Oceania Cruises
Category: Small Ships under 1,500 Passengers
Capacity: 684 to 1,250 Passengers
Ships: 7
Customers: Premium Customers, Adults, Foodies
Description and background
Oceania Cruises was launched in 2002 by a group of experienced cruise line executives who saw space in the marketplace for a new company seeking to satisfy the needs of aging American baby boomers and world travelers for a small ship cruise line focused on fine cuisine and specialty services at a price slightly below traditional luxury brands. Between 2003 and 2016, the company acquired four ships with a capacity of 684 passengers each (known as the R-Class ships) which were originally built by the bankrupt Renaissance Cruise Line. These ships allowed Oceania to offer 7 to 30-day cruises on many of the seven seas. By 2014, when Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings acquired Oceania, the company had added two newly constructed ships with a capacity of 1,250 passengers each, the Riviera and the Marina. Recent renovations made to the Riviera and Marina inspired the company to enhance the interiors and services of the entire fleet. These changes, which were called a “re-inspiration” by Oceania, were subsequently completed on the four R-Class ships too. The company will also be launching its new ship Vista in 2023 which will have the capacity for 1200 passengers, stylish upgrades, and numerous improvements to the staterooms and common areas.
Notable Features of Oceania Ships
When it comes to promotional material, Oceania relentlessly sends brochures, advertisements, and emails to all former and prospective cruisers. The quality of these publications and detailed information on upcoming cruise locations is strong and undoubtedly encourages many experienced cruisers to try them out. By making constant improvements to its fleet, Oceania also has a good story to tell.
The public areas of all ships have been refreshed with designer furnishings, mahogany paneling and upholstery which makes them more open and functional. The ships have the understated elegance of a stylish 21st century country club rather than the stuffiness of a White Star Line vessel from the 19th century. This was not easy to do because the interiors, ceilings, and some common areas of the four R-Class vessels always seemed a bit cramped. All ships now have a Grand Staircase leading into a chandeliered lobby, lounges set aside for relaxing and socializing such as the Horizons multi-purpose lounge high up in the front of the ship, and a real library.
The outside deck features a main pool with two hot tubs and enough comfortable lounge chairs for all passengers. The Aquamar Spa and Vitality Center located in the front of the ship includes a decent Fitness Center and a wide range of relaxation facilities such as steam and sauna rooms, a Styling Salon and spa areas offering treatments and wellness services. The Spa Center also has a quiet pool with therapy waters which is reserved for concierge level guests or people receiving a treatment on the R-Class ships.
Dining
When it comes to dining, Oceania promotes itself as having “The Finest Cuisine at Sea”. The cruise line claims its gourmet restaurants inspired by MasterChef Jacques Pepin and the other food venues onboard offer an unequalled experience. That’s a bold statement. It is backed up by a generous policy which makes every restaurant on board complimentary with open seating. Passengers may dine wherever and whenever they want simply by making reservations. On the larger Riviera and Marina ships passengers have six restaurant choices for dinner and some lunches:
Grand Dining Room
Terrace Café which has discreet service stations and offers both buffet style and individually prepared dishes
Asian food at Red Ginger
French cuisine at Jacques
Steaks, chops, and seafood at Polo Grill
Gourmet Italian at Toscana
Each of the R-Class ships offer at least two specialty restaurants along with the Grand Dining Room and Terrace Cafe. Outside of dinner time, there are other choices for food including the Waves Grill at poolside which even serves steak and lobster items. You can enjoy unlimited ice cream servings, afternoon tea servings and specialty coffees daily.
Staterooms
The rooms on Oceania ships are divided into suites, concierge level veranda staterooms which offer additional amenities, and general staterooms. The general staterooms include verandas staterooms and ocean view staterooms, and a few inside staterooms on all ships. The state rooms have been improved by adding an Ultra-Tranquility bed and more tasteful furnishings. Most staterooms on the Riviera and the Marina now include a marble and granite bathroom with a tub and separate shower. Room size is perhaps the greatest difference between the three larger ships and the R-class ships. A standard veranda stateroom on the new ships is 282 square feet which is reportedly the largest size of any cruise line. Even the ocean view staterooms are 242 square feet. However, a basic veranda stateroom on the four R-Class is only 216 square feet and ocean view staterooms are only 143 to 165 square feet.
