Oceania Marina: Converted to Cruising
“That ship is enormous!” exclaims Sanja as the motorcoach delivers us to the Miami Passenger Ship Terminal to board the 66,084 grt and 1,250 passenger Oceania Marina. (Note to self: Do NOT suggest Sanja accompany you on a cruise aboard a ship like Wonder of the Seas or she might just pass ou
Oceania Cruises Floats Out New Cruise Ship ‘Vista’
One of our favorite luxury cruise brands has a brand new ship to enjoy! Oceania Cruises floated their new ship Vista out from Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy over the weekend and all indicators are it was a smashing success. On hand for the float out ceremony were Howard Sherman, Presi
Check Out the New Culinary Enhancements from Oceania Cruises
Earlier this year, Oceania Cruises unveiled a series of fleet-wide culinary enhancements which included specially-crafted dining experiences, menus and elevated service levels as part of their OceaniaNEXT initiative. OceaniaNEXT is a set of enhancements aimed at elevating every aspect of t
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Announces Additional Cruise Ship Restarts and Deployments
One of the biggest names in cruising has announced a host of new ship restarts and deployments across their multiple cruise brands. Norwegian Cruise Line and sister brand Oceania Cruises are starting the process of getting back to normal later this summer with the announcement of new cruise itinerar
Choose Your Cruise – March 12, 2021
It was exactly one year ago today that Princess Cruises and Viking Cruises announced they’d be pausing operation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s truly unbelievable but here we are a year later on the cusp of a vaccine that will jumpstart the cruise industry and get everyone back to no
Oceania Cruises Announces 180-Day World Voyage
In Jules Verne’s epic adventure story, it takes protagonist Phileas Fogg 80 days to circumnavigate the globe. Oceania Cruises wants to take cruisers on a similarly epic journey, though a much slower pace. In a press release today, the cruise line announced a 2023 Around the World in 180 Days c
Galley Superstars
Buzzy Burgers Carnival cruisers find their bliss at Guy’s Burger Joint, a spirited roadside burger shack reimagined and brought to sea by Food Network personality Guy Fieri. Follow the poolside scent to score sizzling patties and golden hand-cut fries. Purists may prefer Plain Jane cheeseburgers;
A Deep Dive into Oceania Eats
Lobster pad Thai. Raw vegetable juice spiked with immune-boosting spices. Lavish dinners paired with France’s most famous bubbly. Few cruise lines hit such high, diverse culinary notes as Oceania Cruises … something food-lovers who unabashedly admit to choosing their ships solely for dining sure
Norwegian Cruise Brands Cancel Sailings Through December
Cruisers were thrilled last Friday when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chose not to renew their no-sail order that had been in effect since March. However, in it’s place the CDC placed what they’re calling a conditional sail order with a laundry list of things cruise line
Back to Basics on Oceania Insignia
It seems that, almost overnight, the concept of “vacation” changed from one of relaxation, merriment, and luxury to an “experiential” adventure, often characterized by backbreaking physical work or a grueling life and death struggle. I’m sorry, but that sounds way too much like my daily li
CRUISE RECIPE: Lobster Pad Thai by Oceania Cruises
Hungry to Sail Again We all love Norma and Dave, the Australian couple who were content to re-create their cancelled cruise by donning bathrobes, toasting each other and watching videos of a rolling blue ocean on their living room TV. Well, sorry, Norma and Dave, but I’m hu
The Judi’s Choice Awards 2019
The Monthly Mantra Judi’s Choice Awards … Judi’s Choice Awards … Judi’s Choice Awards … It’s time for the 2019 Judi’s Choice Awards! Unlike all those hum-drum “best-ofs” that tackle the obvious aspects of a cruise like dining, entertainment, and itineraries (anyone could do that)
Oceania Announces Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center (Video)
As interest in luxury cruise vacations grow, many small ship luxury lines are making changes to meet high demands from passengers. Oceania Cruises is one of the highest-rated small ship cruise lines and a new spa on board their fleet is adding to the luxury experience. Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center,
Dish It Up: Health-Conscious Cruise Cuisine
Forget the Christmas cookies you gobbled with abandon. It’s so last month. Actually, it’s so last year. We begin 2019 in gratitude, for we can now dine more healthfully — and deliciously — while cruising more than ever before. Organic, low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan — you name it. We’ve
Food and Dom Perignon Pairings on Oceania Cruises (VIDEO)
Oceania Cruises made headlines just last week with the announcement of two new additions to their already stellar fleet. While usually that’s enough of an announcement for one month, the people over at Oceania decided that January was going to be epic. As a leading culinary- and destination-focuse
Editor-in-Chief Awards 2019
2019 Editor-in-Chief Awards As editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine, Bill Panoff travels a lot. So each year, he reports back on his favorite travel experiences around the world. Here are this year’s picks of those who left amazing impressions in terms of service, quality, and memorable mom
The Judi’s Choice Awards 2018
The Monthly Mantra And the winners are in! … And the winners are in! … And the winners are in! It’s time for the Judi’s Choice Awards and this year my head is spinning! 2018 has seen explosive developments in the cruise industry, big and small, far and near – so here are this year’s
Dish It Up: Season’s Eatings
Stroll from deck to deck aboard any cruise ship during the holidays, and the wafting aromas are enough to knock your blinking-lights Santa socks off. Fresh-baked Christmas cookies here, latkes there, stuffing everywhere — what’s a foodie to do? Why, indulge, of course. We’ve got the goods (and
$100 Million in Fleet Upgrades for Oceania Cruises
When the slogan is “Your World. Your Way.”, it’s easy to see why Oceania Cruises places such an emphasis on a personalized luxury cruise experience. A recently announced initiative set forth by the cruise line aims at enhancing and upgrading the overall guest experience. OceaniaNEXT is a signi
Mmm Mmm Marina!
As a first-time visitor to French Polynesia aboard the 1,258-passenger Oceania Marina, I must admit that culinary pursuits were the last thing on my mind. I’d found an idyllic sun-drenched paradise here with a sparkling sea in a million shades of turquoise, overwater bungalows bordering emerald la
