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Oceania Cruises’ Vista Is an Unapologetic Exercise in Outrageous Luxury

The cruise industry has a bad rap, and it’s mostly justified. With regard to that part about cruise ships being crowded, impersonal spaces where you can’t get some privacy for the entire duration of the trip… well, it doesn’t always have to be that way.
Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023 9 photos
Photo: Oceania Cruises
Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023
For the more seasoned and more discerning (read: richer) traveler, there’s always luxury cruising. You could call it one step below sailing on your own private or charted superyacht, and several steps above having to mingle with commonfolk. Vista, the upcoming luxury cruise ship from Oceania Cruises, is one such example and, at the same time, a pure exercise in outrageous luxury.

Oceania Cruises boasts of being the “world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line,” a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Earlier this year, it announced it was expanding into more luxurious territory, with two new Allura Class ships: one, called Vista, would sail in 2023, while the other would arrive in 2025. Vista is now being built at the Fincantieri yards in Italy, one of the biggest shipbuilders in the world, where it’s being infused with that specific Italian elegance and a bit more than a drop of outrageousness.

The 823-foot (250-meter) Vista will have 11 decks and carry 1,200 guests and 800 staff. It’s a gargantuan vessel, alright, with a volume of 67,000GT, but it will be built with the same layout of Oceania’s smaller ships. In the design process, the focus was on the desire “to present a sense of familiarity imbued with unique elements and fresh perspectives,” as Bob Binder, President & CEO of Oceania Cruises, puts it.

Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023
Photo: Oceania Cruises
Initially announced in May 2021, Vista aims to bring comfort and residential-style luxury to the cruising industry. It’s like a five-star floating hotel that can deliver the experience of both a private yacht and of a cruise ship, depending on each guest’s need for privacy. It is opulent, it is exclusive, it is fancy, and will most certainly be very expensive. Just to give you a taste of what is in store with Vista, the two videos available at the bottom of the page should do the trick – as long as you can overlook the very high number of cliches per frame.

The idea with Vista is that the cruise experience doesn’t have to be boring or rushed, or in any way uncomfortable. Oceania aims to offer curated experiences on board a luxury ship that is right there at the crossroads between a private superyacht and the fanciest hotel, with the bonus that it will probably be more affordable than either.

Vista will offer, for the first time in Oceania’s fleet, private solo suites for solo (duh!) travelers. Suites on board are all spacious and come with their private veranda, but Vista takes the idea of residential-style suites up a notch and adds penthouse suites, and the even larger Oceania and Vista suites, and even an owner’s suite. Sizes for these range from 291 square feet (27 square meters) for the Veranda Stateroom to 1,850 square feet (172 square meters) for the Vista Suite. Most of these suites come with their own Butler and concierge service, and access to the exclusive, staffed lounge.

Onboard amenities are just as impressive. You get “a room for every mood,” to paraphrase the cruise company, whether you want to enjoy fine-dining, relax on your own, or socialize within your bubble or with other guests. You have formal spaces for dining and conferences, informal spaces for dancing and tanning, dining rooms, wellness area, and a multitude of entertaining areas. The Martinis bar has been reimagined to serve “sophistication, glamour and elegance.” Drunkenness too, but of the elegant, sophisticated type.

Vista, now under construction at Fincantieri in Italy, will sail in 2023
Photo: Oceania Cruises
The Grand Lounge has the feel of a private club, and you get a casino and casino bar in art-nouveau style, a Grand Staircase that “sets the tone” for the rest of the stay, and a new take on the wellness center that would make even some privately-owned superyachts blush. Oceania calls it the Aquamar Spa and Vitality Center, where you “rejuvenate” yourself in a holistic manner. Each room comes with floor-to-ceiling windows and breathtaking 180-degree views, the most luxurious fabrics and thematic finishes, rich woods and vast expanses of solid marble.

Meant to introduce a new age of sea travel, Vista will open for bookings in September this year, with the inaugural cruise scheduled for early 2023, assuming the worst of the ongoing international health crisis has passed. You still have time to pinch pennies if this is your ideal of living the life at sea.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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