At an extravagant Grand Brunch buffet on the new 1,200-passenger Oceania Allura, I couldn’t decide between the 20-some French cheese selections. I had already filled up on crab legs, raw oysters, caviar, with blinis (more than my fair share of the latter) when a chef pointed out the cheeses. After much pondering, I settled for a pungent Livarot from Normandy (made from unpasteurized cow’s milk), a truffle brie, and a divine goat cheese.

Oceania Allura is one pretty ship, done up in contemporary furnishings covered in buttery leather and decadent fabrics you can’t help touching, and resplendent with marble and crystal chandeliers, and artwork by noted Spanish and Latin artists, including some Picasso pieces outside a Ladies Room. But food is the main talking point.

My husband and I set sail from Genoa, Italy, to Trieste on a four-night preview sailing in July before the Oceania Allura’s maiden voyage in the Med, and we completely indulged.

Affordable luxury for grown-ups

Oceania Cruises caters to a 55-plus crowd, with about half of passengers in the 65 to 75 age range. Many are retirees who like the finer things in life, including good food and good drink, but who are also looking for a more affordable alternative to all-inclusive luxury lines such as the ultra-high-end Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

With Oceania, drinks are not included in the cruise fare, but dining in several excellent specialty restaurants, nonalcoholic drinks, and gratuities are. With its luxury minus the pretense approach to cruising, Oceania offers considerable bang for your buck.

Accommodations are large by cruise standards, starting at 290 square feet and going up to butler-service suites that include three 2,400-square-foot Owner’s Suites that span the entire width of the ship and are designed for two. Six Concierge-level cabins with a bedroom and sitting area are designed and priced for solo travelers.

Extraordinary food and beverage

With Oceania Allura, the cruise line has added some new temptations to the already impressive lineup of culinary experiences available on existing ships in the fleet. New is a crêperie that also serves waffles. And fan-favorite pan-Asian restaurant Red Ginger has added a dozen Japanese Peruvian Nikkei dishes—don’t miss the decadent soft shell crab bao buns. A new menu at the sophisticated Italian restaurant Toscano includes a tasting trio of pastas, because why settle for carbonara when you can add lobster risotto and pesto gnocchi to the lineup?

On Allura, Oceania has smartly brought back Jacques, a tribute to renowned French chef Jacques Pépin who served as the cruise line’s culinary advisor for several years. On Allura’s sister ship, Vista (which launched in 2023), Jacques had been replaced with a new American food concept, Ember. It was not a hit, and Vista will soon have a Jacques as well. The menu includes both modern takes and classic favorites—I highly recommend the lump crab meat salad with horseradish and blood orange sauce and the Dover sole filleted tableside, if you don’t go with the featured lobster Thermidor.

A work in progress on our cruise were some of the new dishes at the Grand Dining Room. But perhaps that’s to be expected given that the line’s duo of executive master chefs, one French and one Italian, have added 270 new items to the roster.

For a casual evening, start with pizza and burrata at the Waves Grill and then head to the Terrace Café, getting sushi and grilled seafood or steak at the buffet before nabbing a table outside. The ship also has a wellness-focused restaurant for breakfast, with avocado toast in various forms and savory power bowls. Vegans and vegetarians won’t be short on options on this ship.

Art as an attraction

The ship has notable original art throughout, and as an art lover I was thrilled to find artworks were labeled (which is not always the case on ships). Oceania fans will recognize names such as Cuban artist Miquel Florido and Spanish artist Eduardo Arranz Bravo from other Oceania ships in the collection.

The sculptural glass atrium chandelier, a towering floor-to-ceiling spiral that you can view for many angles as you walk the ship’s grand staircase, could (and probably should) be considered among the pieces of art on display.

Near that staircase one day, Miami artist Frank Hyder, who has had some 18 museum shows and has been a resident artist on Oceania ships for more than a decade, “performed” a live art demo as he worked on a painting. His work is in the collection on several Oceania ships.

Alluring activities

Oceania does not tend to pack daily activity calendars with constant distractions, but much thought has gone into opportunities to learn.

On Deck 14, you can participate in cooking lessons and food lectures (both for a fee) at the Culinary Arts Center, head to the Artist Loft for a complimentary class in, say, watercolor painting (led on our cruise by Hyder), or visit the LYNC Digital Center to learn how to create TikTok videos (no added charge for this one). In the nearby library, choose a book and sit in front of the faux fireplace, or admire the sea from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Those seeking some R&R will find cushy loungers and daybeds around the sizeable pool deck and a secret sundeck with a whirlpool at the spa, where you can also enjoy the sauna and steam rooms or indulge in treatments such as a Zero Gravity massage ($229). For active types, there’s an 18-hole putting course, pickleball, TRX workout equipment, and included fitness classes in the gym.

One of my favorite experiences aboard, billed as a cruise first, was an Immersive Yoga session, held by the fitness instructor on a choice of mats or chairs in the ship’s theater. Soothing new age music played and so did scenic videos, shown on floor-to-ceiling screens. I think I spotted the Himalayas as I did a Downward Dog.

After a season in the Mediterranean, Oceania Allura heads to New England/Canada and on to the Caribbean. A 12-day Caribbean round-trip sailing from Miami is priced from $3,840 per person.