Regent Seven Seas has announced that the Seven Seas Navigator will exit the fleet in the fall of 2026. The luxury cruise ship, which has been in operation since 1999, will depart after a farewell voyage from Istanbul to Alexandria, after 27 years.

Following its departure, the ship will transition to new ownership under Crescent Seas, a company that plans to convert the vessel into a residential cruise ship. Rebranded as Navigator, the ship will serve as a floating luxury residence catering to affluent travelers seeking a home at sea.

According to Cruise Industry News, the transaction is part of a $230 million deal between Crescent Seas and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ parent company.

The Seven Seas Navigator was originally built by the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, Italy, utilizing a hull constructed by the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg, Russia. The hull was initially intended for a research vessel, but construction was halted by the Russian government before it was repurposed into a luxury expedition cruise ship.

Despite the departure of the Seven Seas Navigator, Regent Seven Seas Cruises will maintain a six-ship fleet. The line is preparing to introduce Seven Seas Prestige in 2026, the first vessel in a new class of ultra-luxury cruise ships being built by Fincantieri in Italy. A second ship from this class is expected to enter service in 2029, though it remains unclear whether another vessel will be retired to make way for the addition.

With the exit of the Seven Seas Navigator and the arrival of the Seven Seas Prestige, Regent Seven Seas Cruises continues its strategy of modernizing and rejuvenating its fleet. By 2029, the Seven Seas Mariner (built in 2001) and the Seven Seas Voyager (built in 2003) will be the oldest ships in the lineup, leaving open the possibility of further fleet updates in the coming years.