“Last night’s dinner was crazy good.”
“The level of hospitality is absolutely mind-blowing.”
“That Wagyu was hitting.”
When a group of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs rave about a cruise ship meal, you know that line is doing something right with its culinary offerings. The six award-winning young chefs serving as godparents to Oceania Cruises’ new Allura clearly validated the cruise line’s claim to offer “the finest cuisine at sea.”
Oceania has long traded on its dedication to food, but the launch of Allura marks a transition in the line’s ethos. Historically, Oceania has positioned itself in the upscale or ultra-premium market, never crossing the line into the ranks of luxury cruises like sister line Regent Seven Seas. But after first-in-class Vista’s 2024 debut had guests scratching their heads, asking why wasn’t this ship labeled as luxe, the brand decided to embrace the L word.
“Luxury of choice” is the term Oceania uses to convey that it offers a ship awash in high-style décor, spacious accommodations, and multiple fine dining venues but that is not all-inclusive. Fares do cover all restaurants (minus exclusive wine-paired meals), gratuities, Wi-Fi, soda and specialty coffee, and a choice of either a shore excursion credit or wine and beer with lunch and dinner. The line offers far more than the typical contemporary cruise line but, unlike the classic luxury cruise model, it isn’t offering free cocktails or complimentary tours to all.
The 1,200-passenger, 68,000-ton Allura’s vibe is expensive-yet-comfortable; think upscale family home vs. no-expense-spared celebrity mansion. Its Ralph Lauren-designed Owner’s Suite feels luxe and is expansive at 2,400 square feet, but it has nothing on the opulence of Regent’s 9,000-square-foot two-level Skyview Regent Suite.
Oceania has always appealed to travelers who wish to indulge their passions for exploring the world and enjoying quality food and drink, but now it’s leaning ever more into the luxury of time to engage in lifelong learning. Its onboard offerings increasingly lean into activities that will attract active and curious guests ages 55+ (with the majority in the 65-75-years-old retiree bracket) with culinary, arts, and tech enrichment.
A Ship for Foodies
Allura’s abundance of casual and upscale, intimate and expansive dining venues makes it a top contender among luxury cruise ships when it comes to dining choice. Its light-filled main dining room is known for its grand décor, lunchtime international sampler and gluttonous once-a-cruise Legendary Brunch, with serving tables piled high with crab legs, French cheeses, homemade pasta, and chocolate-dipped pastries.
Its Terrace Cafe is one of the classiest buffets at sea, with black and silver tiled murals and attractive menu options. Guests should not miss the venue’s daily selection of small-batch Humphrey Slocombe ice cream.
But it’s the ship’s four fine dining specialty restaurants that set it apart from similar cruise lines. Guests are entitled to one reservation in each specialty restaurant on a seven-night cruise; on longer cruises, suite guests may add an additional dinner or two, based on cabin category.
On Allura, Oceania has brought back Jacques to the space originally occupied by Ember on Vista. The new American venue did not win over guests the way Jacques Pepin’s signature French restaurant did, so Jacques reclaims the space with a modernized menu. It joins steakhouse Polo Grill, Italian Toscana, and pan-Asian Red Ginger as the ship’s quartet of specialty restaurants where guests can indulge in high-quality steaks and decadent cream sauces over multicourse meals that leave everyone stuffed.
Clients with a passion for wine or who want to sample Oceania’s chefs finest work in an intimate setting can take advantage of several pairing meals in the ship’s private dining rooms — the only onboard culinary offerings with an upcharge. Allura debuted the line’s first Gérard Bertrand wine-paired six-course lunch. The ship offers an additional selection of intimate, wine- and Champagne-paired meals, highlighting Dom Pérignon, Moet, and other premium vintages, across several venues, including in Privee, the ship’s private dining room for just eight guests.
Allura takes from Vista two of my favorite spots: Aquamar, serving lighter fare at breakfast and lunch (plus a long list of non-alcoholic cocktails using no-proof liquor), and Waves Grill, serving elevated grilled fare by day and to-die-for burrata salads and Italian-style pizza at night.
