New luxury cruise ship requires loose-fitting clothes

Looking back, the signs are there from the start. On our way from London to Rome to join Oceania Vista’s christening voyage, my girlfriend and I are in the lift at Heathrow, headed to the departures level.

The doors open and two more women get in, carrying between them a solitary bag of supermarket salad leaves. “We’ve just got back from Italy,” they offer, by way of explanation. A week of pastries, pasta and wine has clearly taken its toll. Given we are not only on our way to Italy, but to a cruise that promises “the finest cuisine at sea”, I try to remember just how many loose-fitting dresses I’ve packed.

Oceania Vista accommodates up to 1200 passengers and has eight restaurants.

Eat

Oceania’s brand-new and indisputably glam Vista ship (1200 guests) has no fewer than eight restaurants, three bars/lounges and a café. These include the somewhat formulaic cruise-ship combination of an American-style steakhouse (Polo Grill), Italian (Toscana) and Asian (Red Ginger) plus an excellent buffet offering at the Terrace Café; pizzas and burgers at Waves Grill and the opulent surrounds of the appropriately named Grand Dining Room.

There’s no questioning the focus on quality ingredients and classic technique at all of these, from the Galician bone-in sirloin (a Spanish breed that’s more mature and therefore more flavourful) at Polo Grill, to porcini risotto at Toscana, to Dover sole meuniere expertly deboned at the Grand Dining Room.

The Grand Dining Room onboard Oceania Vista.Credit: Trudi Jenkins

Across the board, the building blocks of European cooking are pretty much flawless – breads, sauces, pasta, sorbets, even souffles and bombe Alaska. Dining spaces are lavishly fitted out; china in the specialty restaurants is by the likes of Versace; plates are warmed where appropriate, cutlery is suitably weighty.

It’s no surprise to discover that Oceania has two master chefs of France among its team; Alexis Quaretti, who develops and tests every recipe served onboard, was recently inducted into the program, joining vice president of culinary Eric Barale in its ranks. (Equally, Red Ginger’s food is probably the least successful as far as Australian palates are concerned, lacking the vibrancy and heat that we’re used to.)

Ricotta and spinach tortelloni at Toscana.

The trend back to tableside service has not escaped Oceania – there are more trolleys than at your local supermarket, whether it’s for mixing a caesar salad, presenting a selection of oils and vinegars for your bread basket or carving a giant piece of beef. They make an appearance at afternoon tea of course, with their many levels of savouries, scones and cakes, and in the bars too where you can select a glass of champagne from the Bubbly Bar or a single-malt whisky from the Macallan cart.

Where things get even more interesting however is in Vista’s three new launches: Aquamar Kitchen, Ember and The Bakery.

Aquamar Kitchen is themed around “wellness”, with lighter dishes such as avocado toast, omelettes and raw-tuna tacos. There are cold-pressed juices and smoothies, zero-alcohol wines from French brand Pierre Chavin, and non-alcoholic cocktails featuring Lyre’s spirits. With its airy feel, large communal table and open-plan kitchen, you almost expect to see Bill Granger popping up with some scrambled eggs. Aquamar is always buzzing during our seven-day voyage – clearly we aren’t the only ones trying to compensate for the previous night’s tomahawk steak and fully loaded jacket potato.

Ember restaurant’s design could be described as Succession Farmhouse.Credit: Trudi Jenkins

Meanwhile Ember, while still geared towards American tastes with crowd-pleasing grills, lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and key lime cheesecake, feels less gentleman’s club than the Polo Grill. The fitout, which could be described as “Succession Farmhouse”, includes an open-flame design feature (gas-powered on a cruise ship obviously), wooden tables, black-and-white artworks and plenty of leather and marble. Alongside the ribs and rib-eyes you’ll find roasted beetroot salad, Atlantic salmon and herb-crusted chicken with couscous.

But to my favourite hangout on this trip: The Bakery, a dangerous innovation whereby pastries appear warm from the oven every 30 minutes. It’s within Baristas cafe, already a seductive operation serving well-made Illy coffee and negronis on tap. With 24 chefs looking after bread and patisserie around the clock, you’ll find everything from quiche to mini sandwiches, doughnuts to eclairs, all made using French flour and butter and in modest Parisian sizes that mean you can always justify adding more than one to your plate.

Fresh from The Bakery.Credit: Trudi Jenkins

Play

As a newly minted cruiser (Vista is my second voyage) and being predisposed to FOMO, I find daily decision-making around activities challenging. These ships offer a lot of options on board, and that’s long before you factor in the excitement of arriving at a new port most mornings.

Looking at the Currents newsletter (delivered to the stateroom each afternoon for the following day), I can at least rule out the trivia sessions (no desire to broadcast my lack of sporting, literary and musical knowledge to a wider audience) and evenings at the casino (no need to lose any more money given current mortgage repayments).

However, a visit to the Aquamar Spa & Vitality Centre, Oceania’s first purpose-built wellness sanctuary, does have my name on it. Anyone can book a treatment in one of the 11 luxe rooms (and snooze afterwards in the relaxation area), or use the steam room or sauna, but only Concierge Level (and above) guests can access the peaceful spa terrace with its day beds, thalassotherapy pool, outdoor shower and expansive sea views. You can also try the bougie beauty salon for a pedi with a panorama – more than double the price of my local in inner-city Sydney but definitely worth it for those soothing ocean vistas from the comfort of the reclining leather armchair (with integrated foot spa, natch).

