Oceania Cruises to Transform Oceania Nautica into All-Suite, All-New Oceania Aurelia

Oceania Cruises, for one of the first times in its history, is taking a ship out of service, completely renovating it, and bringing it back into service as a brand new ship.

Oceania on Wednesday announced it would transform Oceania Nautica, which has been sailing for Oceania since 2005, into an all-suite, all-new ship called Oceania Aurelia, The Ultimate Explorer.

The ship will end its run as Nautica and come back into service in late 2027 as Aurelia in time for Oceania’s 2028 and 2029 Around the World sailings, and a lineup of Grand Voyages.

Aurelia will sail with just 500 guests, who will be served by 400 officers and crew. Each of its 238 accommodations will come with a dedicated butler, and 179 of those will be designed as spacious suites.

Most of the suites will exceed 300 sq. ft., and some will go up to 1,000 sq. ft. Aside from the standard Oceania suite offerings—Owner’s, Vista, and Penthouse Suites—Aurelia will also include some new additions: Oceania Suites, Horizon Suites, and a selection of Oceanview and Inside Suites.

For dining, Aurelia will offer some beloved Oceania venues—The Grand Dining Room, Polo Grill, Toscana, Terrace Café, Waves Grill, and the Pizzeria. Baristas, Oceania’s signature onboard coffeehouse, will move to Horizons and will feature a new addition, the Bakery.

While Nautica has been sailing for Oceania since 2005, it was built and originally entered service as R Five for Renaissance Cruises around 2000. When it becomes Aurelia in late 2027, it will join the 1,390-passenger Oceania Sonata—also debuting that year—in marking the next evolution of the brand’s fleet.

Sonata will be followed by several sister ships, including Oceania Arietta, scheduled to join the fleet in 2029, and additional Sonata Class vessels in 2032 and 2035. Aurelia, meanwhile, is expected to remain a Regatta Class ship.