Curator’s statement
Oceania Cruise Line is known for its onboard cuisine. A luxury experience awaits guests with high-quality cuisine and attentive service. You will appreciate the smaller ship size and relaxed atmosphere that makes Oceania a popular choice for those seeking a more intimate cruising experience. Whether it’s dining at specialty restaurants, afternoon tea, wine tastings, or a hands-on cooking class, an unforgettable experience awaits all who sail.
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We took this cruise after spending two days in Rome. Our cruise ship was the Oceania Riviera, one of the larger ships on this line. Larger is relative because passenger capacity is only 1,250. This ship was ornately furnished, and our Concierge Suite was roomy. Oceania prides itself as “The Finest Cuisine at Sea,” and it did not disappoint. With four specialty restaurants that are included in your fare, any personal preference will be satisfied. Multiple master chefs design the menus, and they surpass most five-star land-based restaurants.
Concierge Veranda Suite #9130
The specialty restaurants include Red Ginger (Asian cuisine with feng shui flare), Jacques (master chef Jacque Pepin menu set in a Parisian bistro), Polo Grill (classic steakhouse with Angus beef aged over 40 days) and our favorite, Toscana (Tuscan cuisine on Versace china). We knew we were in for a treat at Toscana when they rolled out a cart with over a dozen EVOO options for the fresh-baked bread! This is arguably the best Italian we have experienced on sea or land. By the way, order the veal scallopini with a Marsala wine sauce.
Red Ginger Restaurant
Jacques Restaurant
Polo Grill Restaurant
Toscana Restaurant
Toscana EVOO options. How do you choose?
Even the MDR, the Grand Dining Room, is better than most specialty restaurants on other cruise lines, with changing menus each night that were excellent.
The Grand Dining Room
Oceania had the first hands-on cooking school. A guest chef travels onboard to teach culinary classes. Fully equipped, individual work stations await amateur and experienced chefs alike. There are multiple classes on each cruise, each with a different cuisine. We chose “If it Swims” and were instructed how to prepar (and eat) pan-seared scallops, salmon wraps, shrimp scampi, fish tacos, aquavit-cured gravlax, and fish cakes with lemon aioli. Can you say yum!
The Culinary Center for hands-on classes
The crew were very attentive, and we had no problems with our room or any requests. This cruise sailed from Civitavecchia and included stops in Positano, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Cephalonia, Crete, Rhodes, and Ephesus, and ended in Athens. We booked all our excursions through Oceania and were pleased with both the itinerary and the price. I highly recommend Oceania, and we look forward to sailing with her again.
Need to know
A word of advice: Make your specialty restaurant reservations for the first portion of your cruise so you can return to your favorite for seconds!
For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.
Travel Advisor
Bill Browning
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