I was recently invited to visit and tour Oceania Cruises’ Vista when she docked in Portland, Dorset. It was a bright, sunny day when I embarked, and let’s face it, ship visits are always so much better in the sunshine!
Once on board, we headed straight up to Horizons on Deck 14.
This forward-facing lounge has huge floor-to-ceiling windows giving almost 180-degree views across the front of the ship, and it was a great place to start our visit. It feels spacious and comfortable, with warm, calming colours and plenty of seating.
During the day, it’s somewhere you could easily sit with a coffee, read a book or simply watch the scenery go by. Later in the day, it becomes more of a pre-dinner cocktail venue and a relaxed place for an evening drink.
Here, we had an excellent presentation from Kal Sindhu, Sales Manager, who gave us an update on Oceania Cruises and what is coming next.
Oceania currently sails to all seven continents, visiting around 600 ports in approximately 100 countries, but there is plenty more planned.
Kal told us about the new Oceania Sonata, which is due to debut in summer 2027. She will accommodate around 1,390 guests, supported by more than 850 staff and crew, with approximately 33% of her accommodation made up of suites.
And Oceania certainly isn’t stopping there. Further new ships are planned for 2029, 2032, 2035 and 2037.
We also learnt more about Oceania Aurelia, which will be a complete redesign and rebuild of the existing Oceania Nautica. She will carry just 476 guests, with an impressive 400 staff and crew, across 179 suites and 59 staterooms.
That should make her a very intimate ship, particularly suited to longer voyages and exploring destinations around the world.
By 2028, Oceania will also be offering around 230 new destinations.
One statistic that particularly stood out to me was the crew ratio, with around one crew member for every three guests. Even more impressive for a cruise line so focused on food is the ratio of approximately one chef for every eight guests.
Oceania has built its reputation around food, and it is easy to see why. They also offer around 50% more culinary-focused cruises than any other cruise line, while complimentary shuttle buses are provided in around 86% of ports where they are needed.
Continuing our tour, we stopped at the Culinary Centre, also on Deck 14.
One of the things I really like about Oceania is that the focus on food goes beyond simply eating well. On Vista, the Culinary Centre gives guests the chance to actually get involved, learn something new and have a go themselves.
It is a proper hands-on cookery school, rather than simply watching a chef demonstrate from the front of the room.
Each guest has their own fully equipped cooking station, complete with induction hob, cookware and all the utensils needed for the class. You are genuinely cooking rather than just watching someone else do it.
We then headed outside to the Aquamar Spa and Vitality Centre, Oceania’s purpose-built wellness area.
I was particularly impressed by the Aquamar Spa Terrace.
This private outdoor area has comfortable loungers, plunge pools and whirlpool spas, all with fantastic sea views. It is designed as somewhere to relax before or after a treatment, although I could quite happily imagine spending a lot more time here than that!
It felt peaceful, spacious and nicely separated from the main pool deck.
After passing the impressive spool deck, we made our way to Baristas, Oceania’s coffee bar, which also has a bakery serving freshly baked cakes, pastries, cookies and other treats.
Food is, of course, a huge part of the Oceania experience.
The line promotes itself as offering The Finest Cuisine at Sea, so I was particularly interested to see the restaurants on board.
There is an impressive choice, but one of the biggest advantages for me is that the main speciality restaurants are included in the cruise fare, rather than charging an additional cover fee.
Here are some of the main options.
Polo Grill is Oceania’s classic steakhouse, serving prime steaks, chops and fresh seafood. It has a traditional, slightly club-like atmosphere with dark woods, leather seating and an intimate feel. It is probably the most traditional of the speciality restaurants on board.
Jacques serves classic French cooking inspired by Jacques Pépin, with traditional French favourites alongside some more contemporary dishes. Expect seafood, meat dishes, rich sauces, French cheeses and the sort of desserts where counting calories would rather defeat the point.Jacques has replaced Ember on Vista and, for me, it feels like a very natural fit for Oceania.
Toscana specialises in regional Italian cooking inspired by traditional family recipes. There is also Oceania’s well-known selection of olive oils, and the restaurant itself feels warm, elegant and quite romantic, with beautiful tableware and a real sense of occasion.
