This article originally appeared in the September issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
Full disclosure: I live to eat, and I spend a considerable amount of time daydreaming about all things culinary. Although I am by no means an expert on the subject, I have learned a thing or two about fine dining from my time onboard a sizable number of luxury ships and in five-star restaurants.
That said, I’ve never enjoyed a better onboard dining experience than I did in July during the shakedown cruise for Oceania Cruises’ 68,000-ton Oceania Allura from Genoa to Trieste, Italy.
I did, however, have an inkling of what was to come, having participated in a three-night Oceania event in Miami earlier this year, where our press group sampled the new menus for French restaurant Jacques, which will soon be onboard Oceania Vista, Allura’s virtually identical sister ship.
Although the meal rated as one of the top five of my life, I was skeptical as to how the line would replicate the dishes on an ongoing basis onboard the 1,200-passenger Allura.
Suffice it to say, it did — and it wasn’t just the extraordinary fare at Jacques; the cuisine throughout the ship was nothing if not outstanding.
But the dining experience is just one element of the Allura story. From accommodations and public areas to service and activities, it provides an all-encompassing luxury experience.
Oceania Allura’s pool deck (Photo Credit: Oceania Cruises)
So, I’m here with a proposition: Travel advisors who believe Oceania straddles the line between the upper-premium and luxury categories may want to reconsider their view.
Dining Options
According to Oceania, Allura features one chef for every eight guests, and half the ship’s crew is focused on culinary operations.
Some of the standout items at Jacques — which pays homage to the line’s former executive culinary director, Jacques Pépin — include appetizers such as hand-cut beef tartare prepared tableside, and deviled eggs with smoked trout rillettes and sturgeon caviar. Main courses include dishes like lobster thermidor, duck à l’orange, and filet mignon with seared foie gras and truffle sauce.
Meanwhile, The Grand Dining Room has introduced upward of 270 new recipes to its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus; and the new Crêperie serves French crêpes, Belgian and bubble waffles, and Italian ice cream sundaes. Pan-Asian restaurant Red Ginger has introduced 12 Peruvian Japanese fusion (Nikkei) dishes, including miso-glazed scallops atop bomba rice, and beef short ribs with lomo saltado sauce and miso sweet potato mousseline.
Other dining options include breakfast and lunch venue Aquamar Kitchen, which focuses on healthful dining options, such as cold-pressed raw juices, smoothies, salad bowls, avocado toast and more. Also not to be missed: the Pizzeria at Waves Grill, open in the evenings for incredible Neapolitan pies.
Terrace Café, which serves delectable buffet offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, never failed to exceed my expectations. My favorite: a sushi station available on certain evenings, with offerings as good as any I’ve had at some of the best sushi restaurants in Manhattan.
Accommodations
Allura’s standard accommodations at sea measure up to 290 square feet. Oceania Suites measure between 1,000 to 1,200 square feet; Vista Suites are 1,450 to 1,850 square feet; and Owner’s Suites clock in at 2,400 square feet.
In all, the ship boasts 194 Veranda Staterooms, 266 Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms, 125 Penthouse Suites, 14 Oceania Suites, eight Vista Suites and three Owner’s Suites.
A 440-square-foot Penthouse Suite (Photo Credit: Oceania Cruises)
Gorgeous accommodations are equipped with spacious marble bathrooms with rainfall showers, customized Tranquility beds, minibars, safes and desks.
Clients in Concierge Level categories receive a substantial number of perks. Case in point: I stayed in a 440-squarefoot Penthouse Suite, which included access to a private lounge manned by a dedicated staff and appointed with comfy seating areas, sweet and savory snacks, coffees, teas and soft drinks.
Public Areas
Allura’s public areas are indisputably some of the loveliest at sea and include the Grand Lounge, where the ambience is reminiscent of a private club, and Martinis, which serves perfect libations.
At Founders Bar, mixologists formulate inventive, flamboyant cocktails — some of which come complete with foam and smoke.
The Grand Lounge is the spot for evening entertainment, featuring talent from cabaret to musical acts; and, from what I could gather, there were no bad sight lines.
Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center, meanwhile, offers a wide swath of massages, body wraps and facials; a full-service salon; and a fitness center with a full complement of workout equipment, personal training services, and complimentary classes that include yoga and Pilates.
Substantive Learning Experiences
Oceania’s culinary center programs — which, in addition to Allura, can also be found onboard three other Oceania ships and onboard sister line Regent Seven Seas Cruises — sell out fast. And after experiencing one of the classes, I understood why. Not only was the class fun, but the instructors were also master chefs and teachers who made the cooking process easy to understand.
Participants work from individual cutting-edge workstations, with lessons geared toward the destinations visited.
The Lync Digital Center offers a wide variety of classes, as well, including those focused on the basics of social media and photography essentials, such as lighting, focus, composition, and exposure for both cameras and mobile devices.
The Artist Loft boasts workshops and presentations on visual arts like painting, mixed media, sculpture and photography. The program also includes art demonstrations by an artist in residence. During my cruise, this was painter Frank Hyder, whose work has appeared in museum shows in the U.S. and Latin America.
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