As Blogger-at-Large for Oceania Cruises, I have had the great fortune to sail on Regatta, Insignia and Nautica several times over the past few years. With only 684 guests on board, these ships feel as warm, welcoming and intimate as smaller vessels while also offering the conveniences and amenities of the larger ships. In other words, they are perfect. So it was hard for me to imagine how Oceania Cruises could improve on perfection.
But the folks at Oceania Cruises never stop striving to improve and innovate, and they will soon further enhance the already beloved Regatta, Insignia and Nautica by implementing the largest refurbishment program in the company’s history. The award-winning ships will undergo a $50 million transformation during the second quarter of 2014.
For those who, like me, feel the ships are perfect as they are, no need to worry. They will retain all the warmth, intimacy and charm that guests have come to cherish, but they will shine even brighter thanks to elegant new decor throughout the ships. And having received an overwhelmingly positive response to the innovations featured on board Marina and Riviera, Oceania Cruises will add many of those best-loved amenities and design elements to Regatta, Insignia and Nautica during the refits.
When the updates are complete, all guests will be welcomed with rich new decor in their suite or stateroom, imbuing their home away from home with a new sense of style, elegance and flair. Specific changes include new bathrooms with a lavish oversized shower and new onyx and granite vanities in the Owner’s and Vista Suites. The Penthouse Suites will be transformed into virtual replicas of those on Marina and Riviera. All staterooms will feature luxurious new fabrics and furnishings.
One of my favorite haunts on board is Horizons, the perfect place for socializing, relaxing or simply taking in the stunning views, and this lounge will also undergo a transformation with a new color palate and new furnishings. The Main Lounges will be completely refurbished with new carpeting, chairs and elegant new fabrics and upholstery. Martinis and the Pool Deck will both receive new furnishings, and the Canyon Ranch Spa Club® will have new steam rooms and changing rooms decorated with dramatic new mosaics and intricate custom tile work.
The Terrace Café will feature all new decor as well as a new state-of-the-art grill similar to the one on Marina and Riviera, so guests can dine on made-to-order specialties like juicy steaks, succulent lobster tails and mouthwatering chops any night they wish. As a coffee drinker, I was especially thrilled to hear that Baristas will be added in the Grand Bar area. This coffee bar is a guest favorite on Marina and Riviera and will certainly be a welcome addition to the other ships. Here master baristas prepare complimentary illy® espressos, cappuccinos and lattes and also serve fresh pastries and finger sandwiches throughout the day.
The upper decks of the ships offer some of the greatest views of the sea, sky and coastlines, so what better place to enjoy an array of new deck games? Guests can take in the lovely vistas during a rousing game of shuffleboard or while playing a round of miniature golf on the 9-hole putting green, a feature unique to ships in this class.
Fortunately we won’t have to wait long to experience these fabulous changes. Insignia will debut on May 8, 2014, in Barcelona for her 7-day Jewels of Europe cruise, and we’ll be especially excited not only to see her splendid new refurbishments but also to welcome her back to the fleet after her two-year charter. Nautica will be unveiled on May 16, 2014, in Civitavecchia for the 10-day Cliffs & Coves cruise, and Regatta will debut on June 7, 2014, in Vancouver for the 10-day Majesty of Alaska cruise. We hope to welcome you on board these refreshed, rejuvenated and resplendent ships very soon!
Oceania Cruises Blog 
Please tell me that the bathrooms in the R-ship-penthouse cabins will actually be identical to those of the )-ship-penthouses: is have a shower separate from a bathtub. Don’t even need a tub! PLEASE! Even if only on starboard or port side.
Thanks.
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Alas, the showers are the fundamental flaw with the R-ships.
Showers so small, so inadequate, so incomprehensibly tiny that taking a shower is a pain rather than a welcome refreshing moment.
Oceania doesn’t seem interested in fixing this problem. Why?
Come on Del Rio…why don’t you fix the bathrooms with adequate showers?
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Having sailed on both the Regatta and the Marina, I would rather have the space allocated to the stateroom, rather than the bathroom. The staterooms are quite small, and too much square footage is wasted in the bath. How much space does one need to shower?
I will be sailing on the Insignia in early September and was on the Marina last August in the Baltic. Regatta we sailed several years ago.
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Thank you all for your comments! Hope you’ll come back to the Oceania Cruises blog in early May when we reveal more details on the renovations. We think you’ll love the refreshed look of the ships; however, the structure of the bathrooms in staterooms and Penthouse suites is not scheduled to be changed.
