I am sitting in a comfortable chair on the verandah of my Concierge Suite on Oceania’s Regatta, sipping a G and T. The warm tropical breeze gently caresses my face as I stare out across the calm dark blue Timor Sea. The only sound is that of the parting waters made by Regatta as she moves slowly towards Timor. The gentle swaying movement of the ship is so relaxing, and I enter a twilight state where thoughts are random nirvana flashes. You get the picture?
It’s November 2022, and this mid-size ship is sailing from Darwin to Singapore over 12 days. It’s the first time since pre-COVID days that the reimagined Regatta is in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Regatta
She was built in 1998 and refurbished in 2019 with décor upgrades in the restaurants, lounges, and bars. She has fresh furniture, new carpets and lighting, and more authentic local food and wine.
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Most of the ample artwork throughout the ship is original, modern, and quirky. The 342 staterooms and suites have had a makeover, and range in size and comfort. There is a stateroom to suit everyone’s needs, including a top of the range Owner’s Suite, a 92sqm luxury apartment that screams wow factor, and my room, a Concierge Verandah Stateroom of 20sqm.
I am impressed with the inclusions in my room. A bottle of chilled French Champagne on entry. Bathrobes and slippers, three complimentary laundry services, large umbrella, a combo of Bulgari toiletries (these are heavenly to use), flat screen interactive TV, plenty of hanging and storage space, 24-hour room service, unlimited soft drinks, free Vero water bottle for onboard top up, free wifi (tended to drop out a lot, particularly in open waters).
The room is also fitted with soft close drawers. Nice touch! Oh, and there is always a choccie on my pillow at the end of the day.
The only downside is the small shower and toilet space. If you are a large person, it might be a bit of a squeeze.
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The library
The library is stunning – a large area with old world English décor, filled with a huge variety of books to browse. It’s so nice to sit in the soft leather chairs in one of the nooks and read, sip on a latte from Baristas Bar, or just relax and nod off. Next door to the library is a dedicated room with a bank of computers for passenger use.
The restaurants, bars, and entertainment
Oceania Cruises prides itself on its culinary offerings. With two specialty restaurants, Toscana, and Polo Grill, providing exquisite cuisine with the finest of fresh ingredients. Polo Grill’s pancetta wrapped fillet of veal with bay lobster tail Oscar style was my favourite. The Grand Dining Room is a large room with fabulous décor and silver service for regular dining. The more casual Terrace Café serves up regional specialties with locally sourced produce – the rear open deck is a great way to enjoy a meal on a balmy evening.
Poolside, Waves Grill is a nice alternative for hearty burgers, paninis, and yummy ice cream cones. Wherever you want to eat on board, you will not be disappointed with the high-quality cuisine.
Martinis bar is my pick for pre- and after-dinner cocktails – indulge yourself with a Nutty Martini. Absolute heaven!
After a gym workout, Baristas, for a latte and pastry is my standard morning fare.
Horizons, on the top deck is great for a peaceful afternoon tea (with a food trolley full of wonderful cakes, pastries, and scones), whilst listening to the classical sounds of the string quartet. This is also the venue to let your hair down later at night, with a great band and a night cap – a special Margarita with a dash of Grand Marnier, thank you.
There is only one show each night in the comfortable Regatta Lounge providing an entertaining array of performers – a magician, a soloist, a multi-instrumentalist, and the Regatta Production Cast. There are also late-night movies, daily trivia quiz, board and card games, table tennis, golf putting, enrichment speakers and casino events.
The Aquamar Spa is the place to be pampered with a treatment or massage – I had an awesome Marine Detox.
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Smaller is better
My previous cruising experiences have been on larger vessels with up to 4000 passengers. I must say that Regatta (guest capacity 680 passengers) is indeed very easy to get around. With fewer passengers (only 350 passengers on board and about 400 staff from 50 nations – a great ratio!), there are never any issues with seating times in the specialty restaurants, queues at the casual ‘walk up’ Terrace Cafe, getting a pool lounge, using gym equipment, or getting a seat in the Regatta Lounge for the nightly entertainment.
The demographic
Oceania seems to appeal to older travellers, with an approximate median age of about 60. There are no children onboard.
Oceania is not your budget cruise line. The cost of my Concierge Veranda Room is A$4730, which as a base rate is not expensive. However, the extras for beverages, excursions, and boutique shop spending in US dollars, bumps up the cost considerably.
There are ways to reduce the costs – go for packages. The OLife Choice allows you to choose your level of inclusivity. There is an Oceania membership reward scheme, early bird concessions and two-for-one fares available.
For the excursions, my recommendation is to go for a UPC (Unlimited Passport Collection), a set fee (US$909 + 18 per cent gratuity – about A$1600) for unlimited a la carte excursions. There is a supplement fee for small-sized special tours.
At most ports, you can do your own tours – go online and hire a driver to meet you at the port. This is a cheaper and more flexible way to do your own thing. Be warned though – the ship will not wait for you if you arrive back late.
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My impressions
Oceania’s Regatta is a mid-size luxury ship with a well-deserved reputation. There were never any queues and getting around was easy. The food was always superb and freshly cooked to order. The service throughout the ship was excellent and nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. I recommend you do your own research when looking at the extensive selection of land excursions.
For the older demographic, who enjoy luxury pampering, you couldn’t ask for anything better than cruising Oceania. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s best to visit Oceania’s website to plan a cruise well ahead of time and to search out what’s on offer.
Are you a fan of cruising? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Max was a guest of Oceania Cruises.
