Building the World's Most Luxurious Cruise Ship

On Channel 5 at 9.00pm this Friday 2nd Dec in the UK

The first of a two-part documentary following engineers and designers as they construct the liner Seven Seas Explorer. The aim of cruise boss Frank Del Rio is to make it the most luxurious ship of its type, designed to convey 750 passengers when others of its size would hold 5,000. Building the £360million vessel is a race against time for Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri, as tickets for the maiden voyage go on sale long before it is finished. The most expensive suite boasts a grand piano, a butler and its own spa, and costs £8,000 per night, while the owner is spending £5million on art works to furnish the rooms.

There will not be any suspense as we all know the outcome but will be worth watching I think

We will look forward to watching! Thanks for the heads up - we don't normally keep up with the schedules for Channel 5 and probably would have missed it otherwise!

They must have just finished the documentary because there was a camera crew on the ship from Haifa - Rome filming the finished product.

gnomie :)

Thanks for the info. Will set up sky + to record. Jean.

Thanks for the info. Will set up sky + to record. Jean.

Me too! Thanks! :)

Looking forward to the programme. Demand for the Explorer, and maybe prices, are likely to rise. So we are going to book a couple of cruises this week.

I saw this listing on their website - wonder if there's a way to stream it in the US - I'd like to see this somehow...

I saw this listing on their website - wonder if there's a way to stream it in the US - I'd like to see this somehow...

Bill do you have Sky TV or Cable? If you could access catch up, or on demand on either of these you may be able to watch it? Jean.

Unfortunately, no. I had Sky way back in the primitive days of sat TV, around the late 80s/early 90s, I think? No Sky that I know of here in the US...I think if I had any chance to find it, it would be online somewhere.

I'm guessing it'll show up somewhere eventually. :)

Bill, I have had similar conversations in other forums where people have managed to watch UK programmes by means of a VPN or similar means of hiding one's location. Channel 5 has an online catch up service My5 which also appears as an app, plus there's a TVCatchup website (google that phrase and it may pop up) which might work.

Good luck - I think you're right in your guess that it will turn up eventually, but it'd be nice not to have to wait, wouldn't it?

I saw this listing on their website - wonder if there's a way to stream it in the US - I'd like to see this somehow...

I'm sure that we will be able to see it eventually. I'm guessing that the crew that was onboard earlier this month were from Britain. While I have an interest in the film, I prefer sailing on the ship and learning about it first hand (which you will do in a few short months).

Speaking of Brits, I asked if there was a drop in the number of people from the U.K. onboard. The response is that there is a drop but the Brits onboard are booking cruises. It seems that the British Pound keeps getting weaker and weaker (not quite as much as the Euro) and it is bound to affect the number of people sailing (just as the decrease in value of the Canadian Dollar has less Canadian's sailing).

Oops, did not mean to get off topic - but I guess I don't care one way or the other about this program. I've learned so much about this ship simply by sailing on her!

< I've learned so much about this ship simply by sailing on her!>

You (and I) are very privileged to do so. I must say, I think it will be rather interesting to get a different view and to learn a little about how Explorer was built - not something which I'd find out about by sailing on the completed ship. I'd be interested to watch a programme about any large engineering project actually, but the fact that it's about a ship in which I have a personal interest makes it more worthwhile.

I'm not sure of the relevance of how many British people are on board?

I'm sure that we will be able to see it eventually. I'm guessing that the crew that was onboard earlier this month were from Britain. While I have an interest in the film, I prefer sailing on the ship and learning about it first hand (which you will do in a few short months).

 

Speaking of Brits, I asked if there was a drop in the number of people from the U.K. onboard. The response is that there is a drop but the Brits onboard are booking cruises. It seems that the British Pound keeps getting weaker and weaker (not quite as much as the Euro) and it is bound to affect the number of people sailing (just as the decrease in value of the Canadian Dollar has less Canadian's sailing).

 

Oops, did not mean to get off topic - but I guess I don't care one way or the other about this program. I've learned so much about this ship simply by sailing on her!

The relatively drop in the GBP, and Regent's consequential change in their internal exchange rates, is much too recent to have a significant impact on those from the UK sailing with Regent at present. The effect is more likely to be seen for bookings in 2017/2018

You may not care to see the documentary about the building of Explorer but some of us will find it interesting and are very grateful to the OP for giving the details :)

Maybe they will let us know why they didn't bother to put sound insulation between the decks or employ an acoustic engineer to check out the design of the various music venues ;)

I saw this listing on their website - wonder if there's a way to stream it in the US - I'd like to see this somehow...

