Arctic Cruise XXV: The Oceania Sirena

Dave and I will remember the 24 port cities we visited on our Arctic cruise for the rest of our lives.  We will also remember the beautiful, luxurious Oceania Serena ship that was home to us for 35 days.  Oceania advertises its cruises as having "the finest cuisine at sea" and that its cruise line is "created for foodies by foodies."  I love to cook and Dave and I both love to eat, so the four and five course dinners in the main dining room were a daily delight!

We promised ourselves we would not empty the bread basket every night, but the fresh-baked rolls and breads were too good to resist.

Our favorite spot for dinner was by a window looking out at the sea, just the two of us.

When we met other cruise guests, we found them to be uniformly interesting.  Just a sampling:  a woman who ran a B&B on Victoria Island, B.C.; a man who worked for a defense contractor with a security clearance so high and knowledge of U.S. secrets so great that he didn't dare, even after he was retired, to travel to hostile countries like Russia and China; a Jewish woman, born in Iraq, who spoke four languages and had worked as an entertainment lawyer in Hollywood.

The ship hosted teas at 4 p.m. in the "Horizon Room" on the top deck, with pastries and live chamber music.

Dave and I usually ate in the main dining room.  However, we never missed the specialty ethnic dinners created occasionally by the chef at the buffet.  At the English dinner, there were, of course, fish and chips, beef wellington, and trifle.  Another favorite was the Indian dinner, with naan, chicken tikka, and other curries.

Imagine the amount of cooking each day for 650 guests!

We enjoyed our cabin, with its king-sized bed, full length windows, and veranda.  I spread out my computer, extra monitor, and printer on the desk.  Every day, we pored over "Currents," which detailed the day's entertainment and other events.

Each night, we attended entertainment in the cabaret-style auditorium--musicians, comedians, and the talented dancers and singers of the ship's own "production company."  There was a live band to accompany the entertainers and to perform at venues around the ship.

One of the traditional events on Oceania ships is the introduction of ship's officers and staff.

Oceania ships are beautifully decorated and well-maintained.

A couple of amenities we didn't use--the casino and bar!