Arriving at the port to board the ship, a porter whisked my bags on board and a waiter offered a glass of bubbly as he escorted me into a room with a fireplace and polished hardwood.
It was the sort of elegance seen in grand estates and clubs on land, but rarely at sea.
It turned out to be the first of many pleasant surprises I had aboard Oceania Cruises' Nautica, a remarkable ship on an intimate scale that is increasingly difficult to find in an era of mammoth new cruise ships that carry thousands of passengers. Nautica and two similar sister ships travel the world with only about 600 passengers, many of whom settle in for a month or two at a time.
THE SHIP
It's easy to settle in to the luxury of its mansion-like public rooms and suites that feature “tranquillity beds” with memory foam tops and 1,000-thread-count linens. An even bigger draw is a staff that caters to every request, including shining your shoes daily.
THE SERVICE
Nautica's ratio of staff to passengers is among the highest on any ship, so there is always someone eager to be of service – even when you don't think you really need it. At the lunch buffet I found that, unlike the self-service on other ships, your choices are placed on the plate by crew members and carried to your table by a waiter. After a day ashore, a crew member was at the gangway offering a refreshing cool towel and a drink. On one memorable occasion, the entire crew in full formal gear had lined up on the dock to cheer our return and offer drinks.
THE ITINERARY
There were adventures aplenty. I'd booked on for just the first half of what was to be a 28-day grand tour of Asia, from Bangkok to Beijing with more than a week in Vietnam and two-night stops in crowd-pleasing Saigon, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
A tour in Vietnam's Ha Long Bay included a ride to one of the hundreds of bizarrely shaped rock islands that jut like teeth from the waters of the bay. We stopped at one for a walk through a vast cavern with limestone stalactites that made it seem like a fabulous free-form cathedral. Another tour included an overnight stay in Hanoi, the fabled capital whose French colonial charm hasn't yet been diluted by the modernization that is sweeping through many other parts of Asia.
COMPANIONS
The clubby sociability on Nautica means there is no assigned seating and at each meal you have a choice of whether you would like company or would prefer to dine alone. Whenever my wife and I opted for company, we were glad we did. Most of the guests seemed to be self-made business people with remarkable success stories to tell and many were repeat guests who had seen other parts of the world on Oceania.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
Unlike most other luxury ships, Oceania is not all-inclusive, and I found the bar and shore excursion prices high. Despite its small size, there were long waits for the small tenders that take passengers to shore at ports where the ship couldn't tie up at dock. An offsetting factor: The line uses the best buses and guides available, so each tour paid its way in memorable experiences.
VERDICT
I'd sail aboard the Nautica again in an instant.
