Oceania Names New Ship

[LauraS]

Oceania Names New Ship

[Druke I]

I don't think any Oceania regular will be surprised at the name Marina.

 

When Oceania was dickering to get the last two R-class ships that ended up with Azamara, it had been announced then that Marina would be one of the ship's name.

 

Frank Del Rio has long promised further details, but nothing definitive really appeared until now, when your article came out.

 

I for one am eagerly awaiting deck plans!

[dougnewmanatsea]

Michael - I think the MARINA that was publicly discussed was going to be PACIFIC PRINCESS, not one of the Azamara ships.

 

Though had Royal Caribbean bought Oceania, AZAMARA JOURNEY would indeed have been MARINA... But I don't think that was ever discussed in public. (Well, I'm discussing it in public now, but that's beside the point. ;) )

 

Anyway, the name is certainly not a surprise. I'm not sure any new details have really been revealed either, to be honest - almost all of this has been public information for a while already. For example, see this press release from February. (You can get an idea of what the layout of the ship will be like from that, too.)

[LHT28]

It was announced way back that the next ship would be " Marina"

 

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/T_MainContentPage.aspx?PageUID=ff31de0e-912e-46fb-bf54-9dfc4f87b228&PRUID=cc74ac09-e8e9-4f93-b977-ea1cfaa11e86

[dougnewmanatsea]

It was announced way back that the next ship would be " Marina"

Right, that is when Oceania was going to buy PACIFIC PRINCESS from Carnival.

 

So as Michael pointed out, the announcement of the name of MARINA should not have come as a surprise to anyone. I have already been thinking of her as such for a long time. ;)

 

Everything was lined up but Carnival pulled out of the deal as Princess did not want to give the ship up.

 

Oceania tried many times to get more of these ships various ways but getting their owners to sell was pretty much impossible. The only way more ships of this class would have joined the fleet is if Carnival or Royal Caribbean bought the company, both of which were distinct possibilities, but I for one am happy neither deal happened.

 

Anyway, all this name talk reminds me of the days when Oceania was trying to think up names for its first few ships! I think the second ship would probably have wound up being called NAUTICA had the fashion label not run some interference. As it is INSIGNIA is already the "odd ship out" as her name hasn't got a "watery" theme. It is a nice name but I would have preferred REGATTA, NAUTICA, MARINA and RIVIERA to REGATTA, INSIGNIA, NAUTICA and MARINA. Of course I just let out my choice for the name of ship five... RIVIERA!

[meow!]

OCEANIA CRUISES COMMENCES CONSTRUCTION OF

FIRST OCEANIA CLASS NEWBUILD “MARINA”

Line’s Loyal Repeat Guests Attend Gala Ceremony and Accommodation Unveiling

Miami, FL, August 4, 2008 – Oceania Cruises is pleased to announce that it has commenced construction of its first new Oceania-Class ship during the gala steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri’s Sestre Ponente Shipyard in Genoa, Italy.

 

Presided over by Frank Del Rio, Chairman of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Oceania Cruises’ parent company, and attended by some of the line’s most loyal past guests, the first piece of steel was ceremoniously cut to officially begin construction of Oceania Cruises’ first brand-new ship.

 

During the ceremony, Del Rio also revealed the name of the first ship as Marina along with design details of the Veranda Staterooms and Penthouse Suites.

 

“Oceania Club members, our loyal repeat guests, are not only responsible for Oceania Cruises’ success, they have also played a great role in the design and development of these splendid new ships,” stated Del Rio.

 

After the ceremony, Oceania Club members, dignitaries from Fincantieri and members of the media toured the builder’s mock-ups of the Veranda Staterooms and Penthouse Suites. These accommodations, which are on average, 50% larger than those on the Regatta Class ships, will set new standards for spaciousness and comfort.

 

Veranda Staterooms, at 312 square feet, will incorporate larger sitting areas, marble-clad bathrooms with separate tub and shower, copious closet space and extra-large private verandas for relaxation.

 

The Penthouse Suites will be 429 square feet and feature a large living area, space for in-suite dining, separate sleeping area, extra-large bathrooms, walk-in closets and a host of other amenities.

