Oceania Cruises

History

Oceania Cruises was founded in 2002 by luxury cruise industry veterans Joe Watters and Frank Del Rio, the latter being the former vice president of Renaissance Cruises. The founding management team included industry veterans Bob Binder, Robin Lindsay, James Rodriguez, Jeff Drew and Howard Sherman.

The company chartered the former Renaissance Cruises ship R Two from Cruiseinvest and renamed her Insignia in October 2002. In April 2003 the Insignia was chartered to the French travel agency TRM for three months, during which Oceania Cruises operated no vessels. On 15 June 2003 Oceania Cruises re-commenced service with two ships: the Insignia was renamed Regatta and a new ship (R One, a sister ship of the Insignia/Regatta, also chartered from Cruiseinvest) entered service as the new Insignia.

In November 2005, a third R-class ship entered service for Oceania Cruises when the company chartered the R Five from Cruiseinvest and renamed her Nautica. At the naming ceremony of the Nautica, Frank del Rio announced the plan of adding a fourth ship, Marina, to the Oceania Cruises fleet in July 2007. This however did not come to pass.

In February 2007, the majority of Oceania Cruises' stock were sold to the New York-based Apollo Management. The following month Oceania made a memorandum agreement with the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy to construct two new 1,260-passenger ships. The contract was finalised in June 2007, with delivery dates for the new Oceania Class ships set for January 2011 and July 2011. The contract also includes an option for a third vessel of the same type that could be delivered in May 2012, but Oceania declined the option.

After being leased out for two years to Hapag-Lloyd as the Columbus 2, the Insignia returned to the fleet in 2014.

In May 2014 it was announced that Oceania and Fincantieri are close to making a deal on two additional ships for the Oceania Class.

On September 2, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line purchased Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, for $3.025 billion.

On November 25, 2014, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced a definitive agreement with Princess Cruises to purchase the Ocean Princess for Oceania Cruises, upon delivery in March 2016, the ship will undergo a 35-day, $40 million refurbishment in Marseille, France to become the Sirena.

Regatta class

The Regatta class ships were built in 1998—2000 for Renaissance Cruises as a part of their R class. They have a gross tonnage of 30,277 and can accommodate a maximum of 824 passengers in 343 cabins.

Oceania class

Two 1,260-passenger, 66,084 gross ton ships were ordered from the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, with the first being delivered in January 2011 and the second delivered in May 2012. 580 of the 626 cabins and suites have private balconies. The interiors of these ships are designed by the Norway-based Y&S Architecture and Interior Design.

Destinations

Africa, Arabia, Black Sea, Caribbean, Central America, China, Greek Isles, Iceland, India, Mediterranean, Alaska, Mexico, Russia, Scandinavia, South America, Southeast Asia