Antarctic Cruise: Oceania Marina (2.13.24)

Our ship was the Oceania Marina, a small, elegant vessel with just 1250 passengers, compared to the 3000 and 4000 passenger behemoths that are being built today.  The huge ships have ice skating rinks, water slides, and whole streets of shops.  The Marina had just the classic cruising essentials--beautifully decorated cabins and common areas, excellent food in the main dining room and four specialty restaurants, thought-provoking lecturers, and many types of live music, from rock to a quartet playing classical pieces as guests had a drink and nibbled at nuts and cheese before dinner.

There was a huge screen on the pool deck which showed the path of the ship and where we were.  Every morning the captain addressed us over the intercom, telling us the windspeed, height of waves, how many knots the ship was traveling, and other essentials and nonessentials.

The Marina

The pool deck.  There weren't many swimmers in the still-chilly weather of South American fall, although one brave woman crawled into the hot tub in her bikini as guests speed-walked around her in their parkas.

We had a very comfortable cabin with a veranda and king-size bed.  We happened on a great deal when Oceania rerouted the Marina from the eastern Mediterranean to the Antarctic as the Gaza War began.

The Oceania is a luxury line, more expensive than the cruise lines we have sailed in the past.  All the common areas were elegantly decorated, with art work and stylish, well-kept furnishings.  Every time we walked down the stairs, a steward was polishing the railings!

One of the highlights of the trip, for me, was that there were no extra charges for dining at the specialty restaurants.  Although the food was excellent in the main dining room, with choices from four courses every night, the four specialty restaurants had even more luxurious food--lobster, thick steaks, and unique Oriental, French, and Italian menus. I really like the Holland America line, but it charges up to an extra $75 per person for dinner at its specialty restaurants.

Another highlight, for me, was the cooking classes taught in an elaborate kitchen.

The instructor had trained with Julia Child, and had helped Julia write several of her cookbooks!

In my cooking class, I made salmon en croute, i.e. a salmon filet spread with mustard and herbs and baked in puff pastry.  I also learned to grill a steak in a fry pan.  I don't know if I'll dare try cooking salmon en croute for the 15 to 25 guests who attend my Sunday dinners, but the food I learned to cook tasted delicious to me! 

There was great entertainment every night in the amphitheater.  There weren't the huge Broadway production shows that the really big ships have, but we were impressed with the dancers, singers, and comedians who performed.

We had doting cabin stewards.  When I bought a stuffed lama and left it on the bureau in my cabin, a steward tucked it into my bed for the night!