I spotted them as soon as I hit the
gate for my connecting flight to Barcelona: A couple dragging a
carry-on suitcase with the old Renaissance Cruises' "R" stateroom
tag attached to its handle.
I didn't see that suitcase again, but in the course of my
weeklong trip with Oceania Cruises and its newly refurbished R
ship, the Regatta, I met plenty of former Renaissance passengers
who were, in a phrase, delighted to "be back."
Granted, Oceania is not Renaissance reincarnated. The old un-agent-friendly sales reps are gone. There's currently
one ship (next year there'll be two), not eight. And there's a Federal Maritime bond posted to protect consumers
if the line goes bust -- as well as an escrow account for clients'
monies paid.
Oceania has no intention of going bust, however.
The ship is ready to sail, and the passengers seem willing.
Executives say the Europe-based Regatta is booked through
October, and a summer charter of the identical Insignia has been a
success.
"The only cruise lines that make money are those cruise lines that
fill ships," said Oceania president Frank Del Rio as he relaxed
just outside the Martinis lounge with a handful of hors
d'oeuvres. "You make all your money on the last 10% of your occupancy."
The inaugural cruise sailed full, Oceania executives said.
It seemed a little strange that guests on a brand-new cruise
line would consider a maiden voyage to be a homecoming. But the passengers -- who seemed in overwhelming numbers to be
graduates of the Renaissance school of cruising -- were ready to
settle in on the Regatta, and they praised the small-ship feel and the
casual atmosphere.
In fact, a small row erupted when the daily program noted that
the dress code for captain's welcome night was to be "formal
optional."
After passengers complained during an open question-and-answer
session with the line's top bosses that they weren't aware of any
such formal night on the Oceania line, chairman Joseph Watters
admitted that "maybe we need to look at our wording and revise
that."
There is little doubt that the vessel itself is classy and
inviting. The furniture on board is comfortable, and the rooms are
easy to navigate.
Several million dollars' worth of renovations were made to the
upper decks, especially in the alternative restaurants, the pool
deck, the spa and the forward nightclub.
The two alternative restaurants, Polo Grill (the country-club
steakhouse) and Toscana (an Italian bistro) were very popular. In
fact, on the first sailing booking a table at the Polo Grill was
akin to getting a reservation at Manhattan's expensive, popular Le
Cirque -- except that here even being "well connected" didn't do
much good.
The maitre'd, who took reservations starting at 7:30 a.m. each
morning for the next 48-hour period, reported with disbelief that
guests would begin calling an hour earlier than that for tables.
Hotel executives said they were working on another system for
reservations.
Del Rio and Watters have emphasized the line's superior food and
superior sleeping accommodations since they began promoting the
company earlier this year.
The cuisine was tasty and simple, but elegant. The dining room
food was as good as that in the alternative restaurants, but the
bonus of the alternative venues was a smaller, more intimate
atmosphere. One night the guests at our table were able to witness a
spectacular Mediterranean sunset from a windowside table at the
Polo Grill.
Oceania's new dinner concept, a tapas restaurant in the outdoor
section of its lido buffet, the Terrace, was a surprise hit.
When I ate there, I watched as plates of the tiny seafood
appetizers kept coming out, accompanied by a waiter to explain what
was on the menu. After tapas, I had a main course of paella and several desserts,
washed down with sangria and coffee. By meal's end, I was
officially stuffed to the gills.
Entertainment does not seem to be a strong focus of the line.
Evening activities were limited to low-key events like outdoor
movies; a pianist performed a few nights. As I disembarked, I
overheard guests say that a comedian had come aboard.
The crew had a test run on a cruise previous to this one, a
"friends-and-family" voyage populated with pals of bosses Del Rio
and Watters plus investors and other top brass of the new cruise
line.
But the first revenue cruise was still somewhat of a
trial-by-fire for the 400 crew members, as they struggled to time
the food orders, or describe new shore excursions, or deal with
out-of-service laundry machines (and the out-of-sorts passengers
whose clothes needed washing).
The crew is "a young group, a good-looking group," just as Del
Rio said the line had planned it.
Several had been hired away from shoreside hotels, so for many
it was their first time on a moving hotel.
One bar waiter I met was a former accountant in South Africa.
That translated into some -- make that many -- mistakes the first
few days. But it also generated some positive aspects.
Bar waiters around the pool didn't push drinks. Even the staff
photographers asked kindly for permission before they snapped your
photo.
No doubt, as the crew becomes more polished, things will
change. Del Rio said the line is working to reduce the time guests sit
at dinner to under two hours.
But I hope that crew members won't lose their most valuable
asset: an overwhelming friendliness, which more than made up for
any errors or delays.
Friendliness extended to my fellow cruisers. The casual ambience of the ship and its open seating plan meant
that we were able to sit and chat comfortably with almost anyone on
board.
I met new friends everywhere: the first day, when we were
allowed to board the ship early and went hunting for food (no food
was served until embarkation formally began at 3 p.m.); on our
shore excursions; at dinner; and by the pool. By the third day, it was possible to run the gauntlet at the
pool and wave hello to every fourth or fifth group of guests as
well as the bar waiters.
Meals, meanwhile, were never finished without a chat with the
assistant maitre'd.
On the fourth day, I ducked out on the pianist's recital of
popular Broadway themes to catch the Regatta's transit of the
Strait of Gibraltar. A member of the ship's restaurant staff was
strolling the top deck for a breath of fresh air.
As the tip of Spain slipped behind us, he braced his hands on
the ship's rail and looked pensive. The ship's crew was improving,
he said. The crew is not just in the restaurant business, or the
ship business, he said.
"We are in the taking-care-of-people business. We have to tell
them where to go, when to do it, where to eat, what to see," he
added. "It is much more than just taking your order."
To contact reporter Rebecca Tobin, send e-mail to [email protected].