Oceania Cruises: Casual Luxury

Premium cruise line Oceania Cruises appeals to experienced travelers who want a small ship cruise vacation and enjoy very fine service and cuisine. It is not a good choice for those traveling with children. Comparable cruise lines would include Azamara Cruises.

A relatively new cruise line formed in 2003 by the former CEO of Renaissance Cruises and former president of Crystal Cruises, Oceania took the industry by storm, carving out a niche as a boutique cruise line in a new "upper premium" category.

The premium market did not have a cruise line with a "country club casual" ambience found on smaller ships, and Oceania fits the bill. (Celebrity has since launched its Azamara brand, which also includes two former Renaissance Cruises vessels.) Choice itineraries include overnight stays in port.

Each Oceania cruise ship features desirable "Tranquility Beds" with duvets and down pillows, a Mandara spa, and cabaret-style shows. Guests booking suites enjoy butler service, in-suite dining if desired, priority dining reserations and concierge services.

Oceania's calling card is its notably fine cuisine. Oceania's ships include open-seating dining in its restaurants featuring cuisine by noted chef Jacques Pepin. The line's commitment to fine dining has earned it an enviable position among cruise lines.

Each evening, the culinary experts onboard demonstrate their talent at "The Perfect Table," which is artfully set with Versace china, Riedel crystal, and Christofle silver. Diners in the restaurant experience the finest cuisine, complementing vintages, deft service, and a sophisticated ambience.

Indeed, it takes a special genius to create a collection of 5-star menus so consistently spectacular that Oceania's cuisine has become one of the finest at sea. The menu consistently includes the likes of Roasted Lamb Rack Provencale with Herb Crust, Pheasant Breast Ballotine stuffed with Morel Mushrooms, and Pink-Roasted Duck Magret with Poppy Seed-Honey Glaze. Each meal includes alternative vegetarian dishes, Asian-influenced Woks of the Day, and authentic Italian pastas. Lighter, lower-calorie selections are available from the tempting Oceania SpaCuisine menu.

Guests can select to dine in the Grand Dining Room or the Polo Grill Steakhouse, enjoy gourmet Italian fare in Toscana, or eat at the casual buffet in Tapas on the Terrace. For lunch there's also the Terrace Cafe, the Pizzeria, or the poolside grill.

While Oceania has created a solid niche by offering smaller-sized 684-passenger ships with a high percentage of balcony staterooms, the line is now building 1,260-passenger vessels with significantly larger staterooms, from 300-square feet to two-story, 2,500-square-foot Owner's Suites with private elevators. Most striking is the significant increase in size of these rooms. (A current Veranda Stateroom on Insignia measures 215 square feet including veranda; on Marina, it will be 312. Penthouse Suites on Insignia measure 322 square feet; on Marina, they'll be 429. That's large compared to similar types of accommodations on ships of competing lines.)

While the smaller ships offer four dining venues, the newer vessels will offer six open-seating gourmet restaurants, as well as food and wine culinary enrichment centers for demonstrations and cooking classes.

Oceania's itineraries are port-intensive and designed to immerse passengers in the destination.
TravelStore offers a variety of special deals on select sailings, and we are ready to book your next Oceania cruise. Just call 1-888-779-7447 or contact one of our cruise experts.

You can also reference consumer reviews of the following Oceania ships (or post your own review): Insignia, Nautica or read more about Oceania Cruises.

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