I am looking forward to sailing on the Riviera christening cruise in May and seeing the changes Oceania has made from the Marina. Oceania has announced the Godmother will be Iron Chef Cat Cora.


03.05.12
Cruises' Riviera Breaks Godmother Tradition
by Janice Wald Henderson
Celeb chef Cat Cora's rocking this boat.

Oceania Cruises is putting its money where its mouth is. Or rather, where passengers' mouths are headed. Which, onboard the new 1,250-passenger Riviera, are toward a stellar chowfest on a foodie fantasy ship.

Oceania just revealed the vessel's godmother for the May 11, 2012 christening ceremony in Barcelona - and it's Cat Cora, a chef. That's right, no superstar singer like Mariah Carey, who did the honors for Disney's Fantasy last week. Not even some Tony-or-Oscar-winning actress. A chef. Actually, an Iron Chef.

Cat Cora made television history as the first – and only – female Iron Chef on Food Network's iconic Iron Chef America. This May, Cora's television star shines anew; she's co-hosting Bravo's new series Around the World in 80 Plates. (Actually, that sounds more like the title of a food-lover's diary on a world cruise.)

Cora also has her whisks in four restaurants, including Cat Cora's Kitchen, in San Francisco and Houston, with a third CCK location opening at Salt Lake City International Airport next month. And, like all celebrity chefs, she has penned best-selling cookbooks. And, of course, olive oils, vinegars, sauces, wine and cookware with her name on it abound. It's de rigueur for star chefs, these days.

So even if we can't all go to the no-holds-barred, invitation-only christening ceremony (for which they will be breaking a 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar of champagne, custom-made by Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin), we can watch Cora on television, dine in her restaurants and buy her wares.

I must add that Cora is committed to philanthropy – one more reason why Oceania Cruises selected her for this christening honor. She is the president and founder of Chefs for Humanity, an organization Cora began in response to the devastating tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004. This organization is dedicated to reducing hunger worldwide by supporting humanitarian relief and promoting nutritional education.

Choosing a chef as godmother for this food-devoted vessel makes perfect sense. Riviera, the second new ship launched by Oceania Cruises in under 18 months, is a sister-ship to Marina. I've sailed Marina and it's a game-changer in the culinary world. Like the Marina, Riviera was built from the ground-up for epicureans. This upper-premium ship has 10 dining venues; six are gourmet.

I don't use the word "gourmet" loosely. The quality of ingredients - think Maine lobster, Vahrhona chocolate - excel. The bread alone – made from provincial French flour using exacting master baker techniques – is reason enough for a sail. And each restaurant has a singular identity. For instance, in Toscana, waiters bring carts filled with regional Italian olive oils and vinegars, which have their own menu.

The ship's Bon Appétit Culinary Center is a state-of-the-art hands-on cooking school led by expert chef instructors. That means they know not only how to cook, but more importantly, how to teach. You will learn critical technical skills and how to prepare recipes that work for the home cook.

After the Christening Cruise concludes in Venice, Riviera sets sail on May 16 on a 10-day maiden voyage from Venice to Athens.

Susan, I am waiting to see if they changed the coffee area. That really was the only problem I saw on the Marina. Not enought room to move around in. Should be in an open area with lots of tables to sit down and enjoy your coffee and treats.

Carolyn

I am looking forward to your review of the Riviera as we will sail on June 17th for 10 days, Lisbon to Rome. This will be our first time sailing with Oceania.

Carolyn,
It will be interesting to see if they made a change. I agree with you that it is too tight to move around.

Doris,
I sailed on the Marina, which is the Riviera's sister ship and have had lots of positive feedback from others who have sailed on the Marina. I trust you will enjoy yourselves.

OCEANIA CRUISES CHRISTENS ‘RIVIERA’ IN BARCELONA

Celebrity Chef Cat Cora (right), co-host of the new Bravo TV series “Around the World in 80 Plates,” officiated as godmother to christen Oceania Cruises’ new ship, Riviera, during a gala ceremony held today in Barcelona. As the 15-liter bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne commemoratively smashed against the hull, Cora was joined by Frank Del Rio, the cruise line’s founder and chairman, embracing Kunal S. Kamlani, the line’s president; and Luca Manzi, the ship’s captain.



