Oceania is a new cruise company who acquired two of the former 684-passenger Renaissance vessels, R1 and R2. They have since been rechristened the Regatta and the Insignia - but not before undergoing a multi-million dollar refurbishment. For the purposes of this review, we will refer to the Regatta, although the ships are completely identical.
The most obvious change on the Regatta since her Renaissance days is the complete refit of the flooring on the pool deck. Formerly, the deck was covered in "astro-turf" - but now boasts beautiful teak flooring throughout. And if you look further, you will notice lots of other aesthetic additions. The cabin bedding is ultra-luxurious with the most comfortable mattresses at sea, complimented by elegant down comforters and pillows. All of the towels onboard are plush and of the highest quality. With the exception of the pool chaise lounges, the deck furniture is all top-drawer teak with upscale canvas cushion coverings. The artwork onboard is absolutely lovely.and much of it is available for auction. Therefore, you will see many different pieces of art as you walk about the ship during your cruise.
The most remarkable and truly surprising element of a cruise with Oceania is the food quality and onboard service. I was told in advance that this cruise line is spending more money than any other line in the industry on food products. To be honest, I have heard others make this claim, and with the exception of Radisson, I have yet to find anyone's food all that amazing. Sure Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal have good food - no question - but Oceania just about outdoes them all! The food in each dining venue was truly outstanding - so the old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly holds true here. With their budget of close to $30 pp/day (compare that to the mass market who pay $9-$20 pp/day) you can understand why the quality is so high. From the prime cuts of meat to the flavorful sauces, to the always al dente pasta, to the fresh and plentiful seafood - you almost become delirious trying everything you can get your fork into. The bread selection was something I have never seen aboard a ship. Each night, at each restaurant (there are four onboard), you have a choice of fresh crunchy breadsticks, olive bread, focaccia, pizza bread, French bread, and a variety of beautiful rolls. It is difficult not to fill up on all of these before dinner even starts. And at the end of the meal, you will enjoy (without question) the best desserts at sea. It is almost hard to believe they are produced onboard. That is, until you find out that the ship employs THREE pastry chefs and many assistants. Needless to say, they are from France and know precisely what they are doing. In addition to a ridiculous and delicious selection of pastries, puddings, ice creams and other concoctions, at each dinner you are also presented with a tri-level selection of petit fours that are to die for. You cannot leave an Oceania cruise without gaining at least a few pounds.
There are five completely different dining venues onboard. There is the typical terrace café, which is open for buffet breakfast and lunch. The food however is not typical of a buffet. For example, there is a salad bar as you would find it on most vessels, however, at the end, the toppings include freshly shaved parmesan, anchovies, bacon pieces, fresh croutons, roasted nuts and freshly made dressings. The pasta station produces al dente pasta in a variety of shapes with delicious sauces. It is easy to go back for more. The fruit goes from ordinary to exotic, but includes fresh berries that look like (and taste like) they have just been picked. And of course there is a meat carvery and a variety of hot and cold items to practically keep you from ever having lunch in the main dining room.
At night, the outside/aft section of the buffet becomes the Tapas restaurant for dinner. The teak chairs get a very elegant navy blue canvas covered back and seat cushion that makes dining in Tapas very comfortable. This is a very traditional Spanish eatery, where the hot and cold appetizers are served family style. There is a huge selection of vegetable, meat, seafood and dairy items to choose from. The main course includes three different types of paella that are all absolutely delicious. And the desserts are to die for!
Toscana is the Italian restaurant that knocks your socks off. From the spectacular veal chop to the paper-thin carpaccio to the savory pasta and perfect risotto you just can't go wrong at Toscana. The selections are both traditional and exceptionally creative. You have to dine there a few times to try everything, especially the long list of unique desserts including chocolate lasagna!
The Polo Grill is a Chicago-style steak house with the most phenomenal cuts of meat. Each night you can enjoy surf and turf, double lamb chops, prime rib and a host of other goodies. And as you would expect, the desserts are spectacular!
And of course the ship has a main dining room with selections that change nightly. In many cases onboard ship, the main dining room pales in comparison to the kitchier alternatives. Not on Oceania. The cuisine in the main dining room is every bit as good and creative as the others.
Each dining room has its own wine list featuring regional selections. The main dining room features the largest list, as it includes all of the wines offered onboard. The ship has open seating dining. Reservation are required for Tapas, Toscana and the Polo Grill, however there IS NO SURCHARGE. The main dining room does not take reservations, and there are tables for two, four, six, eight and ten passengers. On most nights, there is little wait time, and Oceania will most likely begin to offer a pool-side casual dinner option to alleviate times where there is a wait.
