Supercars Meet the Sea
Regent Seven Seas has built a series of driving experiences around select European sailings next summer, working with Motorsport Lab to offer pre- and post-cruise programmes for guests who want time behind the wheel as well as on deck.
The programmes span circuits in Spain, museums and roads across Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, and the Goodwood Estate in southern England. Prices start at £5,692 per person, and the offerings are tied to seven sailings between July and August 2027.
The approach extends the cruise line's strategy of building land programmes that reflect local culture, in this case motoring heritage, rather than standard city tours. According to Regent Seven Seas, the partnership with Motorsport Lab is part of an effort to give guests access to people and places that define a region's identity.
Barcelona and the Terramar Circuit
One option centres on Barcelona's Terramar racetrack, a banked oval circuit built in 1923 that hosted early Grand Prix races before falling into disuse. Guests will drive classic Porsches and Lamborghinis on the track and visit a private motorsport collection nearby.
The experience is available after a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona aboard Seven Seas Grandeur on 19 July 2027, or before a solar eclipse sailing that departs Barcelona for Rome on 29 July. The eclipse cruise itself is timed to position guests in the Mediterranean during the 12 August 2027 total solar eclipse, one of the few visible from Europe this decade.
Terramar's location outside Barcelona, near Sitges, has kept it relatively quiet compared to more famous European circuits. The track's banking and Art Deco grandstands make it a period piece, though it has seen occasional historic racing events in recent years.
Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani in Motor Valley
Three summer cruises offer a deeper dive into Italy's automotive corridor, with visits to Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani facilities in Emilia-Romagna. Guests will drive a Ferrari through Maranello, Bologna and Modena, then dine at Cavallino, the restaurant adjacent to Ferrari's headquarters.
The itinerary includes museum visits and factory tours, though access levels will vary depending on production schedules. Emilia-Romagna has become a pilgrimage site for car enthusiasts, with Lamborghini in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Pagani in San Cesario sul Panaro, and Maserati and Ferrari both rooted in Modena.
The excursion costs £6,077 per guest and is available on three sailings: a nine-night eclipse cruise departing 29 July, a 20-night culinary voyage from Rome on 7 August, and a seven-night history itinerary aboard Seven Seas Prestige from Athens to Rome on 5 August. Seven Seas Prestige is the line's newest ship, launched earlier this year.
The pricing positions these programmes as premium add-ons, roughly equivalent to the cost of a short European cruise on a mid-tier line. For context, Regent's all-inclusive fares already sit at the upper end of the cruise market, so the driving experiences are aimed at guests willing to extend their budgets further for specialised access.
Goodwood and the British Countryside
Two sailings on Seven Seas Voyager include a Goodwood Estate programme in West Sussex, combining laps of the motor circuit with golf instruction, clay shooting, afternoon tea and an art tour. The estate is known for its annual Festival of Speed and Revival events, which draw historic racing cars and large crowds each summer.
The Goodwood experience is priced at £5,692 per person and can be added before or after an 18-night Scandinavia cruise from Copenhagen to Southampton on 3 August, or around a 12-night round-trip sailing from Southampton to France and Spain on 21 August.
Goodwood's appeal lies in its combination of motorsport, aviation and country estate traditions, all within an hour of London. The circuit itself is a 2.4-mile track that has hosted racing since 1948, though it closed for public events in 1966 and now operates primarily for private hire and the estate's own festivals.
What It Means for Cruise Programming
The move reflects a broader shift in how cruise lines are thinking about land content. Rather than generic shore excursions or city walking tours, operators are building programmes around niche interests, whether that's architecture, food production or, in this case, motoring culture.
Regent's collaboration with Motorsport Lab gives the line access to circuits, collections and driving routes that would be difficult for individual travellers to arrange, particularly with the level of coordination required around cruise schedules. The question is how many guests on a given sailing will opt for a £6,000 add-on, and whether the programmes will run with minimum participant numbers.
For now, the offerings are limited to summer 2027 and tied to specific ships and routes. If demand supports it, the model could expand to other regions with strong automotive heritage, such as Germany's Stuttgart and Munich corridor or the United Kingdom's Midlands.
The pricing also raises the bar for what constitutes an "inclusive" cruise experience. Regent markets itself as all-inclusive, covering fare, excursions, drinks and gratuities, but these driving programmes sit outside that bundle. It is a reminder that even at the luxury end, there are tiers within tiers, and the most exclusive access comes at a separate cost.
