I Want A Bath!

On the 10th August I was lucky enough to be invited on board the Oceania Marina. The Oceania ships rarely come in to Southampton waters, so this was a good chance to get on board and see what the cruise line has to offer guests and I must say she did not disappoint. Oceania have 5 ships and these are divided in to two different groups. As per my previous blog you will see they have two larger and three smaller ships. I am also of to see the Oceania Nautica later this month so it will be interesting to see how they compare.

The Money spend on these ships is astonishing, I must say I love walking the Gang plank and getting on the ship, you go from the Commercial feel of the Ports to the Glam and Luxury of the ship you are boarding and the Marina, did not disappoint, she is a smaller ship so there is not lots of large open places, but the space has been very Elegant decorated. I must say I had my worries as I do like the Larger ships, and anyone who has spoken to me will know that I have a special place in my heart for Celebrity and I must say I noticed similarities between the two cruise lines,

As we boarded the ship we were taken on with a view over the Grand Staircase which is spectacular, it cost over $3 million, Oceania commissioned Lalique, to designed the Grand Staircase and it has been beautifully finished with the crystal all over the staircase and the surround of the lift behind, the chandelier and the magical centre piece…. But don’t take my word for it have a look below. Please note the round disk disks all the way up the staircase are also Lalique Crystal.

Although this is not a big stair case, it has an air of an grand ship and walking up the staircase with the String band playing made it feel very special.

The ship was fantastic but for this I want to focus on one aspect of the ship and that is the outstanding accommodation, I have been and done many cruises but yet I have never seen the quality of accommodation that the Oceania Marina has to offer.

One thing, especially us Brits love is our Baths, now these are normally reserved for Suite passengers and above but not on the Marina and Riviera as if you stay in an Ocean View Stateroom or above you will get a bathroom complete with separate bath and shower.

The staterooms also boast another benefit to travel with Oceania Cruises and that is the Prestige Tranquillity Bed, which is again an exclusive only found on Oceania, with 1,000 thread count linens. This is more than some of the higher cruise lines. You also get thick cotton robes and slippers along with plush cotton towels.

Along with the benefits you would expect the Staterooms include a refrigerated mini bar, a complimentary and extensive room service menu, in some staterooms you can actually have a 6 course meal served by your butler.

If you would like to know more about Oceania, please keep coming back or give me a call for a chat. I will be doing more on Oceania, including about the $100,000.00 sun lounger and a Ralph Lauren Suite. So watch out for more to come.