Supplement to Travel Trade
January 2004

Oceania’s Regatta:

Relaxed Refinement

Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Oceania Cruises, has described the onboard experience of his company’s first ship, the 684-passenger Regatta, as “the casual ambiance of a fine country estate at sea.”

The Regatta, which was launched last June in the first-ever ship christening held in the Mediterranean port of Barcelona, aptly fulfills its mission of providing guests with a seafaring home of laid-back refinement.

Its industry management team, which includes Del Rio, Oceania chairman Joe Watters and senior vice president of sales Jeff Drew, would likely agree that Regatta has also delivered what many passengers will consider a floating moveable feast.

Regatta’s meals, especially in their seafood and saucing presentations to be described shortly, are uncommonly and consistently fine, especially considering Oceania’s price points, which are at premium, but not nearly at luxury, cruise tariffs.

The influence of Oceania’s culinary consultant, French chef Jacques Pepin, is evident throughout Regatta’s five dining venues.

The combination of a casual, affluent private atmosphere and a kitchen delivering memorable dining in a choice of dramatic meal settings is welcome news, given the ambitious itineraries that Oceania’s creators have mapped out for Regatta.

As envisioned by Del Rio, Regatta’s travel plans range primarily from 10- to 14-day voyages. They will take the 30,000-ton vessel to what the Oceania president calls “boutique islands” and other destinations less frequented by larger, competing vessels.

The concept means that this winter, for example, Regatta is sailing between Miami and such exotic, Southern Caribbean locales as Nevis, St. Bart’s, Dominica, Antigua and St. Lucia.

From Los Angeles, the ship is calling at such destinations as Guatemala, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.

The schedule means that in two-week itineraries to the Caribbean there are two sea days southbound, and two more northbound to reach the exotic islands of call.

Regatta’s voyages of extended relaxation are enhanced by tastefully appointed staterooms with classic blue-and-white printed carpet and drapes, navy blue bedspreads and loveseats, and white plank ceilings with inset lighting. All of Regatta’s suites and 60% of her staterooms have teak verandas for private sea viewing, and non-veranda cabins have large windows. Sizes range from 160 square feet for an inside, to 165 square feet for an oceanview to 216 square feet for an outside stateroom, including veranda. Suites start at 322 square feet to just under 1,000 square feet.

Sleeping, sometimes a problem at sea, requires little effort on Regatta given the vessel’s top-quality “Tranquility beds,” featuring firm new mattresses, plush duvets, goose-down pillows in abundance and sheets with extra thread counts.

According to Del Rio, many guests are asking to purchase these bedding features following a Regatta cruise.

Regatta, the former R2 of Renaissance Cruises, has been refitted with enough stylish soft goods and deck improvements to give her the feel of a new vessel. It has the requisite abundance of cushy perches in her public spaces from which to comfortably study, or ignore, the seascapes during longer itineraries until the next tropical isle floats into view.

Making yourself at home, as early as on sail-away day, can start on Regatta at its fully refitted deck-9 pool area, which is now resplendent in a dark, reddish-brown surface of teakwood.

The wood, which replaces a cork decking that was the original surface, extends all the way from the Waves bar, located forward of the pool, to the outdoor dining area on the aft balcony of deck 9.

The versatile outdoor eating space is by day part of Terrace, the ship’s breakfast and lunch buffet restaurant. By night it is transformed into Tapas on Terrace, a romantic, Spanish-themed restaurant specializing in tasty tapas appetizers and paella dishes.

The teak on the pool deck is complemented by teakwood framed deck chairs, which hold plush navy blue cushions, and aluminum-framed chaise lounges with matching navy-and-white striped cushions.

A border of blue-and-white decorative tiles frame the center pool, adjacent to two hot tubs, and tie in the colors of the outdoor furniture fabrics.

Aft of the pool is an elevated bandstand, which has a bright, mosaic tile sun as an eye-catching backdrop. This area proves popular for an onboard movie under the stars, with the Waves bar open for refreshments, a new evening entertainment option on Regatta.

Forward of the pool area on deck 9 is the Oceania Spa, a small, but complete relaxation zone in which an indoor thalassotherapy seawater whirlpool is a major attraction.

Additionally, guests can opt for massages and hot-stone treatments or indulge in yoga or other exercise classes.

A fully-equipped fitness center with panoramic water views is to the starboard side of the spa, while on the port side is a trio of rooms, including the hairstyling salon, the card room and Oceania@Sea.

Oceania@Sea is a cyber services room in which 18 flat screen desktop computers are available for Internet and E-mail access at the price of 99 cents per minute. The room proved extremely popular during the Mediterranean summer voyage.

Instead of being designed in the usual shipboard fashion of a café, or an open space lacking quiet and privacy, Oceania@Sea is arranged in classroom style with a demonstration screen on one side. Computer instruction classes are offered during the course on each cruise, and can be put to valuable use by passengers of sea days.

Above the Oceania Spa, on deck 10 forward, is another space on Regatta where, like the pool area, Oceania management believes it has made major upgrades to improve beauty and functionality.

The room is Horizons, which was formerly a combined sports bar and observation lounge on R2, but which has been opened up to improve its connection with the sea below.

Horizons features blue plaid carpet with a wide, dark wood bar at the beginning of the room and contemporary blue and silver wall paneling backing the bar.

