Cathy and I had the privilege of spending this past weekend on the magnificent new Oceania Marina. Other than my Steelers losing the Superbowl, it was an incredible cruise. We were fortunate enough to witness the christening of the ship by it's godmother, Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight. (Cathy got to meet Ms. Hart, which was a big thrill having watched ET for 30 years.)
This ship is absolutely magnificent. While Oceania considers itself a Premium Deluxe line (priced above the Premium lines such as Holland America and Celebrity, but below the deluxe lines such as Seabourne, Regent 7 Seas and Silversea), I found the ship as attractive and deluxe as any that I have experienced.
Oceania Cruises was formed 8 years ago, utilizing one of the ships from Renaissance Cruise Lines, which shut down after September 11. The ship, Oceania Regatta, holds about 800 passengers, and was an immediate hit among those looking for a smaller ship experience. Oceania purchased 2 more of the Renaissance ships and has been a three ship line for the last few years. The Marina is the first ship specifically built for Oceania, and management put their heart and soul into it. Oceania is best known as a destination cruise line, with a heavy focus on cuisine. Most of the restaurants are complimentary, and there is truly fine dining on board.
This morning, the following article written by Art Sabarsky appeared in “Cruise Week”, a newsletter for travel agents. This article gives you a great summary of the ship. In addition to reading this article, you can click this link to our Facebook page where we posted our pictures from the ship.
At just over 66,000 gross tons with 1,258 lower beds, Oceania's newest ship,
Marina, now on its maiden voyage, is by far the line's biggest ship. It's also the
first ship they've built based on their own design and imagination.
Apart from size, which has allowed them to add in lots of features and public
spaces, especially restaurants, there are many similarities to earlier ships, which
should ease the transition for Oceania regulars. First-timers should have no
trouble recognizing the benefits of the ship on its own.
But how do agents position this ship to clients in the grand scheme of things?
The line has been positioning the ship as premium-plus--somewhere between
the premium brands (Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess) and the luxury
category. But the word "luxury" does creep into their descriptions of certain
features; for example, they use "the finest dining at sea" promotionally--a very
high claim.
During the three-night promotional cruise I was on, I had a chance to
experience three of the ship's alternative restaurants, Toscana, Red Ginger, and
Jacques, as well at the Grand Dining Room. Toscana, with a new menu that is
also now on their three earlier ships, is full of dishes to whet the appetite. Maybe
the best dishes are the appetizers; I had two and they made a meal by
themselves. Then there's their well-promoted olive oil and balsamic vinegar
menu; it was fun trying out a few different blends.
Red Ginger, with its minimalist oriental decor, is beautiful, and everything I
sampled from the Asian menu was delicious--right-sized portions, clever <>combinations, wonderful flavoring, etc. They even bring around a box with a
variety of wood, plastic, and metal chopsticks from which guests can choose their
weapon of choice. A variety of teas are fresh brewed and served in individual
glass teapots--a delightful touch.
Jacques, the first ever eponymous restaurant of Chef Jacques Pepin, serves
an eclectic French menu with clever combos and great flavors.
The main dining room is an homage to the golden era of cruising, with high
ceilings, large windows all around (best during daylight hours), and an off-white
decor (ok, maybe the lighting is a bit bright). The entry way is a ramp gently
sloping down giving people entering a chance to view the entire room in all its
glory.
In addition to the main dining room and four alternative restaurants (all five of
which carry no surcha rges) there are extra-fee restaurants I did not try, Prive and
La Reserve, for wine and food pairing or specialized menus.
The coffee spot, Baristas, has a terrific view over the pool deck, and the
Waves Grill and Terraces Cafe, with casual pool-deck dining, has items way
beyond normal fare, including Kobe beefburger, fresh cut prosciutto, and
specialized buffets (such as Italian). And perhaps no menu item is as evocative
of luxury as caviar, and Marina serves up a caviar brunch on sea days in the
main dining room during brunch hours and then during lunch hours in the Terrace
Cafe.
So, food was certainly a highlight of the experience, which it should be based
on Oceania's positioning. I could easily envision rotating between the four
alternative spots and never even visiting the main dining room. Foodies should
be sated.
One unique concept onboard is the Bon Appetit Culinary Center, where up to
24 guests at one time actually make their own menu items under a chef's
tutelage. I've never really cooked before, but I learned an awful lot about even
some basic things, such as a great way to combine olive oil and vinegar for salad
dressing and that feta cheese kneaded into lamb for burgers adds flavoring
without being too obvious--delicious.
Beds & Bath
Another area where Oceania has taken advantage of the added space is in
staterooms and suites. Their older ships had rooms that were very small by
comparison to their competitive set. But, on Oceania, they have mostly solved
that problem. The inside rooms (and there are only 18 of them) are 174. Once
you get above that and move into Deluxe Ocean View Staterooms, the square
footage goes up to a very pleasant 242.
What makes these rooms stand out is that each of them has a floor to ceiling
panoramic window. For those people to whom a verandah is not critical, this
category is perfect since you get the extra light that verandah doors add to the
mix.
The next two categories up, Verandah Staterooms and Concierge Level
Verandah Staterooms measure 282 with the balcony. Some of the rooms in
these categories, most notably the forward and aft ones, have oversi ze balconies
which are terrific; on the downside, some balconies are under the over hang,
eliminating most of the sun.
Even in the lower categories, the LCD flat-screen TV is very large (larger
than ones I've seen recently on some ships in the luxury category). The
bathrooms are much larger than they are on the line's older ships and all outside
staterooms have both full bath plus a shower stall. Unfortunately, the raised floor
design for the stall makes it difficult for taller people to enjoy the rainshower
showerhead and the size of the stall is going to make it less-than-ideal for wider
people to move around.
Categorically Speaking
The end result is a product that spans several different levels. As such, it's
also going to appeal to lots of different levels of cruiser, with Oceania's value pricing philosophy being a big draw as well.--Art Sbarsky
If you are looking to try a smaller ship experience, I cannot imagine a better place to start than the Marina. And, if you have already sailed on Oceania in the past, I think you will adore this ship. As with most Oceania ships, sailings are booking up very early, so contact your Sand & C Travel Consultant if you would like more information as early as possible at (561) 736-3880 or (877) 736-3880 [toll free].
Sincerely,
Alan Rosen
Sand & C Travel
