What is it like to sail on one of the world's most luxurious cruise ships? We found out.

What happens when two first-time cruisers (a deal expert and her mother) board one of the world's most celebrated culinary ships, the Oceania Vista.  

My mother and I are not cruise people, or at least we weren’t. She’s been a Travelzoo member for 5 years and had never quite got around to booking one. I’m more of an adventurous holiday type myself but am always eager to try new experiences.  

We arrived with open minds and limited expectations, by the end we truly did not want to leave. In fact, I’m sure my mother would have hidden in the cabin if she could! 

Where better to start our cruise journey than with Oceania. Known for genuine hospitality and the finest cuisine at sea — we put it to the test and were not disappointed. 

We boarded the Oceania Vista for a short-leg of her around-the-world voyage, sailing from Lisbon to Southampton, with a stop in Le Havre, France.

Intimate by design 

The Vista carries around 1,200 guests and the difference in atmosphere that creates is immediately apparent. The staff-to-passenger ratio is close to one-to-one, and you feel it in every interaction. 

We stayed in a Veranda stateroom on the concierge deck (one practical note for anyone packing: bring a suitcase that slides under the bed, and it transforms the useable space). I also managed to get a look at the Oceania Suite, equipped with a dining area, walk-in wardrobe and separate living room with its own screen. I filed that one away for an aspirational future booking. 

Fifteen decks meant there was always somewhere new to find. We discovered a library stocked with board games on day two. The Artist Loft, a drop-in creative space for painting and craft, on day four. The daily Currents magazine, which arrived at our door each morning, detailed a programme of events running from early morning to late evening. From talks and competitions, to a daily meet-up for solo travellers. My mother found herself with more options than hours. I never even opened the book I'd packed. 

A kitchen with 143 chefs  

Oceania prides itself on having the finest cuisine at sea – it was instantly clear that this wasn’t a claim they took lightly. A behind-the-scenes galley tour with Senior Executive Chef Justin Nel put the operation in perspective: 143 chefs, recruited globally, working from a repertoire of between 10,000 and 12,000 active recipes. Everything cooked to order, every day, with ingredients sourced to reflect the destinations on the route.  

One detail that lodged itself in my brain and probably tells you everything you need to know about my priorities: there’s a chef whose sole daily responsibility is making fresh ice cream. Sixteen flavours. From scratch. Every single day. 

This level of culinary infrastructure is what you’d expect to find behind a serious high-end restaurant group… and the results taste like it. 

Five restaurants, each worth a reservation  

The Oceania Vista has five speciality dining venues, each with its own genuine identity. Red Ginger pulls from Thai, Japanese, Korean and Malaysian cooking with confidence and range. The Grand Dining Room offers classic fine dining with enough breadth to satisfy any preference, any evening. Toscana is devoted to regional Italian. Polo Grill replicates the classic steakhouse experience.  

And then there's Jacques. Named after Oceania's founding Executive Culinary Director, Jacques Pépin, one of the defining figures in modern culinary history. This is the ship's flagship restaurant. We dined there on our last evening, sailing out of Le Havre, which felt quite significant given Jacques is known for deeply classical French techniques. I still think about the scallop dish I had there.  

My mother compared the standard of dining across the ship to the best restaurants she'd visited on land. For guests accustomed to Michelin-starred dining, it holds up. For those discovering that level of food for the first time, it's transformative. From the guests we spoke to, it’s the reason most of them choose to cruise with Oceania.  

The wine pairing lunch you should book before you board 

Once per voyage, Oceania runs a Gérard Bertrand Wine Pairing Lunch at Jacques. Bertrand is among France's most celebrated organic winemakers, and this is a serious, course-by-course pairing experience. Not simply a glass of rosé with your starter, but a considered journey through some of the finest organic wines in the world. Several of the wines we tasted retail well above £200. 

Our sommelier had the quiet authority of someone who has spent an entire career in the company of exceptional wine. At one point he offered us what became my favourite piece of advice from the whole trip: "If you want to enjoy the cruise, stick to the booze." We were on the Prestige Select Beverage Package and took his counsel seriously. 

For those who consider themselves genuinely interested in wine, this lunch is something apart from standard shipboard dining. The broader drinks offering across the ship matches the ambition of the food: premium wine lists, vintage champagne, and cocktails that make the trip to the bar worthwhile on their own terms. Most of our evenings ended at the Founder's Bar, where a mixologist called Felix had become a cult figure among the longer-voyage guests. 

Cooking French food while sailing past France 

One of the more distinctive features of the ship is the Culinary Center — a fully equipped teaching kitchen running hands-on cooking classes tied directly to the ports on the itinerary. This is where we got to try the gourmet cooking for ourselves and, lucky for us, we were passing through France which meant lots of cheese!  

Chef Instructor Karlis Celms led us through the breadth of French regional cooking. From a Basque stuffed tomato to a Parisian croque monsieur and Corsican brocciu cheesecake. We learnt how genuinely varied French cuisine is across France, far beyond what you’d encounter in a standard restaurant visit. 

Neither of us will be troubling any professional kitchen, but we left with the recipes and new friends made through laughing at our culinary attempts together. On longer voyages, the classes evolve with each destination, working through multiple cuisines over the course of weeks. For travel enthusiasts who love food, culture and travel in equal measure, it's a compelling addition to any itinerary. 

What surprised us most 

There's a quality of relaxation that comes from life at sea that I hadn't anticipated and still struggle to fully explain. The rhythm of a sea day, the gentle movement of the ship, the sensation of being disconnected from the usual noise of daily life. You’d often find us on the spa terrace, entirely at peace with doing very little but watching the gentle waves. 

Different cruise lines serve different purposes and meet different needs. If what you’re after is exceptional food, an intimate ship and genuine calm, then Oceania delivers on every count. 

As my mother put it, “the fact that you could get lobster in the general buffet restaurant says it all!” 

Her assessment on the final morning was that it has spoilt her. Not just for cruises, for restaurants, hotels and the general benchmark of a holiday. We’d both go back without hesitation.