Join ROL Cruise team member Hannah as she recounts her time aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica with friend and fellow ROL Cruise team member, Rikki. Here, Hannah and Rikki share insights into their accommodation, favourite dining spots, and the meals they enjoyed most; they also highlight standout spaces on board and talk us through their itinerary and the places they enjoyed visiting most.
An overview of our time on Oceania Cruises’ Nautica
Accommodation
Staying in a Concierge Level Veranda meant lots of special touches along the way. From the bottle of prosecco on ice waiting for us upon arrival to our lovely cabin stewardess who introduced herself on the first day and took great care of our cabin (even making sure to tuck in Rikki’s jellycat each night!), it was the little details throughout our stay that really stood out.
On our first day, we were asked if we wanted ice and water, which was then topped up each day. The complimentary minibar was also restocked daily, too. We were also given complimentary laundry for up to 20 items, which we could use three times throughout our voyage. Throughout the cabin, there were plenty of charging points, with USB, European, and American sockets. Other amenities included beach bags, water bottles, a couple of amenity kits (including a lint brush), and more. Room service was available free of charge 24/7, including the last night, and offered a great variety of options.
The spacious balcony had comfortable seating and served as the perfect place to start and end the day. Whether watching the sunrise in the morning or winding down in the evening, it’s a great spot to relax. The bed was extremely comfortable - you couldn’t feel the other person moving - and it was topped with quality bedding, which made for a great night's sleep. Cosy bathrobes, soft slippers and a cashmere blanket added an extra layer of comfort.
Dining
Terrace Café
Terrace Café is the buffet restaurant aboard Nautica and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was a smaller buffet, as Nautica is one of Oceania Cruises’ smaller ships, but we found the food selection and seating to be plentiful - we never had to search for a place to sit at any time of day.
For both lunch and dinner, the restaurant has a grill section where fresh fish and meat are cooked to perfection and then brought to your table. If we chose beef, they asked how we wanted it cooked to make sure it matched our preferences. There is also a Caesar salad station both for lunch and dinner where you can make it to your liking, and we both agree it was the best one we have ever had!
There were also a few themed dinner nights, including an Indian night, which was a favourite for both of us. The butter chicken and naan bread were incredible!
Waves Grill
The Waves Grill also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast, we found it a great place to stop by for a quick bite; the selection wasn’t as big as the buffet restaurant, but the options were equally delicious. This quickly became our favourite lunch spot; they cooked the burgers to your liking, and the menu also offered hot dogs, sandwiches, and chicken kefta. The service was very quick and efficient, and we really liked how everything was cooked fresh. In the evening, this venue turns into a pizzeria, where the pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven.
Attached to the Waves Grill is an ice cream bar that serves ice creams, maltshakes, and smoothies. They had a great variety of each, plus an ice cream of the day that changed daily - Rikki’s favourite was blueberry swirl!
Toscana
Dining in the Italian speciality restaurant, Toscana, was a real treat. The menu was so varied, and we found that we could order most meals as a starter or a main. We found the service to be incredible throughout the ship, but the service we experienced in Toscana was arguably the best. The portions were quite large, but we certainly weren’t complaining, as it was all so delicious! Rikki’s favourite dish was the lasagne, and the server told us that all the pasta was made fresh onboard that day. My favourite dish was the chocolate panna cotta.
The table setting was stunning, and they even had plates to match the theme. As soon as we were seated, they brought bread to the table and then brought a trolley with a choice of oils and balsamic vinegars to dip the bread into, which felt like a really nice touch.
Polo Grill
We thoroughly enjoyed an evening dining in the speciality restaurant, Polo Grill. This venue offered a wide choice of different cuts of steak, as well as other options for mains if you’re not keen on steak. Again, once we were seated, they served us bread and homemade butter. Both of our steaks were cooked perfectly and were seasoned beautifully. There were lots of tasty sides to go with the steak, and you could order as many as you wanted.
Main Dining
Open for breakfast and dinner, this setting was absolutely beautiful. On the last night, we had a particularly memorable dinner as our group was seated under the main chandelier, which provided a lovely setting for our last evening. Here, Rikki’s favourite meal was the beef wellington, which she found really soft and tender. My favourite meal was the fancy chicken kiev, it tasted delicious.
Afternoon Tea in Horizons
The Horizons Bar offered afternoon tea every day between 3.30 and 4.30 pm. It was a really special experience, as the waiters were dressed for the occasion in white gloves. As soon as we sat down, they presented us with a selection of teas to choose from and also provided suggestions. They also brought a selection of sandwiches, scones and cakes, which came round a couple of times within the hour. We both really enjoyed the afternoon tea and would highly recommend this experience.
Standout spaces
The entire ship was beautiful, but a few spaces really stood out. Nautica has a beautiful library that is fully stocked and lets guests borrow books to take back to their cabin. You could also do a book swap here, which we made full use of! The library had a really calming, homely feel; it even had a fireplace, which felt extra cosy.
The Nautica Lounge hosted all the shows each evening. The chairs were more like lounge chairs, so they were a lot more comfortable than a normal theatre seat, which made the shows even more enjoyable. We were lucky enough to see an amazing opera singer perform twice on board. We both really enjoyed how she would perform traditional songs, as well as modern songs with an opera twist.
We also really enjoyed spending time around the pool; we never struggled to find a sun lounger, and each morning they were set up with covers and towels. The sun beds were padded, which made them really comfortable
Ports
Before embarking Nautica, we had a great time exploring Venice and visiting St. Mark's Square. Our next two ports were in Croatia, which we both thought was extremely beautiful. Kotor, Montenegro, was our next port of call. We had to tender here, but it was very smooth and provided stunning views. As a fellow cat lover, Rikki was very happy in this port! It was lovely to see how the shops would put out food and water for the cats that roamed freely. Our itinerary also featured a few stops in Italy, which we loved as they had Christmas shops in each one - it’s never too early! Gallipoli was lovely to walk around and explore, with its beautiful cathedral, historic buildings, and a picturesque beach. Sorrento was a burst of excitement with lots of shops and people, and we both had a lovely time exploring around the area. Our trip ended in Barcelona, and we headed straight to the airport, which only took about 15 minutes by taxi.
Shore excursions
We chose not to do any shore excursions; instead, we decided to explore each port on our own. However, we did speak to some people on the ship who did do some incredible excursions. One couple did an excursion in Sorrento where they took a boat to Capri and toured the island, which they said was fantastic, and the guide was extremely knowledgeable.
Overall, we both really enjoyed our experience on board and found it was the perfect mix of relaxation and exploration. We really enjoyed being able to take things at our own pace. If we wanted to get up early and explore once the ship docked, we could, but we could also have a lay-in and head out a little later, so we never felt rushed or like we were missing anything.
