Oceania cruises - Regatta Ship Visit

I had the pleasure to attend, as a guest, a ship visit yesterday in Dover on board the Oceania Regatta.

It was a pleasure too.
Oceania cruises position themselves just below the super luxury cruise companies like Seabourn, Silverseas and Crystal, offering fantastic value for money cruises to destinations around the world. All their ships are designed with style and comfort in mind, giving the feel of a Country Club Hotel atmosphere. Quiet, sophisticated public areas and cabins generously large and well appointed.
The emphasis of an Oceania cruise is very much on the food quality and the destinations and shore excursions they provide.

The food trust me is exquisite. I show the menu we enjoyed at luncheon, beautifully prepared and presented by staff, well trained in discrete and efficient service. Nothing was too much trouble.

The itineraries Oceania cruises provide their guests offer much more than just the average cruise. Half day excursions will tempt you into exploring a destination further, giving a taster, if you will, of the what is on offer. The full day programme presents you with more of an adventure type experience. Overnight stays during itineraries are not uncommon, which provide ample time to savour the delights of a port at night. I think particularly of Barcelona, which comes to life at night time. Most cruise lines will overnight in St Petersburg, not Oceania cruises. Three days is often offered enabling a more in depth experience of this fascinating and beautiful destination.

Space, relaxation and comfort are the essence of an Oceania cruise. All cabins are larger than most other cruise lines offering concierge class and suite accommodation. I particularly liked the penthouse cabins and would recommend the concierge upgrade on lower deck grades too, as it is well worth the small additional charge.

For those requiring more space still, the Vista and Owner suites will not disappoint, luxuriously appointed with all the trappings of quality you would expect.

There are generous savings to be made at all cabin grades, particularly with on board credit offers and special excursion packages. Be prepared to book early though as all Oceania Cruises book very quickly usually leaving those slow off the mark with only waiting list availability. As a preferred agent for Oceania cruises I am able to offer customers exclusive deals on cruise only and cruise package itineraries.

Watch out for 2011 too with the launch of Oceania's newest vessel the Marina.  At double the size she will not accommodate double the passengers. She has been designed to offer even more space to her passengers with cabins over 30% bigger than her smaller counterparts. the list of her amenities is substantial. So why go larger?
Many perspective cruise passengers want the feel, ambiance and character of smaller ships but are nervous of the small size should they hit choppy waters.  The additional size Marina offers will no doubt belay any such feelings, enabling those new to cruise particularly to book with confidence.

I must mention the food  one more time. I have cruised on 26 different ships in my life time to date and looked over and sampled many many more. All ships offer good quality food, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, I have never sampled food of the quality on board Regatta. The steak I ate simply dissolved in the mouth. I cut it with my fork, it was so tender, and cooked, of course, to perfection.

Oceania Cruise Line in my opinion meets all the essentials that make any holiday a truly memorable experience; quality, choice and value for money.