Oceania Marina Cruise Review

The 66K gross ton Oceania Marina offers a premium cruise experience exuding sophistication and luxury. As one of the cruise line’s larger ships, this vessel which debuted in 2011 offers 16 decks of amenities and public venues. We have just returned from our first cruise with Oceania Cruises sailing the 10-day Northern Realms itinerary and want to share all the details with you in our exclusive Oceania Marina cruise review.

Oceania Marina Cruise Review

Pool Deck

For a cruise ship that can carry 1250 passengers, the pool deck features only one central pool on deck 12. There are also two whirlpools and a water fountain.

On decks 12 and 14, there are plenty of loungers encircling this central open space as well as some day beds on the forward and aft ends of the pool. Additionally, there is the Sanctuary on deck 14 offering over-sized lounge furniture for relaxing away from the pool area.

Further, those in concierge level or suite classes have access to an exclusive forward sun deck in the spa. Along with comfy furniture, there are two additional whirlpools here.

Given our sailing was less than half capacity, these outdoor spaces were always rather empty. Not to mention, this Northern Realms itinerary included a new port every day.

Still, with unseasonably warm and sunny weather for the Baltic region, there were certainly cruisers taking advantage of these outdoor spaces. While we packed a bathing suit, we actually never found any down time to enjoy the pool deck.

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Sports Deck

On Oceania Marina, there are two outdoor areas boasting sports activities. Forward on Deck 16, you will find the putting green. It offers a quiet, secluded place for cruisers to practice their short game. Tucked away here too is a pickle ball court.

On the other end of the ship on Deck 15, there is the second sports area. With amazing aft views, there are two separate sports facilities and the jogging track. This secluded jogging track means walkers and runners do not need to dodge sun loungers like you often need to do on other ships. It takes 10 laps to equal one mile.

On the starboard side, there is shuffle board, while on the portside, you will find a croquet/bocce ball court. These classic cruise activities feel right at home on Oceania Marina. Since there is no midship outdoor promenade, this is the ideal spot for these pastimes.

Main Dining Room

It wouldn’t be a Oceania Marina cruise review if we didn’t talk about the dining.

On Deck 6, you will find the lavish main dining room, the Grand Dining Room. This restaurant is open seating, whereas reservations are required for the specialty restaurants.

During our cruise, the restaurant was open for sit-down breakfast every day and dinner each evening. We dined in the Grand Dining room on three occasions for dinner and once for breakfast.

The service was timely and very formal, and all of our dishes were always served at the appropriate temperatures. The waitstaff included a waiter, assistant waiter, and a sommelier. However, given the open seating, we had different servers each evening.

Some of our favorite entrees included the truffle mac and cheese, osso bucco, and butter-roasted Maine lobster. Although, the starters and desserts were pretty typical when compared to Oceania Cruises’ competition.

While Oceania Marina does offer more upscale main dining room menu selections, the food quality was pretty typical and exactly what we have come to expect from a contemporary cruise line.

Signature Dining

While we weren’t overly impressed with the main dining room, Oceania Marina wowed us with its signature restaurants.  

The cruise line prides itself on culinary excellence. Thus, most dining on the ship is included in the cruise fare. So, cruisers have the option of a traditional main dining room, as well as four signature restaurants.

These venues are certainly on par with up-charge specialty restaurants on other cruise lines. The food quality, presentation, and atmosphere also rank as some of the best dining experiences we have had at sea.

While Italian restaurants on cruise ships can vary greatly, the homemade pasta and expertly prepared entrees at Toscana were superb.

The seafood pasta and veal chop were something you’d expect to find in Boston’s North End. The diverse bread basket and custom olive oil and balsamic vinegar bar were a nice touch as well.  Not to mention, the classic starters like fried calamari and buffalo mozzarella were also excellent.

As fans of Pan-Asian food, Red Ginger was a great option too. With small plates like crispy ginger calamari, satays, and sushi, this restaurant is perfect for sharing.

Based on a recommendation from the culinary team, I went with the most popular item, the miso-glazed fish. It was flavorful, flaky, and had just the right amount of zest. Although, you can’t go wrong with the steak teriyaki either. The Princess was also a fan of the chicken curry and udon noodles.

Polo Grill is a traditional steak house. The surf and turf offered a classic take on this famous duo. Other hallmarks of this American-style eatery included clam chowder, oysters, and a chocolate fudge brownie. A steakhouse of this caliber would certainly cost $50+ per person on other cruise lines.

