Celebrity Chef Cat Cora Christens the Oceania Riviera
Celebrity Chef Cat Cora, who became the first female Iron Chef on the Food Network, and also launched a new show on Bravo last week called "Around the World in 80 Plates," had the honor today of christening the new Oceania Riviera cruise ship.
The event was held in the Barcelona Pier with over 1,300 travel agents and guests in attendance. The ceremony had a Spanish flair including flamenco dancers. After a few spins with the dancers, Cora stated "As a mother of four boys, finally I have a girl and isn’t she a beauty!" The ship was blessed, and a 30 pound bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne was released onto the side of the ship.
There is an emphasis on foodie experiencing with Oceania which is why the choice of Cat Cora for godmother was fitting. The ship has a state of the art Bon Appetit Culinary center for hands-on cooking class and several unique shore excursions which include shopping with the chef at local markets when in port.
Frank Del Rio president of Oceania cruises then spoke. “Today, the baton as the world's premiere ship has passed to Riviera,” said Del Rio. “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.”
The Oceania Riviera is the sister ship to the Oceania Marina which was launched just last year. Both ships are the largest for Oceania Cruises at 66,084 tons with a capacity for 1,250 guests, however they are not identical. We have been told there are a total of 727 differences between the two ships; much of course is in the decor.
The ship left shortly after the christening to sail towards Venice, where the official inaugural cruise will set sail on May 16th for a 10 night cruise in the Mediterranean, including Croatia and Greece. The ship stays in Europe until November 15th, and then has a 14 night transatlantic cruise to Miami where she will offer Caribbean cruises in the winter months.
Oceania Cruises, with headquarters in Miami, is owned by Prestige Cruise Holdings, and has been offering luxury cruises since 2002. For full details on the event, read the Oceania Press Release.
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