SESTRI PONENTE, Italy, March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Oceania Cruises celebrated two milestones on Friday, February 26, at the Fincantieri shipyard near Genoa. The building dock for its new 1,258-guest, flagship Marina began filling with water and the first steel was cut for Riviera, a sister ship. Marina is scheduled to sail her maiden voyage on January 22, 2011; plans call for Riviera to debut in April 2012.

To celebrate the occasion, more than 50 US and UK travel agents, Oceania Cruises past guests and journalists were invited to don hard hats and preview Marina. Guests even had the chance to partake in the first meal served in "Jacques" -- the eponymous restaurant of Master Chef Jacques Pepin -- which is one of six, open-seating gourmet restaurants on the new vessels.

The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. "They have done everything right, Marina is already awesome, and will be fabulous," according to past guests, Don and Betsy Horner. Travel agents were equally astounded. "Frank, Bob and the rest of the team have personally selected unique interior design elements down to the smallest detail -- all making the vision of Oceania Cruises come alive," stated Terri Burke of Cruise Planners.

Oceania Cruises' Marina and Riviera will offer 629 elegantly appointed and custom-crafted accommodations that are among the largest at sea, ranging from 174 to a palatial 2,000+ square feet. Their top suites, destined to set new industry standards, will feature furnishings from Ralph Lauren Home and designs by Dakota Jackson and Tocar New York.

The sister ships will also feature a Lalique-designed grand lobby, 10 dining venues and several elegant bars and lounges. Facilities will include a full-service Canyon Ranch SpaClub and fitness center, innovative Bon Appetit Culinary Center, swimming pool and hot tubs.

During the festivities, a bottle of prosecco wine was smashed on the hull of Marina by the shipyard "madrina" in a nod to Italian maritime tradition. The official naming ceremony for Marina will take place in Miami; her godmother has not yet been announced.

In her inaugural year, Marina will cross the Atlantic, transit the Panama Canal twice, visit ports in Mexico, as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and call at a host of Caribbean island gems, sailing round-trip from Miami. Marina will sail along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and call at Bermuda before repositioning to Europe for summer 2011.

For more information or to order a brochure, contact a professional travel agent, visit www.OceaniaCruises.com or call Oceania Cruises toll-free at 800-531-5658.

About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises® is the world's only upper-premium cruise line and offers an unrivaled combination of the finest cuisine at sea, elegant accommodations, exceptional personalized service and extraordinary value. Award-winning itineraries visit more than 300 ports in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the Americas aboard the luxurious Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and brand new Marina. Riviera is scheduled to join the fleet in April 2012

About Prestige Cruise Holdings

Prestige Cruise Holdings is the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Formed in 2007 to manage select assets in Apollo Management's cruise investment portfolio, PCH is led by Chairman and CEO Frank Del Rio, the founder of Oceania Cruises. PCH is the market leader in the upper-premium and luxury segments of the cruise industry with nearly 4,000 berths between the Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, a number the company expects will grow to approximately 6,500 berths by 2012.

SOURCE Oceania Cruises