Finally, Jacques offers traditional French cuisine. We tested out some staples including the foie gras, cheese soufflé, lobster thermidor, and the crepes Suzette. Along with dessert, you need to sample a glass of the homemade port wine expertly poured tableside as well.

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Casual Eats

When it comes to grabbing something quick, cruisers have a few options. The Terrace Café on deck 12 aft is the cruise ship’s buffet. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For breakfast, the options are pretty standard. Continental items like pastries, cereals, and fresh fruit are abundant. There are also other selections like eggs, pancakes, an array of breakfast meats, and a custom omelet station.

For lunch, there are a few entrée options and a grill with freshly seared steak, fish, hamburgers, and hotdogs. A small salad bar and other pre-made bites round out the selections. However, lunch was often open for only a couple of hours.

We never made it to the buffet for dinner, but the selections were a bit more upscale in the evenings. Often times, dinner items included several of the same selections from the main dining room.

For lunch, our preferred venue was the Waves Grill. Located outside, this venue serves up custom burgers and other freshly pressed paninis. The best part is that next door is the ice cream stand, featuring the line’s signature Humphry Slocombe ice cream.

The cruise line’s coffee shop, Baristas, also offers small bites. Along with the included espresso-based beverages, Baristas has a variety of small cookies, snacks, sandwiches, and pastries throughout the day.

Not to mention, 24-hour room service is included in the cruise fare with Oceania Cruises. So, you can order a full breakfast, lunch, or dinner for no added costs. There is also afternoon tea daily in Horizons.

Service

Oceania Cruises offers a classic-style of cruising. This holds true when it comes to the crew and service. With over 700 crew members, there are plenty of helpful hands around the vessel to offer friendly and prompt service.

Our stateroom attendant and butler were very visible and always stopped to say hi and ask if we needed anything.

Likewise, staff routinely made the rounds in the lounges to get drink orders or to chat in between songs and trivia questions. The same was true in the dining room and restaurants. The meals were all well-paced and delivered with a smile. The staff were also quick to clear dishes, offer refills on beverages, and make sure everything was to our liking.

Our morning barista quickly remembered the wife’s coffee order. The hostess at the Grand Dining remembered that I asked for a copy of the menu and continued to have one ready for me each evening.

Other small touches like this exemplified Oceania’s premium level of service. Where several cruise lines have cut back on staff, Oceania Cruises has not!

Daily Activities

With a new port of call each day, it is not surprising that there weren’t many planned onboard activities.

Peter and the rest of the entertainment team did offer a few predictable daytime activities. There was always late afternoon trivia, as well as daily Mensa brain teasers.

On select days, there were other organized activities, such as arts and crafts, dance classes, and sports competitions. On a few occasions, there were OLife talks as well. These topics touched on history and culture of the region. Unfortunately, we never did get to attend any of these talks.

Of course, cruisers can also use the various other amenities on the ship on their own, like the sports areas and the spa. On deck 14 aft, you will also find the Board Room. Here, cruisers can checkout popular board games and cards to challenge fellow passengers in classics like Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly.

In addition, there were a few up-charge wine and liquor tastings available during our sailing. Oceania Marina also has two signature venues, the Artist Loft and the Culinary Center. Both venues offered up-charge workshops and classes.

For the most part, once back onboard the ship, we were able to find activities to occupy our time.

Nightlife

For this Oceania Marina cruise review, the ship did feature a few late days in ports of call.

To our surprise, the Marina Lounge did feature a show each evening at 9:15 PM. These shows included three headliner acts. A pianist, comedian/ventriloquist, and West End singer. Each performer had two shows which were unique.

There were also performances by the ship’s singers and dancers. Among the shows were the Brill Factor, I Love Being Here With You: The Music of Peggy Lee, Dancin’ Fool, and Broadway in Concert.

Overall, these shows were on par with our expectations. Which is to say, entertainment is not where the cruise line shines. Though, the productions did give us something to do each evening with a predictable routine.

Each evening at 8:30 PM, there was trivia that took place in either Martinis or the Marina Lounge.

After the nightly show, cruisers could listen to some classical piano in Martinis or head up to Horizons. This Deck 15 lounge was home to the late-night scene with the Sync Session band and a few karaoke sessions.

Bars and Lounges

When it comes to options for drinks, there are a few choices onboard. The Waves Bar serves classic umbrella drinks and poolside favorites throughout the day.

