Caribbean Cruise on the Modern Ship Oceania Vista
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
General
The ship Oceania Vista is a small and intimate ship, weighing 67,000 tons with 1,200 passengers (at maximum capacity) and 800 crew members from over 50 countries (including 140 cooks and chefs).
The ship was launched in May 2023 and is the first ship in the Allura Class series. The company is a luxury line known for its gourmet food and is chosen year after year as the cruise line with the best food of all companies.
Boarding the ship is fast and convenient. By 11:00 AM, you are already on the ship and can start enjoying it. There is no crowding or density anywhere, the lounge chairs are indeed comfortable with padding, there are plenty of seating areas in every corner, and of course, many food options—and it's all included! This includes specialty restaurants, the barista with high-quality coffee, the wellness restaurant, and more. Cold water is available at every corner, and dedicated staff members appear immediately to help with any request or question. The view of Miami by day, and especially at night when departing the port, is wonderful and serves as an exciting opening to 12 days of cruising in the Caribbean through 8 ports in seven countries, with three sea days to enjoy the ship and its facilities (too little time in my opinion).
Cruise Timing:
The cruise was held in early December, during the popular "dry season" in the Caribbean, but since the world's weather has gone crazy, there were also cloudy and even rainy and windy days. However, most of the time it was sunny with calm seas. The ship is in the Caribbean only during the winter months. In May 2025, it moves on a transatlantic cruise to Europe for cruises on diverse routes across Europe. It returns to Miami in November 2025, and in 2026, it sails around the world on long cruises spanning many months, though you can join "short" segments of two weeks or more.
Ship Description:
The Vista has 16 floors. Deck 5 is the first passenger deck (below it are crew decks, warehouses, engines, and the clinic on Deck 4). There is one main pool on Deck 12, with two large jacuzzis, a gym, an exercise classroom (free! but pre-registration is required), an extensive spa, mini golf, a paddle/pickleball court, shuffleboard, and "bocce ball," a walking track, and a wealth of bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, a large and lovely library with plenty of games and puzzles, luxury shops, and a designed central space around which the reception, excursion desk, and other services are concentrated. Everything is spacious, designed, and pampering.
Rooms:
Vista is Oceania's first ship without interior rooms or rooms with non-opening windows. All rooms have an ocean view. The lowest category on the ship is a room with a "French Veranda," which is essentially a room with a large opening window. Most rooms are balcony rooms: the rooms are pampering, with a wonderful balcony and bathrooms that are significantly more spacious compared to most companies and ships, with plenty of storage space.
About half of the balcony rooms are Concierge Veranda category, which are identical in size to standard balcony rooms (approx. 27 sqm), but located in more desirable areas and provide several benefits (access to a private lounge, laundry services, etc.). Of course, there are also suites of various sizes, the three largest of which (ten times the size of a standard balcony room) are called Owner's Suites. All rooms are equipped with luxury Bvlgari toiletries.
Food and Restaurants:
It is hard to believe how on a relatively small ship with 1,100 passengers, there is such a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and buffets with extensive opening hours. The ship has four specialty restaurants open only for dinner: the high-quality grill restaurant, Polo Grill; the Asian restaurant, Red Ginger; Toscana the Italian; and Ember the American.
Grand Dining Room
Additionally, the ship has a main dining room named the Grand Dining Room, which is, as its name suggests, large and elegant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Deck 12, there is a buffet with a semi-covered terrace and of course plenty of air-conditioned seating (there is always plenty of room),
"Aquamar Kitchen"
Adjacent to it is a wellness restaurant called "Aquamar Kitchen" open for breakfast and lunch only, which also serves specialty coffees and natural juices.
Wave
On the other side is a restaurant called Wave, with a classic American breakfast; it serves as a grill restaurant for lunch and turns into a pizzeria with burrata cheese-based salads in the evening.
Coffee and Tea
In the "Horizons" club, tea is served at 4:00 PM with sandwiches, scones, and cakes.
