The Feeling of Family: Grand Voyages

We often use the phrase “home away from home” aboard our small, luxurious ships and nowhere is that more true than aboard some of Oceania Cruises’ most leisurely and desirable voyages – Grand Voyages. When guests embark knowing that they will be on for the length of at least two or more cruises, relaxation just seems to settle in that much more quickly. There’s an exhalation and the pure enjoyment begins. Sometimes it really feels like a family reunion on embarkation day – joyful greetings, hugs and a warm sense of connection.

A Family at Sea
As a Cruise Director with Oceania Cruises since the very beginning when we christened Regatta back in 2003, the opportunity to extend our signature hospitality to our guests is always a pleasure no matter the length of the voyage. However, it’s particularly rewarding when guests stay on for extended periods of time. For the past five years, I have been Cruise Director for the first half of the Around the World voyages. Those yearly experiences have been such a joy. The same is true for our Grand Voyages in Europe, and we have so many intriguing and fascinating opportunities in our new 2022 Europe & North America Collection.

During these longer cruises, you notice an increased sense of camaraderie on board and the feeling of family everyone enjoys. It gives us the chance to get to know each other better – or in some cases, continue a relationship that started many years ago. I love being able to dine with guests more than once a cruise and I know so many of our guests enjoy the same with travel friends and staff and officers they’ve met over the years. As the days pass, you see more and more friendships forming and deepening – it’s a beautiful thing. Not to mention that longer voyages raise the stakes for our ever-popular trivia and challenge me to come up with new trivia questions every day!

I have to say that long-lasting friendships, especially from these longer voyages where you get to know each other that much more, have been one of the most enriching elements, personally and professionally, of a life at sea. And since I moved to Las Vegas, I have been able to host many of our guests when they come to town. It really is a family.

European Grand Voyages: Cultural Adventures
One of my favorite itineraries has always been any cruise that starts or ends in Venice or Istanbul. The adventures that await our guests are endless. I often have the opportunity to join guests ashore and get to experience their first time in certain European destinations with them. Seeing their faces light up is unforgettable.

I always say that the old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” also applies to exploring a city like Venice, Athens, Bordeaux and of course, Rome. When you take a European Grand Voyage that includes Venice, you usually have three days to explore and really take in the Venetian way of life.

The experiences just take on a new depth and are that much more immersive with more time in the destination and typically more extensive explorations of particular countries with multiple ports of call. Suddenly, the many personalities of Italy, France, Spain or Greece emerge and the entire experience becomes rewarding and exciting in new ways.

Personally, I love being able to do commentary from the bridge when we sail into ports like Venice, Kotor, Istanbul, and parts of Northern Europe. I always tell our guests to go out and explore each European port but come back for lunch and sit outside of the Terrace Café and have the best meal overlooking the port. If you choose to stay in port for the day, we all are at the ready to recommend our favorite local restaurants and eateries.

The Leisure & Luxury of Time
When you choose a Grand Voyage, you truly get to enjoy the full experience without being rushed. You can savor all the ports and everything each country offers and then come back to your home on board to relax, dine and mingle. Then you look forward to another new adventure the following day. What I’ve seen and heard over the years is that one of the most cherished luxuries on our voyages is more time – the extended stays in port, the overnights and the in-depth explorations of countries. The most frequent comment I hear from guests as we conclude one cruise and some guests are disembarking is, “We’re so glad we're not leaving today…there is still so much to see and do!”

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