Oceania Cruises Takes Delivery of New-Build, Confirms More Ship Orders
Oceania Cruises now officially operates an 8-ship fleet following the hand-over of its second Allura-class vessel, Oceania Allura, from a Fincantieri shipyard on July 10, 2025.
Making the delivery ceremony even more special, the boutique brand announced orders for two more ships in its upcoming Sonata class.
The 1,200-guest Oceania Allura is set to enter service on July 18, 2025, sailing an 18-night Mediterranean voyage from Trieste, Italy, to Monaco.
Her maiden voyage will consist of the first six nights of the cruise, with port calls in Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro before ending in Athens on July 24, 2025.
The ship, built at Fincantieri’s Genoa shipyard, is debuting later than originally planned. Due to unspecified construction delays, Oceania Allura’s delivery was postponed from May 2025 to July 2025, forcing several cruises to be cancelled.
True to the brand’s reputation as a foodie’s cruise line, innovative cuisine will be a hallmark of the new ship, with its two master chefs creating hundreds of new recipes for Oceania Allura’s Grand Dining Room, among other gourmet food changes and dining enhancements.
Oceania Allura’s naming ceremony is scheduled to be held in Miami on a yet-to-be-announced mid-November date. In an industry first, a group of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs alumni will serve as godparents of the new-build. (Typically, one individual is selected as a ship’s godmother or godfather.)
Oceania Allura follows the launch of the brand’s first Allura-class ship, Oceania Vista, which entered service in 2023. Oceania Cruises had previously announced that two vessels in its new Sonata class would launch in 2027 and 2029 — Oceania Sonata and Oceania Arietta, respectively.
Now, orders for two more Sonata-class ships have been confirmed. Names have not been revealed, but the vessels are due to enter service in 2032 and 2035. The Sonata-class ships all be larger than Allura class, with accommodations for 1,390 guests.
“I am delighted to confirm we will be adding two more Sonata Class vessels to our fleet. These four Sonata Class ships will herald the next stage in the evolution of the Oceania Cruises brand of exceptional small-ship luxury experiences,” said Jason Montague, chief luxury officer at Oceania Cruises.
With the four Sonata-class ship orders, the Oceania fleet will increase to a dozen ships during the next decade, substantially boosting its guest capacity and ability to serve more global markets.
New Ship Elevates Brand’s Reputation For Inspired Cuisine
Already an established leader in culinary innovations, Oceania Cruises has invested heavily in new dining experiences for guests sailing aboard Oceania Allura.
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New to the brand, the Crêperie is making its debut on the new ship, offering French crepes, Belgian waffles, and ice cream sundaes. The line’s specialty restaurant Red Ginger is expanding its menu with a slew of newly created Japanese-Peruvian dishes, known as Nikkei cuisine.
Lovers of French food will enjoy dining at Jacques, named for celebrity chef Jacques Pépin, the cruise line’s former executive culinary director. Its refreshed menu will offer new creations along with French favorites such as duck à l’orange with Grand Marnier.
“At Oceania Cruises, we put food at the heart of everything we do, and our Finest Cuisine at Sea philosophy is the north star that guides our entire company,” said Alexis Quaretti, Executive Culinary Director at Oceania Cruises.
In the ship’s main dining room, guests will choose from 270 all-new recipes, with 30-plus added to the breakfast menu. Fine wines will also take center stage onboard Oceania Allura, with the new Gerard Bertrand Wine Pairing Luncheon.
Following her maiden voyage Oceania Allura will sail Mediterranean cruises of varying lengths before repositioning to New York in late September. She will operate a short series of Eastern Canada cruises and then deploy to PortMiami for the 2025-26 winter season.
Oceania Cruises Takes Delivery of New-Build, Confirms More Ship Orders