Oceania Cruises
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryTourism
Founded2002
Founder
  • Frank Del Rio
  • Bob Binder
  • Joe Watters
HeadquartersMiami, Florida, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Frank A. Del Rio (President)
ProductsCruises
ParentNorwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Websiteoceaniacruises.com
Regatta in Stockholm, summer 2007

Oceania Cruises is a cruise line based in Miami, Florida, that operates seven cruise ships on worldwide itineraries.[1] It typically offers cruises that last between 10 and 14 days, but it is also known for its long cruises lasting up to 195 days.[2] The line's President and CEO is Bob Binder; he is vice-chairman and also a co-founder of the brand.

Since September 2014, Oceania Cruises has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

History

Oceania Cruises was founded in 2002. The company chartered the former Renaissance Cruises ship R Two from Cruiseinvest and renamed her Insignia in October 2002.[3] In April 2003 the Insignia was chartered to the French travel agency TRM for three months, during which Oceania Cruises operated no vessels. On 15 June 2003 Oceania Cruises re-commenced service with two ships: Insignia was renamed Regatta[3] and a new ship (R One, a sister ship of Insignia/Regatta, also chartered from Cruiseinvest) entered service as the new Insignia.[4]

In November 2005, a third R-class ship entered service for Oceania Cruises when the company chartered the R Five from Cruiseinvest and renamed her Nautica.[5] At the naming ceremony of the Nautica, Frank del Rio announced the plan of adding a fourth ship, Marina, to the Oceania Cruises fleet in July 2007,[6] but this never came to pass.

In February 2007, the majority of Oceania Cruises' stock was sold to the New York-based private equity firm Apollo Global Management. The following month, Oceania made a memorandum agreement with the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy to construct two new 1,250-passenger ships.[7] The contract was finalized in June 2007, with delivery dates for the new Oceania-class ships set for January 2011 and July 2011.[8] The contract also included an option for a third vessel of the same type that could be delivered in May 2012, but Oceania declined the option.[9]

After being leased out for two years to Hapag-Lloyd as the Columbus 2, the Insignia returned to the fleet in 2014.

In May 2014, it was announced that Oceania and Fincantieri were close to making a deal on two additional ships for the Oceania class.[10] The order for these additional ships never came to fruition.

On September 2, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings purchased Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for $3.025 billion.[11]

On November 25, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced a definitive agreement with Princess Cruises to purchase the Ocean Princess for Oceania Cruises. Upon delivery in March 2016, the ship underwent a 35-day, $40 million refurbishment in Marseille, France, to become the Sirena.[12]

In August 2018, Oceania Cruises announced its intention to renovate each of its four ships as a part of the $100 million "OceaniaNEXT" program.[13]

On January 8, 2019, Oceania Cruises announced it ordered a new class of ships, the Allura class. The order will consist of two new ships to be built by Fincantieri at a cost of more than $650 million per ship. The ships will be 67,000 gross tons and have a 1,200-passenger capacity. They are scheduled to be delivered in 2022 and 2025.[14][15]

Services

Oceania Cruises markets itself as having "The Finest Cuisine at Sea" and has gone so far as to trademark that phrase.[16][17] In 2003, the cruise line appointed celebrity chef Jacques Pépin as its Executive Culinary Director;[16][18] he "is credited with helping it achieve its reputation for culinary excellence and style".[18]

The validity of the phrase and the reputation have been considered by reviewers. Brian Johnston, writing for Stuff.co.nz about a cruise on Marina in 2018, asked, "So, does [the ship] offer the finest cuisine at sea?" and answered, "Yes, if you choose your dining venues and dishes well." In 2019, in The CEO Magazine, Skye Hoklas was even more cautious: "We enjoyed the culinary experience ..."[16] The following year, Isabella Sullivan wrote for World of Cruising that the phrase was "... a bold statement to make, but one that Oceania Cruises can confidently lay claim to."[19] In 2023, in a review of a cruise aboard Vista, Sue Bryant opined in The Times:

"It's certainly an audacious claim, but I'm embarrassingly picky about food and this week I've given into temptation at every turn. I'd say Vista is right up there. Just go on a diet before you sail. Or consider elasticated waistbands."[17]

Fleet

Regatta class

The Regatta-class ships were built in 1998–2000 for Renaissance Cruises as a part of their R class.[20] They have a gross tonnage of 30,277 and can accommodate a maximum of 824 passengers in 343 cabins.[1]