 

“Marina will not be just a ship, she will be a place of beauty that offers our guests unparalleled comfort, amenities and a culinary experience that is beyond compare. Marina, along with her sister-ship, will be the most beautiful ships to sail the seven seas,” added Del Rio.

 

The Oceania-Class represents an evolution of the line’s extremely popular Regatta-Class ships. This new class of mid size cruise vessels will retain all of the warmth, popular design elements and signature amenities of the Regatta-Class while affording guests an additional level of comfort, convenience and many new luxury amenities. Designed to cruise to all corners of the globe, the new ships will boast a cruising speed 20% faster than the Regatta-Class. In addition to their greater speed, the new ships will have a greater range that enables them to undertake the itineraries to virtually any destination worldwide.

 

The new ships will be awash in rich, dark woods, Italian marble, lustrous granite, fine wool carpets and sumptuous leather. No detail is being overlooked to create an array of spacious, yet intimate public spaces and luxurious staterooms and suites.

 

They will accommodate 1,252 guests in 626 staterooms and suites who will be served by more than 780 staff members. 96% of all accommodations will feature private teak verandas and guests will dine in their choice of six open seating restaurants. Additional details on the ships’ public spaces, suites and dining venues will be revealed in the comings months.

 

Oceania-Class Facts:

MARINA: Debuts September 2010

Oceania Class II: Debuts July 2011

Guest Capacity: 1,252 (Double Occupancy)

Tonnage: 66,000 - estimated

Builder: Fincantieri; Sestre Ponente, Italy

Length: 782 feet

Width: 105 feet

Draft: 24 feet

Cruising Speed: 20 knots

Propulsion: Diesel Electric, 2 controllable pitch propellers

Restaurants: Six Open Seating Restaurants

Accommodations: 626 Guest Staterooms and Suites:

3 Owner's Suites

6 Vista Suites

10 Oceania Suites

121 Penthouse Suites

440 Veranda Staterooms

20 Ocean View Staterooms

26 Inside Staterooms

 

-----------------------

 

The above is copied and pasted from Oceania's own website. It is really interesting. So the regular balconied cabins on the newbuilds will be an upgraded version of the existing PH minisuites, and the new Oceania suites will be a step higher.

 

Then, what will be the pricing? Hopefully, with the market downturn expected for the next few years, the regular balconied cabins of the newbuilds will be at the same price level as the existing regular balconied cabins on the Nautica/Insignia/Regatta trio, while the latter will be reduced in price when the newbuilds are ready for booking!

 

What will this new development do to RSSC? Any comments?

[Jane110]

I wonder if the veranda staterooms will have refrigerators? They don't on Regatta and Insignia.

[LHT28]

I wonder if the veranda staterooms will have refrigerators? They don't on Regatta and Insignia.

 

Deck 7 A cabins do

 

Only time will tell what the new ships have:)

[StanandJim]

I for one am eagerly awaiting deck plans

I wonder if the veranda staterooms will have refrigerators? They don't on Regatta and Insignia.

Only time will tell what the new ships have

 

They're still playing with the details of the new ships. I know for a fact, for example, that they're driving Fincantieri's model makers crazy with all the secrecy and changes:

 

What surprised us was how much these mockups are a first draft rather than the finished product. Del Rio held an impromptu town hall meeting with the past guest VIP's in the verandah cabin, where Oceania's dedicated past passengers weighed in on everything from the shape and placement of over-bed reading lights, closet configuration, carpet color, sofa shape and sitting area configuration (mostly concerning the issue of creating a comfortable sitting area that easily doubles as a dining room for room service).

 

This is not to say that ALL cruiselines don't tweak everything until the last throw pillow is fluffed as the passengers board for the Inaugural. However, they are pushing this, and making it confusing. Note how the Online press release puts the number of Vista Suites at 6, while the press release at the steel cutting ceremony references 8 Vista Suites.

 

Keeping the publicity going for the new ships is important, but you can only prolong a tease for so long....

 

Is anyone here old enough to remember how Royal Viking Sun was crucified in '88 (when her deck plans were finally released), because they had built her up to be all things to all people?

[StanandJim]

 

Has anyone seen these cabin mock ups from the Marina?