I’ve been lucky enough to sail with Oceania before, so when the chance came up to join Oceania Regatta for a proper Mediterranean itinerary, from the eastern Aegean to the western Med and Monte Carlo, I jumped at it. This one covered a lot of ground I’d never set foot on before, and it didn’t disappoint.
We flew into Athens and spent our first night in Piraeus, about 8km from the centre, which sits right in the middle of the up-and-coming Athens Riviera and made for a super easy taxi ride straight to the port the next morning.
Istanbul was the place I’d been most looking forward to. I’d seen it in so many films over the years that walking through it in person was phenomenal and felt slightly surreal. The people are incredibly friendly, and the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar were two absolute highlights – iconic doesn’t even quite cover it.
Marmaris turned into one of the standout days of the whole trip. Rather than join one of the big, busy boat tours, we found a gorgeous private sailing boat down on the harbour front and set off for a few hours on our own, ending up anchored off Paradise Island, which you can only reach by boat. Swimming and snorkelling in that crystal-clear water with the sun beating down was one of those moments you book a holiday for.
The Regatta itself is one of the smaller ships in the Oceania fleet, but I was properly impressed. The décor holds up well against the newer ships, and the whole experience reminded me exactly why I’m such a fan. I’ve already booked two more Oceania cruises since getting home.
The dining is where they really pull ahead – the specialty restaurants are excellent – but even the Grand Dining Room delivered consistently high-quality food night after night, and they’re genuinely excellent at catering for any dietary needs.
After Crete, a day at sea, then Tunis and Palermo before another sea day brought us into Monte Carlo, where we disembarked and took a private transfer to Nice for our flight home – a nice easy end to the trip.
If you’re after laid-back luxury, love the idea of a smaller ship, and want unique itineraries with excellent food and service throughout, this is well worth a conversation. Oceania have also moved to adult-only across the fleet, so it’s a brilliant option for anyone looking for a bit of peace alongside the exploring.
