Page 13 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – July/August 2019

TRAVEL AGENCY
Let’s Talk Travel
AAA
TM
A Cruise Line Designed by Foodies for Foodies
By Sandy Fenton
If you love upscale, mid-size cruising and eating new, different and delicious foods as you sail to spectacular ports of call throughout the world, you need to ask your AAA travel agent about Oceania Cruises.
Cruisers are looking for more these days and
for many of us that means seeing, tasting and experiencing things we never have before. We want authentic and inspirational cultural excursions, and once we return to the ship we want to be surrounded in elegant comfort and look forward to on-board dining that rivals the best restaurants on land.
I was recently on a transatlantic crossing from Miami to Barcelona aboard
Oceania Cruises’ beautiful
Riviera. With only three
ports of call (Bermuda; Funchal, Maderia; and Tangier, Morocco) my husband Stewart and I had plenty of days to settle
into a relaxing “life at sea” routine and explore all that Oceania offers during the day and night, and especially experience all of the excellent dining venues.
Oceania is well-known for
their outstanding reputation
of food offerings at a variety
of open-seating restaurants
(at no additional charge)
combined with destination-
rich itineraries spanning the
globe. All of the onboard
cuisine is curated by world- renowned Master Chef Jacques Pepin.
Oceania Cruises is a boutique, upper-premium cruise line operating a fleet of six intimate and luxurious ships catering to just 684 or 1,250 guests with an onboard country club casual ambiance for adults.
A few years ago, I cruised Central America and
the Caribbean on Oceania’s Marina and was so impressed with the overall experience. Riviera also exceeded my expectations. The food and service
was excellent, and once again one of my very favorite restaurants at sea (and I’ve been on 129 cruises) is Oceania’s sumptuous Grand Dining Room with its descending terraces under glowing crystal chandeliers. All four specialty restaurants are equally
good, and all guests may dine at
least once in all of them. Red Ginger features Asian classics; Polo Grill is
a steak and chop house; Toscana specializes in authentic Italian dishes with Italian chefs cooking family recipes and excellent pastas of the day; and, of course, Jacques is a tribute to Jacques Pepin’s personal collection of menus in a French bistro atmosphere. (The sea bass filet and rotisserie-roasted chicken is amazing.)
Evening
entertainment
was varied –
live musical
performances are
everywhere and
a few highlights
included
international
violinist Laszlo
Pap; singer
Linda Gentille;
and my favorite,
Jamie Michael Stewart, one
of Europe’s top vocalists.
Of course, there’s always dancing, Broadway shows and comedians. (Tom Drake from New Jersey was laugh out loud and he is also the husband of the ship’s cruise director, Dottie Kulasa, who is from McKeesport, Pennsylvania).
Oceania Cruises is an excellent choice for adults wanting a traditional, gracious, friendly and upscale sailing with a focus on fine cuisine and destination- rich itineraries. Our recent Miami to Barcelona cruise was titled “Splendid Journey,” and it was indeed a splendid journey.
Oceania visits more than 450 ports around
the world and offers convenient sailings to New England/Canada and Bermuda – round-trip New York – in August and September.
Ask your AAA travel agent about current sales
and promotions plus the all-inclusive options with “O-Life Choices” and special voyages to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean/Cuba.
Sandy Fenton and Dominique Nicolle, Oceania Cruises’ Riviera General Manager – Tangier, Morocco, April 2019
Q & A ABOUT OCEANIA CRUISES
Q: I’ve noticed most guests are repeat Oceania cruisers. Why is that?
A: Dominique Nicolle, General Manager
Our guests love our friendly onboard atmosphere, personalized service, attention to all details. We take such good care of all our guests. And, of course, our outstanding cuisine in all dining venues.
Q: How would you describe a “typical” Oceania guest?
A: Mature (50+), well-traveled, outgoing, wants to discover different cultures and come back to the comfort and luxury of the ship. Also the size of our ships. And yes, the delicious food.
Q: What are a few of your favorite ports of call?
A: That’s a hard one. Barcelona (vibrant and great food); Venice (culturally and emotionally beautiful); New York City/San Francisco (again, emotionally beautiful); and Monemrasia, Greece (ancient city full of flowers and sitting on a peninsula – breathtaking).
Q: What would you say to a potential Oceania cruiser? A: Just do it! You will love us and keep coming back!
Let’s Talk Travel with AAA,” hosted by Sandy Fenton, is broadcast Saturdays 11:00AM to 12:00PM on iHeartMedia’s WHP580. For more information, go to whp580.com and click on the link to “Let’s Talk Travel.
JULY/AUGUST 2019 – DISCOVERIES EDITION 13
Now!