Oceania Cruises’ upper-premium cruise ship Riviera has been christened at a ceremony in Barcelona.
US restauranteur Cat Cora acted as godmother of the 1,250-passenger vessel, which culminated in a 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar of Veuve Clicquot Champagne weighing 114 kilos breaking against the hull.
The sister ship to Marina departs on its 10-day maiden voyage on Wednesday (May 16) from Barcelona to Venice.
Riviera will spend the summer running 20 voyages calling at ports in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey as well as Israel, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Morocco and Monaco, with maiden calls in Cephalonia, Motril and the Canary Islands.
Riviera features a Bon Appétit Culinary Centre, a Canyon Ranch SpaClub, suites by Dakota Jackson, Ralph Lauren-furnished Owner’s Suites, and a grand staircase lit by a custom-made chandelier.
Features include a collection of fine art by contemporary Latin American artists and an Artist Loft with hands-on instruction.
The line’s founder and chairman Frank Del Rio said: “The baton as the world’s premiere ship has passed to Riviera.
“When asked, I’ve repeatedly said that it was going to be hard to improve on Marina’s perfection, but I didn’t say it would be impossible. And we have done just that – improved on perfection.”
Barcelona was where Oceania Cruises’ first ship Regatta was named in 2003.