ARE you one of those people who fear they wouldn’t enjoy a cruise? I used to think the same, but today I’m a total convert. And you will be too when you join me aboard Oceania Allura, a glorious new cruise ship that turns what you thought you might not like about cruising on its head.
My sailing out of Miami is special, the inaugural voyage of this sparkling new vessel. She is a cruise ship, but here is where you start to see why Oceania Allura is an ocean away from the massive floating cities that blight the Caribbean. The world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas, crams in 7600 guests. My ship, which is around 50% shorter, only lets a maximum of 1200 guests aboard. And I mean guests, as the can-do service is a relaxed joy.
Talking to Claire Boswell, head of the entertainment team, I instantly put my finger on another key difference: “On Oceania Allura, we are not just dancers or singers, we get to mingle with the passengers and really get to know them. We can even invite guests to dinner, and I’ve met couples who end up more like family than just friends. It’s a special atmosphere.”
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It is a special atmosphere, a personal one that surprises the first timers aboard.
I’ve been on countless cruises, and other cruise lines would love to bottle what Oceania Allura exudes. The crew hail from 47 nations, and there are a whopping 800 of them – a really high crew-to-passenger ratio.
And Claire – who describes “working aboard as a real joy with a great team” – is typical of the positivity I find all over the ship. That Scotland is one of Claire’s favourite destinations ups the positivity. You can have supremely well-trained staff, but not a happy ship. Here I encounter both, which makes for a much better guest experience too.
I’m aboard for four days – plenty of time to ease down to the Bahamas and back, with the focus on checking out the ship. I explore every nook and cranny. She is a shipshape vessel alive with hardwoods, beautiful flooring and a calm, swish décor and vibe courtesy of Florida’s Studio DADO.
I can see why Oceania talks of being “effortlessly elegant”. The Oceania Allura is one of the most beautiful ships I’ve ever sailed on, an actual ship in proper proportions. I’ve been on even more luxurious vessels, but none more consistently impressive across all 11 public decks and guest accommodations. My stateroom – all accommodations have balconies – is large, with loads of well-designed storage space.
One of Oceania’s biggest strengths is the cuisine, another area that can often disappoint. They declare they offer the “finest cuisine at sea”, and they are definitely up there. And a winner on consistency and choice across the dozen options. I loved Aquamar Kitchen, their healthy eating concept, with its fresh smoothies and poke bowls, and Baristas, a proper coffee shop with all the speciality brews made in front of you.
Worried about tasteless mass buffets? Here we’re talking speciality restaurants. Polo Grill is spectacular, with certified prime US beef steaks alongside Galicia’s finest; lobster too. Jacques was another favourite with its Francophile glamour. One wee secret the crew tipped me off about is that you can order a proper Neapolitan pizza from the pizzeria and have it delivered to the outdoor Terrace restaurant, itself a superb buffet better than the speciality dining on other ships – the sushi is made right in front of you. Perfect for a relaxed sailaway dinner.
On facilities, again, Italian-built Oceania Allura impresses doubting first timers. This is no tacky theme park-style cruise.
As an adult-orientated ship, they don’t have water slides and kids clubs; think more of a refined library, acres of space where you can chill poolside or at the Aquamar Spa Terrace. The latter is a real oasis with its outdoor hot tubs and spa jets.
In the evenings, there are impressive shows from Claire and her talented team, as well as musicians playing around the ship and late-night dance action. There is even a small casino, but being Oceania Allura, it’s more refined Monaco than outrageous Las Vegas. There are outdoor games with a fun landscaped wee mini golf course.
Talking to other passengers on the last night, they tell me the reason they like Oceania is that “they don’t just visit the same old places”. Yes, they do go to the Caribbean, but also venture out to ports in Africa and Japan, as well as offer round-the-world cruises. For many guests, it’s a trip of a lifetime.
In Miami, it’s not easy to get off a vessel that turns a lot of the misconceptions and fears people have about cruising on their head.
There are half a dozen ships jostling for position in port, but we slide sleekly in; a striking, much smaller presence in a growing ocean of hulking floating city ships.
For more information on Oceania Allura and her seven sister ships check out www.oceaniacruises.com.
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