Inside, there are four other bars to experience. The Grand Bar on Deck 6 is located near the casino. Yes, there is a small casino on the ship that was never busy. This bar serves the ship’s standard menu. These drinks couple well with the live pre-dinner music in the seating area outside the Grand Dining Room.

Horizons on Deck 15 shares the same menu as the Grand Bar. This venue is also home to the ship’s happy hour, which includes two for one cocktails from 10:15 PM to 11:15 PM each night. So, grab a drink while enjoying the live music.

After dinner, you can grab an aperitif at Baristas as well. Coffee shop by day, Baristas serves as a relaxing lounge at night with wine and array of after dinner drinks and specialty coffee cocktails from 6 to 10 PM.

Finally, Martinis on Deck 6 is home to a large signature cocktail menu. Along with classics like a Lemon Drop, you can try some new favorites like the Chocolate Soother or the Nutty. This was definitely our favorite spot to grab cocktails on Oceania Marina.

Stateroom

For this Oceania Marina cruise review, we stayed in a penthouse suite on Deck 10. Suite 10009 was located forward on the starboard side of the ship. This 420 square foot suite provided more than enough space and amenities for the two of us.

With a separate desk and seating area, I had my own little office for the duration of the sailing. There was also a separate vanity area and armoire with flat screen television across from the bed.

Further, the room even had a small table with two chairs, which was ideal for room service breakfast before heading ashore.

Immediately upon entering the room, the bathroom was to our right (the aft wall) and closet to our left (forward wall). Our suite included a walk-in closet, with a large clothes rack, a set of drawers, a shoe rack, and hooks for hanging items like bags and jackets.

The large bathroom had an oversized vanity area and sink. Although, the separate soaking tub and shower setup was not ideal for us.

The standup shower was on par with the size of a traditional shower on a cruise ship, with the soaking tub taking up a lot of the bathroom square footage. We are glad to hear that Oceania Cruises will be updating these stateroom bathrooms during the ship’s refurbishment in 2023.

Finally, the balcony was a good size. While on the skinnier side, it did run the entire length of our stateroom. With two wicker chairs and a table, it was an ideal spot for watching the sail in and out of ports.

Being a suite, our stateroom did come with a number of other perks as well, including Butler service, unlimited access to the Aquamar thermal suite, laundry service, garment pressing, and more.

Embarkation/Disembarkation

As part of our cruise package, we had a 1-night stay in Copenhagen ahead of the trip. Using the cruise line’s transfer from the hotel to the cruise terminal, the check-in process was smooth and efficient. Once at the terminal, we proceeded through security then waited about 15 minutes for those in higher-end suites and those with status to board first.

Once we were allowed to check-in, the entire process took less than 30 minutes from health check, to getting our key cards, to boarding the ship.

Disembarkation was similarly easy and well-organized. Again, we used the cruise line’s transportation from the cruise port to the Stockholm airport which was an approximately 40 minute drive.

We were assigned luggage tags Red 2. While our estimated departure time was 9 am, guests were asked to leave staterooms by 8 am. So, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Terrace Café and waited for our group to be called right on schedule.

Once our number was called, we walked right off the ship with no wait. We grabbed our bags and were escorted to a bus immediately.

Thankfully, our flights home were relatively as planned. Now, we have just about a week to get organized before we head back to Europe for our next cruise on Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Cruise Line’s brand new ship!

Oceania Marina Cruise Review Itinerary

On this Oceania Marina cruise review, we visited a total of 9 ports of call. We explored 8 out of these 9 ports, as we stayed on the ship during our visit to Visby, Sweden to attend exclusive Taste of Vista media events.

Kiel, Germany

Our first stop was in Kiel, Germany where we took one of the cruise line’s new Go Local tours. These shore excursions are designed to give cruisers better insight into the daily life and everyday happenings of the communities the cruise line visits.

This Fruit Farm and Bakery tour included a transport to Hamburg along with other stops during the 7 hours. Among them was an apple farm where we learned the history of this family-run establishment. Not to mention, taste some homemade apple cake and apple liqueur.

Then, we explored more of the historic city of Hamburg. Along the way, we stopped at a local bakery for a franzbrotchen, strolled a few of the canal-lined streets near city hall, and observed the Elbe Tunnel. Unfortunately, the tour was slightly altered as there was construction prohibiting us from walking the tunnel as the tour described.

Ronne, Bornholm

The quaint Danish island of Bornholm is home to the picturesque city of Ronne. Here, we spent close to three hours strolling the cobblestone streets with our tour guide Lars.

