Tag Archives: Insignia

A Look at the Future of Oceania Cruises’ R-Class Ships

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A Look at the Future of Oceania Cruises’ R-Class Ships

Oceania Cruises is set to undergo significant changes over the next few years with the debut of newbuilds and the retirement of its older vessels.

Having been fully repositioned into the luxury market, the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ (NCLH) brand is moving on from its older R-class ships, which are being sold off, repurposed or chartered.

Cruise Industry News looks at the company’s plans for the four ships, which originally debuted between 1998 and 2001.

Sirena
Capacity: 684
Tonnage: 30,200
Year Built: 2000
Fate: Sold to undisclosed buyer
Farewell Cruise: March 24, 2028

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced the sale of the Sirena in late July. While a buyer was not named, the ship is expected to be delivered to its new owners after its spring 2028 deployment.

Originally launched as the R4 in 2000, the 684-passenger ship was acquired by Oceania in 2016, after spending over a decade sailing for Princess Cruises.

Nautica
Capacity: 684
Tonnage: 30,200
Year Built: 2000
Fate: To become Oceania Aurelia
Farewell Cruise: October 15, 2027

The Nautica will remain in service for Oceania Cruises after undergoing a significant refurbishment in late 2027.

According to the company, the 2000-built ship will be reimagined as the “ultimate world explorer,” embarking on longer cruises and the brand’s 180-day Around the World Voyages. Renamed Oceania Aurelia, the vessel will offer larger suites and capacity will be trimmed from 684 to under 400.

Regatta
Capacity: 684
Tonnage: 30,200
Year Built: 1998
Fate: Chartered to My Cruises
Farewell Cruise: August 17, 2026

The Regatta will leave Oceania Cruises’ fleet this year having been chartered to My Cruises’ Explorations by Norwegian brand.

The Australian tour operator will operate world cruises onboard the 30,200-ton vessel, currently holding a two-year charter agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“At the conclusion of the initial term, the charter may be extended for multiple years or, alternatively, the vessel may be sold to a third-party cruise operator,” NCLH stated in its 2026 second quarter earnings presentation.

Insignia
Capacity: 684
Tonnage: 30,200
Year Built: 1999
Fate: To remain in fleet for the time being
Farewell Cruise: TBD

The Insignia is staying in the company’s fleet for the time being. The 30,200-ton ship was previously slated to be withdrawn in 2027 to become a residential cruise ship for Crescent Seas but the plan later fell through.

While no new long-term plans have been announced, Oceania’s published deployment includes departures onboard the 30,200-ton ship through November 2027.

NCLH To Remove 5,000+ Berths from Fleet by 2027

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will remove over 5,000 berths from service by 2027, with four ships now set to exit the line’s trio of brands.

After previously announcing the departures of Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator and Oceania’s Insignia, NCLH confirmed on Monday that it is also retiring the Norwegian Sky and the Norwegian Sun.

Currently in service for Norwegian Cruise Line, the 2,000-guest sister ships will be handed over to Cordelia Cruises in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

With the Seven Seas Navigator and the Insignia being handed over to Crescent Seas in 2026 and 2027, the NCLH fleet will see a reduction of roughly 5,200 berths over the next two years.

Pursuing an aggressive newbuild strategy, the company will add new vessels to offset this reduction.

All of NCLH’s three brands are welcoming new ships over the next three years, including Oceania, which is taking delivery of new vessels in 2025 and 2027, adding 2,650 berths to its fleet

Regent Seven Seas also welcomes a new vessel, the Seven Seas Prestige. The 850-guest ship is scheduled to enter service in 2026.

Norwegian Cruise Line is set to take delivery of two Prima-class ships during the timeframe, including the 3,571-guest Norwegian Luna in 2026. The company will also welcome a fifth ship in the Prima series in 2027. This follows the new Norwegian Aqua, which was delivered by Fincantieri in March.

According to CIN data, the five new vessels will add more than 10,000 berths to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ fleet.

For a breakdown of the company’s fleet, see the Global Cruise Ship Index by Cruise Industry News,

Oceania Cruises plans to completely revamp two of its ships, Riviera and Marina

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Oceania Cruises plans to completely revamp two of its ships, Riviera and Marina, and give them a full “stem-to-stern” overhaul.

The undertaking, which will be completed over the course of this year and next, is the next step in its ongoing OceaniaNEXT programme.


Once completed, Oceania said it would proudly deploy a fully refreshed fleet comprising brand new or “better-than-new” ships in every destination.


Oceania expects Riviera to re-enter service in December 2022 and Marina in November 2023. Each ship will accommodate 1,210 guests.


Every suite and stateroom will be renovated, while public spaces will feature a refreshed colour palette, new fabrics, furnishings and light fittings.


“At Oceania Cruises, we continue to raise the bar and elevate the guest experience at every opportunity,” said president and chief executive Howard Sherman.


He added the work would extend to new culinary concepts and “immersive new destination experiences”.

Riviera will debut on 7 December sailing a 16-day Mediterranean, Atlantic and Caribbean cruise from Rome to Miami.


It will then resume sailing seven- to 14-day trips from Miami to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America before returning to Europe in late March 2023. An inaugural Far East season will follow in late 2023 and early 2024.


Marina, meanwhile, will return to service on 13 November 2023 sailing a seven-day cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon. From Lisbon, Marina will sail to Miami to sail its annual South America season, starting 3 December 2023.
Details of Oceania’s 2024 itineraries will follow in the coming weeks.


Oceania’s other ships – Insignia, Regatta, Sirena and latterly Nautica – have all been refreshed, with Nautica returning to service on 1 April.