Tourism

What is the Seven Seas Navigator cruise ship and when does it visit Gibraltar?

The cruise ship Seven Seas Navigator
Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Short answer

Seven Seas Navigator is a 496-guest all-suite luxury ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, in service since 1999. Regent plans to hand it to Avora Residences in late 2027, when it will be renamed Avora Lumina. Its upcoming visits to Gibraltar, with times and expected passengers, are listed on this page.

Upcoming visits to Gibraltar

  • Sunday 15 November 2026, in port 08:00–16:00, about 490 passengers expected

From the Port of Gibraltar schedule, last checked 15 October 2026.

Detailed answer

Seven Seas Navigator has an unusual history. Its hull was begun at the Admiralty Shipyard in Leningrad as a Soviet satellite-tracking ship, the Akademik Nikolay Pilyugin, and was completed as a cruise ship by T. Mariotti in Genoa. It entered service in 1999. It has a gross tonnage of 28,550 and a length of about 171 metres. Regent gives room for 496 guests in 244 suites and a crew of 365. Regent sells it as a luxury, all-suite, all-inclusive ship. Restaurants include Compass Rose, the Prime 7 steakhouse and Sette Mari at La Veranda, and the interiors use Italian marble, crystal chandeliers and contemporary art.

It is the oldest and smallest ship in the Regent fleet. Regent's parent company has agreed a nine-year charter, with an option to buy, with Avora Residences. The ship is due to be handed over in late 2027, renamed Avora Lumina and converted into a residential ship, with residents moving aboard from January 2028.

How busy will town be?

The upcoming visits listed on this page show the passengers expected on each call and any other ships in port the same day. Town is busiest when several ships are in at once or a large ship arrives at a weekend. A ship carrying a few hundred passengers makes little difference on its own.

Can you sail on it from nearby?

Yes, in its final Regent season. It sails from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Barcelona from Sunday 1 November 2026 (10 nights), as the start of Regent's first winter season in the Mediterranean. It also sails from Lisbon to Cape Town from Friday 12 February 2027 (25 nights). Later in 2027 it sails in Asia, Australia and the South Pacific before leaving the fleet.