Oceania has a "country club casual" dress code onboard. Basically, anything but jeans, shorts and sneakers goes in the dining rooms at night. It makes it much easier to pack. No jackets, ties, heels, dresses required. This is the most comfortable way to travel!
I found service onboard to be much better than most. First, consider the fact that the ship started sailing two weeks before we boarded. The staff was friendly and very service oriented. They really aimed to please and went out of their way to make the guests happy and comfortable. The line tries as much as possible to match their wait staff to the venue. For example, the South Africans work in the Polo Grill, the Italians work in Toscana, and there are a host of Mediterranean crew working in Tapas. The ship employs many different nationalities, but you will be surprised not to find a single Indonesian or Filipino onboard. Everyone speaks perfect English, making it very easy to communicate with just about everyone.
Accommodations onboard range from a handful of inside cabins to standard outside, balcony outside and two balcony suite categories as follows:
| Category | Quantity | Square footage |
| Inside | 28 | 160 |
| Standard Outside | 89 | Average 205 |
| Balcony | 170 | 216 |
| Balcony Suite | 52 | 322 |
| Owner's/Vista Suites | 10 | 786 - 1,000 |
Entertainment onboard is surprisingly enjoyable. There are no production shows, but the ship brings on a variety of musicians, comedians, singers, magicians, etc. During dinner in the main dining room, a Philharmonic-quality string quartet entertains. A fantastic wedding-style seven-piece orchestra (plus a singer) performs both onstage, about the ship and on deck on selected afternoons at sail-away. The only real drawback this ship has for incentive groups is that the theater only accommodates 350 or so passengers for a sit-down presentation. Therefore, if your charter requires everyone to be present at an awards ceremony you would either need to do a very casual version around the pool, or select a venue off the ship. Aside from that, this is the perfect incentive product.
The ship has a small casino, an internet room (where you can surf the net, check your e-mail and partake in computer classes) and the most gorgeous library at sea. Horizons, the beautiful wrap-around lounge located on deck 10 at the bow is the place to go for elegant afternoon tea and live entertainment after dinner daily. The ship does have a launderette located on deck 7 for those who absolutely must wash their clothes on vacation! The Spa and fitness center are also quite good and not as outrageously priced as some I have seen.
As much as I absolutely loved my onboard experience, there were a few things that need revision - most notably, the onboard video selections. There were only two movie channels and little else. I understand they are working on making this better. The cruise line is also working to create an onboard beverage package, which is definitely needed for incentive movements. Shore excursions can be pricey - and with such reasonable cruise fares, you can tell they are trying to narrow the gap here and make a few bucks. There are not a ton of late night entertainment options, but with such port intensive itineraries, there are not exactly many folks up into the wee hours to partake of such options. Incentive groups and charters may want to bring on a high energy DJ for late night parties if they have that kind of crowd. Otherwise, the options onboard seemed to be sufficient.
For the most part, Oceania will be running 10-14 night itineraries, but will break them for charters. In addition, for large groups, the cruise line will schedule shorter itins for partial charters. They seem to be very flexible and are very dedicated to the corporate and incentive marketplace. There will be itineraries in the Western Med, Baltic, Eastern Med, Caribbean, South America and a variety of other interesting destinations.
Oceania fills the gap between the mass market and the luxury market. These are ships that are affordable, yet offer a more intimate, low key, quality experience.
Take a look at what some of your colleagues have to say about the product:
Mark Bondy, Viktor Incentives:
"I sincerely appreciate the opportunity that Oceania and Buy the Sea provided, and must say that it is one of the best fams I've ever been on. The experience and the ship were great from all aspects - the quality of accommodations, the itinerary of less typical ports of call, the excellent service, and of course...the food!
The Regatta is an impressive ship, providing the elegance of other top shelf cruise products but offering a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere. I didn't encounter anything but superb, friendly service from everyone onboard. The staff was completely accommodating and showed the enthusiasm that all cruise lines should strive for.
And the food - WOW! The quality was better than I've ever experienced on any cruise ship and honestly compares with many top restaurants I've enjoyed on land. The Terrace Café had to be the best quality and service I've ever experience in a ship's buffet restaurant."
