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Oceania Cruises’ new ship Marina joins the fleet and prepares for maiden voyage

Oceania Cruises new flagship, the 66,000-ton Marina, is preparing for her maiden cruise on Saturday following her handover yesterday.

The ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard near Genoa, where Marina officially became a part of the Oceania Cruises’ fleet joining Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.

Her sister ship, Riviera, is currently being built in the same shipyard and will debut in April 2012.

Marina is heading for Europe for her inaugural Mediterranean season

A ship of firsts, Marina features the Bon Appétit Culinary Center, the first hands-on cooking school at sea, Master Chef Jacques Pepin’s first namesake restaurant at sea, Ralph Lauren Home-furnished Owner’s Suites, luxurious accommodations by designer Dakota Jackson, Wine Spectator wine program, a Lalique grand stairway and Canyon Ranch SpaClub.

Moreover, Marina has been designed for epicureans offering an unprecedented ten dining venues – comparable in quality to the very best shore-side restaurants.

Frank Del Rio,  Oceania Cruises chairman, said: “Marina is unlike any ship built in the past 50 years and is destined to be a game-changer in the industry. The superb gourmet restaurants and exquisite residential interiors reflect the best of what makes Oceania Cruises such an unrivalled experience.”

And Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, added: “The new Marina is not only beautiful, but one of the most elegant ships we have built in the last years. ”

The new flagship will set sail on her maiden voyage from Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. When she arrives in Miami on February 4, she is expected to receive a celebratory welcome that will last through the weekend.

After the christening festivities in Miami, Marina sets sail February 8 on the first of two 18-day Panama Canal transits that visit San Francisco or San Diego, both new ports for Oceania Cruises.

Marina then operates a 12-day Caribbean cruise, round-trip from Miami, departing March 16, before sailing along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and on to Europe to begin her inaugural Mediterranean season.