Meanwhile, the main pool deck has a livelier vibe with beach-club-style cabanas, a generous number of sun-loungers across two levels (no need to panic about reserving one before breakfast), two circular spa pools, a bar (Mai Tai please) and table tennis. The natural colour palette (wood, white, sand and green) is stylish and if the soundtrack veers towards Ibiza you can spend a very chilled time here.

Unwind at sea: A rendering of one of Oceania Vista’s many areas for relaxation.

If you’re of a more active persuasion (and I admit I set the bar low), there is also a well-equipped fitness centre, an outdoor running track and a sports deck with putting greens and a pickleball court. Unable to report back on these.

As far as shore excursions go, Oceania prides itself on “destination-intensive” itineraries with some overnight visits and extended evening port stays. If you prefer an independent approach over an organised bus tour, this means more time to explore ports at your leisure (just don’t be late back to the ship or it may leave without you).

A highlight for us on this trip is an overnight stay in Valletta, Malta, where we mingle with locals, sample pastizzi and discover Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th-century merchant’s house that is open to the public.

We also take the local Bolt taxis (like Uber, and much cheaper than the standard taxis lining the seafront) to venture further afield to the spectacular walled city of Mdina, and buy artisan pottery and glassware at the Ta’ Qali crafts village.

Also special is uncrowded Ajaccio in Corsica, the island’s capital, where we wander off the ship straight into a new food market that is one of the best I’ve encountered for great regional produce. We stroll around the pretty, sheltered harbour and handsome streets (just walk a block away from the somewhat touristy main drag), check out the house where Napoleon was born and then, given that it is past midday, pull up a seat at a pavement bar for some rosé and people-watching.

We may not see a multitude of historic sights or gain as much intel from guides as on an official excursion, but it is a great sampling of everyday life on both islands, which is exactly how I like to explore new places.

Sleep

Oceania President Frank A. Del Rio says an excellent night’s sleep was a priority in designing Vista’s staterooms, and the results are in. Cool, neutral tones combine with quality fittings and (undyed) wool carpet to evoke five-star-hotel luxury.

Supremely comfortable “Tranquility” beds are layered with those wonderfully crisp cotton sheets that are impossible to replicate at home.

Storage space is plentiful and the marble bathroom is generously sized with Bulgari toiletries, feature lighting and even a cleverly designed footrest for shaving your legs in the shower. Concierge Level rooms also include a free laundry service.

One of the ship’s solo staterooms.

There’s a comfortable seating area but we barely use it as all Vista staterooms have a private verandah that’s perfect for a morning cup of tea or a sunset glass of champagne. Of course there’s also 24/7 room service, a mini-fridge that’s replenished daily and a TV if the Tranquility bed lets you stay awake long enough to watch a movie (doesn’t happen).

Newly introduced on Vista and likely to be hugely popular are solo staterooms, featuring all the same inclusions but designed on a narrower footprint for singles (only the bathroom feels squishy). Or, if interest rates aren’t biting and you want to feel like you’re staying in your very own swish apartment on board, check out the super-luxe Oceania and Vista Suites with their separate living and dining areas, walk-in wardrobes and guest bathrooms.

As to the finest cuisine at sea, returning to the room each night after an excess of eating and drinking, we find little foil squares of dark chocolate on our pillows. Unsurprisingly, the most we can manage at that point is a peppermint tea. And so it is that, arriving back at Heathrow and looking for the salad-leaf-selling supermarket, we comfort ourselves in the knowledge that we have a little stash of those chocolates squirrelled away, just in case of emergency.

THE DETAILS

Oceania Cruises’ ‘Mediterranean Navigator’ 10-day voyage from Rome to Valletta aboard Vista sets sail from 11 April - 21 April 2024. Concierge Level Veranda Suites are priced from AU$9100.
See oceaniacruises.com

Trudi Jenkins travelled as a guest of Oceania Cruises.

FIVE MORE MUST-DOS

Bookish types
The Library, kitted out in Ralph Lauren Home, is a quiet sanctuary of leather armchairs and wooden bookcases stocked with plentiful reads.

Drink it in
While both Martinis and Horizons lounge bars are spacious and comfortable, we like the intimacy of the Founder’s Bar, where mixologists are on hand to create bespoke cocktails. My brief of gin-based, citrus-forward with a layer of foamy egg-white is nailed.

Theatre acts
From energetic productions led by US Dancing with the Stars choreographer Britt Stewart to cooking classes in the state-of-the-art Culinary Centre, boredom is not an option.

Get creative
Drop by the Artist Loft to chat with the artist-in-residence or take part in a workshop. You may be able to learn painting, sketching or collage skills.

Between meals
Should you be able to squeeze in a couple more eating experiences, Sunday brunch is an extravaganza of bloody Marys, seafood, French cheese and crepes Suzette. Or there’s always traditional afternoon tea (every day in Horizons).