Regent Seven Seas Cruises®, the ultra-luxury ocean cruise line, represented in our country by StarClass, announced that Captain Serena Melani will lead the company's newest ship, the Seven Seas Splendor, making her the first woman in the history of the cruise industry to captain a new vessel.
Captain Melani, 45, has risen rapidly through the ranks in her nearly 30-year career in cruise ship leadership roles. She began her nautical career at age 16 as a cadet while still in school, working on cargo ships in her hometown of Livorno, Italy, and along the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Tuscany region. After graduating from the Nautical College in 1993, she was one of the few women to hold positions of responsibility on tankers, cargo ships, and container ships. Captain Melani joined Regent in 2010 as a Bridge Officer, later serving as Navigation Officer, Safety Officer, and Staff Captain on Seven Seas Voyager. She became the company's first female Master Captain in 2016 and has led Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Mariner, and Seven Seas Navigator during this time.
“Captain Melani has distinguished herself as a pioneer in the maritime and cruise industry,” said Jason Montague, president and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “She is an international role model and is admired by our guests and our team. We are proud to appoint Captain Melani as the industry’s first female captain to deliver a new cruise ship and look forward to her future successes as leader of Seven Seas Splendor in the years to come.”
“There is a growing number of very talented female captains emerging in our industry, and we are proud to be pioneers for those women who aspire to lead the Bridge,” says Captain Melani. “Exploring the world and top ship crews has been my passion, and I enjoy sharing this enthusiasm with everyone who sails with us.” She added, “I have always believed in the adage that the cure for everything lies in saltwater: sweat, tears, and the sea.”.
Captain Melani, who lives with her husband on the picturesque Croatian island of Korcula when she's not sailing the world, will spend much of this year at the Ancona, Italy, shipyard where Seven Seas Splendor is being built, collaborating with engineers and designers to ensure perfect form and function from a captain's perspective. In this capacity, she will play an influential role in shaping the ship's luxury, even before it sets sail.
With approximately 55,000 gross registered tons and only 750 guests, Seven Seas Splendor will boast one of the highest space-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry. The ship features the Regent Suite, which will be the largest suite ever built on a luxury cruise ship, with over 413 square meters of interior living space and a 120-square-meter wraparound veranda. Complete with an in-suite spa comprising a personal sauna, steam room, and a treatment room with unlimited treatments, it offers 270-degree views over the bow of the ship and a sun deck lounge area atop the bridge with the same view as the Captain. Regent Suite guests enjoy a personal butler to manage every detail of their experience, a private car with driver and guide in every port, and the exquisite comfort of a $200,000 Vividus bed, handcrafted by the renowned brand Hästens.
The comfort and style found in the Regent Suite set the bar for all suite categories on board, where guests will enjoy the most luxurious accommodations and the largest balconies in the cruise industry. Other suite categories range from 28 square meters to 195 square meters, all elegant, luxurious, and dazzling. Throughout the ship, abundant crystal chandeliers, paintings and sculptures, imported Italian marble, and custom-designed, handcrafted furniture create a captivating environment for guests.
StarClass now offers the possibility of booking on the Seven Seas Splendor and of course its Regent suite.