Then there is Red Ginger, which happens to be my favourite. It serves beautifully presented Asian food inspired by flavours from across the region, with dishes including miso-glazed sea bass, curries, noodles, dumplings and carefully prepared meat and seafood. The flavours are fresh, fragrant and often a little more adventurous than those in some of the other restaurants on board. The restaurant itself is stylish, contemporary and quite intimate, with a darker and more dramatic feel than some of the other dining venues.
It manages to feel special without becoming stuffy and is exactly the sort of restaurant where you can settle in for a long, relaxed dinner. For me, Red Ginger is one I would happily return to more than once during a cruise.
For something lighter, Aquamar Kitchen offers fresh, more health-conscious dishes including energy bowls, avocado toast, salads and sustainably sourced fish. It is bright, airy and relaxed, and would be a great option when you fancy something healthier. Aquamar Kitchen occupies the area previously used for La Reserve, Oceania’s former wine-pairing venue.
The Terrace Café is the main buffet restaurant, with a wide range of international choices alongside made-to-order dishes, grilled steaks, seafood and freshly baked pastries.
Waves Grill is the casual poolside option, serving burgers, paninis, salads and lighter dishes during the day. My favourite has to be the Surf and Turf Wagyu Burger, made with a Wagyu beef patty, lobster medallions and truffle mayonnaise. Not exactly your average poolside burger! In the evening, the venue transforms into a pizzeria.
And finally, The Grand Dining Room.This is where we had lunch during our visit. The restaurant offers a regularly changing menu featuring classic dishes, international flavours and Jacques Pépin signature favourites. It is elegant without feeling overly formal, with impressive lighting, high ceilings and traditional white-tablecloth dining.
For our ship visit, Oceania had created a special lunch menu allowing us to sample dishes inspired by several of the restaurants we had just visited.
We started with:
JACQUES
Lump Crab Meat Salad
Horseradish and blood orange sauce
Followed by:
TOSCANA
Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Ricotta cream and fried basil
For the main course, we could choose between:
GRAND DINING ROOM
Beef Filet Mignon
Potato gratin, creamed spinach and truffle sauce
RED GINGER
Miso-Glazed Sea Bass
White miso-glazed green asparagus
or
AQUAMAR KITCHEN
Warm Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olive & Potato Tian
Rustic tomato sauce
Dessert came from:
POLO GRILL
Triple Chocolate Brownie
Salted caramel and vanilla ice cream
followed by petits fours.
As expected, everything was excellent.
I chose the miso-glazed sea bass, which was beautifully delicate but still packed with umami flavour from the miso glaze. It was exactly the sort of dish I associate with Red Ginger and reminded me why it is my favourite Oceania restaurant.
We also had the opportunity to view one of Vista’s Penthouse Suites, which are available in PH1, PH2 and PH3 categories. At approximately 440 square feet, it felt very spacious. The décor uses plenty of blue and earthy tones, creating a calm and comfortable feel, and the suite includes Oceania’s well-known Tranquility Bed, along with a sofa, table and plenty of storage. There was a real feeling of space rather than everything being squeezed in.
We also viewed one of the Veranda Staterooms, which I thought was beautifully finished but, importantly, also very practical. There is plenty of storage, a spacious bathroom with a large shower and, of course, a private balcony. The whole cabin feels comfortable and very well thought out. It is luxurious without being over the top, and the balcony is exactly the sort of place I could imagine heading first thing in the morning with a coffee, or sitting with a drink after returning from a day ashore.
Vista proves that a ship doesn’t need waterslides, rollercoasters and endless attractions across the top deck to make an impression.
Oceania has concentrated on what it does best: excellent food, beautiful surroundings, comfortable accommodation, interesting destinations and attentive service.
There is a calmness to the ship that I really liked.
Nothing feels overly flashy or designed simply to grab your attention. Instead, there are lots of attractive spaces, excellent restaurants and places where you could genuinely relax and enjoy being at sea.
And, of course, food runs through almost everything Oceania does.
From the Culinary Centre and shore-based food experiences to the sheer choice of restaurants on board, this is a cruise line for people who see dining as a big part of their holiday rather than simply somewhere to refuel between activities.
For anyone who enjoys good food and prefers a more relaxed and sophisticated style of cruising, Oceania Vista is a very strong choice.
It feels grown-up without being stuffy, luxurious without being flashy and, above all, designed for people who genuinely enjoy good food, interesting destinations and the pleasure of travelling well.
