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Oceania's Tranquility Beds are some of the best in the business, and I loved falling asleep between a snuggly duvet and 1,000-thread-count sheets. Even better, the bed is flanked by three-drawer nightstands, 100V plugs and USB ports and reading lights. Vista has only eight major cabin and suite types, making cabin selection a relatively straightforward process. Its three main non-suite cabin types – French Veranda, Veranda and Concierge Level staterooms – have identical interior layouts, so you're really only choosing between perks and exterior space.
Cocktails and mixology program
The new boats are designed and built by Fincantieri (in Ancona Italy), with scheduled deliveries in 2023 (Vista) and 2025 (Allura). After being leased out to Hapag-Lloyd (as Columbus 2) for two years, Insignia returned to Oceania in 2014. In May 2014, Oceania and Fincantieri were close to making a deal on two additional ships.
Wavenet (free, high-speed Internet) fleetwide
Classes are themed, often related to the ship's destination, and yes, you can eat what you cook. You are allowed to make at least one advance reservation for each of Vista's four specialty restaurants — possibly more depending on the length of the cruise and the type of cabin or suite you book. Once on board, you can ask if there's walk-in availability for additional meals.
Credit Card Reward Programs
The new service allows passengers to ship their luggage doorstep-to-stateroom (and back home again), thus truly traveling light. Luggage Forward provides premier door-to-door shipping services to 200 countries worldwide (including over 150 cruise ports). The company's own team of Customs specialists handles the country-specific paperwork to ensure on-time deliveries. Bottled water, soda and coffee drinks are free of charge, whether ordered at a bar or stocked in your cabin's mini-fridge. Nearly all specialty restaurants (minus La Reserve) do not have a cover charge.
Menus are vast and balanced; even people who don't think of themselves as foodies will be happy with the selection. Vista is an elegant mid-size cruise ship that's the perfect home base for travelers who appreciate dining variety, enjoy interesting cocktails and fine wines and wish to explore the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Vista's cabins and suites offer electrical outlets and USB ports on both sides of the bed and by the desk.
It's in the "software," so to speak, where the line relegates itself to the upscale sector. One should never judge a ship's service based on its first sailings when the crew is still getting used to each other and the layout and procedures of a new ship. I mention service solely to answer the question of why Vista isn't considered a luxury ship. Oceania's Grand Voyages include ports across Europe (Southern and Northern), all with extended evening and overnight port stays.
Overview of Vista
The shipboard experience is country club-like, the atmosphere is elegant and relaxed, never formal or stuffy. The company's customers are well-traveled, looking for top-class cuisine, personalized service, destination-focused travel experience. Accommodating 1,250 passengers, Riviera is the right size with the right amenities to provide an upscale cruise into ports that are difficult for larger cruise ships to reach. The ship includes a wide range of cabins, which all feel luxurious thanks to premium fabrics and materials such as Italian marble. On a warm, sunny day, Oceania's gorgeous resort-style pool deck is the place to be with padded loungers and day beds, a main pool with a wading area around it and a couple of hot tubs.
Oceania Riviera Inclusions
Vista is not an all-inclusive ship, but it's more inclusive than lines such as Celebrity Cruises or Holland America. Its fares cover all dining (except for private, wine-paired dinners), fitness classes, nonalcoholic beverages and in-port shuttles. Its booking promotions may offer additional inclusions, like free Wi-Fi, airfare, excursions, beverage package or shipboard credit. 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. The Oceania cruise line serves the industry's upper-premium market, and as a brand is positioned between its luxury and premium segments.
Oceania Cruises Offers Free Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay on a Range of Sailings in 2024 and 2025 - PR Newswire
Oceania Cruises Offers Free Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay on a Range of Sailings in 2024 and 2025.
Posted: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The new water bottles will be available on each ship since April 2, 2019 (Riviera), April 19, 2019 (Marina), May 1, 2019 (Regatta), May 19, 2019 (Sirena), May 30, 2019 (Nautica), and June 19, 2019 (Insignia). Often, port calls are with overnight stays so passengers can enjoy local cuisine, nightlife, culture. The ship visits new ports almost every day, so the schedule onboard is designed to accommodate early mornings. Consequently, the pace is a bit slow at night, and entertainment varies between live bands in the Horizons lounge to musical revues in the Riviera Lounge. That's because dining and cuisine are deeply entwined with the ship and its programming. Cuisine is an art form onboard, with attention given to even the smallest details, from idea to execution.
It's also a fun way to socialize with other passengers and the artists in residence. An Oceania cruise is a destination-focused trip, so onboard activities are kept to a minimum. You'll find trivia contests, spa seminars, casino tournaments and technology classes at the LYNC Digital Center, such as travel photography and photo editing for social media. Vista also carries a line of nonalcoholic "liquors" to make zero-proof cocktails that taste like the real deal, as well as nonalcoholic beer. It's a fabulous option for sober cruisers or travelers who need to rest their livers after a lively evening.
We gawked at the beautifully designed public spaces, with their detail-oriented accents, eye-catching light fixtures and highly textured materials. (Yes, I petted the walls of the elevators and stroked every chair.) We luxuriated in enormous standard cabin bathrooms and sumptuous Tranquility Beds. We dined on exquisite freshly made pasta, perfectly cooked fish and decadent desserts.
Seating is limited, but you can request your drink be delivered around the corner to the Grand Lounge, a stunning scenery area where a classical string quartet plays in the evening. The Bakery by Baristas was a popular spot for daily beignets, quiches and pastries. Whatever you order, make sure to order at least one pasta dish with Toscana's incredible ship-made pasta. If you need to skip dessert at one specialty restaurant, this is where I'd pass … unless you are a die-hard tiramisu fan. Toscana is Oceania's long-standing Italian restaurant, but on Vista, it's newly enhanced with dishes created by the ship's godmother, Italian food star Giada De Laurentiis.
I failed to find anything serious to critique about Vista, so what I didn't love about the ship is more about my personality than any real failing of the cruise line. Not only did Vista's large selection of eateries keep my meals interesting, but there wasn't a bad option in the bunch. Sure, sometimes I didn't order the right dish, but I enjoyed every meal I ate on board. The featured destinations include the Caribbean's Barbuda, Dominica, and BVI/British Virgin Islands as well as French Polynesia's Moorea, Raiatea, and Rangiroa. The sailings were planned for the ships Marina, Nautica, Sirena, and the Vista, with departures from PortMiami Florida, Cartagena Colombia, NYC New York, Los Angeles CA, Bridgetown Barbados, Panama City, and Papeete Tahiti.
If you enjoy veal, this is your spot; nearly half of the secondi menu consists of veal dishes (you can also order lamb and roast suckling pig here). The new entrant to Oceania's food scene is Ember, serving inventive American fare. Though the venue is one of Vista's signature restaurants, it has a more casual vibe than the others, and meals here don't take quite as long.
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