BARCELONA — The Oceania Riviera was our christening christening, which is to say our first. If you're like us and you've never been able to enjoy the spectacle of seeing a cruise ship become official, what follows will give you a rough idea what happens… The ceremony begins with the pre-ceremony. Acrobats tie themselves… Continue reading Oceania Riviera Christening Cat's Meow
Tag: Oceania
A City and A Painter Linked Forever
AIX-EN-PROVENCE — In Hollywood, famous people get their "star" or a handprint on a sidewalk. In this pretty little place, Paul Cezanne gets the sidewalk. You wouldn't likely find Aix-en-Provence (pronounced "ex-on-prah-vence) unless you took a guided tour from the Oceania Riviera, moored 28 kilometres away, like we did. By extension, you also wouldn't see… Continue reading A City and A Painter Linked Forever
Oceania Riviera: Big Day in Barcelona
ON THE MEDITERRANEAN — They call it a "christening" when a cruise ship sails for the first time and, religious conflicts aside, it's probably the right term. The word dovetails nicely with cruising, the ship gets a ceremonial bath, and its name becomes official. For the Oceania Riviera, this will happen tomorrow, in Barcelona, and… Continue reading Oceania Riviera: Big Day in Barcelona
Marseilles: Two Ports Busier Than Ever
MARSEILLE, France — We loved this first-ever Mediterranean seaport the last time we were here. Then we remembered why. We'd been travelling the roads of France with two teenagers and a pre-teen, squishing five people in hotel rooms built for four (or less), and when we arrived in Marseille, the people at the Novotel… Continue reading Marseilles: Two Ports Busier Than Ever
Oceania: One Delicious Cruise Preview
A husband and wife from Houston write about (and take photos of) cruises, just like we do, so it will come as no surprise that we are friends. But we knew Harry and Joan Shattuck many, many years before any of us had been on a cruise ship, let alone written about one. Today, the… Continue reading Oceania: One Delicious Cruise Preview