The name change itself won't mean much to passengers, once they get used to it. But more significant changes were announced in March as well. For one, the fleet of four ships will, throughout the next 18 months, receive significant upgrades, including wireless capabilities (and improved computer connections); new bedding featuring down comforters; Egyptian cotton linens; and Regent-branded bathroom amenities. Cabins will all get flat-screen televisions, DVD players, and new clocks, while higher-end suites will receive iPod music systems with Bose speakers. And cell phone access will be available even at sea.

What's intriguing (since the upgrades are standard for any luxury line wanting to stay competitive) is that the company hopes to wrap a new onboard philosophy around the new name. Among the anchors of this new approach is a new level of excellence in service, described as "the Tao of Regent": "to hear without being told, to see without being shown, and to know without being asked." Regent already has put in place cruising's first dedicated travel concierges onboard each ship; the line also has committed to Circles of Interest enrichment programs and customized sightseeing while in port, regardless of group size.

RSSC offers globe-spanning routes, touching some 300 ports on every continent, including Antarctica, French Polynesia, and the Panama Canal, as well as the more familiar Mediterranean, Alaska, Caribbean, and more.