Anne Findley, Sunbelt Motivation:
"The ship is superb, the food is great and the ports of call offered a little bit of everything. I won't have any problems in recommending Oceania to my clients."
Steve Schachle, SPAR, Inc:
"The intimate size of the ship provides the opportunity for passengers and crew to develop a mutual familiarity, so that you have a more personalized cruise experience, rather than feeling like you're just another anonymous customer."
Joe Giuliani, Sunquest Meetings and Incentives:
"Given its relatively diminutive size, as compared to the plethora of behemoth cruise ships that currently float on the world's waters, the Oceania Regatta is a surprisingly well-equipped vessel. All the public areas were impressive yet the ship's intimate size creates a sense of more personalized service. The three restaurants plus the main Dining Room were a great treat that provided distinct dining experiences that many vessels three times its size do not offer. I trust that once this inaugural season has passed, along with the growing pains that come with it, this will provide an excellent cruise option for the appropriate incentive client."
Deb Skoine, Carlson Marketing Group:
"The Regatta is a beautiful ship! The personnel were friendly and eager to please. Great dining options and the food was outstanding. Interesting ports of call. The casually elegant atmosphere was much appreciated, and I loved the fact that I didn't need formal wear! The "tranquility bed" was so comfortable. Oceania is a great middle-ground option in that the ship is large enough to offer many of the services expected on an upscale ship, yet still small enough to be able to visit many of the smaller ports."
Mark Langan, Incentive Enterprises:
"Overall impression of the ship is excellent. Great layout. Friendly and professional staff. Excellent food." I also want to make note of the fact that we had excellent participation on the part of a DMC called Grand European North, headed by Dag Kastensson. GEN was kind enough to show our group all over Stockholm in style. They have perhaps the strongest meetings and incentives grip in all of the Baltic and Scandanavian countries. I highly recommend partnering with them for both land and sea group movements as well as ship charter programs. Please contact me and I will gladly put you in touch with this very capable organization.
My recent journey aboard Oceania's Regatta was my 67th cruise, and one of the best I have ever taken. To begin with, the ship itself is gorgeous. From the Grand, Titanic style, Staircase, to the sweeping teak decks, and immaculate, well-appointed public rooms, this ship shines. Intimate areas, such as the Library or Upper Hall, feel more like a private Beverly Hills home than a cruise ship. Cabins and suites alike feature Tranquility Beds..and live up to their name. If the down pillows and duvet, and 300 count Egyptian cotton sheets are the first course, then the thick, plush towels, not only in the cabin, but also up on the pool deck and in the Oceania Spa are the main course. I truly felt as if I wanted to wrap myself up in them and never let them go! (I'm sure others will too...I hope Oceania learns to feature these luxury towels in the gift shop...and should a guest choose to take one from their room, a charge will be assessed to their on-board account.)
But that is just the begining. Dining aboard the Regatta was not only a pleasure, but an epicurian delight! The main dining room, (The Grand Dining Room) features wonderful French influenced fare, and the alternative specialty restaurants, (reservations are required, but there is no additional charge!), have something for everyone. I'm sure most people preferred the Polo Grill (steak and seafood), or Tuscany (fine Italian), but my personal favorite was Tapas at Tides. The casual dining restaurant by day, (buffet breakfast and lunch is served here), by night turns into a Mediterranean "al fresco" restaurant. Complete with live music (a guitar player sings in the corner), this is where my heart is. The staff has decorated, not only the tables with beautiful linens, silver, crystal and china, but also have covered the beautiful teak chairs with custom-fit covers and padding, all matching and adding to the overall ambiance. It's breath-taking to sit there at dusk and watch the sunset with a little Sangria and the one you love.
Last but not least...the staff. A more attractive group of people you have never seen before. This staff, (albeit, something that looks like Frank Del Rio called Eastern Block Central Casting), have the greatest personality and a true desire to fullfill your every need. All but one, (and she will remain anonymous...), are well educated and fluent in English. It was rare, if ever, that any staff member said "no", to any special or extraordinary request. The Oceania Spa staff, (finally...not a Steiner concession!), are warm, wonderful and friendly...and very good at what they do. There are some small dining room issues that need "tweaking", but considering this was just the third week this ship was in the water, I can safely and honestly say...Bravo! I have a new favorite cruise line and intend on sailing and selling it for a very long time!
In 2004 and beyond, there are a whole host of five, six and seven night dates available for charter. So why wait? For company and ship specific information, visit Oceania's website by clicking here: http://www.oceaniacruises.com/