The "4 o'clock tea" experience on Oceania Cruises is one of my favorite things on this wonderful company's cruises. Every day (at sea or in port—no difference), at exactly 4:00 PM, tea is served in small silver teapots with high-quality tea bags in a variety of flavors, and most importantly, high-quality small sandwiches, cakes, cookies, and scones with jam and whipped cream. Not exactly dietetic... but heavenly. The ceremony is held in the lounge on the highest floor overlooking a wonderful view while listening to the pleasant tunes of a string quartet or a pianist. In the new Oceania Vista, the ceremony is held in the lounge of the same name at exactly the same time as on other ships of the company. A real treat. The only problem is how to fit it in after a wonderful lunch and before a chef's dinner...
On the same floor (14), there is a coffee shop named "Baristas" with quality coffee, light breakfast and lunch, and a bakery with sweet and savory pastries. And don't forget—there is 24-hour free room service. Overlooking all this is a team of 140 cooks, all in excellent taste and personal, pampering service. Oceania is highly recommended—and its newest ship, Oceania Vista, met all expectations and beyond.
"Red Ginger"
My favorite restaurant on Oceania Vista is "Red Ginger," an Asian chef's restaurant. Generally, on a 12-night cruise, you can dine once in each specialty restaurant, but additional times can be added based on availability. Every time we were at Red Ginger, we tried to diversify, at least with some of the dishes, but it's really hard to choose from Asian-style lamb chops, lobster pad thai, teriyaki beef, miso sea bass, and more... One thing is certain: I always ordered sides of asparagus and shiitake mushrooms.
The meal opens with edamame accompanied by special jasmine-scented towels, followed by an appetizer (their egg rolls are killer, but the calamari and tiger shrimp are also wonderful), miso or Tom Kha soup, and a variety of delicious desserts (not all strictly Asian). A meal that is an experience with amazing service as everywhere on this ship. This restaurant is also found on the older Riviera and Marina ships of the company.
"Polo Grill" Restaurant
The "Polo Grill" restaurant on Oceania Vista is one of the company's flagship restaurants and is found on all 7 Oceania ships. As with all specialty restaurants—the meal is included in the cruise price, but reservations are required. This is a gourmet steak and seafood restaurant where, in addition to the food level, the service, dishes, and atmosphere are amazing. The best there is.
"Toscana" Restaurant
Toscana is an Italian chef's restaurant of the highest level. It is found on all of the company's ships, and its menu is a diverse gourmet menu with exceptionally pampering service. You start by choosing the olive oil and balsamic vinegar best suited to your palate to accompany bread baskets served with heads of roasted garlic, and continue with a series of dishes, each better than the last, including, of course, amazing desserts. It's hard to choose and decide. Fortunately, you can go several times during the cruise. Everything is served on Versace tableware.
"Ember" Restaurant
Ember is a new specialty restaurant that debuted on the Vista. It is an American restaurant with design and inspiration from sophisticated wine tasting rooms in California. It specializes in lobster rolls (a popular New England dish), ribs, fish, and of course, high-quality burgers. Among the four specialty restaurants, it is the least exciting in my opinion, and it's a pity they replaced the high-quality French restaurant found on the Marina and Riviera ships with this one.
Cooking Workshops
On the larger ships of Oceania Cruises, cooking workshops are held in a "cooking school" called The Culinary Center.
One or two workshops are held daily, conducted by a chef whose sole role this is. She is assisted by three industrious helpers. Each workshop focuses on a different theme: French cooking, Italian, seafood, etc. This time we chose a dessert workshop where we prepared warm chocolate cake with praline and coffee ice cream, Crepe Suzette, and a coffee cocktail.
The workshops, which have a maximum of 16 participants, involve an additional fee and are so popular that they must be booked months in advance. Even those who are not cooking enthusiasts will enjoy it immensely. It is so easy and pampering; the mess disappears from the worktable within seconds, the raw materials are high-quality, and the tools are convenient. And most importantly—the taste—heavenly!
Entertainment and Leisure Areas
Usually, on small ships, the entertainment shows are much less exciting and elaborate than on large ships. Oceania Vista is a small ship, but its selection of entertainment options is significantly higher than most small ships. With a spacious theater, The Vista Lounge,
an entertainment crew of ten singers and dancers, a string quartet, a band with a singer and musicians, and an additional singer.
