In early August, Oceania Cruises celebrated the start of construction of its first new ship in Genoa, Italy. In its short lifetime, newcomer cruise line Oceania Cruises, operating three of the fleet of eight ‘R’ ships of now defunct Renaissance Cruises, has built a loyal passenger list and pent-up demand for its product which is the envy of other lines.

In recognition of this loyalty, Oceania invited its most loyal repeat guests to the steel-cutting at Fincantieri’s Sestre Ponente Shipyard in Genoa. The ceremony, presided over by Oceania’s outspoken President Frank del Rio, was an exciting moment in the cruise line’s history, as this is the first vessel to be built expressly for Oceania Cruises, giving them the ability to respond directly to the needs and aspirations of their customer base. Frank del Rio took the opportunity to announce the new ship’s name: Marina.

Appropriate, then, that at the same time details were revealed of the Veranda Staterooms and Penthouse Suites, as it has been the size of the accommodation which has been a major issue with existing guests. Mock-ups of the accommodation have been created at the yard, enabling visitors to get a proper feel for what is planned. The major issue, that of space, is being addressed, with cabin sizes on average 50% larger than on the Regatta Class ships, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.

Veranda Staterooms, at 312 square feet, will incorporate larger sitting areas, bathrooms with separate bath-tub and shower cubicle, copious closet space and extra-large private verandas for relaxation.

The Penthouse Suites will be 429 square feet and feature a large living area, space for in-suite dining, separate sleeping area, extra-large bathrooms and walk-in closets.

Additional space is particularly appealing to cruisers taking longer voyages, which suggests that Oceania will pursue their current style of itinerary planning, with series of cruises which can be joined back to back to create voyages of up to 50 days without repeating a port of call.

Oceania certainly responds to a customer reaction against the big ship trend. The advantage of a smaller vessel, from a passenger perception, is the ability to operate interesting itineraries in a more intimate environment. Largely the province of the ultra-luxury ships, Oceania stops a gap in the market with a stylish but good value alternative, offering interesting, port-intensive itineraries, a casual, relaxed style on board, and excellent food. All these aspects of the product will be developed on the new ships, and developed to give additional space and additional speed (so more wide-ranging itineraries).

Marina will soon be followed by a second vessel, each accommodating 1,252 guests in 626 staterooms and suites, 96% of which will feature private teak verandas. Dining will be offered in a choice of six open seating restaurants. Marina will be launched in September 2010, and her sister in July 2011.

Regular readers will know that Oceania Cruises was acquired in 2007 by Apollo Management. The company created a subsidiary, Prestige Cruise Holdings, to manage certain assets within the portfolio. It is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank del Rio, who was founder and Chief Executive of Oceania Cruises. Subsequently, Regent Seven Seas Cruises was acquired from the Carlson group. As might be expected, there is still some jostling for position within the group. Whilst some functions remain independent of each other, others have been merged, and we have seen some significant executive departures, mainly from the RSSC team.