Why Oceania Sonata Has My Full Attention, and Why Allura Set the Bar
When I sailed aboard Oceania Allura, one thing became immediately clear: this was a ship designed for people who care deeply about how they travel. Space flowed easily. Rooms invited you to linger. And the days unfolded at a pace that felt civilized — the kind that allows lunch to stretch into conversation and dinner to feel like an event rather than a reservation.
Which is precisely why the unveiling of Oceania Sonata’s new suites has my full attention.
More Space, Not More Passengers
Sonata will be larger than Allura, but not because Oceania Cruises intends to pack in more passengers. Quite the opposite. The ship grows in size because the space per guest grows with it. At 86,000 gross tons carrying just 1,390 guests, Sonata doubles down on something increasingly rare at sea: room to breathe, room to think, and — if you’re doing it right — room for a proper meal enjoyed without watching the clock.
Suites That Feel Like Residences, Not Cabins
More than one-third of all accommodations aboard Sonata will be suites, and the designs read less like hotel rooms and more like carefully considered residences. The new Owner’s Suites, each sprawling beyond 2,500 square feet, introduce something entirely new for Oceania: two full bedrooms, expansive wraparound verandas, and the sort of setting where morning espresso or late-night room service feels not indulgent, but inevitable.
What intrigues me just as much is what’s happening in the middle. The introduction of Horizon Suites — a new category positioned between Penthouse and Oceania Suites — feels especially in tune with how people travel now. Separate living and sleeping areas, oversized verandas, and enough space to enjoy breakfast in your robe or review the dinner menu without balancing a plate on your knees.
Rendering of the 600-sq.-ft. Horizon Suite, a new accommodation category aboard Oceania Sonata. Credit: Oceania Cruises.
Where Space and Cuisine Meet
Having experienced Allura firsthand, I also know that great space means very little without great food — and this is where Oceania Cruises continues to distinguish itself.
More space onboard simply means more time — and more comfort — to enjoy it all.
Refinement, Not Reinvention
What Sonata promises is not reinvention, but refinement. The same intelligence. The same culinary confidence. Just more room to savor it.
If Allura felt like Oceania perfecting its present, Sonata looks very much like the future — one worth waiting for, preferably with a good glass of wine in hand.
