Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Oceania Marina Cruise: Expert Review 2023

oceana cruise

Vista offers a high-end experience on a beautifully designed ship, but you'll have a choice in how you spend your vacation budget rather than paying upfront for all-inclusive fares. Vista is an elegant mid-size cruise ship that's the perfect home base for travelers who appreciate dining variety, enjoy interesting cocktails and fine wines and wish to explore the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. When the ship is in international waters, young adults ages 18 to 20 may purchase and drink beer or wine (as well as the House Select beverage package). Vista's cabins and suites offer electrical outlets and USB ports on both sides of the bed and by the desk. Americans may want to bring an adapter for charging devices in public rooms where the outlets are all European-style.

From the Oceania Cruises Blog

While we enjoyed every meal and loved the variety, we weren't always blown away by main courses (though some are standouts), and desserts were lacking. Spa treatments and shore excursions seem overpriced for the industry, and service is not as proactive as one might expect on so small and nice a ship. Many on our cruise complained about long waits for service for food and drink. Cabins are spacious and nicely appointed -- a welcome change from the R-class's tight fits -- and the suites are gorgeous. Four specialty restaurants -- French, Italian, Asian and steak -- supplement the main restaurant nicely and provide welcome dining variety.

Oceania Cruises destinations

It was the perfect amount of space for me, but I could see how a couple might fight over the drawer space. I failed to find anything serious to critique about Vista, so what I didn't love about the ship is more about my personality than any real failing of the cruise line. There are no children's facilities onboard, and the prevailing atmosphere is one best suited to adults -- though children between age 1 and 18 can technically sail with the line if accompanied by adults. The lead ship in Oceania's new Allura-class, Vista will be joined by a sister-ship, perhaps unsurprisingly named Allura, in 2025.

Small, Luxurious Ships

Perhaps it's because I love Asian food, but I have a hard time choosing what to eat at Red Ginger because everything looks so good. The stunning wall mosaics set the tone for the sophisticated spread you can sample here. Think daily sushi, an array of fine cheeses, made-to-order omelets, pasta and steaks and premium ice cream (including one Humphry Slocombe flavor at lunch and dinner). The vegetarian options weren't always the best at the Terrace Café, though it often had gluten-free pasta.

Related Cruises

Passengers typically do dress up, by their own choice, for occasions like a night dining in Jacques Pepin's onboard restaurant, and you won't see jeans, shorts, T-shirts or tennis shoes in the dining venues. "Our new Tropics and Exotics Collection is one of our most exciting yet, featuring a heady mix of iconic cities, remote islands and hidden gems to discover for the very first time," commented Frank A Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. The current OLife promotion runs through June 30 and includes round-trip airfare and transfers, plus your choice of four shore excursions, a beverage package or $400 onboard credit per cabin. Starting in July, the line will offer a set of included perks, without the need to choose, but the actual inclusions may change during promotional periods. Other amenities include a welcome bottle of Champagne, pashmina-style cashmere lap blankets for use in your cabin and a tote bag. Vista is clearly a ship for travelers who love to explore new destinations, prioritize fine dining and premium beverages and immerse themselves in chic surroundings.

Passengers tend to be 50-plus and well traveled, hailing mostly from the U.S. and Canada; generally, the longer the cruise, the older the cruiser. The line also draws travelers from the U.K., Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. While it was perhaps not my favorite dining venue on board, the salmon I ordered was cooked perfectly, so moist and tender that I raved about it for the rest of the cruise. Folks at my table ordered everything from filet mignon to a whole Maine lobster, and everyone was satisfied with their choices. Past Oceania cruisers might wonder where Waves' famous smoothies and power bowls got to.

oceana cruise

Vacations are meant for adventures, renewing your sense of wonder and wandering in the sunshine. With more than 100 itineraries ranging from 7 to 20 days, plus nearly 50 Grand Voyages, you can easily discover and plan your ideal summer cruise. Choose from perfectly curated Europe voyages, thrilling summer vacations in Alaska, classic Canada and New England cruises or blissful journeys that visit paradise islands in the South Pacific.

Upcoming Oceania Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic

Upcoming Oceania Cruises: 2024 Prices, Itineraries + Activities on Cruise Critic.

Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:30:46 GMT [source]

New shore excursions and land tours

Freshly-baked produce of all kinds is available here from morning until evening. The croissants are authentically French, thanks to ingredients imported directly from France, while the beignets will have you thinking you've stumbled onto Bourbon Street. Passengers will also find plenty of power options, from North American and European-style outlets to USB and Lightning charging ports that are located literally everywhere you could think of. The line's Culinary Center has been dramatically expanded aboard Vista, and features interactive cooking stations with induction ranges next to an adjacent classroom for demonstrations and presentations. Everything about Vista feels, well, la dolce vita -- for a fraction of the price. If there's an immediate con of the ship, it's that ceilings in general in several public spaces feel rather low compared with other vessels.

Designed to help you create your perfect cruise experience, our onboard packages elevate your journey and offer extraordinary value. Sip your favorite cocktail poolside, enjoy the perfect vintage with dinner every evening and stay connected with friends and family back home. With beverage and Internet packages that let you pick and choose, it’s easy to savor your world, your way. Passengers on Riviera are older -- expect most to fall into the 65-plus category, though the age skews younger when itineraries are shorter.

During the winter, Oceania spans the globe with sailings to Asia, Australia, South America, Panama Canal, and the Caribbean. As for amenities, it is included in the ticket prices for all staterooms (suite and cabin categories) and on all itineraries. In April 2018, Oceania Cruises introduced the Wavenet (high-speed internet) fleetwide / on all ships. The service allows faster uploading/downloading of big files, watching Netflix movies, social media sharing, music, and video live streaming (Spotify Facetime, Skype). Oceania ships serve an extensive vegan menu and offer smoothie bars with cold-pressed raw juices at Lido Deck. Many of Oceania's South America sailings are lengthy, with some extending for as many as 24 to 30 nights.

Other culinary adventures are a key part of Oceania’s effort to appeal to all age ranges. On Vista, there are 17 new culinary tours on top of an already robust lineup of cooking classes. Executive chef Kathryn Kelly says, in various ports, foodies will head to the market (like the main open-air agorá on Corfu, Greece), with shopping assignments and euros from Vista chefs.

Oceania typically sends one of its seven ships to Asia every winter for Asia-focused sailings out of such cities as Bangkok, Singapore and Tokyo. The line typically also offers one or two sailings each year out of Cape Town. Cabins and suites are thoughtfully designed, though, for longer voyages, you might need to take advantage of onboard launderettes as cabin storage might be tight. Each night, there's a show in the Vista Lounge, either a guest performer or a typical cruise ship song and dance show by the onboard performers. One of the new shows on Vista was choreographed by Britt Stewart, a professional dancer who's worked with "Dancing with the Stars."

The majority of Oceania's stock was sold in February 2007 to the NYC-based Apollo Management. The next month Oceania made a memorandum agreement with the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to construct two 1260-passenger newbuilds. The contract was finalized in June 2007, with delivery dates scheduled for January and July 2011.

Cabin carpeting is only made from naturally-occurring wool colors and not dyes that passengers can have allergic reactions to, and butter and flour for the onboard croissants are imported from France. The recently-introduced new base fare, “simply MORE,” also includes round-trip flights, airport transfers and a beverage package for all guests in the cabin. Even a three-week cruise earns just one credit, which means it can take some time to reach the first elite tier — Bronze, which requires five credits.

In July and August, Oceania has day sailings to Iceland and Greenland, followed by day voyages departing from NYC, Boston, and Montreal, with overnights in Montreal, Quebec, and NYC. In May 2019, by the OceaniaNEXT program were introduced fleetwide 200+ plant-based dining menus. The new items are available (upon request) in "Grand Dining Room" and "Terrace Cafe" at breakfast-lunch-dinner, and also dinner-only in all specialty restaurants. The Oceania cruise line serves the industry's upper-premium market, and as a brand is positioned between its luxury and premium segments.

The new water bottles will be available on each ship since April 2, 2019 (Riviera), April 19, 2019 (Marina), May 1, 2019 (Regatta), May 19, 2019 (Sirena), May 30, 2019 (Nautica), and June 19, 2019 (Insignia). Grand Dining Room (aft restaurant on Deck 5) on each ship received new premium dining furniture (leather chairs with metallic bronze threading) and new crystal chandelier. Martinis (piano bar lounge on Deck 5) was redesigned, new silver-white marble bar top and walnut paneling were added. Pool Deck's raw juice and smoothie bar serve a variety of healthy drinks - like cold brew lattes, green smoothies, chia cashew yogurt bowl, acai berry bowl.

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