In addition to the main theater, they also perform in a wonderful club on Deck 14 called Horizons, where singing and music shows are held daily, and in the Martini Bar. In all halls and clubs, there are enough comfortable seats for everyone. You don't need to reserve seats or arrive early to catch a spot. The chairs and armchairs are particularly comfortable (also in the restaurants). In addition to musical performances, there are also a wealth of lectures and social games. So for those not looking for Broadway shows and grandiose stunts—Vista provides a wealth of wonderful entertainment options between one gourmet meal and another. There is an area on the ship called the "Artist Loft" where the "resident artist" organizes free craft and painting classes; however, registration on the first day is required for the desired class. The spa on Oceania Vista is highly recommended. The "Aquamar Spa Terrace" is an area with large jacuzzis with jets, saunas, jet showers, heated chairs, and plenty of padded lounge chairs overlooking beautiful views and sunsets. There are spacious changing rooms with robes, towels, slippers, and of course free soft drinks. The spa is located on Deck 15 adjacent to the massage rooms and is intended for passengers from Concierge category and above. A real treat, especially recommended on cool days or in the evening after a day of touring in port.
Cruise Itinerary:
An "extended" Western Caribbean itinerary included destinations reached by ships even on "standard" 5-7 night itineraries like Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras, and Montego Bay in Jamaica, alongside more unique destinations like the port of Santo Tomas de Castilla on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, George Town in Grand Cayman, and also two recommended private islands of Norwegian Cruise Line (to which Oceania belongs): Harvest Caye in Belize and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
Itinerary destination details:
Cozumel Port
The first port, reached after a pampering day at sea, was the port of Cozumel, where many cruise ships arrive daily. You can take a taxi to a beautiful beach, go on a boat trip with snorkeling or swimming with stingrays, take a jeep or ATV tour, swim with dolphins, or visit Maya pyramids.
Attractions and Tours in Cozumel
Book tours in Cozumel for cruise passengers in the article: Tours in Cozumel
Costa Maya, Mexico
The second port, Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico is also one of the most popular ports for Western Caribbean cruises; almost all cruise ships of most companies on this route (and on routes to the Panama Canal and Central America from Florida) visit Costa Maya.
♦ Booking tours and excursions in Costa Maya from Viator:
The most recommended tour from this port is a boat trip in the "Bacalar" Lagoon, also known as the "Lagoon of 7 Colors" due to the seven shades of blue it has. The difference in shades is caused by differences in water depth. This is a very photogenic freshwater lagoon 55 kilometers long and about 2.5 kilometers wide at its wider part.
It has three "cenotes" - deep water cones - and several canals, and it is surrounded by vegetation, including many mangroves and tropical plants. It is a popular destination for swimming, kayaking, SUPing, sailing, and pontoon boats. The lagoon is located near a city of the same name: Bacalar, which has a large fortress and an expansive urban park. The lagoon is about a seventy-minute drive from Costa Maya port, passing several small villages on the way. A recommended company leading tours to the lagoon is Chac Ek Costa Maya which offers high-quality private and small group tours with excellent guides. We went on a tour with the perfect guide Selina, a driver named Moish who is also the owner of the company, and a lovely captain named Armando. In the pineapple town on the way to the lagoon, we stopped to buy tropical fruits which we ate during the boat trip. We sailed in the lagoon for about two hours, including a dip in the refreshing and clear water. From there we continued to an excellent Mexican restaurant (meal and drinks included in the price).
Maya pyramids sites can also be combined into the tour. The scenery, atmosphere, food, and guidance were perfect. Book in advance and don't get stuck in the godforsaken town near the port or in the crowded and commercialized port where 3-4 ships arrive daily. Don't take expensive and boring tours from the ship and it is really not recommended to look for tour companies in the port because there is only one company belonging to the port owners, whereas many better companies are not allowed to enter. You meet the guides immediately upon exiting the port gate. Attractive price, personal attention, flexibility, and high level.
Santo Tomas de Castilla Port, Guatemala
From there we continued to a port off the beaten track of Caribbean cruises: Santo Tomas de Castilla on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. This is a commercial port that few cruise ships visit. It is very difficult to find private or small group tours there, so contrary to our custom, we joined a ship tour (often part of the benefits received when booking an Oceania cruise is cruise credit from the company). The selection was rather limited and booking long in advance was required. We chose a three-and-a-quarter-hour tour to a rainforest called Las Escobas, only 20 minutes drive from the port. The reserve has a tidy hiking trail in the heart of the forest between rivers and waterfalls, partly on suspension bridges passing through a thicket of rich vegetation including giant trees, ferns, flowers, and mushrooms. You reach a wide waterfall with a clear pool, and those not afraid of cool water (refreshing in the local heat and humidity) can bathe in the waterfall's lake.
This is an easy circular route that ends at a small nature museum. Finally, tortillas are prepared and eaten with salsa, guacamole, cheeses, and bean spread. Befitting a rainforest, it rained for a significant part of the trip, occasionally a light drizzle and sometimes serious rain.
Harvest Caye
Next destination: Harvest Caye, the private island of Norwegian Cruise Line in Belize. On the island is a wonderful beach, lounge chairs and umbrellas for free use by ship passengers, expansive pools, a "splash pad," giant games like chess and checkers, beach volleyball, and just as important: a pier to which the ship docks, so no "tender" boat is needed to reach the shore.
Usually, the large Norwegian ships with 3,000-5,000 passengers arrive at the shore, but since Oceania has small ships and is a high-quality subsidiary of Norwegian, even when two ships from the company's larger series (Marina and Vista) arrived simultaneously at the port, the expansive beach was at the disposal of 2,000 passengers.
The beach can be reached by golf carts or a hiking trail. In addition to the beach, there is a marina with monkey-watching tours, snorkeling, water sports and leisure (such as paragliding), and boat rentals for sailing among the mangroves. There is also a zipline from a tall lighthouse-like tower over the sea where you can slide lying down like "Superman." There are plenty of shops and restaurants on the island (which are really not needed when arriving on ships with gourmet food). A perfect place where there is no need to look for taxis or transfers, without annoying vendors on the beach, with lifeguards everywhere, and everything is clean, well-maintained, and polished.
"Roatan"
The very next day, we reached "Roatan Island," a fairly small island in the country of Honduras, Central America, which has become one of the most popular destinations for cruise lines sailing the Western Caribbean. It has two ports; one wonderful port belonging to the Carnival corporation (visited by all the corporation's ships, including Princess, Holland America, Costa, etc.) where those who arrive do not need to leave for a tour because it has a wonderful beach and many activities. The second port is visited by all other companies—Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Virgin, Norwegian, Oceania, and more. In one day, more than 6 ships can be on the island in the two ports combined!
♦ Book tours and excursions in Roatan suitable for cruise passengers from Viator:
Includes pickup and return to the cruise port:
The second port underwent a serious renovation this summer and went from a rather dilapidated and neglected place to a modern and entertaining one. While it doesn't have a wonderful beach like the Carnival port, it has pools, hammocks, shops, restaurants, cafes, massage stalls, and more.
We arrived with the Oceania Vista. At the same time, another Oceania was in Roatan: the Marina, and two Royal Caribbean ships. In the more distant port, there were two additional ships. When you leave the ports, where the cruise lines' investments are evident, you reach dilapidated and neglected streets without sidewalks. Third world in all its glory…
Sea Day
After 4 ports in a row, there is nothing like a day of fun and leisure on the lovely ship in the heart of the sea before two more consecutive ports:
George Town
George Town, Grand Cayman is one of the wealthiest islands in the Western Caribbean, known for its 7 Mile Beach, its great reef, and a shallow lagoon where you can swim with stingrays.
Book tours and excursions in Grand Cayman from Viator:
Note: in this port, those who purchased a ship tour have priority in disembarking, which saves time in leaving and returning to the ship. Additionally, since returning to the ship takes longer than in other ports, you must take into account a longer buffer time for returning to the ship before sailing time.
The most famous and popular attraction on the island is Stingray City, considered one of the most unique underwater attractions in the world. A short boat trip (sailboat, motorboat, or catamaran) will bring you to a shallow area in the sea, north of the island, where you can swim with, pet, and feed large, domesticated, and friendly stingrays, and also snorkel near them.
Followed in sharp contrast by a day in the port of Montego Bay, Jamaica and a final sea day just before reaching Miami: Great Stirrup Cay, a private beach in the Bahamas.