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We’ve cruised on both the Marina and the Regatta. On the Marina a balcony-sumptuous and spacious. The Regatta was a deluxe ocean view, we had seen our room several months prior at an event in Vancouver, via Cruise-Connections. We new it was small and not as well appointed. Constant companion is prone to sea sickness, this room was very stable. I am large, the shower was smaller on the Regatta, but doable for me. The cruise was from LA to Miami, 16 days. Too many sea days for us. Missed the amenities that were on the 10 day Marina cruise. The up date promises to remedy three: Baristos, a renovated Terrace restaurant and the much needed smoke room in Horizons. We agreed that we preferred the larger ships. This may change with the renos.
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We’ve sailed all the mid-sized and recently on the Riviera. We plead for a laundry facility on every floor. That is so much better..less congestion, less arguments over the equipment, more availability of the facilities, etc. Will the ships still have the rooms on the 7th deck with the big, round port-hole type windows toward the front? Will you retain the sitting areas on deck 5 where one can enjoy a lounge chair and watch the water go by? That, to us, is the true experience of a cruise. We don’t like balconies…too narrow for a lounge chair, too high above the water to see much of anything in the water, etc. And keep your spacious libraries just the way they are. The Riviera has only a book hallway…very inconvenient and not a library by any stretch of the imagination!! We found the Horizon new chairs uncomfortable with no foot rests available.
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Phil, we do hope you enjoy the renovations, and if you find yourself back on board, please let us know what you think.
Nyckle, the windows on deck 7, the sitting areas on deck 5, and the libraries remain unchanged. We hope to see you back on board the ships enjoying all of these features very soon!
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Looking forward to updates on the refit. I’ve seen things on USA Today, but nothing from Oceania. I believe Insignia has already sailed. We have an owners suite booked for an upcoming cruise and would love to see the enhancements.
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It’s odd that we should see it from the media before Oceania. The blog originally says to check back mid May for an update. .?.?????
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Here is the link to the blog that was posted when Insignia debuted on May 8, including some photos of the enhancements. There are some more details about Nautica’s unveiling in the post following the one on Insignia, and we’ll share some more photos when Regatta emerges from dry dock on June 7 as well.
http://www.oceaniacruisesblog.com/taste/2014/05/insignia-returns-to-the-fleet-with-a-multimillion-dollar-makeover.html
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to the blog’s feed in the upper right hand corner of this page and ensure you never miss a post! Thank you for all your comments!
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Are there any plans to replace the “curtain” in the Vista Suites on the Nautica with a “door” so those of us with partners who snore can have a solid barrier between rooms? As it is we’re forced to book 2 staterooms and pay the single supplement on both for the cost of the Vista Suite, but absolutely none of the perks. I’m certain it would be a great selling point for other people in our situation.
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Thank you for your comment, New Oceania Cruiser. The Vista Suites feature lavish new bathrooms with oversized showers. At this point there are no plans for changes to the main living areas.
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Sailed the Regatta in May 2014 through the Panama Canal and thought the ship was gorgeous…my first time cruising Oceania…We were in Horizons each night and my only complaint there was this was a bar area and we had to go down to the 9th deck to use the bathroom facilities. Hope the refurbishment called for the installation of a restroom on the 10th deck in Horizons. Also I detested walking through the smoke area to get to Horizons. Had an awesome time on the Regatta though.
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Hello, Betty. Thank you for your feedback, and we’re glad to hear you had such a wonderful time on your first cruise with us! We hope to welcome you on board again soon.
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My husband and I just got home from a beautiful cruise in Alaska on the Oceania Regatta. We loved everything about it. I only have one complaint. About day 4 I started feeling congested at night and couldn’t breath. It was really bad and I started coughing. My husband was coughing too. When off the ship during the day we felt fine. We finally asked for a foam people for me thinking it might be the down in the pillow. No help. I kept thinking I was getting sick. I bought sinus medicine at the online store. No help. After leaving the Cruise ship on the last day I was completely fine. We believe the new carpet was the culprit. I have been allergic to new carpet before. Sleeping in the small spaced closed in room all night and poor air circulation was really mega exposure for me. We believe this was the issue. It is a known fact that new carpet lets off a gas that causes air pollution. You might should let the rooms air out during the day.
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Have sailed on both Insignia and Marina. What are the benefits of Concierge Class on the smaller ships other than earlier boarding and preferential restaurant reservations? No Concierge lounge in thhe refurb?
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Ivan, Concierge Level Staterooms offer many additional amenities, including discounts on Internet usage plans, unlimited access the Canyon Ranch SpaClub private Spa Terrace, and much more. See a full list of Concierge Level privileges here:
http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/nautica/staterooms/veranda.aspx
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