Oceania Commences Marina Construction

Oceania Cruises is pleased to announce that it has commenced construction of its first new Oceania-Class ship during the gala steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri’s Sestre Ponente Shipyard in Genoa, Italy.

Presided over by Frank Del Rio, Chairman of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Oceania Cruises’ parent company, and attended by some of the line’s most loyal past guests, the first piece of steel was ceremoniously cut to officially begin construction of Oceania Cruises’ first brand-new ship.

During the ceremony, Del Rio also revealed the name of the first ship as Marina along with design details of the Veranda Staterooms and Penthouse Suites.

“Oceania Club members, our loyal repeat guests, are not only responsible for Oceania Cruises’ success, they have also played a great role in the design and development of these splendid new ships,” stated Del Rio.

After the ceremony, Oceania Club members, dignitaries from Fincantieri and members of the media toured the builder’s mock-ups of the Veranda Staterooms and Penthouse Suites. These accommodations, which are on average, 50% larger than those on the Regatta Class ships, will set new standards for spaciousness and comfort.

Veranda Staterooms, at 312 square feet, will incorporate larger sitting areas, marble-clad bathrooms with separate tub and shower, copious closet space and extra-large private verandas for relaxation.

The Penthouse Suites will be 429 square feet and feature a large living area, space for in-suite dining, separate sleeping area, extra-large bathrooms, walk-in closets and a host of other amenities.

“Marina will not be just a ship, she will be a place of beauty that offers our guests unparalleled comfort, amenities and a culinary experience that is beyond compare. Marina, along with her sister-ship, will be the most beautiful ships to sail the seven seas,” added Del Rio.

The Oceania-Class represents an evolution of the line’s extremely popular Regatta-Class ships. This new class of mid size cruise vessels will retain all of the warmth, popular design elements and signature amenities of the Regatta-Class while affording guests an additional level of comfort, convenience and many new luxury amenities. Designed to cruise to all corners of the globe, the new ships will boast a cruising speed 20% faster than the Regatta-Class. In addition to their greater speed, the new ships will have a greater range that enables them to undertake the itineraries to virtually any destination worldwide.

The new ships will be awash in rich, dark woods, Italian marble, lustrous granite, fine wool carpets and sumptuous leather. No detail is being overlooked to create an array of spacious, yet intimate public spaces and luxurious staterooms and suites.

They will accommodate 1,252 guests in 626 staterooms and suites who will be served by more than 780 staff members. 96% of all accommodations will feature private teak verandas and guests will dine in their choice of six open seating restaurants. Additional details on the ships’ public spaces, suites and dining venues will be revealed in the comings months.

Oceania-Class Facts:
MARINA: Debuts September 2010
Oceania Class II: Debuts July 2011
Guest Capacity:  1,252 (Double Occupancy)
Tonnage: 66,000 - estimated
Builder: Fincantieri; Sestre Ponente, Italy
Length: 782 feet 
Width: 105 feet 
Draft: 24 feet 
Cruising Speed: 20 knots 
Propulsion: Diesel Electric, 2 controllable pitch propellers
Restaurants: Six Open Seating Restaurants 
Accommodations:  626 Guest Staterooms and Suites:
3 Owner’s Suites
6 Vista Suites
10 Oceania Suites
121 Penthouse Suites
440 Veranda Staterooms
20 Ocean View Staterooms
26 Inside Staterooms

About Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises® is the world’s only upper-premium cruise line and offers a unique combination of the finest cuisine at sea, luxurious accommodations, exceptional personalized service and extraordinary value. As the leader in destination cruising, Oceania Cruises sails to more than 180 ports in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. Featuring three intimate and elegant mid-sized ships, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, the line will introduce two new mid-size Oceania Class ships to its award-winning fleet in 2010 and 2011. For additional information, to make a reservation, or to order a brochure, please contact your Travel Agent or Oceania Cruises at 800-531-5658. Visit us at OceaniaCruises.com.

About Prestige Cruise Holdings:
Prestige Cruise Holdings (PCH) is a subsidiary of Apollo Management L.P. and the parent corporation of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Formed in 2007 to manage select assets in Apollo Management’s cruise investment portfolio, PCH is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Del Rio, the founder of Oceania Cruises. PCH is the market leader in the Upper Premium and Luxury segments of the cruise industry with more than 4,450 berths between the Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises brands, a number the company expects will grow to more than 6,700 berths by 2011.

Official Press Release Oceania Cruises dated 4th August 2008.

NCL: Apollo has Landed!

Private equity group Apollo Management agreed in September 2007, to become a major shareholder in NCL. This has now been finalised and Apollo have spent $1 billion for a 50 percent share of NCL. Star Cruises, NCL’s previous sole shareholder, still holds the other 50 percent.

A cruise line statement said “the money and backing will enable the line to implement Freestyle 2.0, a series of fleet-wide enhancements announced aboard Norwegian Gem just after its naming ceremony in New York last month”.

NCL has spent massively over the last few years with many new builds as they try and see off the threat of the Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean International. With two F3 prototypes on order at over $1.1 billion per ship, (first one due in 2009) it is no surprise to see some form of outside investment.

So what does this do for Apollo, well in a short period of time they now own 50% of NCL, Oceania Cruises and have agreed to purchase Regent Seven Seas. Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas are to be run independently under the banner of Prestige Cruise Holdings.

Not sure about reaching for the stars but in the cruising world Apollo has landed!

Prestige Cruise Holdings

Prestige Cruise Holdings is the banner under which Apollo Management will run its ever growing cruise business. This consists of the five star Regent Seven Seas and four star plus Oceania Cruises, both to be run as separate cruise lines under the watchful eye of PCH. This is a common factor within the cruise industry, aka Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation.

Apollo Buy Regent Seven Seas

It has now been confirmed that Apollo Management have purchased Regent Seven Seas for an undisclossed sum.

Regent Seven Seas was formed by the merger of Radisson Cruises and Seven Seas Cruises in 1992. They currently own four ships and are branded as a 5 star cruise line. Their ships are Paul Gauguin, Seven Seas Navigator, Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager.