Messages from Marina: FOND MEMORIES OF THE 2011 REUNION CRUISE

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The sun set all too quickly beyond Marina‘s decks as the 2011 Reunion Cruise drew to a close, but those of us who traveled on this marvelous journey have returned home with many fond memories. From the romance of Venice to the sun-drenched beaches of the Greek Isles to the fascinating legacy of the ruins of Ephesus, this was a voyage that none of us will soon forget.

As memorable as the ports of call were the many friends we made onboard, both with the wonderful staff and crew and our fellow passengers as well. The Oceania Club Cocktail Party was a celebration of these friendships and of all the loyal guests who sail with Oceania Cruises time and again. Some of the people who made this event such a success are pictured above: General Manager Thierry Tholon, Cruise Director David Shermet, Manager of Loyalty Marketing Nick DeSantis, and Oceania Club Ambassador Matilda Jerosimic.

Guests were welcomed to the party with friendly smiles and of course, cocktails!

The party was hosted by Captain Dimitrios Flokos, who greeted the arrival of each guest. Captain Flokos hails from Greece and has been with Oceania Cruises since the company’s inception.

Captain Flokos shared a few words of appreciation for all of Oceania Cruises’ loyal guests, and Senior Vice President Jeff Drew also expressed how much we value our Oceania Club members. Nick DeSantis and Matilda Jerosimic introduced the guests who were celebrating their 5th Oceania Cruise and presented these guests with their Bronze milestone pins. We also recognized guests who were sailing on their 6th, 7th, 8th, 12th, 14th, and even 17th cruises!

 

As the festivities concluded, I was thrilled to be invited to join the Captain and a few other Oceania Cruises team members for a tour of Marina‘s bridge.

Captain Flokos explained the many instruments and gauges on the ship’s control panel.

We learned that Marina has two large and two small engines, which generate a total of 48,000 horsepower. This allows her to sail at speeds of up to 22 knots, and it also supplies the electricity for the entire ship. Captain Flokos noted that Marina has more power at her disposal than she should ever need — which is a good thing!
There are two officers and two quartermasters on the bridge at all times. Each works shifts of four hours on and eight hours off.

One of the most interesting stories the Captain shared was of the installation of the ship’s spare anchor. Pictured above, this all important piece of equipment is required for any ship to sail. The spare anchor was the very last piece to be assembled during Marina‘s construction, and in fact, it was completed in the late evening on the day that Oceania Cruises was to take delivery of Marina and sail for Barcelona. Captain Flokos and the entire crew were ready to depart, but they could not sail until this last piece was put in place.

As the anchor was secured and Marina finally pulled away from the dock in Genoa, Oceania Cruises’ founder Frank Del Rio noticed that Marina‘s hull was exceptionally dirty from resting in the dock at the construction site. Therefore the crew had one more task at hand: to give Marina a fresh coat of paint for her arrival in Barcelona!

Captain Flokos smiles now looking back at the challenges that were overcome leading up to Marina‘s debut. Every extra effort that had to be invested was most certainly worthwhile and only made Marina‘s immense success all the more rewarding.

Thank you so much to Captain Flokos and to all of the staff and crew onboard Marina for a magnificent and unforgettable Reunion Cruise. As Blogger-at-Large, I so enjoyed the privilege of meeting so many of the crew and other guests onboard, and I hope we cross paths on another voyage with Oceania Cruises in the very near future. 

As each day onboard the Reunion Cruise brought so many new adventures, I still have more stories to share, so continue to check the blog in the days ahead!

Messages from Marina: THE 2011 REUNION CRUISE APPROACHES

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After completing a fourth transoceanic crossing, Marina arrived in Europe last week, where she will sail her inaugural summer season. While docked in Livorno, hundreds of guests ventured out to explore the treasures of Florence, Pisa, and the Tuscan countryside. Nearly six hundred guests returned from their excursions to Marina‘s first “Welcome Back” party, in which a host of jovial crew members, a band and cool beverages celebrated the guests’ return to the ship. It appears each new “first” for Marina continues to be a jubilant event enjoyed by all.

Having explored the shores of Spain and France, Marina will now linger a bit in Italy before continuing on to the lovely Greek Isles. Next week marks the beginning of the 7th Annual Oceania Club Reunion Cruise, always a marvelous journey for all onboard and featuring exclusive cocktail parties, dinners, excursions and other surprises for Oceania Club members.

Guests will be able to linger on the lovely beaches of several Greek islands such as Zakynthos and Mykonos.

They can also meander the streets of lovely towns like Corfu and visit historic sights like the Achillion Palace.

Santorini is an especially scenic island of Greece, offering spectacular views over the whitewashed towns as well as of the ship anchored in the glistening bay.

You can see below that Mykonos is the perfect place to enjoy dinner ashore at a seaside cafe.

Charming coastal towns aren’t the only appeal of Greece. There are also grand cities of immense historical significance such as Athens, where the voyage concludes. From the crest of the Acropolis, one can capture spectacular views of the impressive temples and amphitheaters that draw visitors to this beautiful city time and again. 

The Reunion Cruise promises to be an amazing voyage, and as Blogger-at-Large, I am thrilled to be joining this sailing. I will keep you up to date on the exciting events onboard and share my own perspectives and insights on the stunning new Marina. I hope you will follow my adventures on the blog and share your comments here as well!

