Oceana's new Marina its biggest ship ever

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Oceania's Marina preparing to be officially christened at Ft. Lauderdale. (POSTMEDIA)

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Mary Hart on her way to Christen Marina with Frank Del Rio, Chairman of Oceania. (POSTMEDIA)

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Oceania pool, above pool deck. (POSTMEDIA)

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Oceania's Toscana restaurant. (POSTMEDIA)

Frank Del Rio, the chairman and CEO of Oceania Cruises, was one of the people who made the run from Cuba to Miami to start a new life several years ago. Success ensued and his story was capped by the launch of Oceania's new ship, Marina, in January.

This is a really big sister to Oceania's other ships -- Nautica, Insignia and Regatta, all are ships from the old Renaissance fleet and all carry about 680 passengers. With Marina at 1,260, the capacity has grown substantially.

Art Sbarsky, a former cruise-line executive who has sailed on other Oceania ships, as well as the Marina, claims the new addition has as many similarities as differences.

Where do their customers come from? According to Oceania executives, 80 per cent come from cruise lines such as Princess, Holland America and Celebrity, they are experienced cruisers looking to take the next step up, and most are in their mid-50s and up.

Next month, Oceania will launch Marina's sister ship, Riviera, in the Mediterranean.

I have pigeonholed Oceania as deluxe brand; this ship deserves a deluxe-plus rating. Chances are, you will be in a balcony cabin, as only 38 do not have a balcony. A standard "veranda" room is 242 square feet, and an inside stateroom on Marina is 174 square feet, both larger than most.

This is not an all-inclusive cruise line. Wine and gratuities are not part of your cruise price. On the other hand, all the restaurants are.

New on board are restaurants Red Ginger, which has quickly gained popularity on its Atlantic cruise from Barcelona, and Jacques. The latter, of course, is named after the famous chef, Jacques Pépin. I just happened to be alongside Pépin when he saw his restaurant in the flesh for the first time.

"At first, I was surprised being on a ship. ... I thought it would be bigger," said the iconic Pépin. "It is much more intimate than I imagined. I like that."

He and Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart were the stars for the christening ceremony, as Hart solidified her role as the ship's godmother by smashing a 15-litre bottle of champagne against her hull.

Pépin is part of a large group of well-known chefs who are lending their names and expertise to cruise-line cuisine. Marina's new restaurants, along with Toscana and the Polo Grill, can each be booked for one occasion on each cruise. However, you can reserve more than once while on the ship, if space is available.

The ship has a culinary school. The school has 24 positions for participants, each with an element and a sink, affording full participation by those who sign up to prepare the dishes the onboard culinary team presents to the group.

Finishing up:

-- You don't have to use the spa in order to use the hot tubs and clam-shell loungers that are located in that area. It looks out of bounds, but it's not.

-- The library is well-stocked, and you will find a launderette on several decks.

-- The gym equipment is high-tech and they have an aerobics room as well.

-- The Canyon Spa was booked solid on the cruise I was on, so you might want to consider reserving ahead of time, online.

-- Bathrooms are large with a tub and shower and a separate enclosed shower. Something had to suffer and "something" is the size of the enclosed shower.

While Oceania has never done it before, it is considering some shorter seven-day cruises in the Greek Islands, a request from existing passengers.

The line has been successful raising its prices over the years; the question now is whether they will be able to continue that trend with the large capacity increase this ship offers to Oceania.

-- Postmedia News

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Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 26, 2011 D5