Friday, April 12, 2024

Oceania Riviera Cruise: Expert Review 2023

cruise oceania

Both ships sail a variety of itineraries, including a circumnavigation of Cuba (with stops in Cienfuegos and Havana) and visiting Cuba as part of some Panama Canal transition cruises. The new Allura ship's inaugural cruise program was announced in September 2023. Allura's schedule (opened for booking on September 13, 2023) listed a total of 26 voyages (7- to 43-day long itineraries) visiting a total of 92 different ports/destinations. The sophisticated ambiance of Oceania extends to the entertainment provided onboard. Guests can listen to a jazz band or 12-piece orchestra, watch a cabaret show or enjoy regional entertainment from the ports of call.

World Cruises 2025

If you wish to drink your own wine in a restaurant or public area of the ship, you will need to pay a $25 per bottle corkage fee. Where Oceania excels in onboard activities are with cooking classes and demos in the Culinary Center and art classes at the Artist Loft. Sign up as soon as you get on board because these popular classes fill up quickly. On the other side of the casino is the Founders Bar, a new concept for Oceania, dedicated to creative craft cocktails. If you like your drinks topped with smoke bubbles, frozen balls of fruit or sprigs of herb or dried fruit slices, this is your spot.

Vista itineraries and pricing

Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-26 Tropics and Exotics Collection - Cruise Industry News

Oceania Cruises Announces New 2025-26 Tropics and Exotics Collection.

Posted: Sun, 14 Apr 2024 10:41:14 GMT [source]

As supervision company for the project was contracted Studio DADO Inc (Miami-based designer firm). Other contractors include Baker and Donghia (furnishings), and Rubelli and Kravet (fabrics, custom-made carpets). As result, the fleet was expanded with 1368 new staterooms, and all shipboard restaurants, bars, and lounges will be redesigned and redecorated. New public spaces on these ships include open-floor designed Lobby with Reception Hall (lower level) with Upper Hall (2nd level). They are connected with Grand Staircase (decorated with railings and balustrades) and featuring a large crystal chandelier (with hanging pieces of hand-painted glass). In September 2018, Oceania partnered with Luggage Forward (USA-based luggage shipping company).

Cruising experience

A focus on culinary exploration translates into multiple onboard dining venues with no surcharges, wine-pairing dinners and a series of unique foodie tours in port. The ship's target demographic is well-off, mature couples who are looking for destination-focused itineraries on a ship with elevated dining. For a small, 67,000-ton ship, Vista wows with eight restaurants, plus a bakery and private dining rooms for wine-paired meals. It also stands out for its expanded Culinary Center, for cooking classes and demos, and Artist Loft, where passengers can get crafty under the tutelage of resident artists. Tips are automatically charged to your onboard account at the rate of $16 per person, per day (half to housekeeping and half to dining staff).

It carries 1,200 passengers in cabins and suites that all have either a true balcony or a French veranda (meaning you can open doors to the fresh air but can't step outside). Then again, when you're curled up on a circular day bed, drink in hand, on a resort-style pool deck in the Mediterranean, Vista might just provide all the luxury you need. 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. However, in the cruise space, this ship is clearly in the upscale category and not true luxury. In June 2023 Oceania introduced fleetwide a rare collection of premium vintage wines (80 new labels) from winegrowing regions in France, Italy and Chile. The rare wines can be tasted at all shipboard restaurants and bars as well as in the staterooms (fleetwide).

I happily ordered cocktail after craft cocktail at the Founders Bar in the name of research, trying drinks with smoke bubbles on top, frozen fruit balls in their center and unique ingredients (like tea) in their centers. The concept turns your standard pre-dinner drink into a playful and exciting event. The bold center archway of the Grand Dining Room will immediately catch your eye, as will the ceiling design of the intimate Privee dining room. Each specialty restaurant has been designed with care, from the brick oven-inspired ceilings of Ember to the pagoda-style floor lamps in Red Ginger.

cruise oceania

Riviera Review

cruise oceania

Vista has complimentary self-service launderettes on decks 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Each is outfitted with a detergent dispenser, washers and dryers, an ironing board and a seating area with a TV if you choose to wait for your load to finish. You can walk away while your load runs, but set a timer because folks will remove your clothes if you don't pick them up in a timely fashion.

I made a point to try every restaurant on board during my weeklong cruise, and it actually took some scheduling to make it happen. It's a good thing most of Vista's sailings are 10 days or longer, so you have ample time to sample all the dining venues and even make repeat visits to your favorites. To be fair, small-ship upscale cruising isn't about nightlife, and most travelers on Oceania are perfectly content with a long dinner, an evening dancing or drinking in Horizons and an early bedtime. The library does have some board games you can borrow, so consider that as an alternative activity. Vista debuted in May 2023, the first new ship for Oceania Cruises in a decade and the flagship of the line's new Allura class.

How much does it cost to go on Oceania Marina?

You will need to pay for alcoholic drinks, self-service laundry, shore excursions, Wi-Fi and gratuities. The spotlight onboard an Oceania sailing is on the destination, and enrichment lectures are always well attended. When the ships are at sea, many passengers head for the English-style library to stake out a huge leather chair and a good book along with pastry and coffee. Oceania is a small-ship cruise line for grownups, with an emphasis on destination-intensive itineraries.

Sporty types should head to the ship's topmost half decks for an outdoor running track, shuffleboard, croquet/bocce, pickleball, mini-golf and a golf-driving cage. Other amenities include a welcome bottle of Champagne, pashmina-style cashmere lap blankets for use in your cabin and a tote bag. My cruise did not offer karaoke night, evening trivia and games, or a pool deck party.

The company offers a number of departures from PortMiami in 2019, including the “Timeless Cuba” itinerary, sailing 7 days with visits to Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Cienfuegos. In 2025, the Riviera ship makes a debut in Alaska, offering 7 to 12 days itineraries. 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.

I missed the two special-guest acts, a pianist and a guitarist, and the song-and-dance performances by the onboard cast failed to impress. The ship didn't offer any secondary shows at night — no comedians or musical acts you came to listen to and not talk over. 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.

Now customers (travel agents and cruise passengers) can use shipboard credits before departure. OBC can be used for purchasing tours/excursions and shipboard activities and amenities (culinary classes, drink packages, specialty dining at the Privee and La Reserve). Oceania Cruises (oceaniacruises.com) is a Miami-based passenger shipping company operating a fleet of upper-premium, mid-sized vessels.

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