We set sail last week on Oceania Marina for a 10-day cruise. This Northern Realms itinerary was our first time sailing on Oceania Cruises. So, we share some of our initial observations of this premium cruise line as it compares to our experiences cruising with a variety of other cruise brands.
Our First Time Sailing On Oceania Cruises
Oceania Marina
We recently set sail on Oceania Marina for a cruise through the Baltics. Oceania Marina, built in 2011, is one of two ships in the Oceania Class of ships. This 1,250 passenger, 66K+ gross ton vessel offers 16 decks of restaurants, lounges, and entertainment areas.
From chatting with the resident artist in the Artist Loft or cooking classes in the Culinary Center to immersive shore excursion options, Oceania Cruises offers some unique elements that cruisers won’t typically find on other lines.
Still, there are several familiar spaces that made us feel right at home on the ship. The main pool deck is Deck 12. Here, you will find plenty of upgraded loungers, a pool, and two whirlpools.
There are also outdoor sports areas. These include a putting green, bocce ball court, running track, and shuffleboard. Of course, there is also a spa and fitness center.
Throughout the vessel, there is a classic, upscale styling to the public spaces, including the elegant central staircase with its marble adornments.
Additionally, the Grand Dining room is ornate with a large chandelier and metallic accents. Martinis, the main lounge on Deck 6, is a warm and cozy venue with over-sized furniture and dark wood tones.
The staterooms have a very traditional layout as well, with a muted color palette, rich wood furniture, and marble accents in the bathroom. Although, executive leadership onboard has indicated that all cabins will be updated to a “contemporary” design when the ship enters drydock next year.
Overall, Oceania Marina is elegant and easy navigate. The ship feels comfortable and the venues inviting even to those who are new to the cruise line.
Dining on Oceania Cruises
Oceania Marina offers guests a variety of dining options, from casual fare to upscale dining experiences. One benefit of sailing with Oceania Cruises is that most of the dining is included in the cruise fare. This includes the four signature restaurants on Oceania Marina.
On Deck 5, Red Ginger is home to Pan-Asian cuisine. The beef teriyaki, miso-glazed fish, and red curry chicken entrees were well-prepared and delicious. We also enjoyed several of the starters, including the crispy potato roll, which was like a shrimp egg roll, as well as the ginger calamari and the satays.
Also on Deck 5 is Jacques, the French restaurant onboard with a menu curated by Chef Jacque Pepin. This venue features rich items like cheese soufflé, lobster thermidor, and foie gras.
On Deck 14, there is Polo Grill and Toscano. Polo Grill is the cruise line’s American-style steakhouse. Here, the surf and turf was the perfect combination with a well-seasoned filet and flavorful lobster tail. The crispy onion rings and garlic mashed potatoes were the ideal accompaniments as well.
Toscano is perhaps one of the best Italian restaurants at sea, with a variety of authentic Italian appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Our favorites included the delicious pasta courses and the veal chop.
Of course, there is also the traditional main dining room. Located on Deck 5, the Grand Dining Room features a rotational menu every night for dinner. Some of the standouts for us so far have included the truffle mac and cheese, osso bucco, and butter-roasted Maine lobster.
Other casual dining options include the Terrace Café. This buffet was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also the Waves Grill, serving healthy options for breakfast and custom burgers, paninis, and other smaller plates in the afternoons.
Not to mention, there is complimentary room service 24 hours a day and an ice cream kiosk on Deck 12. This venue serves homemade ice cream that would certainly be an up-charge on other cruise lines.
Overall, we appreciated the personalized level of service in each of the restaurants.
Onboard Activities
With 9 ports of call on this 10-day itinerary, this port intense trip had no sea days. So, it is not surprising that there were limited onboard activities during the day. Still, there were some events hosted by the cruise director staff like daily trivia and the Mensa challenge. Occasionally, you will also find events like dance classes and arts and crafts.
Of course, there are other up-charge events like art classes, cooking classes, and tasting events as well.
Along with the sports deck activities, a running track, and the gym, there is the Aquamar Spa on Deck 14. The ship’s spa features a steam room, sauna, and heated loungers.
More akin to a luxury cruise line, these amenities are open to all guests. Our class of suite also has access to an exclusive forward sun deck. Further, all fitness classes onboard are included in the cruise fare.
In the late afternoons, resident lecturers present talks about the ports of call as well.
Surprisingly, there has even been an evening show every night of the cruise. At 9:15 pm, the Marina Lounge hosts production shows and headliner acts. While not the best entertainment we have seen, it is nice to have a nightly show in the main theater. We are creatures of habit, so the predictable dinner and a show is ideal for us.
Afterwards, you can usually find the house band on Deck 15 in Horizons, the resident pianist in Martini’s, or an occasional karaoke session. Additionally, the Grand Bar is a third option to grab a cocktail. The best part is that there is often 2 for 1 drinks starting at 10:15 PM as part of a late night happy hour.
Honestly, with long days ashore, we didn’t really miss all the extra activities found on more contemporary cruise lines.
Final Thoughts on Oceania Cruises
With our first sailing on Oceania Cruises almost complete, we now have a good sense of what this cruise line offers its guests. First, Oceania Cruises is more all-inclusive than other contemporary cruise lines, with amenities like specialty coffee and signature dining included in the cruise fare.
Oceania Cruises also offers a small ship feel with more personalized service and immersive experiences.
With various complimentary dining venues, including the main dining room, a traditional buffet and pool grill, to gourmet specialty restaurants, the cruise line delivers on its promise of culinary excellence.
Service too is top-notch. There are a plethora of friendly servers ready to help out in the Waves Grill or Terrace Café. In the dining rooms, the team of waiters, assistant waiters, and sommeliers, guide you through your dining journey.
The staff are quick to remember your names and go out of their way to accommodate your every request. Our stateroom category even came with a butler for that extra level of personalization and customization.
True, the onboard amenities and entertainment options are a bit meager compared to today’s megaships. Though, that is sort of the point as the cruise line transports you to amazing ports of call on a variety of itineraries.
While ashore, you can enjoy immersive shore excursions with some new tour categories like Go Local, Go Green, and Beyond Blueprints options. Once you are back onboard the ship, you can enjoy 5-star quality dining and accommodations as you await the next day’s adventure.
This 10-day itinerary visited countries we never thought we would be able to see, like Lithuania and Latvia.
For us, the unique and diverse shore excursion program, coupled with a small intimate ship, was the perfect option for cruising the Baltic region. We could certainly see ourselves sailing on Oceania Cruises again in the future.
Comments
What are your impressions sailing on Oceania Cruises? Do you prefer small ship cruising or megaships? Drop us an anchor below with your reviews of this premium cruise line.
We are big fans of Oceania and looking forward to sailing on Vista next year. We don’t book their air so have to book and pay for excursions if we want them! Liked Concierge on Marina. Has its own lounge area on our deck. Restaurants are the best!
We love Oceana for all the inclusions that you mentioned, the high quality standards, the excellent staff and (something not mentioned) the grandiose afternoon tea. We found that there were 2 shows every evening which enabled us to either eat and then go to the show or vice versa. All in all, Oceania is a very classy cruise line in my opinion
Our favorite cruise line that we almost exclusively had used since it’s inception, — until it became so expensive. Service is the best at sea. We once dined in a specialty restaurant early in a long voyage, then when we returned over a week later, they not only remembered our names, but what we had ordered and how we liked it prepared.