By guest blogger Steve NewmanScheduled to launch in January 2011, Oceania Cruises’ new 1,250-guest Marina successfully completed her sea trials on September 26, including three days of sailing the Mediterranean for the first time.
During the trials, technicians and engineers from the Fincantieri shipyard and Oceania's own marine and technical teams evaluated the vessel’s speed, maneuverability, hydrodynamics and propulsion, among many other aspects of the ship’s performance.
“She is a beautiful ship. Marina was extremely maneuverable with virtually no vibration to be felt, even at high speeds,” stated Captain Dimitrios Flokos, the ship’s master. “Marina exceeded all expectations. In fact, shipyard representatives commented this was the most successful sea trial in recent history for technical performance.” A second and final round of trials will be run just prior to the ship’s delivery. The 65,000-ton ship – being built at Fincantieri in Sestre Ponente, Italy – is scheduled for delivery January 17.
“Her first foray at sea was a resounding success. Marina exhibited exceptional sea-keeping abilities, is amazingly agile and cruised at more than 22 knots with plenty of power in reserve,” said Robin Lindsay, the line’s executive vice president of vessel operations, who was on board during the test run. “Now that sea trials are successfully concluded, we will focus on finishing her magnificent interiors.”
The ship’s inaugural schedule includes a 13-day Maiden Voyage departing January 22 from Barcelona to Miami, where inaugural activities are planned. On February 8, Marina departs on the first of two 18-day Panama Canal transits that visit San Francisco or San Diego, both new ports for Oceania Cruises. Marina then operates a 12-day Caribbean cruise, round-trip from Miami, departing March 16, before sailing along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and on to Europe to begin her inaugural Mediterranean season.
To learn more about Marina, visit www.oceaniacruises.co.uk/ and, for great deals, check out www.cruiseline.co.uk/oceania-cruises/.
Don’t forget, too, that you can find out more in person at the wonderful CRUISE Show, which will be held in Birmingham on October 16-17 and in London next March (26-27).
It will be really interesting to see just how well Marina shapes up when she enters service, as this is potentially a real game-changer for the upper-premium level in cruising. Oceania have been very impressive to date, but their first purpose-built vessel could well raise their appeal to new levels.
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