Around the perimeter of the room, where television monitors for sports programs that anchored the previous design have been removed, fine decorative glass sculptures are on display along with a few potted floor plants providing greenery.

There is a baby grand piano in the center of the large semicircular space, royal blue banquettes and wood-frame chairs, some with royal blue and others with cranberry cushions.

A great experience in Horizons, which proved highly popular on our cruise, is high tea, served daily at 4 p.m. to the background of a classical chamber music trio. Attentive servers with rolling carts deliver finger sandwiches, scones, fresh mini-pastries and an assortment of coffees and teas to guests in their easy chairs taking in the panoramic views of the rolling sea.

In the aft section of deck 10 is the scenic walking track that encircles the pool area below and is filled on early mornings with guests determined to work off the effects of Regatta’s fine dining.

Farther aft are the library and two of the vessel’s choice alternative restaurants, Toscana and Polo Grill. There is open seating throughout Regatta in its multiple restaurants, and guests can make reservations the day before their intended evening in a selected restaurant, either by phone or in person.

The library features warm, dark wood bookcases surrounding a central ornamental fireplace. There are plush leather armchairs to fall into with a selection from the outstanding book collection.

Most welcome are two computer workstations at desks in the corner of the library, where guests can log in and work overnight when Oceania@Sea is closed.

Toscana is a new theme for the vessel, created in a soothing taupe color throughout that matches the gray blue skies of the ocean sunsets visible through the restaurant’s floor to ceiling windows. There is a service bar with high stools near the reception area, as well as living room seating, for guests awaiting tables.

Toscana’s tables, fully adorned in white linen and sparkling crystal, are well spaced and the room’s sides are decorated with faux marble columns and Italianate wall sculptures. Rich, flowing drapes have the same taupe colors to match the chairs and carpet.

Service in Toscana during one of Regatta’s first summer voyages was friendly and attentive, with Italian waiters in white tuxedose serving guests in casual resort wear.

The quality of the Italian cuisine was unmistakable.

Highlights at our Toscana meal included: an appetizer of paper-thin, tender beef carpaccio; a generously mixed antipasto of greens, prosciutto and shaved parmesan cheese; an Italian-style chowder brimming with abundant fresh fish; a tasty gnocchi potato pasta with pomodoro sauce; and an excellent swordfish topped with a mixture of mushrooms, black olives, tomato and olive oil.

Guests who favor American-style meat and potatoes will be thrilled by the Polo Grill, next door to Toscana. Here, in the style of a prominent social club, is a décor of dark woods and a bright glass wine cabinet behind a high cocktail bar in the same position as the reception area in Toscana. Framed pictures of Golden Age movie stars in black and white are sprinkled throughout the restaurant.

Man-sized cuts of prime steaks and roasts, along with tableside preparations of Caesar salads and other accompaniments are the main entertainment in Polo Grill.

The wine list in Polo Grill has a broad selection of bottles, with emphasis on sturdy reds to match the beef, available at fair prices.

The Grand Dining Room, with its adjoining Grand Bar, is in the aft section of deck 5. With no disparagement to the alternative rooms, this is probably the best restaurant on board.

The Grand Dining Room has a classic design, with restful green and blue carpet matching green floral drapes and complementary gold and green print armchairs. All of the green, gold and blue colors are displayed beneath the focal point of the dining room, a centrally recessed dome ceiling with painted frescoes.

At tableside, the culinary presentations on display are equally eye-catching. Diners at many tables were seen invading each other’s plates for obligatory shared tastings of some truly knockout dishes.

Pleasurable experiences in the Grand Dining Room included: excellent duck and goose liver pates; endive salad with walnut and roquefort cheese; an herb-crusted provençal rack of lamb; a creamy potato laced with chive and caviar; and tender tournedos of veal.

Special mention must be made of the Grand Dining Room’s fish and dessert selections. The delicate simplicity and quality of these fish dishes cannot be overstated: Regatta is undeniably a vessel for seafood lovers.

On the dessert trays were, again, examples of simple, delicate choices created with excellence rather than fussiness. Ice-cream profiteroles in light, fresh pastry dough dripping in hot fudge sauce were richly decadent. A chocolate molten cake accompanied by passion fruit sauce was a taste explosion.

At night the main choices for Regatta entertainment include the lively casino, with its adjoining Martinis piano bar in the wood-inlaid style of a swanky English drawing room, Regatta Lounge, the vessel’s elegant cabaret-style nightclub, and Horizons, where a late-night DJ transforms this afternoon’s tearoom into tonight’s high-energy disco.

Several things are most satisfying about Regatta Lounge. The rich gold armchairs, which are free standing, accompany circular cocktail tables and allow guests to arrange themselves in clusters to watch the nightclub entertainment on the center stage. This atmosphere could be the Cotton Club at sea.

The entertainment itself, provided by nightclub singers obviously familiar with this style of room that matches their land side engagements, is swinging and sophisticated. A popular Australian singer named Jackie Love wowed the passengers on two nights of our cruise, while a variety performance of crewmembers and passengers was equally enjoyable on a third night.

Accompanied by relaxing after-dinner liqueurs, these performances were perfect ways to wind down to “Tranquility bedtime” after pleasure-filled days and evenings on Oceania’s Regatta.