Oceania Cruises: They had me at Ahoy!
by habituallychic
02 . 13 . 11
This cold weather is definitely making me wish I was still sailing on the Marina. I don’t think Stefan and I could have had a better first cruise experience and we owe it all to Oceania Cruises. This was an inaugural christening cruise and there was copious amounts of music, dancing, champagne, fireworks, sunshine, and food! Entertainment Tonight corespondent Mary Hart was on hand for the festivities as she was the godmother of Marina. You can read her account here. We also got to meet chef Jacques Pépin who has his own restaurant on the ship and enjoy the Canyon Ranch Spa on board. These are just some of photos of the outside of the ship and our room. I can’t wait to also share the fabulous public areas and rooms decorated with fabric from Kravet and Lee Jofa and suites designed by Susan Bednar Long for Ralph Lauren Home and Dakota Jackson. Enjoy!
When we arrived in Miami it was 80 degrees!
Cute sailors!
The chefs and other staff lined the decks during the christening ceremony.
The Marina weight 66,000 tons and can carry 1,250 passengers. It bills itself at mid-level luxury but it felt very luxurious to us!
They really do break the champagne bottle against the ship but I missed that moment.
There were fireworks over Miami harbor to celebrate our voyage.
Very chic crest on the front of Marina.
Loved the nautical flags.
So glad we had great weather for the entire cruise!
The very popular pool area.
The dark area houses the glass enclosed elevators.
You can choose from regular deck chairs or lounges.
It was hot outside but I was glad I had my cardigans for inside.
It’s very windy on a ship and this is how my hair looked most of the time but nine times bigger due to the humidity!
They really did have shuffleboard!
They also had croquet as demonstrated by Stefan.
The clock stated it was made by Scandinavian Marine Time.
In case of emergency!
The Terrace Grill is located on the back of the ship and was where we loved to eat lunch. This is a view of Nassau when we were docked.
There is artwork everywhere even outside.
We had a room on Concierge Level Deck 9 that included a chair upholstered in Kravet fabric #26119 – 512.
Stefan pouring the bubbly.
Each room has its own private terrace.
We also had a lovely sitting area with pretty pillow made of Kravet fabric #28931-516.
The linens were 100% Egyptian cotton. I miss having someone make my bed everyday!
The closet contained luxurious robes and life jackets. I was hoping we’d only need one of these items!
We had a mandatory lifeboat drill and had to report to our muster stations one morning.
We were a little disappointed that we didn’t have to don the life jackets so we practiced in our room and took photos. Can you tell that I was hoping the life jacket wasn’t messing up my hair?
This is what you saw when you looked down from your terrace.
In the end, the staff could not have been nicer and represented over 50 countries. The food was amazing. The weather perfect. The company amusing. And most importantly, the sunsets were absolutely gorgeous! I can definitely say a good time was had by all!
Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic
10 Comments
Hi Heather just found you from Felicity’s blog (gifts of serendipity) Loved your post on the cruise you just had it brought back memories of my times spent working for P&O cruises I loved sea life, Do you think you have the bug now? I found people either disliked or loved! It’s amazing how they decorate & what they offer on the liners now, they are like mini villages!
hope you had a great vacation!
I’d never thought of these cruises as chich in any way or by any stretch of the imagination, but this boat’s got it! Nice job of selling it to me!
oh your pictures are wonderful, the room is so much nicer than I thought it would be, so glad you had a good time.
We have had a great experiences with the people at Oceania Cruises. Every detail is focused on making their guests comfortable.
THank you for sharing your great pictures.
Thank you for taking us along. I really enjoy your blog and always look forward to your new posts!
Looks amazing! I’ve never been on a cruise but have always wanted to go!
Heather, it look like you & Stefan had a fab time. I love cruising, but before I went the 1st time I thought I wouldn’t like it. Today’s beautiful ships have anything your heart desires & it’s so much fun and so relaxing. I would love to see your ship, it looks absolutely sleek & beautiful.
What a wonderful little holiday!!
The life vest is stunning!! Your trip sounds too good to be true–I think that I’m just a little bit jealous. Thanks for the great photos. Mary
Looks like you had a wonderful time! So nice to get away from the ice and snow. Loved the photos of the room. Looks very elegant and well appointed. I’m always worried cruises are a little bit cheesy.
I was cruising for years and years and I so relate to what you said, the enchantment, the wind, the hair, the comfort of having everything arranged, the freedom.
Beautiful images.