The newest ship to be added to Oceania Cruises fleet, the Marina is slated to have it's inaugural sailing on December 7, 2010 - Barcelona to Miami. Past passengers will be able to make bookings starting August 31, 2009.

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


Oceania-Class

Side Profile of Oceania Cruises’ MARINA

Looks and sounds lovely.....til you get to the 1,252 guests part!

While this is larger than their present 3 ships of 684 each they still are much smaller than many of the behemoth ships. We have seen some pictures of the new penthouse suites, owner's suites and vista suites and they are unbelievable.

We've cruised a few ships with 1200 pax - the HAL Amsterdam being one of them and it didn't feel any more crowded than the Voyager feels and at times even felt more spacious.

Points taken but what about while in port with 1250 other pax?

I guess I'd have to try it to know, been on Regent or SS too long to know what 1200 would be like. I'm sure some Seabourn triplet people would feel the same way about the Mariner or Voyager or even their new Odyssey. Oceania seems to be filling a nice niche between luxury lines and the behemoths, and I'm glad we have choices.

Hi kids!
She is way, way, way.. to many people..even if pretty new ship and of course one of my favorite lines..

Hi Claudia!!! Seems odd to me a ship with 1200 would feel like ship with 700 but we all have our "zones" for comfort - thanks for posting your "read"

Hi Claudia, I have missed you and your mermaid!

I'm sure the on board experience will feel uncrowded as it was designed with that thought in mind.
My issue is with the additional 500 persons disembarking from the same ship as we are........crowded shore side venues, perhaps. Just isn't appealing to us but then again as someone else said, good to have choices.
Maybe this would be a ship for us to consider for ocean crossings. Regardless, Marina sounds beautiful.
We are looking forward to the Oceania cruises we've booked for 2010...The first one is in Feb and we'll post our experiences here!