NCLH Charters Seven Seas Navigator for Avora Lumina in 2028

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has reached an agreement that will shift Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Navigator into the residential cruising market, with the ship scheduled to relaunch in January 2028 as Avora Lumina.

The deal is structured as a long-term charter with a purchase option, and Avora Residences, a new brand created by the team behind Villa Vie Residences, says it plans a full conversion of the 1999-built vessel to support long-duration living at sea.

Charter-to-sale agreement and timing

NCLH said in its recently filed annual report that it is “currently negotiating a bareboat charter with a purchase option” for Seven Seas Navigator and expects the transaction to be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2026. The company described the move as part of a broader ship disposal strategy focused on certain older vessels.

Avora Residences has described its arrangement with NCLH and Regent as a nine-year charter that includes a nominal purchase option, and said the deal also establishes a longer-term operational relationship with NCLH. Under the current plan, the ship will remain with Regent through the end of 2027 before moving into the conversion pipeline and re-emerging as Avora Lumina in early 2028.

Seven Seas Navigator’s profile and near-term deployment

Seven Seas Navigator is the oldest and smallest ship in Regent’s fleet. The all-suite vessel currently has 244 suites and sails with roughly 490 guests at double occupancy, depending on configuration.

Published specifications cited in the announcements put the ship at about 28,800 gross tons and about 566 feet (172 meters) long, carrying a crew of about 365. Avora has also pointed to the ship’s existing layout, noting that about 90% of the current suites have balconies.

Before the transition, planned Regent itineraries include sailings in Europe, the South Pacific, and East Asia. NCLH has also previously sought to sell the ship, which was originally constructed over the incomplete hull of a Soviet navy ship.

Conversion plan: repositioning the ship for residential life

Avora says it will redesign public areas to support resident routines and extended stays rather than traditional weeklong cruising, and it plans to add a dedicated business and global connectivity center as part of the refit.

Mikael Petterson, founder of Avora Residences, framed the concept as housing rather than standard cruise accommodations: “These are not cruise cabins. They are designed as floating homes primary residences that travel with their owners for years at a time.” In a separate statement, Petterson also positioned the ship as an expedition-capable platform: “Avora Lumina represents the next evolution, purpose-built for long-duration global living and expedition capability.”

Avora has also said it intends to preserve elements of the ship’s existing operating approach and supplier network. Kathy Villalba, Co-Founder and CEO of Avora Residences, said, “Our philosophy is evolution, not disruption,” adding that the company plans to preserve “established systems, standards and key vendor and service relationships” where possible.

Residential inventory, sizes, and pricing

After the conversion, Avora says the ship will offer 242 private residences, slightly fewer than the ship’s current 244 suites. Residences are planned to range from about 300 to about 1,173 square feet (with some materials describing layouts up to about 1,200 square feet), with premium finishes, broad ocean views, and options for personalization.

Avora has outlined two ownership pathways:

• Life-of-Ship Ownership: priced from approximately $545,000 to $4.2 million, depending on residence size and location.
• Five-Year Ownership Program: starting at approximately $219,600.

The company has positioned the pricing as competitive with housing in major global cities, arguing that buyers are purchasing the ability to live aboard while the ship travels continuously. Avora’s strategy places it among a small but growing set of luxury residential cruise concepts, including The World and Villa Vie Residences.

First itinerary: three-year global circumnavigation from Lisbon

Avora plans for Avora Lumina to launch from Lisbon, Portugal, and begin a three-year continuous circumnavigation in January 2028. The proposed route is designed to call across seven continents, targeting more than 140 countries and over 400 destinations.

Unlike typical cruise schedules built around short port visits, Avora says the ship will remain in port for as long as five days in some destinations. The company has also highlighted the ship’s polar certification, which it says supports itineraries that could include extreme regions such as Antarctica.

Chris Cox, President of Avora Residences, said the company plans to make routing more owner-directed over time: “We are building a resident-driven global platform,” and after the first circumnavigation, “owners will help shape where Lumina sails next.”

What changed after the Crescent Seas plan fell through

This is not the first time Seven Seas Navigator has been linked to a residential conversion. In 2025, the ship was named as an early platform for Crescent Seas, a residential start-up that also discussed adding an Oceania Cruises ship.

That plan did not proceed. Crescent Seas later stepped away and pivoted toward a newbuild, citing the challenges and cost of converting existing cruise ship layouts to offer more customized, residential-style spaces. Avora is now planning an extensive retrofit aimed at reworking the ship into longer-term living accommodations.

How the move fits into NCLH and Regent’s fleet plans

NCLH’s Navigator agreement comes as Regent prepares to introduce new tonnage. Regent’s first Prestige-class vessel, Seven Seas Prestige, is under construction and scheduled to debut in December 2026, with additional Prestige-class ships planned to enter service in 2030, 2033, and 2036. NCLH has said the newbuilds are being constructed by Fincantieri in Italy.

The disposal of older ships also arrives amid pressure on NCLH’s leadership. The company has faced ongoing scrutiny from its largest stakeholder, Elliott Investment Management, which has criticized what it views as insufficient strategic direction.

Beyond Regent, NCLH has also outlined other ship transfers, including Norwegian Sky moving to India-based Cordelia Cruises later this year, with Norwegian Sun expected to follow in 2027. For Seven Seas Navigator, the next milestones are completion of the charter transaction by early 2026, continued sailing under Regent through 2027, and Avora’s planned January 2028 debut from Lisbon after the residential conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When will Seven Seas Navigator become Avora Lumina?

Avora Residences plans to relaunch the ship in January 2028 under the name Avora Lumina, following a full residential conversion. The ship is expected to remain with Regent Seven Seas Cruises until the end of 2027.

Is the deal a sale or a charter, and when is it expected to close?

NCLH has described the arrangement as a bareboat charter with a purchase option and said it expects the transaction to be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2026. Avora has described it as a nine-year charter that includes a nominal purchase option.

How many residences will Avora Lumina have after the conversion, and how large are they?

Avora says the ship will have 242 private residences after the refit, compared with the ship’s current 244 suites. The planned residence sizes range from about 300 to about 1,173 square feet (with some materials citing layouts up to about 1,200 square feet), with options for personalization.

How much does it cost to buy a residence on Avora Lumina?

Avora’s Life-of-Ship Ownership is priced from approximately $545,000 to $4.2 million, while its Five-Year Ownership Program starts at approximately $219,600.

Where will Avora Lumina sail on its first deployment?

Avora plans a three-year global circumnavigation departing from Lisbon, Portugal, in January 2028, targeting more than 140 countries and over 400 destinations across seven continents, with port stays of up to five days in some locations.