Jason Worth is the Vice President of International Sales at Oceania Cruises, a position he has held since August 2023, leading the company's sales operations in the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Brazil. Prior to this role, he was responsible for the strategic expansion, vision, and continued growth of the company's presence in the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific market.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 71 – December 2024
Jason has worked for Oceania Cruises' parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, since 2011. He has held various positions, including Vice President of Sales and General Manager for Asia-Pacific at Oceania Cruises; Vice President of Finance and Accounting – Asia-Pacific at NCLH, in addition to roles in Finance, Treasury, and Investor Relations.
“We are the only company created by food lovers, run by food lovers, and for food lovers.”
Oceania Cruises continues to stand out for its excellent cuisine, even as other cruise lines have made significant strides in this area. What makes Oceania Cruises still recognized for having the best cuisine at sea?
We are known for offering The Finest Cuisine at Sea®, but this is not just a slogan; it is a mantra upon which we have built our business. Gastronomy is the foundation of everything we do on board each of our ships and, globally, in the destinations we visit.
To guarantee the impeccable quality of every dish, we have one chef for every ten passengers; in fact, half of our crew on board is dedicated to cooking or serving food.
Many other cruise lines focus on their cuisine, but we are the only one created by food lovers, run by food lovers, and for food lovers. Food has been at the heart of our business since day one. Our new ships are literally designed around the spacious kitchens, which are the first thing planned.
All of our specialty gourmet restaurants are always included in the cruise price for all guests, and this has been the case since our launch more than 20 years ago.
In addition to our wonderful specialty restaurants, we offer a range of more relaxed dining options on board. For example, the Terrace Café, where we host Chef's Market Dinners featuring incredible local ingredients and dishes inspired by the destinations we visit on most of our voyages; The Bakery at Baristas on the Vista, which offers irresistible French and Italian pastries; and Waves Grill by the pool, serving delicious burgers and sandwiches for lunch, and pizzas, salads, and burrata dishes in the evening. The best cuisine at sea doesn't always mean the most sophisticated; it can also be a freshly baked pizza with a glass of rosé on deck.
Last year, Oceania Cruises was honored at the Excellence Cruise Awards in Spain for having the best cuisine and the best round-the-world cruise. What makes Oceania's round-the-world voyage so special?
We were thrilled to win both awards. Our Around The World journeys are simply spectacular. With a variety of world-famous cities, paradise islands, hidden gems, and relaxing days at sea, they are the ultimate way to explore the world. Our boutique ships have a welcoming, residential feel, and on this 180-day odyssey, the ship becomes your true home away from home.
I believe the secret of our success lies in our small, luxurious ships, the incredible onboard service from our talented officers and crew, the gastronomy, and the amazing itinerary—a winning combination.
We are just a few weeks away from the departure of the 2025 round-the-world cruise, always a very special event on our calendar.
In 2026, Vista will circumnavigate the globe for the first time, which is incredibly exciting. Launched last year (2023) to great global acclaim, it represents the evolution of Oceania Cruises. For the first time, Vista will feature centers such as The Culinary Center, our hands-on cooking school, and the Artist Loft, where guests can learn to draw and paint with experts. This will add exciting new elements to the voyage.
“In 2026, the Vista will circumnavigate the globe for the first time.”
Oceania continues to expand its fleet and presence in markets around the world. What are its current emerging markets and what are its expansion goals?
Like our seasoned travelers, Oceania Cruises is a truly global company. We are always looking to spread our message and attract more people to sail with us.
We are preparing to welcome the Allura, Vista's sister ship, to the fleet in July 2025. This will mean we will have a fleet of eight small luxury ships sailing the world. In addition, we have two new ships under construction scheduled for 2027 and 2028, which will be a new class of vessel. Exciting times are ahead.
A couple of years ago they launched “Simply More” and now they’re introducing “Your World Included.” What can you tell us about these initiatives?
Oceania Cruises recently unveiled its new brand promise, Your World Included, which features an updated selection of always-included services for all its global guests, most notably gratuities for cabin crew, butlers, and waiters, automatically included in the cruise price.
A fundamental pillar of Oceania Cruises' promise is that guests discover the world as they wish, reflected in our motto: Your World. Your Way®.
This promise includes a rich selection of details and services always included such as gourmet restaurants, in-suite meals, unlimited Starlink Wi-Fi, soft drinks, coffees, water, juices, smoothies, ice cream, fitness classes, laundry service and tips, and guests can also personalize their experience with extras according to their preferences such as flight options, ground excursions and drinks.
The Allura, with similar features to the Vista, will arrive in July 2025. However, two additional ships have already been ordered, this time with 86,000 tons, greater capacity, and more passengers. Can the service and quality standards be maintained with larger ships?
Yes, we have two more ships on order after welcoming the Allura to the family—exciting times indeed.
In terms of size, the new ships will be slightly larger and will accommodate 250 additional guests compared to our current largest ships. This isn't a significant increase in passenger capacity. The signature service levels and onboard experience that Oceania Cruises values will maintain our current high standards. We consider our ships our home, and when we welcome you home, we do so with open hearts.
We will have some new concepts on board for these ships, which are a new class of vessel for us, but we will reveal more about this later.
“All our specialty gourmet restaurants are always included in the cruise price.”.
Tell us about the other innovations and developments planned for the coming years.
Let's talk about food again. Earlier this year, we announced the addition of our two Master Chefs from France, Chef Alexis Quaretti and Chef Eric Barale, as our new Chief Kitchen Officers.
We are the only cruise company that has two Master Chefs of France, as both Chef Alex and Chef Eric have been included in the prestigious ranks of the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.
Chefs Alex and Eric, along with their talented teams, are reviewing and refining existing dishes and creating new ones across all the fleet's dining spaces. Many of the new dishes will debut on the Allura and then be introduced on other ships.
Speaking of the Allura, a new culinary space, La Crêperie, will open on board when the ship enters service in July 2025. Located next to Baristas, the company's flagship coffee shop, La Crêperie will offer a selection of tempting French crêpes, Brussels waffles, and bubble waffles, along with Italian gelato sundaes available from mid-morning through the afternoon.
Chefs Alex and Eric have developed more than 20 recipes for this new space. The menu includes options such as the classic French crêpe Suzette and Brussels waffles with fresh banana, salted caramel sauce, and whipped cream, plus the possibility for guests to customize and create their perfect dessert, opening the door to almost endless combinations.
We have much more to share in the next 12 months, though I can't tell you everything yet. There are many things in the works.
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