BARCELONA, May 11, 2012 – Oceania Cruises christened Riviera, the newest entry in the upper-premium cruise ship market, during an invitation-only, gala ceremony in Barcelona today. The ship’s godmother, Chef Cat Cora, the restaurateur, humanitarian, author, and co-host of Bravo's new "Around the World in 80 Plates," named the ship, joined by Deacon Ricardo Rodriguez-Martos of the Barcelona’s Apostleship of the Sea, who bestowed the traditional blessings.



The national anthems of the U.S. and Spain, together with a Catalan flamenco performance and a duet of “Barcelona” performed by Soprano Alina Furman and Tenor Giorgio Olmo set a festive atmosphere for the ceremony.



Nearly 1,300 guests, including Xavier Trias, Mayor of Barcelona; Sixte Cambra, president of the Port of Barcelona and Jose Alberto Carbonell, director of the Port of Barcelona, were in attendance. Frank J. Del Rio, the line’s founder and chairman, and Kunal S. Kamlani, the line’s president, presided over festivities that concluded with a 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar of Champagne (weighing some 114 kilos), custom-made by Veuve Clicquot, commemoratively breaking against the ship’s hull.



“Today, the baton as the world's premiere ship has passed to Riviera,” said Del Rio. “When asked, I've repeatedly said that it was going to be hard to improve on Marina's perfection, but I didn't say it would be impossible. And we have done just that - improved on perfection.”



In thanking the invited guests, local hosts and dignitaries in attendance, Kamlani noted that Barcelona, a city renowned for its charm, diversity of cultures, art and design, was the ideal setting for the christening as, “Riviera is a work of art herself, and designed to bring the beauty of the world to our guests.” Barcelona also holds a special significance for Oceania Cruises as the line’s first ship, Regatta, was named in Barcelona in 2003.



Like Marina, her sister ship, Riviera also features a Bon Appétit Culinary Center, a Canyon Ranch SpaClub®, luxurious suites by Dakota Jackson, Ralph Lauren Home-furnished Owner’s Suites, and a grand Lalique staircase lit from above by a dazzling, custom-made chandelier. Her distinguishing features include a museum-worthy collection of fine art focusing on the works of some of Latin America’s most accomplished and admired contemporary artists and an Artist Loft with hands-on instruction.



Following the christening cruise, Riviera begins a 10-day maiden voyage from Venice to Athens, departing on May 16, 2011. From May 16 through November 29, 2012, she will offer a total of 20 Mediterranean voyages, calling at ports in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey as well as Israel, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Morocco and Monaco, with maiden calls in Cephalonia (Argostoli), Motril (Granada) and the Canary Islands.



B-roll from the Riviera christening ceremony can be downloaded after 1:00 pm EDT on Friday May 11 at: http://www.imagemakerpost.com/oceania/oceania-cruises-video.html.



To learn more about Riviera, contact a travel professional, visit OceaniaCruises.com or call toll-free at 800-531-5658.



About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises® offers unrivaled cuisine, luxurious accommodations, exceptional personalized service and extraordinary value. Award-winning itineraries visit more than 330 ports in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the Americas aboard the 684-guest Regatta and Nautica. The line’s 1,250-guest Marina debuted in January 2011 and will be followed by Riviera – a sister ship – in May 2012.



About Prestige Cruise Holdings

Prestige Cruise Holdings (PCH) is the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. PCH manages select assets in Apollo Management's cruise investment portfolio and is led by Chairman & CEO Frank J. Del Rio and President & COO Kunal S. Kamlani. PCH is the market leader in the upper-premium and luxury segments of the cruise industry with over 6,400 berths between the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.

It'll be interesting to see if Cora goes on to have more of a relationship with the company. maybe designing some menu's and the like?

stevenH, Cat Cora should do some cooking demonstrations and classes at least once a year.