Marina Float-out Pix

Bear with me, and I'll see if I can figure out how to show videos and pictures. Betsy used our still camera, a point & shoot Panasonic Lumix ZS3, while I used a Flip video recorder I borrowed from our daughter. The Flip is small, lightweight and extremely easy to use, but that makes it even easier to get bad videos. Those of you with true video experience are going to cringe, but I did my best. At least the Flip makes it easier to upload to YouTube.

This one runs under 2 minutes and is a first look at the exterior plus a peek at the bottom of the dry dock.

Video:

And some still pix:

Below is Tim Rubacky, looking very pleased at the way things are going (as he should), ready to lead our group on our tour. The party was split into 4 groups for the tour so we wouldn't trip on each other. Behind timis the steel building in which the mock ups of the cabins are contained.

This video is only 37 seconds. It shows corporate hotel manager Franco Semerano demonstrating the new dressing table in the penthouse mock up, and corporate communications director Tim Rubacky discussing the separation between the living and sleeping areas.

This next video is a little more than 2 minutes, in which Tim Rubacky and Franco Semerano discuss the new Tranquility beds. If you have sharp eyes, you may catch a glimpse of the breakfast table at the foot of the bed.

The next video is still in the penthouse mock up, and shows a little of the walk-in closet and the bathroom. It's about a minute.

Next, a video running almost 3 minutes was shot in the mick up for the standard veranda cabin, and would also be the same for an ocean view cabin. The bed is the same, the bathroom is slightly smaller than the penthouse but still includes a full size tub and separate shower stall, and the decor is much the same. There is no curtain separating the living and sleeping areas. Note the TV is mounted on a wall swivel so it is easily viewed from the bed or the sofa.

Hi,

In French -- "thousands of thanks" -- your pictures and videos are wonderful -- and truly add to the excitement and anticipation of one's first cruise on the Marina. My husband and I are looking forward to the Maiden Voyage, already -- and yet, we don't want to wish this year away quite so soon!

Lindsay

thanks, Don (and Betsy, are you the famous movie star in a few parts of the film? very nice to "meet" you!)

We will be in the veranda cabin, is wonderful to see. i like the tv mounted. Was the desk mirror lighted all around, sort of like the vanity mirror in the PH? Did you notice any more outlets?

Thanks again.

Lynne and Dennis (lyndenfa)

thankyou for sharing these with us! It must have been very exciting to be one of the first to step aboard!!

Thank you very much.

Wow! Don, thanks a million for the effort put in to give us a further look at the Marina. She looks wonderful and if the penthouse cabins look that good I can't even imagine how great the suites will be. Things to look forward to.:)

Good job Don

More is coming -- videos of the hard had tour, the christening and the steel cutting for Riviera, probably to the point where there will be a mutiny and my friends will be saying, "Stop!", rather than "Good job". ;) It won't happen in real time, however -- for example, I started the upload program before going to bed, and when I got up, it said that it had failed. As soon as I write this, I'm going to poke around and see how much succeeded and how much I have to do again...

...I'm still not sure why we were picked why so many are more worthy, but maybe part of the reason is that I am so anal about the details and am determined to share this experience with my CruiseCritic friends.

Don, thanks for sharing Marina pix..kudos to Betsy/u...today FDR states O should

be able to command 15% premium on Marina suites:

http://www.cruise-community.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2224:del-rio-marina-mix-should-yield-15-premium-&catid=906:newsheadlines&Itemid=67

Don, thanks for sharing Marina pix..kudos to Betsy/u...today FDR states O should

be able to command 15% premium on Marina suites:

Thanks for the link -- but the quote was confusing to me, because Marina's prices are very much the same as the current Regatta-class ships. the confusion was cleared up for me when I read the article carefully. The headline was, "Del Rio: Marina mix should yield 15% premium", which accurately reflects what I heard FDR say in Genoa.

The article goes on to say, "Oceania Cruises’ Marina should command an estimated 15% pricing premium over ships in the existing fleet due to its richer mix of staterooms, company founder Frank Del Rio told Seatrade Insider.

"Staterooms on the new Marina are priced comparable to the ships in the existing fleet. However, because of a higher weighted average of upscale accommodations -- 96% of the newbuild’s rooms have balconies, compared to 70% on Regatta, Insignia and Nautica -- Marina is expected to yield a premium." {Emphasis added}

The second paragraph is accurate. The first paragraph appears to have been written by a reporter who did not quite understand what FDR was saying. The difference is in the words "yield", which is what FDR said, and "command", which implies a 15% price increase.

To put it into simple words, because Marina has more top suites and more premium suites, the yield will be 15% higher despite the fact that the prices for each category remain approximately the same. In other words, Marina will make more money without charging more.

This works because despite being larger than the existing Oceania ships, Marina remains relatively small and unique. There are plenty of folks who are willing to book all of the categories at the existing prices, as indicated by the wildly successful booking period.

Outstanding Don! Thanks so much.

Wonderful videos and photos. It must have been exciting to be there!

Joe

Inside the Grand Dining Room:

More video -- the hard hat tour has begun. After entering the ship at Deck 4, we went up the staircase to the main lobby area, at the foot of the new Grand Staircase, and surrounded by the retail shops. It runs 3 minutes.

On the way to Martinis Bar, Jim (of StanandJim) and I sneaked off for an unauthorized peak at the theater area -- about 35 seconds.

Next, we went up what will be the grand staircase to the location of Martinis Lounge, which will look over the staircase once the scaffolding is removed. At little more than 2-1/2 minutes.

Just past Martinis Lounge, on the Starboard side, will be the Grand Bar and meeting area. On the Port side in the same area will be the Casino. this video is about 2 minutes.

