Oceania Marina

Oceania Marina Staircase

A few weeks ago as part of an elite group of travel professionals, I had the privilege of touring the new Oceania Marina. If you click here, you can see a special brochure including lots of beautiful photos.

Insignia, Regatta and Nautica

As you may know, this is the fourth ship in the Oceania fleet, and the first new build for the line, joining three R-Class ships that started the fleet in 2003.

Marina is over twice as large as her sisters, coming in at 65,000 tons versus 30,277 tons, but she will carry less than twice as many passengers, 1250 versus 684. In that way, she is able to decrease the guest to staff ratio from 1.75:1 to 1.56:1. Compare that to about 1800 to 2200 passengers on a similarly sized mainstream ship, where the guest to staff ratio would be more like 2.5 or 3 to 1.

Oceania Marina cruising from Venice

"Hold up, Buddy," my dad would have said, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak."
The sizzle is that Oceania Marina feels like the ideal sophisticated cruise ship, casual with an understated elegance.

The wood paneled library and rich fabrics throughout continue in the tradition that has made Oceania the cruise line of choice for many repeat cruisers.

Positioned as Upper Premium, Oceania is less inclusive than the luxury brands like Regent and Crystal, but it is also priced for about 30 to 50% less. And Oceania does include a lot, like complimentary bottled water and sodas throughout the ship. Unlimited alcohol drinks may be nice, but do you really enjoy $2000 worth during a cruise, especially with the port-intensive itineraries of Oceania, with more overnight and late evening stays than any cruise line?

Portofino, Italy

By the way, those long port days and the ability to get into smaller ports that simply can't accommodate large mainstream ships make Oceania a terrific choice in Europe.

Price wise, they are more in line with mini-suites and suites on lines like Holland America, Celebrity and Princess. 96% of the staterooms on the new Marina have private verandas, versus 70% on their older ships, so this is an excellent way for suite guests on those mainstream ships to step up to a more intimate experience at about the same price.

Marina has a choice of six specialty restaurants, as opposed to four on their older trio of ships, including the Asian-themed Red Ginger, and all have open seating with no additional reservation fee.

No wait, that's not exactly right. There is a special venue at the back of the ship that seats from two to eight guests that is available for a reservation fee of $1000. For that, you have a private dining room with a menu selected in advance by you with the chef for a special celebration like a milestone anniversary or birthday.

Educational Culinary Center on Marina

However, you don't have to eat in that special venue to enjoy amazing dining. The lunch served during my tour was delicious, and Oceania prides itself on spending more on dining ingredients than any other cruise line in a blatant attempt to attract “foodies.” To that end, they have special shopping trips to buy fresh local vegetables and spices to make dishes of the regions. There are even cooking classes in a 1000 square foot culinary center.

A criticism of smaller ships has been a lack of production shows, and to that end, Oceania has contracted with a New York company to bring the pizazz of Broadway onboard, adding diversity to their usual singers, flamenco guitarists and cabaret-style shows more typical of small ships.

Before I close, I have to mention the Owner's Suite, designed by Ralph Lauren. I have certainly seen larger suites, but to me this is the coolest one I've ever been in, and I could easily live there, although with a baby grand piano en suite I would need to expand my repertoire beyond the song I started writing in a music practice room in college over thirty years ago. If you get a suite, you get such lavish perks as a butler to meet your every need, and the option to have meals off any restaurant menu on the ship served course by course in your room. Even the non-suites, however, are comfortable and handsome.

Jacque Pepin's Signature Restaurant on Marina

As a travel agent, something I really appreciate is the way Oceania prices their cruises. They have an exact program they have followed every year, and it has resulted in all but 14 cruises last year selling out. They start with their steepest discount when the schedules are revealed. That is usually two for one cruises plus free air from select gateways, including LAX. They procede to gradually roll back the discount and air promotions. In other words, if you book early, you are assured of having gotten the best possible deal, and the earlier you book, the lower your cost.

Right now, there's a summer sales event with 2 for 1 cruise fares, free air PLUS $500 onboard credit on select sailings. What are you waiting for?

P.S. Did you know you can get up close and personal with Alaska on Oceania Regata this summer? Don't miss this chance to experience Alaska on a more intimate ship.