Ship Activities
Oceania has also been working hard to upgrade its ships activities. The shows presented several times during each voyage by a group of entertainers, comedians and an occasional headliner are well produced and professional but not as elaborate as on a large ship. The stage layout on the R-class vessels has restricted views from some locations but there are no long lines or waiting lists to get in to see a show. The stage and main atrium are also used for daily musical performances by everything from jazz bands to classical performers. There is plenty of participatory recreation on board Oceania ships including a Monte Carlo style casino on each ship, brain games and lectures on the history of various ports and countries visited. There are no facilities on board for children or teenager gatherings.
Oceania has also added several enrichment activities on the larger vessels. There is a state-of-the-art cooking school on the Riviera and the Marina known as the Culinary Center where people can observe chefs preparing specialties and learn to prepare their own dishes. Next door, there is an Artist Loft in which the artist in residence offers workshops to passengers who then have an opportunity throughout the cruise to complete their own masterpiece.
Itineraries and Excursions
Oceania has done a great job over the past few years developing itineraries that touch on every continent. They have used the small size of the R-Class vessels to visit hard to reach ports throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, Canada, and South America. Excursion offerings are diverse and sometimes go beyond the basic tourist attractions in each port so passengers can experience a short immersion into local culture and still get back to the ship for a fine dinner that evening. For people that want to see the world, there are long voyages that go from Southern Europe to Bangkok, from the Arabian Peninsula to South Africa, or from the Baltic to North America with stops in Iceland and Greenland along the way. Scheduled overnights on cruises include locations like Jerusalem, Dubai, Luxor, Bordeaux, St Petersburg, and San Francisco. Two summer 2021 European sailings exemplified Oceania’s creative itineraries. These were a ten day cruise from Rome to Venice on Nautica which included four different ports in Croatia and one in Montenegro, and a busy ten day cruise on Nautica from Istanbul to Athens that included four stops in Turkey, three port stops around the Black Sea, and three stops in Greece.
Editor’s Personal Observations
Oceania has created a strong niche for itself as a boutique premium cruise line by successfully targeting middle-aged adult couples, foodies and experienced cruise passengers seeking a country club environment to see some interesting destinations in style. Oceania is in competition with Viking Ocean Cruises and Azamara Cruises to see which cruise line can offer a reasonably priced alternative to the luxury cruise lines. It will be difficult to compete at that level using the R-class ships. The dining areas in the specialty restaurants are quite cramped, the size of many staterooms is substandard, and shipboard activities are by necessity more limited. While Oceania offers some interesting longer journeys to Africa, Dubai, and elsewhere, the idea of taking a long cruise with multiple sea days on one of the R-Class ships they have been using for these voyages is unappealing. In contract, the style, dining, and shipboard activities offered on the Riviera, Marina and new Vista ship look great, are more spacious, and have a high crew to passenger ratio that should allow Oceania to satisfy customer expectations. Moreover, the company’s commitment to construct additional vessels of this type suggests that the company has figured out a solution to this dilemma.
Another concern for the company is whether it has the reach to deliver a quality experience at hundreds of different locations around the world. The significant number of complaints reported in various publications from longstanding Oceania cruisers suggests they have some work to do in organizing better shore excursions in places like South Africa, picking port locations in the Carribean and elsewhere that are accessible to its ships, and maintaining service standards across all of its vessels.
Our last voyage on an Oceania ship from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro was an enjoyable experience with generally good excursions, so based on that experience and the continuing changes reflected in the Vista ship design, we expect to cruise again on Oceania soon.
Average Daily Price Per Person excluding airfare for Basic Veranda Stateroom and Meals:
Over $500 ___ $350 to $500 _ X_ $200 to $350 ___ Under $200 ___
Services Provided without Additional Charge for Cruise Only Fare
Specialty restaurants and food without additional charge
Internet Use – One device free of charge
Entertainment
Specialty Coffees, Teas, soft drinks, and water
Lectures and Destination Talks
Laundromat
Editor’s Overall Rating of Cruise Line Quality and Value- 4.20***
4.5 to 5.0 is Outstanding / 4.0 to 4.5 is Very Good / 3.5 to 4.0 is Acceptable / 2.5 to 3.5 is Fair / Less than 2.5 is Poor
*** Rating is 4.30 for the Riviera and Marina and 4.10 for R-Class ships.
This profile is based on information published by the cruise line or gathered from published sources. Other information listed in the profile as the Editor’s Personal Observations and Overall Report reflects the personal experience and opinion of the Editor which may or may not be applicable to other guests traveling on the ships.