President Bob Binder Raises Toast to Our Oceania Club Members

Ms. Sheila Brohman shakes the hand of General Manager Christian Krempl as he presents her Oceania Club Gold Pin signifying her 15th cruise. Behind her Mr. Ken Reycraft waits to receive his Gold Pin as well.

The President’s Tales from the Annual Oceania Club Reunion Cruise

Myself and other members of our Oceania Cruises’ team joined our guests this week onboard Regatta for the annual Oceania Club Reunion Cruise. We departed London on Thursday and began our journey of 14 days during which we’ll explore the coasts of France, Spain, and Portugal. Last evening Captain Jahn Rye hosted his Champagne Reception to officially welcome everyone to the ship. Introductions of the Captain and senior crew members were followed by entertainment from the 12-piece Regatta Orchestra. As you can see from the photo above, I had a quite enjoyable evening, as did everyone onboard.

Top Five Tips on What to Pack for an Oceania Cruise

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As I’ll be boarding Regatta for the Oceania Club reunion
cruise in September, can you blame me for already thinking about packing?
Others anticipating an Oceania Cruise often ask me for packing tips, so here
are my Top Five on what to pack. Five more tips on how to pack will follow soon. I hope you find them helpful, and please feel free to share your own tips here
as well!

1. Country club casual dress can be tailored to suit your
tastes.

For me, an Oceania Cruise is an opportunity to explore my
wardrobe. I confess that at home I’m one of those awful women who can often be
found in sweatpants. What can I say? It’s the uniform of a writer. But when on
vacation, I embrace the country club casual lifestyle of an Oceania Cruise and
bring out all the fun, stylish and neglected outfits in my closet. During the
day I wear casual, comfortable clothes for exploring — khakis and cotton tops
or even comfortable skirts and sundresses. Shorts are also fine for excursions.
If we’re at sea, I may spend the whole day in a swimsuit and cover up. Once the
day’s adventures have concluded, I usually shower (twice in one day — how
decadent!) and dress for dinner. In my “normal” life I rarely dress up, so I
love the chance to wear a cocktail dress to dinner every night.

For those of you who feel that ties and gowns have no
place on a relaxing vacation, Oceania Cruises really is “Your World. Your Way.” If the thought of changing clothes in the middle of the day does not excite
you, it’s easy to wear day-to-night outfits instead. A sundress or khakis can
be dressed up for dinner with evening jewelry and a nice wrap. Gentlemen often
need only add a sports jacket to be ready for the Grand Dining Room. And if you
prefer to stay in shorts, simply dine at the Terrace Cafe. You can wear
dressy shorts and casual shirts even in the evenings. So feel free to pack a
wardrobe that suits your tastes, whether that means one cocktail dress for that
special night at Polo Grill or a cocktail dress for every night of the week.

2. Pack comfortable shoes for exploring.

Once I’ve assembled the perfect outfit for an excursion
ashore, I’m often tempted to complement it with some strappy sandals. Do not
fall into this trap. When exploring a port, if you intend to do much walking,
you’ll want to wear comfortable, supportive shoes. Many European cities have
cobblestone streets, which add to the enchantment but can also take a toll on one’s
feet. On one trip I decided to wear thongs —cushioned thongs, but thongs nonetheless — to wander about Messina. The next
day I found myself hobbling around Rome with a terrible shin splint.

3. Some ports may have a dress code.

While the onboard ambiance is relaxed, be aware that some
destinations do have dress codes. For instance, in Turkey there are many places
where shoulders and knees must be covered. Women must cover their hair before
entering the Blue Mosque, so if you don’t want to use the wraps provided, be
sure to pack a scarf. Oceania Cruises is very good about alerting you in
advance to such dress codes so that you can plan accordingly.

4. Don’t skimp on the essentials.

As you’ll be traveling at least 12-14 days, ensure you
have plenty of sunscreen, facial cleanser, hair products and other toiletries
on hand. Travel-sized toiletries may not suffice, even for the men. While you
can purchase products overseas, they are often more expensive, and many of us
don’t want to be trying out a new brand of lotion in the middle of a vacation.
The ladies may also want to pack an extra eyeliner. It may be difficult to tell
if you’re near the end of one, and once I broke off a brand new eyeliner the
first day of a cruise, forcing me to cruise the Baltic with undefined eyes. For
the men, brand loyalty may not be a concern when it comes to toiletries, so you
can rest assured that Oceania Cruises’ ships stock many essentials in their
boutiques. If you somehow manage to forget and/or lose your shaving kit, as my
husband has done on more than one occasion, you won’t have to go unshaven your
entire vacation. Unless of course that’s how you prefer it!

5. Don’t forget your passport.

This one seems obvious, but if I don’t mention it,
someone will point out that I forgot the most important tip of all. Oceania
Cruises usually collects all guests’ passports when they board and holds them
for the duration of the cruise to expedite customs procedures. So the good news
is that you don’t have to spend every minute of your vacation keeping track of your
passport. But you do have to pack it, and while en route to the ship, be sure
to keep it in a secure place.

One of the most wonderful things about Oceania Cruises is that they think of everything. If you forget to pack your umbrella, you’ll find one waiting for you in your stateroom. And if you then forget to take that umbrella with you on the day that it rains, the ship’s staff will ensure you receive a dry welcome home. So enjoy anticipating your cruise as you pack, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

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