It’s been more than 10 years since Oceania Cruises launched a new ship – half the lifetime of the company that celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023. But finally, there’s a new ship to celebrate – Vista, the seventh ship in the Oceania Fleet, and the first in its new Allura Class.
For the inaugural sailing in May, Oceania went all out. The ship was full to its 1200-guest capacity, with executives, industry and media from around the world boarding in Civitavecchia, Italy, for seven days of Mediterranean spring sailing. At a glitzy christening ceremony, Harry Connick Jr was flown in for an exclusive hour-long performance, before a spectacular fireworks display over Malta’s picturesque Valletta harbour.
There’s a lot to love about Vista, with a plethora of spaces to suit different types of travellers. Here’s your guide to how to make the most of your sailing.
For the hungry
Oceania Cruises’ tagline is “the finest cuisine at sea”. It’s a bold claim, but Vista backs itself to deliver. There are 16 food and beverage spaces on board, including four specialty restaurants, which – unlike on many other cruise lines – are included as part of your fare.
Our first dinner is at Toscana, the Italian specialty restaurant that makes an appearance on some of Oceania’s other ships, too. “We want repeat guests to feel the familiar,” Bernhard Klotz, Oceania’s senior culinary director says, explaining that it’s important for loyal Oceania sailors to know their favourite dining experiences will be there, whichever ship they choose.
What’s different about Vista’s iteration of Toscana is a few dishes created especially by the ship’s godmother, Giada de Laurentiis. She might not be a familiar name to Kiwis, but in her homeland of America, she’s kind of a big deal. An Italian-American chef, restaurateur, writer and TV personality, she has millions of social media followers, and her Food Network TV shows Everyday Italian and Giada at Home saw her win a daytime Emmy award for best lifestyle host.
At Toscana, I try her Capri-inspired lemon spaghetti with jumbo shrimp and fried capers and it’s as memorable as some of the best pasta I sample throughout my time in Italy. Equally impressive at our Toscana dinner is the bread basket - almost a work of art, with the rolls, grissini and flatbreads arranged in the shape of a lobster - and the selection of olive oils vast enough to warrant our waiter talking us through them like a sommelier. There’s a real one of those too, with recommended wines for the evening, or the chance to select our own.
Other specialty restaurants are there to meet your cravings for different foods and different moods. Head to Polo Grill to feel like you’re at a classic American steakhouse, by way of the Hamptons, thanks to its decor from Ralph Lauren’s Polo collection. At Red Ginger, you not only get an excellent choice of Asian cuisine, but you also get to choose from a range of chopsticks – from Korean steel to fibreglass to silver-plated. Wash down your dinner with a selection of sake, Asian beers or cocktails featuring ingredients such as lemongrass, ginger and chilli. Then there’s Ember, a Californian-style grill, and the elegant Grand Dining room, with French-inspired food served under chandeliers and with expansive views out to sea.
Whatever time of day, you’ll need never go hungry, thanks to the casual dining available across the ship. Buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner is available at Terrace Cafe but this is no standard buffet experience - think more along the lines of Eight Restaurant at Auckland’s Cordis hotel: high-quality ingredients, many of them cooked to order in front of you. My favourites were freshly cut tuna and salmon sashimi, a rich, decadent, mushroom risotto, and perfectly pink ribeye steak.
In between you can go to the Bakery for freshly baked pastries, Baristas for espressos or aperitivo hour, or Waves Grill for icecreams and pizzas. If you want to keep it a little healthier, Aquamar Kitchen is for the gym bunnies and the keto-curious, with plant-based selections and smoothies.
On sea days, where inexplicably you find yourself constantly hungry, indulge in an elegant afternoon tea at Horizons Lounge at the ship’s bow on deck 14, where floor-to-ceiling windows reveal transfixing ocean views. Waiters move between tables proffering trolleys laden with hand-crafted pastries, scones and savouries, while a string quartet plays live classical music.
A note for the connoisseurs, however: the tea is Twinings and comes in individually wrapped tea bags with a pot of hot water, not fresh leaves. That, and an underwhelming room service breakfast, were the only culinary disappointments for me in a week of winning meals.
Now I’m back on land, I’m regretting not attending one of the workshops at the Culinary Centre, a huge space on deck 15 where Vista’s chefs give hands-on classes in everything from French gastronomy to how to make plant-based dishes full of flavour. Guests can also sign up for Culinary Discovery Tours, where chefs lead food-focused shore excursions, visiting markets and food producers, and discovering local cooking techniques and top tips, then getting to try out what they’ve learnt back on board. These tours are offered in more than 40 ports around the world, all tailored to the destination and its cuisine.
For the thirsty
All the fresh salty sea air is enough to work up a thirst and there are plenty of places to sate it on Vista. The best place to enjoy a drink on a sea day is on the pool deck, ideally while submerged in one of the two hot tubs. Martinis is an elegant piano bar, where pre-dinner cocktails are accompanied by a pianist, string quartet or the Vista house band. As well as high teas, Horizons is also the place for cocktails or night-caps – then after dinner the DJ turns the music up loud and guests hit the dance floor.
Baristas serves excellent Illy coffee during the day, and aperitivo in the evenings – try the barrel-aged negronis, the Amalfi spritz, or the range of Italian wines, and help yourself to a range of snacks (olives, cheese and crackers, chips, nuts and more).
The signature cocktail space on board, however, is Founders Bar, next to the casino, where mixology is taken to another level. Carefully crafted cocktails are placed under bell jars or in a glass cabinet, then infused with smoke to give them an aged, mature flavour. It’s quite the performance - every drink served will elicit squeals of delight from the gathered crowd, then take pride of place on punters’ Instagram feeds.
For the relaxers
If the head’s a little sore the morning after a night of smoked cocktails at Founders, you might need to find a quiet space to relax and unwind. The Library is just the spot – you’ll find comfortable leather armchairs and shelves packed with brand-new books, ranging from best-sellers, to classics, to gorgeous coffee-table tomes you’ll want to pore over. Bring your drink from Baristas next door, settle in and get comfortable – it’s one of the most tranquil spots on board.
For true indulgence and pampering, book in at Aquamar Spa for a treatment. The spa is Oceania’s first purpose-built, holistic wellness space and includes a hair salon and fitness centre as well as treatment rooms. The piece de resistance is the Aquamar Spa Terrace, where plunge pools, spa pools and comfortable loungers are available pre- or post-treatment for some added serenity.
For the active relaxers
If you like to keep moving while you’re on holiday, Vista has many options to appease the fidgets in the family. The fitness centre has a good selection of cardio and resistance machines, as well as regular group fitness classes available each day, ranging from early morning yoga and sunrise stretching, to HIIT and spin.
On deck 16 you can run laps on the outdoor track or try your hand at the driving range, putting green, shuffleboard and croquet. There’s even a pickleball court – a game that’s a kind of hybrid between tennis and ping-pong – and on my sailing, there were plenty of players ready to challenge onlookers to a game.
In the evenings, head to the Vista Theatre for live entertainment from the ship’s cast of talented performers. While these aren’t the big Broadway shows you’ll find on some other cruise lines, there’s still lots to entertain, including Into The Night, a new show featuring hit songs and contemporary dance, choreographed by US Dancing With The Stars’ performer/choreographer Britt Stewart. That, and other new shows Headliners and The Anchor Inn, will have you tapping your feet, singing along, and will put you in the mood to afterwards head up to the Late Night Party Zone, to strut your stuff on the Horizons Lounge dance floor.
For the pros
Seasoned cruisers will love the finer details of Vista that set it apart from other ships. Like complimentary Wi-Fi - it’s the first ship to utilise Starlink satellite technology to power the internet, which means you’ll get reliable, fast connection wherever in the world you are. And unlike other ships, it’s free for up to two devices for each guest.
There are also Bulgari toiletries and rainforest shower heads, cashmere pashminas provided in your wardrobe for chillier evenings, and stunning lighting installations and eclectic artworks featured throughout the ship.
For the novices
If it’s your first time on a cruise, or you haven’t cruised regularly, the Vista crew are always available and happy to help, from the reception and destination services desks, to concierges, to the entertainment director.
As with most cruise lines, you’ll receive a daily newsletter giving you all the latest information on your sailing and a schedule of the following day’s activities, shore excursions and embarkation times. It will become your daily bible and it’s a great way to let your brain switch off and relax – you don’t need to retain any important information because it’s all there in the Currents newsletter. And if you can’t find it there, you just need to find a crew member and ask.
For the loners
Solo travellers can often be an after-thought when it comes to cruise holidays, but not on Vista – single cabins are available, so you don’t need to worry about sharing with a stranger. The Concierge Level Solo Veranda Staterooms have oversized private verandas (they really are huge – perfect for some alone time, reading a book and watching the ocean drift by), and access to the dedicated keycard-access Concierge Lounge where you can grab snacks and drinks, get free laundry service, order room service from the Grand Dining Room, and get unlimited access to the Aquamar Spa Terrace. Concierge Level is also available for twin and double rooms, but it’s wonderful to see solo travellers treated to this level of service, too.
On board the ship, there are many opportunities for you to meet fellow solo travellers, with regular social catch-ups, and group dining.
For the joiners
If you love nothing more on holiday than learning a new skill or flexing your mental muscle, Vista has a range of workshops available, including The Culinary Centre classes mentioned earlier, plus hands-on classes at the Artists Loft with the ship’s artist in residence, and computer and technology skills in the Lync digital centre. Afternoon trivia sessions, culinary and mixology demonstrations, and guest lectures are also part of daily life on board.
Off ship, the extensive list of shore excursions will vary by sailing, but you can guarantee there will be a wide range of activities on offer in every port, from walking tours, to sight-seeing, to food and wine excursions, to meeting and learning from locals about their way of life. With so much to do on board Vista, you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away from the ship. But remember, the little luxuries and lots of activities, will all be waiting back on board for you when you return.
Oceania Vista by the numbers
Total decks: 15
Passenger decks: 11
Length overall: 241m (Auckland’s Skytower is 328m)
Beam: 32m
Max speed: 20 knots
Total guests: 1200
Guest to staff ratio: 1.5 to 1
Crew: 800 crew from 47 nationalities
Checklist
OCEANIA VISTA
DETAILS
Vista is sailing the Mediterranean this northern hemisphere summer, before sailing to Canada and New England, followed by a series of winter itineraries in Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, from her home port of Miami. oceaniacruises.com