly smaller ships — at 77,000-gross tons and accommodating 850 guests, were ordered for delivery in 2026 and 2029.
The parent company also ordered four ships for Norwegian Cruise Line. Each of the 200,000-gross tons ships will have capacity for up to 5,000 guests and are expected to join the fleet in 2030, 2032, 2034, and 2036.
