Our verdict on the world’s newest luxury ship

The ship: Oceania Allura

• The cruise Trieste, Italy to Athens, Greece
• Launched 2025
• Passengers 1200
• Crew 800
• Passenger decks 11
• Length 246 metres

The ship

Allura is the newest ship from Oceania Cruises and the sister ship to Vista, which debuted in 2023. It’s described as “premium”, and while it carries a few hundred more passengers than the “luxury” lines, it offers every indulgence, particularly in its expansive restaurant offering. On this maiden voyage I also note a younger vibe on board – no screaming kids but plenty of active and stylish passengers with many multi-generational families and even the occasional string bikini.

Boarding

It couldn’t be easier to reach Trieste’s cruise terminal from our seafront hotel, the Savoia Excelsior Palace – it’s literally across the road, in the centre of town. Built on a long jetty or “molo”, it’s an older building without many mod cons but after a short queue, check-in is quick and efficient, our “World Cards” are issued and we’re soon exploring our new home for the week.

The design

An old friend recently told me she feared cruise ships would be all “RSL carpet and lairy colours”, which is what many still imagine cruise-ship design entails. Allura couldn’t be more different: its palette throughout the staterooms and public areas is calm and sophisticated, an approach that design company Studio Dado calls “moving away from ‘luxury’ as a stuffy concept and leaning into understated elegance”. Even the dramatic curved stair and crystal chandelier in the Atrium, the main meeting area, are sculptural and contemporary.

The spaces

I’m all in with Dado’s design philosophy, which eschews a heavy-handed, thematic approach in favour of a “more subtle narrative”. This translates to spaces that have the guest experience as their focus – seen none more clearly than in the Grand Dining Room, a truly seductive room. Less successful is the Founders Bar, which despite mixing great drinks is too brightly lit and close to the casino to be sexy, and the layout of Waves Grill, which is something of a thoroughfare. Overall, however, the feel throughout is luxe, considered and spacious.

The stateroom

You may be surprised, dear reader, that the first thing I like to do on a cruise ship is not pour a glass of champagne but empty my long-haul suitcase into the myriad storage compartments in the stateroom. Our Concierge Level room is not only large at 27sqm but cleverly designed to maximise space and create a peaceful oasis – especially once you’ve handed over a bag of laundry to your attendant (three loads are included although there are also laundries on each level). The silver-grey marble bathroom is remarkably swish and generous, and comes complete with fragrant Aquamar Spa toiletries, while there’s also plenty of room to move on our veranda, which features a sun lounger as well as a small table and two outdoor armchairs.

The food

So this is where Oceania Cruises really comes into its own – the food onboard is of a uniformly high standard. French restaurant Jacques is back by popular demand, replacing the short-lived Ember, alongside Toscana (Italian), Polo Grill (steakhouse) and Red Ginger (pan-Asian, with new Nikkei dishes – a blend of Japanese and Peruvian). These included specialty restaurants are joined by Terrace Cafe (buffet), the Grand Dining Room (as it sounds), Waves Grill (hotdogs and pizza) and Aquamar Kitchen (healthy, cafe-style food). Have I forgotten somewhere? Probably. I’m most often found at Baristas, enjoying an iced Illy coffee and a still-warm snack from The Bakery – the breads, cookies and patisserie are insanely good. The Creperie is Allura’s latest addition, but I’m a tad disappointed when we visit that the waffles and crepes have been made ahead and are reheated to order. The inaugural Gerard Bertrand wine-pairing lunch, however, is an impressive sommelier-led matching of Languedoc Roussillon biodynamic wines with an indulgent six-course menu.

Wellness

Looking for the spa, I accidentally wander onto the running track, and am almost mown down by an abundance of joggers. The gym is a constant buzz of activity, and the 8.30am yoga class is full. So much for only decrepit people cruising; Allura is pumping with fit and fabulous types of all ages. I veer towards the more sybaritic pleasures of the Aquamar Spa Terrace (exclusive to Concierge Level guests), with its 180-degree views, loungers and hot tubs (although with the sun blazing and temperatures hitting 40C, one of the pools being cooler and more refreshing would be good). The spa itself offers every kind of pampering including medi-spa “aesthetic” treatments but with the shortest 50-minute massage starting at US$199 plus a 20% service charge, you’ll need deep pockets as well as stiff shoulders.

Entertainment

The options are endless, almost overwhelming. Everything is listed in the Currents newsletter (which is left on your bed each evening) and I regularly feel like a total underachiever – there’s something happening every minute of the day, from an introduction to painting using watercolours in the Artist Loft to golf putting or pickleball on the sports deck, to the Speaker Series and Mensa daily quiz. There’s a live band in Horizons, a piano player in Martinis and a new production in the Allura Lounge. Each to their own, but the meditative appeal of life on board for me means reading in a quiet corner as the sea drifts by, or enjoying a cup of tea on our stateroom’s veranda as a new port reveals itself. I must admit that I forget to check out the redesigned library but judging from the pictures, it looks like that’s my loss.

The crew
Staff are consistently cheerful, always greeting us as we amble around the ship (usually heading in the wrong direction – I’m still not clear on port versus starboard). The room is pristine when we return from shore excursions, water bottles refilled and ice speedily delivered if we ask. Waiters abound at the Terrace Cafe, offering to carry your plate to the table or bring you dessert; there are fewer to be found by the pool but we manage to flag one down to order an afternoon Aperol spritz. The height of considered service is the chilled towels handed out by crew as we reboard after a Montenegro outing in sweltering heat.

The verdict

Oceania Allura may not bill itself as a luxury ship but it absolutely ticks all the boxes for me. It’s elegant, comfortable and well thought out, and the food is very good.

The details

Oceania Allura’s Mediterranean Melange seven-night cruise from Trieste to Athens visits Ravenna, Rijeka, Split, Brindisi, Corfu and Gythion (October 3-10, 2026), with promotional fares starting from $6250 per person for a Concierge Level Veranda Stateroom. See oceaniacruises.com

The rating out of five

★★★★ ½

Swell

The large range of non-alcoholic cocktails and wines available alongside traditional drinks.

Not so swell

Restaurants close early (by 9.30pm) so fitting in a late dinner after a day onshore can be tricky.

The writer was a guest of Oceania Cruises.