Oceana is the fourth largest ship in the current P&O Cruises fleet, a middle-weight cruise ship – she is instantly recognisable by the curious mustard coloured sports area construction encompassing her funnel towards the stern.
She is a primarily British cruise market vessel, and the majority of her passengers will be English speaking, meeting new friends or bumping into associates is easy due to her large central atrium. The atrium area is plush and decadent having originally been part of the Princess Cruises fleet she retains much of her former luxury, while positioning herself as a value-for-money P&O cruise ship. Oceana though has an overall informal atmosphere, this is helped and encouraged by the number of family orientated passengers who sail with her.
Standard staterooms may seem small, however they cater to your needs and are very comfortable for short term cruises. A number of the staterooms are internal meaning there is no view, those lucky enough to acquire an outside stateroom will benefit from a private balcony, albeit small. What the Oceana lacks in spacious accommodation it makes up for with on-board entertainment and amenities.
Cuisine and dining on-board Oceana is British all the way, menus in the two main restaurants offer honest food such as leg of pork, grilled salmon and pan-fried chicken. The menu may not appear to be instantly adventurous however everything is presented and cooked perfectly and accompanied with rich sauces and gravies. The Plaza offers a self-service buffet, definitely worth visiting to take in the view. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal making it a great place to start the day. A voyage on a P&O cruise would not be complete without some mention of associate chef Marco Pierre White, head on out to the Café Jardin where you’ll discover food designed by the 3 Michelin-star award winner.
As mentioned above the sports area is housed within the ships funnel where you can play basketball or tennis. There is more than adequate gym facilities on-board, and four swimming pools, although they are all outside and can become quite busy/ cramped due to the large number of surrounding deckchairs. The Ocean Spa is the place to go to be pampered after a workout, or just if you feel like being pampered.