Oceania Cruises Floats Out Newest Ship Allura
by Daniel McCarthy /The newest ship from Ocean Cruises remains on track to debut next summer.
Allura, Oceania’s 8th ship and second Allura Class vessel, was floated out this week in a ceremony at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Genoa, Italy. It will now move to the fitting-out berth where Oceania’s designers will begin outfitting the interiors.
The 1,200-guest ship will enter service from Trieste, Italy on July 18, 2025, one week earlier than previously scheduled because of progress made at Fincantieri early in the process. It will debut with a summer season in the Mediterranean before moving to Canada and New England and then Miami, where it will spend a winter season sailing the Caribbean.
Allura will feature a lot of the features of its sister ship Vista, with some brand-new touches, too. That includes a new onboard crêperie that will serve “decadent ice cream sundaes in the afternoon,” a new library with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and new signature restaurants Ember and Aquamar Kitchen.
Continuing the line’s long history of food-focus, Oceania also says that Allura will sail with 1 chef for every 10 guests, and 50% of the crew member will be dedicated to the onboard culinary experience.
All-in-all, Allura will sail with 800 crew members, giving it a ratio of two crew members for every three guests.
The ship is one of several set to headline a big cruise ship class in 2025. Others include Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, Disney’s Disney Destiny, and Celebrity’s Celebrity Xcel.