Oceania Vista: Lisbon to Barcelona for people who travel to eat
Portugal, Andalusia and the Spanish coast with the best restaurants at sea, at an upper-premium price.
Cruise line
Oceania Cruises
Food-led, country-club casual ships of around 670 to 1,200 guests at an accessible luxury price.
Oceania sits at the upper-premium end: smaller-than-mainstream ships with excellent restaurants, long port stays, a relaxed dress code and a price point that leaves room for better suites or longer trips.
Oceania's reputation rests on its restaurants, and in our experience it deserves it. The ships are mid-sized, the itineraries are port-intensive with long days ashore, and the atmosphere is relaxed and grown-up. It is less inclusive than the ultra-luxury lines, which is why it costs less; drinks and excursions are extra unless you choose a more inclusive fare.
Children are permitted but there are no facilities for them, so Oceania suits couples and adult family groups. For grandparents hosting adult children who want excellent food and a few more days at sea for the money, it is a strong option.
What's included
- Speciality dining
- Wi-Fi
- Soft drinks and speciality coffees
- Optional more-inclusive fares
Ships
- Vista
- Allura
- Marina
- Riviera
- Regatta
- Insignia
- Nautica
- Sirena
The ships
Oceania Cruises at sea
Licensed photographs of the actual ships, not brochure renders.
Oceania Cruises' Riviera, sister ship to Vista, seen from the quay Photo: Piergiuliano Chesi · CC BY 3.0
On board
What Oceania Cruises is actually like
Four honest notes, in our words, on the things people ask us about most.
- Suites
- Verandas on most categories; the Penthouse suites with butler are good value for grandparents, and Vista and Allura have the newest interiors. Standard staterooms are compact.
- Dining
- Food is the reason to choose Oceania: Jacques Pépin's influence, Red Ginger, Toscana and Polo Grill all included, plus a culinary centre with hands-on classes.
- Facilities
- A pool, a good spa, a library and a relaxed country-club feel; destination-heavy itineraries with long port days.
- Children
- No children's facilities; children are allowed but there is nothing for them to do. Right for food-loving adult families, grandparents and couples.
Who it's for
- Couples and adult family groups who care about food
- Grandparents hosting adult children who want value
- Travellers who want long days in port
Who it isn't for
- Families with children
- Travellers who want a fully inclusive fare
- Anyone wanting butler service and the very top tier of luxury
Cruise ideas
Sailings we'd consider with Oceania Cruises
Planning figures per person; the final price depends on date, suite and availability.
Not sure Oceania Cruises is the right fit?
Tell us who's travelling and what matters most. We'll say honestly whether we'd book this line for you, or which one we'd choose instead.
Where they sail
Destinations
Mediterranean
The easiest great cruise there is: short flights, famous ports, and a ship for every kind of family.
Greek Islands
Small ships, island overnights, and a late season that runs into October.
Adriatic & Croatia
Venice, Dubrovnik and Kotor in a week, on ships small enough for the old harbours.
Caribbean
Winter sun for the whole family, on ships that make Christmas and half-term easy.
Norwegian Fjords
No long flight, dramatic scenery from your terrace, and a season made for grandparents.
Baltic & Northern Capitals
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn and Helsinki in a week, with culture the whole way.
Compared
Oceania Cruises against the alternatives
The best luxury cruises for food
Where the food is genuinely worth the fare: Oceania, Silversea, Regent, Seabourn and Explora compared for restaurants, inclusions and the kind of traveller each suits.
Good to know
Oceania Cruises: questions we're asked
Is Oceania luxury?
Upper-premium rather than ultra-luxury. The food, service and itineraries are excellent; the fare includes less than Regent or Silversea, and the ships are busier. We say so plainly when we propose it.
Further reading
Before you decide on Oceania Cruises
Our own planning notes: who a ship suits, how many cabins to book, when to go.
The best cruises to take with your grandchildren
Which ships work when the party spans seventy years, what to look for in a children's programme, and the itineraries we would start with.
Seven luxury cruise myths, dispelled by people who sail them
Crowds, buffets, seasickness, feeling trapped, dressing for dinner, children underfoot and the price. What is true of a 3,000-guest ship is mostly untrue of a 300-guest one. Here is what we tell first-time guests.
Cruising with teenagers: the ships that actually work
Teenagers are the hardest age to please on a ship and the easiest to lose to a phone. The lines, cabins and itineraries that keep a fifteen-year-old on side.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us who's travelling, where you'd like to go and what matters most. A cruise specialist shortlists the two or three ships we'd actually recommend.