Construction has started on a new 1,258-passenger cruise ship for luxury line Oceania Cruises.
The vessel Riviera, to enter service in April 2012, is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard near Genoa in Italy.
Riviera is a sister ship to Marina, which is to be launched in February 2011.
The completion of the new ship will see the size of the Oceania fleet rise from three to five ships by 2012.
Riviera will include ten dining venues – six of which are open-seating, gourmet restaurants.
Facilities will include a Canyon Ranch Spa and gym, swimming pool and hot tubs.
Owner’s Suites will be furnished exclusively in Ralph Lauren Home.
The start of work on the new vessel was marked by a tradition keel laying ceremony at the shipyard conducted by Frank Del Rio, the line’s founder and chairman and CEO of its parent company, Prestige Cruise Holdings, and Oceania Cruises president Bob Binder.