London, Greater London: Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary and destination-focused cruise line, officially christened its newest ship, Allura, with a dazzling Miami pierside ceremony.
Acclaimed chefs Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Katie Button, Calvin Eng, Aisha Ibrahim, George Mendes and Lawrence “LT” Smith had the honour of representing the prestigious Food & Wine Best New Chefs franchise as godparents during the christening ceremony with the time-honoured tradition of breaking a champagne bottle across the ship’s bow, bestowing good fortune on Allura and all who sail aboard her.
The fanfare commenced with a ship-wide cocktail reception and an exquisite dinner before moving to the pier for the ceremony and heartfelt remarks from dignitaries, including the line’s Chief Luxury Officer, Jason Montague, and Chief Commercial Officer, Nathan Hickman, as well as Food & Wine publisher Tom Bair. Guests then rejoined the ship for a three-day celebratory round-trip Miami voyage.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome Allura to our fleet,” said Montague. “It is only fitting that she be christened in our hometown of Miami - a city that embodies vibrancy and sophistication. We are deeply honoured to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside her distinguished godparents, marking a new chapter in our historic collaboration with Food & Wine.”
“This is the beginning of an inspiring partnership between Food & Wine and Oceania Cruises,” added Bair. “We both share a simple but powerful belief: that excellence never goes out of style. For decades, we’ve each stood for craftsmanship, for creativity and for a deep respect for the culinary world - past, present and future. By naming Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs franchise as godparent of this beautiful ship, Oceania Cruises celebrates the future of dining. These chefs are innovators - redefining how we experience food - and now they’ll bring that creativity to the sea.”
Allura’s inaugural season sailings span more than 92 destinations on an array of 7 to 34-day voyages, from iconic cities to lesser-known gems. Sister ship to Vista, which launched to great acclaim in 2023, Allura is the line’s eighth ship. Boasting the most spacious standard staterooms at sea, which measure more than 290 square feet, she is 791 feet long and weighs more than 67,000 tons. With a capacity for 1,200 guests at double occupancy, Allura has two crew members for every three guests, with half dedicated to culinary operations.
Among the 12 onboard dining experiences is the glamorous Grand Dining Room, featuring 270 new recipes across all three meal services, and the Crêperie, a completely new concept for the line, offering a selection of tempting French crêpes, Bruxelles waffles and bubble waffles, alongside gelato sundaes.
In addition, the cruise line reprises its original French restaurant, Jacques, named for Chef Pépin. The menu for the new iteration of this much-loved dining venue is a collaboration between Chef Pépin himself and the line’s current Executive Culinary Directors and Master Chefs of France, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, blending new flavours with well-loved dishes that have been guest favourites since Jacques was first introduced aboard Marina when the ship launched.
