Cruise Ship Tour: Public Spaces on Oceania Cruises’ Sirena – Travel Agent

Editor's Note: In Part One of a two-part photo tour, we show somepublic spaces onboardOceania Cruises' Sirena, including the pool deck area, atrium, theater, card room, fitness areaand spa. Part Two of this series, coming soon, will show the top suites on the ship.

Travel Agent magazine boarded Oceania Cruises'30,277-grt Sirena for a brief day visit this month at PortMiami. Before the ship set sail on a 16-day transatlantic voyage to Civitavecchia(Rome), we checked out some of the ship's public spaces.

The 684-passenger Sirena, a sister ship to Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, joined the Oceania fleet in spring 2016followinga 35-day, $40 million refurbishment. In essence, it was a keel-to-mast rebuilding that almost created a completely new vessel.

Overall, Sirena is abit lighter and brighter than those three shipsas Oceania incorporatedsome decorative effects and colors from the largerMarina and Riviera. But it's not dramatically different otherwise from its trio of sister ships, except for the larger suites and two new specialty dining options.

We found the ship fresh and ship-shape. Here's aphoto tourfrom our all-too-short visit to this lovely mid-sized cruise ship.

Photo by Susan J Young

Sirena's atrium is a grand staircase, showing that even a ship the size of Sirena can "go regal." We liked the red, black and gold decor and the fresh flowers. Shown below is the adjacent top level area off the atrium, which has shops and seating.

It's also home to the Oceania Club Ambassador, whowill assist guests with future cruise bookings. Agents will receive commission and can service those bookingsif their client chooses to make a future cruise reservation here.

Photo by Susan J Young

Despite its modest size, Sirena hasplenty of nooks and crannies where guests can relax. Above is one of the many lounge spaces where guests can enjoy conversation and drinks.

Photo by Susan J Young

Sirena's library is a comfortable enclave of relaxation and elegance with more than 2,000 books and periodicals -- everything from mysteries to classical literature, from travel guides to current best sellers.

While strolling through the room taking photos we encountered several Oceania guests who told us how much they love this space, having sailed with the line on multiple cruises.

From our perspective, this is a place we could have plopped down easily with a good book. We liked the comfortable seating areas, the fireplace and the high ceiling with tropical bird art design. It added a lightercontrast to the rich, dark features of the room.

One of the classic features of the storied ocean liners of the past was the "card room." Sirena offers its own version of that card room (shown above) with tables for playing bridge, Scrabbleor other card or board games.

During our visit, one table displayed the outer border of jigsaw puzzle with pieces strewn about, just waiting for guests to play.

The center of nightly entertainment onboard Sirena is the Lounge, shown above. It'sa classy theatervenue outfitted in grey, blue and gold decor. Comedians, magicians, singers, headline acts and jazz ensembles entertain guests here.

In addition to the venue's fixed theater seating, includinglong couch-like seating, there are living-room-style chairs (movable), which givethe space flexibility for events. The lounge also has a bar.

For those who prefer outdoor activities, the ship has a top-deck shuffleboard area, shown above, as well as an adjacent putt-putt course, shown below.

Sun worshippers will likely appreciate the padded loungers on the topdeck. It's just a short stairway down to the pool deck below, which has two whirlpools, a bar and outdoor dining area.

Photoby Susan J Young

Photo by Susan J Young

After a day in the sun, or a busy day ashore to seethe sites, cruisers can return to Sirenaand enjoy fine dining in multiple venues as well as the more casual Terrace Cafe.

On our quick inspection, we dined in Terrace Cafe to meet with industry friends, butdidn't have time to see all the other dining spots. That said,we soaked in the yummy smells coming fromTuscan Steak, one of two new specialty restaurants onboard (Red Ginger is the other).

In the photo below, readers can see this lovely place setting at one of Tuscan Steak's tables. What's for dinner? Here guests can order Italian favorites, steaks and fresh seafood inspired by Toscana and Polo Grill.

Oceania's guests like fine dining, but many are also partial to healthy choices and fitness activities. We saw a robust fitness room with state-of-the-art machines, as well as this separate area below with spinning machines and colorful Pilates balls.

Photo by Susan J Young

After a hard day ashore or exercising in the fitness facility, guests can book a pampering spa treatment at Sirena's Canyon Ranch SpaClub, perhaps opting for an Ohana Circulation Polish, an exfoliation with crushed bamboo, bamboo sap and oils of ginger and fir that can remove rough, dry skin and stimulate circulation.

Or, many other options await including a Canyon Ranch Stone Massage, seaweek leaf wrap, detoxifying ritual, aromatherapy muscle soother or an Abhyanga massage. Here's a look at a spa treatment room, the locker room area and outdoor private deck for spa goers.

Photo by Susan J Young

The Canyon Ranch SpaClub's ladies' room locker area is shown above, andthe men's locker area is similar. Both have shower and steam room facilities.

Outside, spa guests also can head for the spa's private relaxation area including this thalassotherapy pool, shown below.

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Cruise Ship Tour: Public Spaces on Oceania Cruises' Sirena - Travel Agent