Oceania Cruises christened its newest ship, Oceania Allura, with a dazzling Miami pierside ceremony, culminating in a first-of-its-kind godparent christening.
Chefs Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Katie Button, Calvin Eng, Aisha Ibrahim, George Mendes and Lawrence “LT” Smith had the honour of representing the prestigious Food & Wine Best New Chefs franchise as godparents during the christening ceremony with the time-honoured tradition of breaking a Champagne bottle across the ship’s bow, bestowing good fortune on Oceania Allura and all who sail aboard her.
The fanfare commenced with a ship-wide cocktail reception and an exquisite dinner before moving to the pier for the ceremony and heartfelt remarks from dignitaries including the line’s chief luxury officer, Jason Montague, and chief commercial officer, Nathan Hickman, as well as Food & Wine publisher Tom Bair. Guests then rejoined the ship for a three-day celebratory round-trip Miami voyage.
Past godmothers
Guests included past 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 luxury cruise line’s first Executive Culinary Director, the renowned chef Jacques Pépin).
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome Oceania Allura to our fleet,” Oceania Cruises chief luxury officer, Jason Montague, said. “It is only fitting that she be christened in our hometown of Miami – a city that embodies vibrancy and sophistication. We are deeply honored to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside her distinguished godparents, marking a new chapter in our historic collaboration with Food & Wine.”
Tom Bair, publisher of Food & Wine said it was the beginning of an inspiring partnership between Food & Wine and Oceania Cruises.
“We both share a simple but powerful belief: that excellence never goes out of style,” he said. “For decades, we’ve each stood for craftsmanship, for creativity and for a deep respect for the culinary world – past, present and future. By naming Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs franchise as godparent of this beautiful ship, Oceania Cruises celebrates the future of dining. These chefs are innovators – redefining how we experience food – and now they’ll bring that creativity to the sea.”
Inaugural sailings
Oceania Allura’s inaugural season sailings span more than 92 destinations on an array of 7- to 34-day voyages, from iconic cities to lesser-known gems. Sister ship to Oceania Vista, which launched to great acclaim in 2023, Oceania Allura is the line’s eighth ship. Boasting the most spacious standard staterooms at sea, which measure more than 27 square metres, she is 791 feet (241 metres) long and weighs more than 67,000 tons. With a capacity for 1,200 guests at double occupancy, Oceania Allura has two crew members for every three guests, with half dedicated to culinary operations.
Among the 12 onboard dining experiences is the glamorous Grand Dining Room, featuring 270 new recipes across all three meal services, and the Crêperie, a completely new concept for the line, offering a selection of tempting French crêpes, Bruxelles waffles and bubble waffles, alongside gelato sundaes.
In addition, the cruise line reprises its original French restaurant, Jacques, named for chef Pépin. The menu for the new iteration of this much-loved dining venue is a collaboration between Pépin himself and the line’s current executive culinary directors and Master Chefs of France, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, blending new flavours with well-loved dishes that have been guest favourites since Jacques was first introduced aboard Oceania Marina when the ship launched.
