As a couple in our 40s, we weren’t sure what to expect when we stepped onboard the new Oceania Allura, a ship where 75% of guests are over 65. We share our honest take on the dining, ship amenities, activities, staterooms, and more to see if an @OceaniaCruises is right for you.
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In this Oceania Allura review, we’re breaking down everything from the ship’s 12 dining venues to the spacious 290-square-foot staterooms to help you decide if this premium cruise line is worth the investment.
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At just 1,200 passengers, Oceania Allura is roughly one-third the size of typical megaships. That means no waterslides, no Broadway shows, and no kids’ clubs—but it also means no fighting for deck chairs, no long buffet lines, and significantly more space per passenger. The ship launched in July 2025 and represents Oceania’s most luxurious vessel to date.
The real standout is the dining. Oceania Cruises bills itself as offering “The Finest Cuisine at Sea,” and with half the crew dedicated to culinary operations, they take food seriously. All four specialty restaurants are complimentary—no upcharges—including Polo Grill steakhouse, Toscana Italian, Red Ginger Asian fusion, and Jacques French bistro. We tested multiple venues and share our honest opinions on what exceeded expectations and what fell short.
Beyond dining, we cover what’s actually included in your Oceania cruise fare. Unlike mainstream cruise lines where you’re constantly pulling out your wallet, Oceania includes specialty coffee, WiFi, all specialty restaurants, gratuities, room service, and your choice of either beer and wine with meals or shore excursion credits. When you factor in these inclusions, the price gap between Oceania and mainstream lines shrinks considerably.
We also discuss the staterooms, which are genuinely spacious with every cabin featuring a veranda. Our Concierge Level cabin came with additional perks, but we share our honest thoughts on the layout and storage—not everything was perfect.
For activities and entertainment, Oceania takes a completely different approach. Instead of pool deck parties and game shows, you’ll find cooking classes in the Culinary Center, art workshops in the Artist Loft, guest lectures, and intimate evening performances. The pace is slower and the atmosphere more refined, which appeals to their core demographic but might bore those seeking constant stimulation.
Finally, we break down exactly who will love an Oceania cruise versus who should stick with larger ships. If you’re a foodie tired of crowds who values inclusions and doesn’t need high-energy entertainment, Oceania Allura delivers. If you feed off megaship energy and want maximum activity options, this isn’t your ship.
Whether you’re considering your first Oceania Cruises sailing or comparing premium cruise lines, this Oceania cruise review gives you an honest look at what to expect from someone who’s sailed both megaships and boutique vessels.
We Sailed on a Cruise Ship Built for 70-year-olds (We are in our 40s)
0:30 Stepping Onboard Oceania Allura
3:30 Really the Finest Cuisine at Sea?
4:30 The Grand Dining Room
5:30 Specialty Restaurants
7:00 Casual Dining
9:10 Oceania Allura Staterooms
11:45 Activities and Nightlife on Oceania Allura
16:35 The Real Costs of Sailing on Oceania Allura
—–TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE——
What its Really Like on a Viking River Cruise: https://youtu.be/UFgUN6IRN68
What We Wish We Knew Before Taking a River Cruise: https://youtu.be/2KFoGibInSE
Is a Veranda on Viking River Cruise Worth It? https://youtu.be/2KFoGibInSE
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We just returned from Oceania Allura, the newest ship in the Oceania Cruises fleet, and this boutique vessel operates completely differently than the megaships we typically sail. With 75% of passengers aged 65 or older, we were among the youngest onboard—but that didn’t stop us from having an excellent experience.
7 Comments
Looks like a beautiful ship, thanks for a great and thorough review. We have never sailed on such a small ship. How did the ship handle the motion? Did you feel it noticeably more than a larger ship like Celebrity Edge class or RC Oasis? My husband has a tendency to get motion sick but handles the aforementioned ships well with patches and medication.
'Complimentary" means given as a free gesture or praise (like a free drink), while "included" means it's part of a package you've already paid for (like breakfast in a hotel rate) but is presented as a bonus; technically, complimentary items are often part of a cost, but the term implies a gift, making "included" more accurate for bundled items, though "complimentary" is used in marketing for perceived value.
Thank you for your fine content, as usual. This video was particularly helpful as we are boarding Oceana Riviera in March for 21 days from Auckland to Singapore. We’re in our 60’s and have sailed Holland America, MSC Yacht Club and Regent so we are excited to add Oceania to the mix to see how they compare. BIG shoes fill vs Regent.
Have a wonderful 2026, we look forward to see your adventures. Tim
did the included alcohol package include the typical drinks you'd get at the bars before dinner (margaritas, smoke drink) or were those an upcharge??
It looks good. I've never entirely thought that they 'target' the 70+ crowd, it's just that in terms of who is at a point in their life where they can get away from the kids and afford it, it tends to be older people. But we know some 40 somethings that have done it. We first tried Hal when we were in our 40s and it was a good choice, I like the more refined (better behaved) vibe. This is definitely a level up from that.
Oceania needs to step up their 'all inclusive' unlimited wifi option from only being nonstreaming grade. Maybe no surpise given the parent NCL believes 'all inclusive' unlimited wifi should be 150min of nonstreaming data. Ugh!
Say it with me, “Oh She Ann’ Ee Ah”. That’s 5 syllables, not 4. You are paying a lot for that extra food variety and quality. Oceania provides almost nothing when you get into a port, so you are on your own to book tours, shuttles, taxis, buses, figuring out shopping, sites to see, etc. Maybe Oceania offers one free shuttle to a shopping mall or city center, otherwise you will pay extra when on shore. No port talks the night before, nor do they provide maps. The cruise director was more interested in trivia contests and bingo than providing useful information about each port. Oceania is nothing like Viking when it comes to historical immersion in a new city or country.
What is the dress code for dinners at main and specialty dining venues??