This past may in Malta, under a domed tent beside the Valletta harbor, I watched as Harry Connick Jr., bathed in the soft glow of chandeliers, crooned “It Had to Be You.” I'd come, alongside hundreds of other guests, to witness the christening of Oceania Cruises' Vista cruise ship, the company's first new offering in more than a decade, which became official when TV personality Giada de Laurentiis, the godmother, pulled a lever that initiated the requisite whack of a bottle of Champagne against Vista's hull. Like most baptisms, this was a multigenerational affair. “Family is the bedrock of this organization,” declared Frank A. Del Rio, Oceania's new president. Standing beside him was his father, Frank Del Rio Sr., the outgoing Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, who founded Oceania with two small ships more than 20 years ago. “And it will continue to be how we define ourselves.”
So consider the arrival of Oceania Vista, which will spend much of the summer in the Mediterranean before making its way to the Caribbean this winter, the passing of the torch to a new generation. Structurally, the ship, the first in Oceania's new Allura Class line, resembles its predecessors, but its common spaces, designed by the Miami-based Studio Dado, are more elegant, modern, and open. The striking two-deck-tall chandelier over the grand spiral staircase stopped me every time I passed by. The suites and staterooms all have verandas, a first for Oceania, which has also made a concerted effort to court solo travelers by offering new perks like lounge access, free laundry, and priority restaurant reservations without a singles supplement.
The whitewashed village of Oia, Greece, which passengers can explore when Vista docks in Santorini this year
Grilled octopus and horiatiki at Taverna Katina, the perfect coda to an excursion in Oia
Vista also has terrific entertainment and a top-notch spa, but its most distinguishing feature is the same one the line staked a claim to when it launched in 2002: food. The 11 eateries include beloved establishments found elsewhere in the Oceania fleet, including Toscana, an Italian spot where I had an entire oil-and-vinegar cart rolled out alongside my bread, and Red Ginger, a pan-Asian restaurant at which the duck-and-watermelon salad reigns supreme.
There are also a number of newcomers like Ember, where the sleek fireplace and arched exposed-brick ceilings made me think of Northern California, and I sampled New American plates like porcini-dusted rib eye and blackened crab cakes. Aquamar Kitchen, meanwhile, was more South Beach, with its palm-frond-printed cushions and health-conscious breakfast and lunch options—think superfood smoothies, avocado toast, and poke bowls. On Vista, Waves,
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I moved to Spain about a year ago and at one of my first meals in Madrid, I saw a handsome young couple drinking some kind of unidentifiable light brown cocktail on ice with a wedge of orange and green olives. It was before noon and I was stumped. I had to know what it was. Vermouth, they told me.
Answering the decades-long call of Native American tribes and environmentalists alike, President Joe Biden earlier this week created a new national monument buffering parts of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Meaning “where tribes roam” to the Havasupai people and “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni covers 917,618 acres across three distinct sites north and south of the natural wonder. Home to wildlife like bison, elk, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and rare cactus species, the protected area encompasses plateaus, canyons, Colorado River tributaries, and countless culturally and spiritually significant sites for the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest.
When downtown rents dropped because of the pandemic, lots of ambitious shops, cafes and restaurants ended up launching as a result. There’s a real sense of revitalisation in the city.
President Joe Biden has designated a new national monument near the Grand Canyon, recognizing tribal nations and indigenous peoples and protecting their sacred ancestral land.
Rory Conan Williams set out from Alaska more than 25 days ago, intending to sail down the coast to his mother in San Diego. But the experienced 45-year-old sailor headed out on a boat with an engine that didn't work — and hasn't been seen since.
Late last year, I was itching to leave my hometown of Los Angeles and booked a short trip to the East Coast. But, as soon as I boarded my return flight, I realized I couldn't wait to get back home.
When an airline’s own pilots call its service “outright embarrassing,” and deride the company’s corporate culture as “toxic,” you can safely say that airline has a problem.
With multiple airlines (at the time of writing Delta, Alaska, and American) instituting a “smart luggage ban,” travelers have a right to be concerned if they travel with that pricey smart bag they bought. The part of the product in question is the suitcase’s battery, which with new regulations, must be removed in order to bring the bag onboard.