As you say the programme is being shown on the Channel 5 website http://www.channel5.com/

They also have a 'catch up' website which enables one to watch at a preferred time on a range of devices. https://www.my5.tv/

What I don't know is if there are any restrictions on overseas viewing. I am unable to watch BBC online when i'm abroad but as Channel 5 is a commercial company they may be different.

Thank you to the OP for the 'heads up' on this.

The relatively drop in the GBP, and Regent's consequential change in their internal exchange rates, is much too recent to have a significant impact on those from the UK sailing with Regent at present. The effect is more likely to be seen for bookings in 2017/2018

 

 

You may not care to see the documentary about the building of Explorer but some of us will find it interesting and are very grateful to the OP for giving the details :)

Maybe they will let us know why they didn't bother to put sound insulation between the decks or employ an acoustic engineer to check out the design of the various music venues ;)

Just reporting what I hear onboard!

To be clear, there is plenty of sound insulation between decks..... just an issue above lounges and dining venues that will be fixed in Miami so it's nothing to be concerned about.

In terms of the loudess in lounges, some passengers ask for it loud (mostly younger passengers that may have hearing issues due to years of listening to loud music). The rest of us prefer soft background music before dinner. IMO, this issue will continue to be a problem in the future (and not just on cruise ships.... movie theaters in the U.S. blast the sound.)

I expect that most people are interested in the documentary...... I am speaking for myself. Does anyone know if it was done by an Italian crew? I ask because this is where the ship was built and they would likely have the "scoop" on this beautiful ship.

Does anyone know if it was done by an Italian crew?

Cast & Crew

Director Martin Gorst

Editor Paul Shepard

Editor Justin Badger

Executive Producer Carlo Massarella

Producer Martin Gorst

Brits I'm afraid

Does anyone know if it was done by an Italian crew?

 

Cast & Crew

 

Director Martin Gorst

Editor Paul Shepard

Editor Justin Badger

Executive Producer Carlo Massarella

Producer Martin Gorst

 

Brits I'm afraid

Thank you so much for that information. It will be interesting to see the British "take" on the Explorer as the onboard experience seems to impress U.S. passengers more than non-U.S. passengers (from what I've heard onboard for the last 27 days). In any event, there are so many rave reviews onboard that it is difficult to understand some of the harsh critiques that I've read.

TC2

It's about building the ship not a review

TC2

 

It's about building the ship not a review

Well said. That is what I thought.

TC2

 

It's about building the ship not a review

IF the film crew was at the shipyard while she was being built, it could be interesting. We saw the crew filming the ship 3 1/2 months after the Maiden Voyage. I suppose they can show the ship without giving their opinions........

IF the film crew was at the shipyard while she was being built, it could be interesting. We saw the crew filming the ship 3 1/2 months after the Maiden Voyage. I suppose they can show the ship without giving their opinions........

I am quite sure that all of us who plan to watch this 2 part program are looking forward to viewing the planning and concept of the ship. We are booked for next year on Epxplorer but the only opinion I am really going to be concerned about it's our own opinion. Jean.

"IF the film crew was at the shipyard while she was being built, it could be interesting. We saw the crew filming the ship 3 1/2 months after the Maiden Voyage. I suppose they can show the ship without giving their opinions........"

What do you mean IF??

Are you doubting the integrity of Channel 5 in the UK and as you seem to fail to comprehend I'll state again,

This programe is of the building of the Seven Sea Explorer, that is before the Maiden Voyage and not of your recent voyage with or without opions

"IF the film crew was at the shipyard while she was being built, it could be interesting. We saw the crew filming the ship 3 1/2 months after the Maiden Voyage. I suppose they can show the ship without giving their opinions........"

 

What do you mean IF??

 

Are you doubting the integrity of Channel 5 in the UK and as you seem to fail to comprehend I'll state again,

 

This programe is of the building of the Seven Sea Explorer, that is before the Maiden Voyage and not of your recent voyage with or without opions

Really do not want to argue and completely comprehend what you stated. Unfortunately, I doubt the integrity of any news source - especially those in the United States.

As mentioned by another poster, there was a film cruise here on the last leg of this cruise that were completing a documentary. Perhaps they were here for another documentary? Since we will not be able to view the documentary, we hope that someone will post and let us know if the program concludes with a section that shows the completed ship (assume that it would include this important part - after all, part of building a cruise ship is seeing the end result).

P.S. I strongly feel that no one can really get the "feel" of the ship or understand it until they have sailed on her. Photos that we have seen so far do not do it justice. Seeing the building of the ship could be interesting - particularly if it includes input from the CEO, Frank Del Rio (and/or other top Regent executives), the designers and Italian builders. I would have the same response if a documentary were done in the U.S. or any other country other than Italy.

I would have the same response if a documentary were done in the U.S. or any other country other than Italy.

Have I lost the plot? :confused: :confused: