Oceania Cruises christened its newest ship, Oceania Allura™, during a dazzling ceremony at the Miami pier, culminating in a one-of-a-kind christening performed by a group of godmothers and godfathers.
Renowned chefs Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Katie Button, Calvin Eng, Aisha Ibrahim, George Mendes and Lawrence “LT” Smith had the honor of representing the prestigious Food & Wine Best New Chefs as godparents of the ship during the ceremony, following the tradition of breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow to wish good fortune to the Oceania Allura and all who sail on her.
The festivities began with a ship-wide cocktail reception and a sumptuous dinner, before moving to the pier for the ceremony and speeches by several dignitaries, including the line's Chief Luxury Officer, Jason Montague; Chief Commercial Officer, Nathan Hickman; and Tom Bair, Food & Wine. Guests then returned to the ship for a three-day celebratory round-trip cruise from Miami.
The event was attended by distinguished guests, including a group of former godmothers: Giada De Laurentiis (godmother of Oceania Vista®), Cat Cora (godmother of Oceania Riviera™) and Claudine Pépin (godmother of Oceania Sirena™ and daughter of the line's first Executive Culinary Director, renowned chef Jacques Pépin).
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Oceania Allura to our fleet,” said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises. “It is fitting that this christening takes place in our hometown of Miami, a vibrant and sophisticated city. We are deeply honored to celebrate this event with her distinguished godparents, marking a new chapter in our historic partnership with Food & Wine.”
Tom Bair, editor of Food & Wine, added: “This is the beginning of an inspiring partnership between Food & Wine and Oceania Cruises. We share a simple yet powerful belief: excellence never goes out of style. For decades, we have both championed craftsmanship, creativity, and a deep respect for the culinary world. By naming the Best New Chefs as godparents of this beautiful ship, Oceania Cruises is celebrating the future of gastronomy. These chefs are innovators, redefining how we experience food, and now they will bring that creativity to the sea.”
Oceania Allura 's inaugural season encompasses more than 92 destinations with voyages ranging from 7 to 34 days, from iconic cities to hidden gems. Sister ship to the highly successful Oceania Vista , launched in 2023, Oceania Allura is the line's eighth ship. It boasts the most spacious standard staterooms at sea—over 290 square feet—and measures 791 feet (241 meters) in length, with a gross tonnage of over 67,000. Accommodating 1,200 guests at double occupancy, Oceania Allura features a crew-to-guest ratio of two to three passengers, half of whom are dedicated to culinary operations.
Among the 12 onboard dining experiences are the glamorous Grand Dining Room, which features 270 new recipes in its three daily services, and the Crêperie, a completely new concept for the line, offering French crepes, Brussels waffles, bubble waffles and gelato sundaes.
In addition, the line is bringing back its original French restaurant, Jacques, named in honor of Chef Pépin. The menu for this new iteration of the beloved restaurant is a collaboration between Chef Pépin himself and the line's current Executive Culinary Directors and Master Chefs of France, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, combining new flavors with classic favorites since its debut aboard Oceania Marina™.
Follow cruise news at Cruisesnews.es
