For those who really know me, they know that my passion is adventure travel. Give me a mountain to climb (Kilimanjaro), an exotic marathon to run (Mongolia), or an off-the-beaten-path destination to explore (Madagascar) and I’m very happy. With 126 countries under my travel belt, I’m still driven to go to places I haven’t been to yet (Papua New Guinea).
Don’t get me wrong…I like luxury too. When we flew from Kathmandu to Doha (Qatar Airways business class, thank you) after running the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, I was more than happy to luxuriate in the Doha Four Seasons. From a tent at Everest Base Camp to a sumptuous room with all the amenities…well, you get it.
What has never been on my radar was the idea of taking a cruise. In my mind, it just wasn’t for me. The only ship I had ever been on was an old Russian Icebreaker called the Akademik Ioffe that took me from Ushuaia to Antarctica. Crossing the Drake Passage was not the most pleasant experience!
But when the leadership at Oceania Cruises asked me to join them on the inaugural launch of their new ship, the ALLURA, my immediate thought was, “Well, let’s give this a try. I’m always willing to try something new.”
It would be a three-day trip from Miami to Nassau and back and I would give some keynotes on the New Longevity, which I was happy to do for them and their guests.
Arriving at the dock to board this ship was a very civilized experience from check-in to being escorted to the gangway and embarkation door, where I was greeted by the friendly staff to be taken to my room.
Entering the ALLURA was as beautiful (if not better) than stepping into any top hotel lobby in the world. A sense of quiet luxury was my immediate reaction. Open spaces with magnificent materials, rich fabrics, beautiful stone and carpeted floors and eye-catching artwork created a welcoming moment that I hadn’t expected. “This is a cruise ship,” I thought!?
When I arrived at my room (and greeted by the floor steward), I noticed that every single design detail was impeccable. I’ve stayed in some pretty special rooms and suites in my life and this was right up there at the top of the list. (Spoiler alert: the sheets on the bed were so comfortable that I looked for the label to buy them. Private label for the ALLURA!). Did I mention the towels?
Here’s the thing about being on this ship. Everyone was happy…all the time! No matter where I went, the staff smiled and asked me how I was doing and did I need anything. As a New Yorker, I was a little suspicious in the beginning, but soon enough, I got into the groove of this welcoming vibe.
It was the same with my other passengers. Everyone just seemed happy, enjoying the amazing experience of being on the open sea.
Oceania Cruises is known for their emphasis on fine dining and the ALLURA is no exception. As I walked around the ship and checked out their 12 restaurants, including the French bistro, Jacques, Toscana, the Polo Grill and my favorite, the Aquamar Kitchen, it was hard to believe that there were so many well-appointed spaces to enjoy amazing food. And a hard decision where to eat in my three days onboard. Oh, now I get why people want to take a seven-day cruise!
On the ALLURA you can have a formal experience in the Grand Dining Room, a stunningly glamorous space or enjoy the buffet at the Terrace, while sitting outside on an open deck. One of my favorite moments was an early morning visit to “Baristas”, a European style coffee bar and restaurant. Of course every morning the barista remembered my name and my “extra-hot skim latte” order!
Let me just say that every single meal that I ate was exceptional, as were the incredible choices on every menu. You’ll have to trust me and see for yourself because there have been over 270 new recipes introduced for the ALLURA alone (okay, think Scallop Panna Cotta with Caviar or surprising Peruvian Japanese dishes). The wine selection was world class. And the waitstaff? Friendly. Focused on every detail. Happy!
Roaming this cruise ship was a fun experience unto itself, especially on what I called the experiential floor, or in ROAR language, the place for lifelong learning which is core to your healthy longevity!
There you’ll find a Culinary Center where you can participate in cooking classes or watch chefs prepare foods or hang out with the incredible Kathryn Kelly (who you can read more about in this month’s Re-Imagineer profile).
The floor also has an artist’s loft where you can paint or draw, an incredibly well-stocked library and the LYNC Digital Center with all levels of digital learning classes, including ways that you can integrate AI tools into your life.
Let me just pause here and say with candor I had no idea a cruise ship could be so spectacular! To use a word, I was gobsmacked!
That was only heightened by the actual “christening” of the ship, when the company’s CEO Harry Somers, the Chief Luxury Officer Jason Montague, the Chief Commercial Officer Nathan Hickman and others took the stage to lead the ceremony. It was a festive experience. Sitting next to Brennan Quesnele and Emily Loewy, two Oceania executives, I could see the pride on their faces. And everyone around me was having a great time. Happy!
For an active person like me, the ship also had an impressive gym (that I hit every day), a running track and a significant pool, all to be topped off by a visit to the Aquamar Spa & Vitality Center, where everyone there is, you guessed it…happy!
It became pretty clear to my hosts that I had become totally enamored by the experience of being on the ALLURA. Think about a kid who discovers something for the first time and knows it won’t be the last.
Was I getting hooked on the idea of taking more cruises? I was having a lot of fun, isn’t that a good enough motivation?
Okay, I admit it. I did start looking at itineraries, particularly with my new love, the ALLURA. That then led me to looking at all of the other options out there.
And to my amazement, there are now cruises to faraway, off the beaten ports. (Yup, like Papua New Guinea). There are adventure cruises and itineraries that have meaningful offshore cultural experiences. You can even take a 180-day world cruise (on ALLURA’s sister ship, Vista).
And so now I have a dilemma. I’ll never give up my first love of adventure travel, but now I have to work in some cruises with family and friends. On the ALLURA there are lots of comfortable sitting areas to have a drink, a conversation or pull out your laptop to dream about a next adventure.
Yup, I got hooked. My big fun first cruise opened up my eyes to a whole new world I never knew existed. And that is one of the best ideas for a healthy longevity…to be open to new experiences that enrich you, are fun, and that make you happy!
