Fincantieri Floats First Next-Generation Cruise Ship for NCLH's Oceania
Fincantieri and Oceania Cruises, a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, marked the float-out of the first of a new generation of cruise ships as NCLH moves forward with a strategy to align the fleet with the enhanced luxury positioning of the brand. The launch came the same day as the first of the line’s oldest ships prepared to leave the fleet.
The new ship, named Oceania Sonata, was christened and floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy. She was moved from the assembly dry dock to the fitting out berth for completion of her interior spaces. She is scheduled to enter service in 2027.
"The float out of Oceania Sonata is an incredibly exciting moment as we move one step closer to welcoming our first guests aboard next August," said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises. “As the first ship in our new Sonata Class, she represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the brand and a defining milestone in the continued evolution of Oceania Cruises."
The line highlights that the ship, at 86,000 gross tons, will be approximately 30 percent larger than the prior class, Allura and Vista (68,000 gross tons), and will increase passenger capacity by just 15 percent from 1,200 to 1,390 passengers with the addition of 90 staterooms. The line says the Sonata class is designed in keeping with the brand positioning to provide more space, elevate accommodations, and enhance the culinary experiences aboard. A third of the accommodations will be suites, including four Owner’s Suites and two new suite categories. Oceania Sonata will feature 13 dining venues.
Oceania Sonata is 30 percent larger than the lines' prior cruise ships (Oceania Cruises)
Construction began with the steel cutting in June 2025. NCLH has now expanded the order to a total of five ships, with a sistership, Oceania Arietta, starting construction for delivery in 2029. Three more sisters will deliver in 2032, 2035, and 2037.
The recently appointed CEO of NCLH, John Chidsey, says this is part of a “deliberate portfolio action … that better supports the brand’s positioning and long-term return profile.”
One of the line’s smallest and original ships, Oceania Regatta (30,000 gross tons), completed its final cruise for the line on August 27 in Istanbul. The line ultimately acquired four of the 684-passenger ships, but they have been outclassed by newer and larger ships designed to emphasize greater luxury. Oceania introduced the sisters Riviera and Marina (66,000 gross tons) in 2011 and 2012 and Vista and Allura (68,000 gross tons) in 2023 and 2024, all also built by Fincantieri.
The Oceania Regatta is starting a two-year charter to Australia-based My Cruises, which will operate the cruise ship on 365-day world cruises. The first begins on September 1 from Italy. Under the terms of the charter, it can be extended, or the ship can be sold to a third-party cruise operator.
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Two of the other sisters are also slated for changes. Oceania Sirena was sold and will be delivered to its new owners in the spring of 2028. Oceania Nautica will be “reimagined” as Oceania Aurelia in 2027 for the luxury long cruise market. The ship’s accommodations will be reworked with 179 of the ship’s 238 cabins designed as suites. The total number of cabins is being reduced from 340 to 238 as they enlarge rooms to create more suites.
The changes are part of a broader strategy to improve the financial performance of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The corporation is undertaking a fleet modernization across its three brands and reworking operations and costs after an activist shareholder demanded changes.
