Cruise & Ferry
Oceania Cruises Expands with Two More Sonata-Class Ships by 2035
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Oceania Cruises has just announced plans to grow its fleet of Sonata-class ships by two more, to four ships in all. Scheduled to launch in 2027, the first of the Sonata-class vessels, Oceania Sonata, is to pave the way to an upper-premium journey for 1,390 guests. Confirmations for the newbuildings are expected to come to 12 ships to be delivered in 2032 and 2035, and the fourth in the series of four vessels will belong to the Sonata-class.
“These new vessels are an important part of our future“With these ships, we will be able to offer the Oceania Cruises experience to an even larger audience and significantly strengthen the brand’s foundation for many years to come.
The Sonata-Class Fleet: A New Generation of Luxury Cruising
The Sonata-class vessels will change the Oceania Cruises’ game, offering the small ship intimacy mixed with the elegance and opulence that may the brand famous. Cruise ships that offer the latest in on-board facilities and services so guests have the time of their life on board.
Oceania Cruises’ commitment to luxury has always been well known, and the new Sonata-class vessels will only go to enhance that. These four all-new builds will cement the Oceania Cruises’ experience that our guests have come to value to even greater levels.” Co-founder and CEO of Oceania Cruises, Bob Binder, added: “Two years in the making, this new class of ships will be a ground-breaker for our guests when it sets sail.” Jason Montague, president and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania, meanwhile added: “We are excited to expand the Oceania Cruises fleet with our new Allura-Class ships to meet the strong demand for upscale culinary- and destination-focused cruise vacations
The first of the new Sonata-class ship, Oceania Sonata will sail in 2027 and heralds a new and thrilling chapter in the cruise line’s history. The other two ships, which had been options, are now options were exercised and will be delivered in 2032 and 2035.
Oceania Allura Joins Oceania Fleet: New Horizons of the Brand
With the launch of the new Sonata-class ships, Oceania Cruises has also received its eighth ship, Oceania Allura. Cómo disfrutar del crucero ¡de tus sueños… en tiempo récord! Este impresionante buque acaba de navegar en Génova Italia y se lanzará a su viaje inaugural el próximo 18 de julio desde Trieste Italia. The Oceania Allura will debut with a remarkable inaugural season featuring 26 voyages to the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Canada / New England.
carrying 1,200 guests at double capacity, the Oceania allura is a perfect addition to the companies fleet of fine products offering Oceania luxury to every travel taste. In November, the ship will be named in Miami, with godparents that include the chefs, chosen in conjunction with Food & Wine — another nod to the cruise line’s focus on excellence in cuisine.
Vision for the Future: Oceania’s Ambitious Expansion Plans
The addition of two more ships to Oceania Cruises’ fleet, is an affirmation of the brand’s ever-evolving innovation and heralds the future of Oceania luxury cruising. Oceania Ensures Future Growth of Intimate Upscale Cruising With Delivery of Second & Third Newbuilds in ‘Sonata Class’ With delivery of two more ships in the Sonata class confirmed, Oceania is serving the ever-increasing market demand for intimate, luxury cruising.
“As the cruise industry rebounds and travelers seek new, safe and comfortable travel experiences, Oceania Cruises’ history of investing in our roster of new vessels and new technology has us ready to add product while already operating the finest fleet at sea.” With two more ships to come by 2035 the Sonata-class fleet will provide even more choices for world travellers who wish to experience the finest in cruising.
Looking Forward: What do Oceania Cruises Have Planned?
With Oceania Allura launched and Sonata-class fleet growing, Oceania Cruises is poised to build upon its reputation for the finest luxury experience at sea. Guests will receive the same dedication to service, culinary excellence and inspiring itineraries that have become the ‘hallmarks’ of the brand amongst savy luxury cruisers.
These two new ships are just the first glimpse into the bright future of Oceania Cruises. The cruise line is on the move and looking ahead to even more luxurious ships, famous itineraries and once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the coming years.
Cruise & Ferry
Belizean DJs Train for Cruise Ship Entertainment Careers – Love FM Belize News & Music Power
Eleven Belizean DJs participated in a seminar this afternoon to prepare them for the opportunity of working on a cruise ship. The seminar was hosted by the US-based company Dena Entertainment. Alex Dena, founder of the company, shared his experience having been a Belizean DJ who started working on a cruise ship. He explained that the requirements to be successful go beyond knowing how to mix music.
Following the seminar, the DJs participated in an audition for Dena and a panel of judges, aiming to get a placement on a cruise ship this fall. The results of the auditions is expected to be released by late August or early September.
On July 16, 2025, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an official report of the 18th outbreak to happen on a cruise ship this year.
Navigator of the Seas disembarked guests on July 11, which is the same day the crew sent the report of a gastrointestinal illness outbreak to the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).
The 7-night round-trip voyage departed out of Los Angeles on July 4 and called on ports in Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.
It is unclear when exactly the outbreak began, but the number of reported cases was high enough by the end of the cruise that the crew was required to report it to the VSP.
The rules state clearly that all outbreaks must be reported to the CDC when at least 3% of the crew or guests have any highly contagious symptoms.
As is pretty typical, the larger percentage of individuals on this sailing with gastrointestinal illness were the guests, not the crew.
According to the report done by the CDC, 134 of the 3,914 guests onboard the ship — which is 3.4% — experienced symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
On the other hand, only seven out of the 1,266 crew onboard (0.6%) had these same symptoms.
The outbreak may have been reported on disembarkation day, but the numbers are accumulated throughout the voyage.
That being said, the crew on Navigator of the Seas did take immediate action in response to the outbreak, beginning with increasing the cleaning and disinfecting procedures outlined in their outbreak and prevention response plan.
Beyond that, those who were ill were isolated and had specimens collected to help confirm the cause of the outbreak.
The crew also worked and consulted with the VSP to inform them of sanitation cleaning procedures and the reporting of cases of illness.
While the final verdict on the causative agent for the outbreak has yet to be confirmed, but the CDC has hinted that it is likely to be Norovirus.
There is a chance that it could remain unknown, as two other outbreaks on cruises have been unable to identify a causative agent since funding was cut to this branch of the CDC.
Despite the outbreak, Navigator of the Seas is currently wrapping up yet another 7-night voyage that has had no indications of a subsequent gastro illness outbreak.
Have Other Royal Caribbean Ships Had Outbreaks in 2025?
While there have been countless outbreaks this year, Royal Caribbean has only seen one other outbreak, and it was back in February.
Radiance of the Seas was just days into its 7-night voyage when an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was reported to the VSP.
With 89 of the 2,164 guests onboard becoming ill, which was 4.1%, the report was again mandatory.
This outbreak caused the subsequent sailing to have delayed embarkation to allow extra time for the crew to perform a deep clean of the ship.
Like Radiance of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas also delayed embarkation for the subsequent sailing after the outbreak by several hours to allow the ship to be properly cleaned.
Read Also: 10 Reasons Why Cruise Ships Are Not Floating Petri Dishes
Guests on the July 11 voyage were informed only two days ahead of time of the expected delay for embarkation.
Despite the delay, it seems as though this sailing went on without issue and is set to disembark guests in Los Angeles on July 18, having completed the same itinerary as the cruise the week before.
However, its next several sailings will be shorter 3- and 4-night cruises with stops in Ensenada, Mexico, as well as Catalina Island.
While it may seem like there are more outbreaks than ever, cruisers should not stress too much, as sanitation protocols are improving all the time on cruise ships!
Handicraft mothers ready for cruise ship return Vanuatu Daily Post
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