Along the way, we learned about the history of Denmark, the island, and the region in general. We also saw some of the town’s landmarks. This Walking Tour of Ronne gave us ample time to explore and capture magnificent photos of the historic architecture and coastline before a return walk to the ship in the early afternoon.

Klaipeda, Lithuania

Not knowing what to expect, our stop in Lithuania was the highlight of the trip.

Our tour guide, Antanas, was a funny and charismatic host as he took us around his homeland during the 6-hour Soviet Nuclear Weapon Site shore excursion. The signature attraction of this tour was an underground Soviet Missile Launch Center. Constructed in 1962, this was the first of several facilities created during the Cold War.

This now museum is both fascinating and riveting. The tour was enhanced by the guide’s witty sense of humor and passionate connections to today’s global conflicts.

Along the way, we also stopped at Zemaitija National Park and sampled some Lithuanian cuisine and beer at a local restaurant before returning back to the ship.

Riga, Lativa

Known as the Pearl of the Baltic, Riga is the picturesque capital of this former Soviet state. So, it is fitting that our walking tour was entitled Charming Riga.

Our tour guide made sure we were able to see all of the highlights of the city in this close to 3 hour trek. From the art nouveau architecture to the bucolic city parks and remnants of Soviet rule, we saw both the new and old character of the city. The city’s historic churches, monuments, and intersecting cultures produce a modern city that still maintains its 19^th century character.

With stops in Town Hall Square, Livu Square, Dome Square, the Swedish Gates, and more, this was a great introduction for our first time visiting Riga, Latvia. Now, we can’t wait to return.

Tallinn, Estonia

We visited Tallinn, Estonia on a previous Baltic cruise. Even though we explored Upper Town and Lower Town before, we opted to do a similar tour again. Retracing our steps on the Tallinn Old Town with Beer Tasting tour, we were able to take in all of the views of this medieval town. Even if there were two other cruise ships in port.

Walking the old city perimeter and the historic streets of Tallinn never gets old for us!

Another draw of this tour for me was the accompanying beer tasting. In fact, this turned into a full lunch. So, now we can say that we have tried Estonian food as well.

After lunch, we skipped the ride back to the ship and spent an extra hour or so in the city. The warm, sunny weather was great for enjoying more of the city with some much-needed coffee.

Helsinki, Finland

Another popular stop on a cruise in this region is the capital of Finland. During our last visit here, we saw many of the main attractions in the city of Helsinki. Thus, this time around, we opted to venture beyond the city on the Helsinki, Porvoo, and Countryside shore excursion.

As one of the most popular things to do in Finland, Porvoo is a charming little town where we had about 75 minutes to walk around and explore the cafes, shops, and sites of Old Porvoo. Of course, a coffee and some local candy were in order.

But before our 40-minute bus drive to Porvoo, our tour started with a short walk around the market and Senate Square in Helsinki.

Following our time in Porvoo, the tour included a drive into the countryside to a horse farm in Savijarvi. This family-owned estate included lunch and time to learn more about the world championship horses.

Kotka, Finland

Given the conflicts in the region, this itinerary obviously did not include the traditional stop in St. Petersburg. Thus, Kotka, Finland was a new stop offered on this Oceania Cruises itinerary. This small island is located about 20 miles from the Russian border.

There were not many options for tours at this port. So, we opted for a sailing adventure on a tall ship around the archipelago.

During the tour, our guide gave us some history of the region and relationship between the islanders and nearby countries.

While relaxing, the 2 hour jaunt out into the bay and back was not as exciting or as scenic as we had hoped.

Stockholm, Sweden

Our last port of call was Stockholm, Sweden. The ship arrived at this capital city at 11 AM with an overnight stop before disembarking the following morning.

Given some work commitments, we were not able to participate in an organized tour. Instead, we took the cruise line’s shuttle to downtown for a couple hours. Subsequently, we were able to find a canal cruise that worked with our limited availability.

The 50-minute tour was a great re-introduction to the city. The gorgeous weather and outdoor seats on the boat let us view the beautiful architecture and natural spaces.

Following the canal cruise, we took a quick self-guided walk around the Royal Palace and Gamla Stan before returning to the ship. Admittedly, we would have done more if we had more time.

While we could have gone out later in the evening to see more on our own, we stayed aboard the ship for good-bye dinner and drinks.

Certainly, this was the perfect ending to a memorable cruise in one of the most picturesque areas of the world.

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