New on Allura is a creperie, dessert waffle and gelato venue that seems superfluous among all the other dining venues, even if the salted caramel gelato is delish. It replaced the library, which has moved to Deck 14 from its spot around the corner from Baristas coffee shop and pastry cafe where, yes, you can find snacks from breakfast through the afternoon.
And if guests could possibly need another option, Allura continues Oceania’s tradition of afternoon tea. Accompanied by the tunes of a string quartet, waiters serve Twinings tea, warm scones, and your choice of sandwiches and cakes to anyone needing an afternoon pick-me-up.
A Ship for Lifelong Learning
Oceania believes that today’s luxury travelers wish to expand their minds as much as their bellies on a cruise vacation. Allura devotes much of its onboard activity offerings to enrichment pursuits across three pillars — art, culinary, and tech — with an educational home base on Deck 14 forward.
In the Artist Loft, an artist in residence on each cruise teaches guests a variety of artistic techniques, from line drawing to watercolors and collage. Classes vary according to the individual styles of the onboard instructors, and guests can take home their creations.
Allura offers two types of culinary classes to accommodate guests’ preferences. In the ship’s Culinary Center, across from the art studio, travelers can engage in hands-on cooking classes, working at individual cooking stations. Guests who wish to sip a glass of wine and listen to an onboard chef-instructor talk regional cuisine and cooking techniques can take a more passive approach in the adjacent Chef’s Studio.
The culinarily curious can also follow chefs to their favorite places in port with Culinary Discovery Tours to local markets, Michelin-starred restaurants, innovative farms, and even private homes for a regional meal.
Oceania’s LYNC digital learning center has proved so popular on Vista that Oceania has brought it back on Allura with expanded offerings. Guests can take self-guided iPad classes or participate in instructor-led classes on understanding their iPhone, taking digital photos and videos, and learning to use AI. A popular new addition to the class roster is Sip and Snap; in this tech-meets-cooking class, a maximum of eight guests learn food photography tips, prepare a simple dish and cocktail, then photograph their creations for critique by their classmates and instructors.
The longer the cruise, the more guests can connect with the sociable instructors on board and come away with real knowledge they can take home with them.
Elegant Yet Homey
Allura, like nearly identical sister Vista, is a beautifully designed ship that invites guests to spend time outside of their staterooms. Allura’s design team from Studio DADO hyper-focused on every material and pattern on board, such as textured fabric in the elevators and the organic designs of the tranquil pool deck.
Travelers booking entry-level cabins will be pleased with spacious 240-square-foot French Veranda Staterooms, with the same layout as Veranda Staterooms minus the 50-square-foot balcony. The modern bathrooms have large showers and tons of storage space — a far cry from Oceania’s oldest and smallest Regatta Class ships.
Guests looking for expansive living spaces have four types of suites available, including three Ralph Lauren-designed Owner’s Suites that span the entire aft of decks 8, 9, and 10. These 2,400-square-foot suites feature two wings, each with a wide balcony, extending from a central dining area. On one side, the master bedroom and bathroom flank a huge walk-in closet; on the other, the spacious living area includes an L-shaped bar, sitting area and a workspace. The suite’s nautical décor stands out awkwardly among the more modern stylings of the ship’s other accommodations, but the palatial residence still feels luxe and high end.
Allura’s Aquamar Spa (run by Elemis) is pricey, but the fitness center and classes and a sauna, steam room, and experience shower in each changing room is available to all. Guests in Concierge class rooms and above, or those who buy day passes, can access the inviting spa terrace with its hot tubs, heated loungers, and thalassotherapy pool. For clients who will enjoy this space, it’s an easy yes to the higher-category cabin.
The ship has a theater, but its song-and-dance shows are not a strong point. It’s better to spend evenings at the Founder’s Bar, with its creative craft cocktails, or in Horizons, which alternates between live bands, DJ’d music and karaoke.
Allura heads to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles through November 2026. After a second winter in the Caribbean, Allura will return to Europe in April 2027 and stay there for at least a year, offering Oceania’s first “quiet season” Mediterranean winter cruises.
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