Oceania aims to create bespoke ‘luxury with choice’, say sales chiefs 

Oceania Cruises sales chiefs say the line will focus on being “luxury with choice” to allow customers to curate their own experiences on board.

The bosses outlined their aim as the line’s latest ship Allura embarked on its shakedown sailing from Genoa with 700 passengers on board, including 130 trade guests from the UK and Ireland.

Speaking during a panel discussion on the 1,200-passenger vessel, chief luxury officer Jason Montague said: “We have the best offering in the luxury market and we have the best of both sides to make sure we’re catering for everyone’s needs in the luxury space, because luxury is very personal and unique.

“It is one of the most overused words in the industry, but it is very specific to an individual.”

He added Oceania’s focus is on “luxury with choice”, whereas Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stablemate Regent Seven Seas Cruises is centred on a default fully all-inclusive and all-suite offering.

Montague called Oceania “a great entry point” and “the best value in luxury”, where its approach meant each passenger could “customise” their cruise to their preferences, not just by stateroom.

Speaking on a later panel, senior vice-president for international sales Steve Odell said Montague’s return to the business had marked “a big shift in the brand” to “put it back in luxury” from “elevated premium”. He also hailed the introduction of dual leadership teams to share resources and learnings.

Odell revealed this move had led Oceania to follow Regent in simplifying its pricing in June, replacing four fares with one, which resulted in international markets doubling their share of the line’s business in a month.

Chief commercial officer Nathan Hickman stressed the line would avoid “a one-size-fits-all” approach as its core position would be to offer agents and customers “more choice” across its fleet and destinations, with more than 600 ports of call and 275 non-repeated itineraries in 2026 alone.