ShipBuiltBuilderEntered service
for Oceania		Gross TonnageFlagNotesImage
Regatta1998Chantiers de l'Atlantique200330,277 tons Marshall IslandsPreviously R Two and Insignia, Last refurbished in 2014.
Nautica2000Chantiers de l'Atlantique200530,277 tons Marshall IslandsPreviously R Five, Last refurbished in 2014.
Insignia1998Chantiers de l'Atlantique2004/201430,277 tons Marshall IslandsPreviously R One and Columbus 2, Reentered the fleet in May 2014.
Sirena1999Chantiers de l'Atlantique201630,277 tons Marshall IslandsPreviously R Four, Tahitian Princess, and Ocean Princess.[12]

Oceania class

The Oceania class consists of two 1,250-passenger, 66,084-gross ton ships built by Fincantieri in Italy, with the first, MS Marina, delivered in January 2011, and the second, MS Riviera, delivered in May 2012. These were the first ships built for Oceania. On these vessels 580 of the 625 cabins and suites have private balconies.

ShipBuiltBuilderEntered service
for Oceania		Gross TonnageFlagNotesImage
Marina2011Fincantieri201166,084 tons Marshall IslandsFirst new build for Oceania.
Riviera2012Fincantieri201266,084 tons Marshall IslandsMarina's sister ship.

Allura class

In January 2019, two 1,200-passenger, 67,000-gross ton ships were ordered from Fincantieri, with the first to be delivered in 2023 and the second to be delivered in 2025.[15]

ShipBuiltBuilderEntered service
for Oceania		Gross TonnageFlagNotesImage
Vista[21][22]2023FincantieriApril 202367,817 tons Marshall IslandsThird new build for Oceania.
Allura[23][24]2025FincantieriMay 202567,000 tonsTBDFourth new build for Oceania.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 354–355, 421–422, 514–515. ISBN 981-246-739-4.
  2. ↑ "It's Official: Oceania Announces Six-Month World Cruise". TravelPulse. July 8, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "M/S R Two". Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. at Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish), retrieved 25. 6. 2007
  4. ↑ "M/S R One". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. at Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish), retrieved 25.6.2007
  5. ↑ "M/S R Five". Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. at Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish), retrieved 25. 6. 2007
  6. ↑ Oceania Cruises press release November 22, 2005, retrieved 25. 6. 2007
  7. ↑ Oceania Cruises press release March 14, 2007, retrieved 25. 6. 2007
  8. ↑ Oceania Cruises press release Juny 18, 2007, retrieved 25. 6. 2007
  9. ↑ Sloan, Gene (November 4, 2010). "Most Popular". USA Today.
  10. ↑ Staff, CIN (May 20, 2014). "Oceania Newbuild Rumors Gain Momentum".
  11. ↑ Staff, CIN (September 2, 2014). "Norwegian Cruise Line Purchases Prestige Cruise Holdings".
  12. 1 2 Staff, CIN (November 25, 2014). "Ocean Princess Sold to Oceania".
  13. ↑ "Oceania Cruises Remodeling Every Stateroom on Their Four Cruise Ships". cruisefever.net. August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Oceania Cruises". Atlantis Travel. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Tribou, Richard (January 8, 2019). "Oceania Cruises orders two new ships". Orlando Sentinel.
  16. 1 2 3 Hoklas, Skye (July 23, 2019). "Dining on a cruise ship: Can it ever be as good as on land? We find out on Oceania Cruises' Regatta". The CEO Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Bryant, Sue (May 30, 2023). "This cruise line claims to have the finest food at sea. We put it to the test". The Times. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Levine, Irene S. (September 12, 2019). "Artistry From Ship To Shore: Talking To Chef Jacques Pepin". Forbes. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  19. ↑ Sullivan, Isabella (December 21, 2020). "Oceania Cruises: Inside The Finest Cuisine At Sea". World of Cruising. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  20. ↑ Boyle, Ian. "Oceania Cruises". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
  21. ↑ "OCEANIA CRUISES WELCOMES "VISTA" TO ITS ACCLAIMED FLEET New Ship to Set Sail in 2023 Represents a "View to the Future"". March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Oceania Unveils 2023 Newbuild, Oceania Vista". March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Oceania Cruises". Atlantis Travel. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Oceania Names 2025 Newbuild Allura". January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
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