As travel advisors await the launch of Oceania Cruises’ new 1,200-passenger Vista in 2023, the cruise line is revealing more details about the new ship. Earlier this month,Travel Agent learned about new dining and beverage options to debut on Vista during a press briefing by Oceania's executives aboard Marina in the Baltic Sea.
Howard Sherman, Oceania’s president and CEO; Franco Semeraro, senior vice president of hotel operations; Tricia Wolf, vice president of North American field sales, and others were aboard that ship to conduct the briefing. Top message? Continually evolving to exceed guest expectations on the culinary side, Oceania—which prides itself on a strong gastronomic focus—plans a slew of enticing, new dining and beverage options on Vista.
In fact, the new ship will set sail in April 2023 with more than 400 new recipes and 75 new wines.
What was the finest cuisine at sea 20 years ago simply wouldn’t be the case today, Oceania's executives said. "The theme that persists is that of constant innovation,” stressed Sherman.
New Specialty Dining
Specialty dining is an Oceania hallmark, and the line includes those culinary experiences within the cruise fare. On Vista, guests can look forward to dining at two new specialty restaurants. One is Ember, a new American-themed restaurant, while the other, Aquamar, will specialize in wellness-inspired cuisine for breakfast and lunch. Rest assured, favorite specialty restaurants Toscana and the Asian-themed Red Ginger will return, too. So will Polo, but cruise guests can expect something new as well on Polo's menu: Spanish beef (in addition to the already-available USDA Prime). Look for a higher-level presentation of cuisine also.
One specialty restaurant change? Jacques, which on Marina and Riviera serves up the French cuisine of Oceania’s long-time culinary ambassador, Master Chef Jacques Pepin, will not be a stand-alone specialty venue on Vista. That said, the good news is that Vista's guests will still be able to get their foodie fix of Pepin’s creative dishes. That's because the ship's Grand Dining Room will serve Pepin dishes every night on the menu. Oceania is meeting with Chef Pepin this month to finalize those menu offerings.
Another change is that today on Marina and Riviera, guests can choose a food-and-wine-paired dinner in La Reserve. That venue will not be present on Vista either. But those who love that food-and-wine-pairing experience will now find La Reserve's special menus—including the popular Dom Perignon menu—in Privee, the ship’s private dining experience.
On board Vista, guests will also discover familiar venues, including Terrace Cafe for casual dining; Waves Grill with the added perk of a new pizzeria; and Baristas.
Another savory culinary addition is the ship's new French bakery, serving up everything from French apple chaussons (turnovers) to pink praline chouquettes (sugar puffs), a variety of beignets and more.
New Cocktails, Wines & Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Look for new, inventive cocktails to be served on Vista, some with the latest fun cocktail-crafting techniques. For example, people chuckled wildly during a "new drink demonstration" onboard Marina as, presto, a “bubble" disappeared in a puff of smoke as it reached the drink itself.
New drinks will be introduced in multiple Vista venues For example, Ember will offer American craft beers from Miami, New England and beyond. In Red Ginger, guests will be able to order new light-tasting drinks with such ingredients as elderflower.
Look for the Casino Bar to be renamed the Casino Mixology Bar. The popular Martinis will serve a new series of cocktails concocted with Mermaid gin from the U.K.’s Isle of Wight, a small island off southern England's coastline.
In addition, the Oceania officials noted one sizable consumer beverage trend. The line reports a huge rise in the public's desire for nonalcoholic beverages. They also emphasized that the quality of available options has improved sizably from just a few years ago. So,Vista will have more choices for nonalcoholic wines and zero-proof cocktails. In particular, the wellness-focused Aquamar will have a full menu of non-alcoholic options.
Stay tuned here for more details on Oceania's new Vista as the line offers further reveals.
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