Don,

Great job - thanks! Can't wait for our first cruise on the Marina out of SF next Feb.

Paul

Keep it coming.

Great so far. Thanks.

Don,

We would like to add our thanks to all the others for the videos and pictures you and Betsy took the time to bring back. Others might have simply gone to Genoa and enjoyed the time and the food, but you chose to share....

Now, if someone could only tell me how to be patient until we board the Marina in Miami next Feb. 8th!! :rolleyes:

Thank you for thinking of the rest of us with your visual aids. They were much enjoyed in this house fueling the anticipation even more of our January introduction to Marina.

Don,

 

We would like to add our thanks to all the others for the videos and pictures you and Betsy took the time to bring back. Others might have simply gone to Genoa and enjoyed the time and the food, but you chose to share....

 

Now, if someone could only tell me how to be patient until we board the Marina in Miami next Feb. 8th!! :rolleyes:

Dick, I kinda have to assume that's why we, and Stan and Jim, were invited. The brass apparently knows that we will give them a fair shake, noting not only the positives, but the negatives in a positive manner. It made the task easier, however, that we could find no negatives -- they have really outdone themselves. I saw somewhere that someone thinks that all mid-size ships in the future will be judged against this one, and I have a sneaking suspicion they are correct.

What's going to be even more fun is when Jim starts to post his videos, pictures and thoughts. I tend to deal with cold, hard facts, but Jim has the ability to bring it to life and make it seem magic. It was a real hoot to share this with he and Stan.

I heard from Jim a little while ago; he has business to catch up, but will be doing his thing here in a day or two.

I gotta say, though, we also enjoyed the food! We had a welcome dinner in the abbey of the monastery of St. Girolamo in Santa Margharita, a few miles down the coast from Genoa. After the ceremonies, we had lunch at Zeffrino's in Genoa, where at least two Popes have dined. The lunch was 9 courses -- a salad course, an appetizer course with at least 3 appetizers, 2 pasta courses, 2 seafood courses, 2 meat courses and a dessert course. We waddled out of there about 3:30, only to meet in the lobby for dinner at 7:30 at Ristorante Chichibio near the center of Genoa, suggested by one of the naval architects. It was 7 courses and delicious, and we got to share the table with FDR, who kept us enthralled with a running history of Oceania.

After that 9 course lunch, someone asked what Oceania could do to top that, and Tim Rubacky quipped, "Even better food on Marina next year!" I can't wait!

I'm going to jump ahead and post some photos while the videos are uploading (that takes a while). The forum software allows 6 or 7 objects to be added to any one post.

First, a few people have asked about Betsy -- here we are in front of a local church when we had a couple of hours on Thursday to walk around Genoa.

We left Miami late Wednesday afternoon and arrived in Genoa around Noon on Thursday. Dinner was at 7 PM Thursday. The tours and events were on Friday, followed by lunch, some time in the hotel pool to work out the kinks from all the standing, walking and climbing, and dinner at 7:30. At 5 AM Saturday (the equivalent of 11 PM back in Florida), we met in the hotel lounge to go to the airport for a 7 AM flight. We arrived back in Miami at 7:15 PM and were home about 10:30 PM Saturday.

This is Stan (on the right) and Jim, at the shipyard.

This is the way the bottle of Prosecco will be released to christen the ship -- the rope will be cut by the hatchet, which will release the bottle to swing against the side of the ship.

The section of Deck 8 where the B1 and B2 veranda staterooms will be installed. This is the Starboard side, so if you are booked into one of the odd numbered staterooms on Deck 8 aft of the center of the ship, this may be where your cabin will be located.

Here, Jim and I are in one of the installed, but unfinished, cabins on Deck 8. The cabins are actually constructed in a factory and then almost literally "plugged in" to the ship. All of the wall coverings are complete, just the ceilings, floors, time and furnishings remain.

In the background is La Reserve; the bones of the wine rack on the back wall are visible. The gentleman in the grey slacks in the center of the picture is Captain Dimetrius Flokos, who will be the Master of Marina. He will be coming back to the shipyard in April and will spend most of his time there until the ship is complete.

The pool, ready to be installed on the pool deck. There is a funny story about the pool that I'll relate on the video post, to explain a couple of the joking remarks.

Another angle of the pool deck, showing the Baristas coffee bar above the deck and the location of the LED screens that will make up the movie screen, just under Baristas. There will also be a stage in that area.

The view forward from the pool deck. There will be two sun decks on the next level, one "regular" and one dubbed the "sanctuary".

The layout for the culinary center. There will be 24 work stations where participants will actually prepare the items, instead of just watching them being prepared. In some ports, the participants will accompany the chef into the local shops to purchase ingredients.

The view from inside Baristas coffee bar.

M

 

...I'm still not sure why we were picked why so many are more worthy, but maybe part of the reason is that I am so anal about the details and am determined to share this experience with my CruiseCritic friends.

Did you have to get to Italy on your own or did Oceania provide your transport? I see from your post it was a very short trip.

Absolutely fantastic! This thread, which exemplifies all the efforts you have made to share your impressions with the rest of us, illuminates perfectly why you were invited to the big show!

All the pictures and videos are great, and so nice to be able now to add the faces of you and your sweetheart to all of your wonderfully-detailed posts.:)

Did you have to get to Italy on your own or did Oceania provide your transport? I see from your post it was a very short trip.

We were guests of Oceania.

And, that was supposed to be when so many are more worthy, not "why". :o Too many posts in too short a time...

Thanks, Don, for the most unique thread I've read on Oceania to date.

Great visuals!:)