Top-notch cuisine the siren song for Sirena
Oceania Cruises recently christened Sirena, its newest ship, in Barcelona on the evening of April 27. It was a momentous occasion for the line as the 684-guest ship is a direct sister to the line’s hugely popular vessels, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.
Joining godmother Claudine Pepin for the event were Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio; Oceania Cruises president and COO Jason Montague; and Pepin’s father, legendary master chef Jacques Pepin. Oceania has a long-standing relationship with Jacques, who has served as the line’s executive culinary director since it was founded in 2002.
“We launched Oceania Cruises with a visionary belief that we could create something special. With an unwavering commitment to serve our guests the finest cuisine at sea, we established a culinary reputation that to this day defines the Oceania Cruises brand,” said Del Rio. “That culinary tradition continues as we welcome Sirena to the family.”
Measuring 593 feet in length and offering nine passenger decks chock full of luxurious amenities, staterooms and suites, Sirena builds upon Oceania’s reputation for offering premium cruises that bridge the gap between larger mainstream ships and more expensive luxury vessels.
Sirena underwent an extensive refurbishment before entering service for Oceania and the results are impressive. Her 342 luxury staterooms and suites were extensively remodelled to suit Oceania’s premium product and the line saw fit to add two brand-new restaurants to the mix: Tuscan Steak and Red Ginger.
Tuscan Steak is an entirely new dining concept for the line, blending Oceania’s traditional steak house experience with its Italian specialty restaurant. Red Ginger, previously only available on Marina and Riviera, makes its way to these attractive “R-Class” ships for the first time on Sirena. Sirena and her sisters are known collectively as the “R-Class,” having previously sailed for defunct Renaissance Cruises.
Montague said the new dining concepts represent Oceania’s dedication to these intimately sized vessels and the evolution of its unique brand of premium cruising.
Sirena will spend her summer months in the Mediterranean before setting out for the Caribbean, Panama Canal and French Polynesia as 2016 comes to a close.