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Marina DetailsDesigned by veteran ship creator Gunnar Åserud of Yran & Storbraaten, Marina will have all the elements that already make Oceania so popular already - superb cuisine designed by culinary icon Jacques Pépin, alternative dining in intimate specialty restaurants with very reasonable cover charges and port-intensive itineraries to unusual destinations. But it will also feature a more elegant and contemporary interior and additional food options such as the eponymous "Jacques" restaurant with under 100 seats. The grand lobby on each ship will feature design accents by Lalique. La Reserve will be an intimate indoor-outdoor wine tasting venue for up to 24 guests. Full-service spa facilities and fitness centers will be provided by the famous Canyon Ranch SpaClub. Canyon Ranch will also supply the spa culinary options for the main dining room onboard.
Oceania Cruises has always featured excellent cuisine, and each ship will have 10 separate dining venues, some included in the cruise fare and some requiring a service charge. One unique asset of both new ships will be the Bon Appétit Culinary Center with 24 individual cooking stations. Guests participating in classes created by Bon Appétit magazine will each have their own work station, with a cook top, oven, pots, pans and utensils. For guests not cooking their own food, the Grand Dining Room will seat 566 and will reportedly have a more elegant, contemporary look than the dining rooms on the current ships. The new venues will be the tallest single-story dining rooms at sea, ranging from 20 to 30 feet in height. Special acoustic insulation and floor materials will minimize noise. The Marina Lounge is the main showroom and theater on Marina. A production company to create original revues for the new ships has been hired but the name has not yet been announced. Both ships will feature 629 staterooms, which combined will average some of the largest staterooms at sea. The top suites are up to 2,000 sq. ft., with furnishings from Ralph Lauren Home and designs by Dakota Jackson and Tocar New York. There are also 124 penthouse suites measuring 420 sq. ft. apiece. The smallest staterooms are 174 sq. ft.
With a continuing focus on comfortable staterooms, Marina's 282 sq. ft. Veranda Cabin is one-third larger than the standard balcony cabins on the line's existing ships, with space added between the bed and the closet. Other features include floor-to-ceiling windows; the signature Oceania "Tranquility Bed," with 700-thread count linens; free, unlimited soft drinks and bottled water kept in a mini-refrigerator; a full-size bathtub; an LCD flat-screen TV; safe; hair dryer; cell phone service; and 110/220 volt outlets. Guests in concierge-level veranda staterooms are provided with a laptop computer with Wi-Fi access - although regular Internet usage charges apply. The ship has 124 Penthouse Suites measuring 420 sq. ft. These suites have a separate area for seating as well as dining, with a separate window for added light and views. Furnishings include a desk; an armoire with a built-in make-up area; and a wall-mounted flat panel TV. The bathroom has a marble floor and granite counter with a separate shower and tub. There is a large walk-in closet.
Back in March, CEO Frank Del Rio said "Marina is not a cookie-cutter vessel, but the perfect ship to complement the line's trio of existing smaller vessels," the 684-guest Regatta, Insignia and Nautica. He commented, "There's only one thing better than one new ship and that's two new ships," then wryly added " They say great things come in threes." Oceania has an option with Fincantieri to build a third ship which must be exercised this year. In her inaugural year, Marina will cross the Atlantic, transit the Panama Canal twice, visit ports in Mexico as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and call at a host of Caribbean islands, sailing round-trip from Miami. Marina will sail along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and call at Bermuda before repositioning to Europe for summer 2011. See the full Marina Picture Gallery
Marina and Riviera Ship Facts
Marina -- Debuts Jan 2011
Accommodations -- 628 Guest Staterooms and Suites:
Deck-by-Deck Highlights
Deck 15:
Deck 14:
Deck 12:
Decks 11 through 7:
Deck 6:
Deck 5:
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The small but popular Oceania Cruises has been a sleeper hit of the cruise industry since its humble beginnings in 2002. Starting with one 700-passenger ship reclaimed from the bankrupt Renaissance Cruises, former Renaissance president Frank Del Rio soon added two more identical vessels and turned Oceania into the best post-millennial cruise industry success story.
