Archive for the ‘Oceania Cruises’ Category

Photographed Tuesday, Silver Shadow (in the distance against the mountains) anchored in Akaroa, New Zealand, with no other cruise ships in sight. The day before, two ships disgorged a few thousand passengers into this town of 700. Why the Steinlager sign? It was my favorite beer when I traveled the north and south islands more than 20 years ago. It is good to be back in New Zealand.

This week, we pose a question: Are you a big-ship cruiser or a small-ship cruiser?

My experience on Oceania Cruises aboard the beautiful Regatta completely exceeded my expectations.  The ship, service and experience were wonderful.

Bridgett with Regatta

The Regatta is in excellent condition; the décor is very tasteful and understated and truly feels like a country club at sea.  I never felt lost or overwhelmed on the ship- it is the perfect size.  The pool area, midship on deck 9, features a large pool and two hot tubs, with plenty of teak deck chairs and Balinese Day beds for couples. Oceania has a wonderful self serve laundry on deck 7; the room is large, with 4 washers and 4 dryers and couches and chairs to sit on.  The laundry was never crowded, even on sea days.

It has been 15 years since I first cruised aboard Crystal Cruises and I love it. It has been nearly ten years since I’ve been on Regent Seven Seas Cruises and I loved that even more. Last month I sailed with seven family members aboard Oceania Cruises Insignia and I think I’m in love all over again! Our itinerary was “Yacht Haven” and it featured the French and Italian Rivera’s. This itinerary is very port intensive, visiting ten ports in ten days – but very well worth it.

Here’s a link to a story that provides more details on the  float-out of Oceania’s new 65,000-ton Marina. There are some great pictures at the bottom of this article that give you a true sense of the layout of this exciting new ship.

http://www.travelagentcentral.com/cruises/sneak-peek-marina-oceanias-new-build-debuts-genoa-20056

Well, what a surprise! On a gorgeous, sunny day, Bob Binder, President of Oceania Cruises, announced at the Marina naming ceremony at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Genoa, that “the building of our new ship will begin very shortly…..in 10 minutes!”

Chairman and CEO, Frank Del Rio, added, “there’s only one thing better than one new ship and that is two new ships.”

We are now on our way to another part of the yard to watch the steel get cut for the Marina’s new sister, Riviera!

Have you been keeping track of our cruise reporter Ralph Grizzle’s latest adventures at sea? If you love to cruise, you will want to follow in his footsteps as he makes his way around the world on a variety of cruise lines, ships, and itineraries. Recently Ralph ventured onboard Oceania Cruises’ Regatta to tour the French coast.

Read an excerpt from his journey: