Oceana Cruises Expands With Another “R-Ship”

Oceania Cruises’ fleet is about to grow with the acquisition of a a fourth “R-class” ship to join the sister-ships that originally launched the line. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, parent company of Oceania, has announced an agreement with Princess Cruises, Ltd. to purchase Ocean Princess for the Oceania Cruises brand. The 684-passenger ship, which was built for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises, joins Oceania Cruises’ trio of sister ships Insignia, Regatta, and Nautica. The new addition will be christened Sirena.

Upon delivery in March 2016, Sirena will undergo a 35-day, $40 million refurbishment in Marseille, France to revamp the ship in line with Oceania Cruises’ other vessels. Drawing on the recent transformation of Insignia as inspiration, the ship will feature Oceania Cruises’ specialty dining restaurants, Toscana and Polo Grill, along with more recent additions to the fleet such as Baristas and the cook-to-order grill at Terrace Café. The ship will welcome her first guests in late April 2016. The addition of Sirena, along with the recently completed refurbishment of Insignia, Nautica, and Regatta, demonstrates Oceania Cruises’ unwavering commitment to mid-size ships and destination orientated cruising.

“The acquisition of Sirena provides measured capacity growth based on the proven platform of Oceania Cruises’ highly regarded mid-size ships,” said Kevin Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Our belief in the Oceania Cruises brand and our commitment to its growing base of loyal guests were the rationale behind our decision to bring Sirena into the fleet.”

With Sirena, Oceania Cruises will expand the number and diversity of itineraries offered, appealing to both seasoned world travelers and passionate cruisers. The inaugural season for Sirena will be released in late February 2015 with reservations opening on March 4, 2015.

In a side note, we wonder if Royal Caribbean, whose Azmara Cruises brand competes directly with Oceania Cruises with two former R-ships, will attempt to purchase the other remaining ships from Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises and P&O brands (respectively sailing as Pacific Princess and Adonia).

Image Courtesy of Oceania Cruises