Crew Page

Cruising is a guilty pleasure. We are privileged to be able to travel in comfort and style, but that is only thanks to the sacrifice of the crew who make it possible, and Oceania has the best.

These young women and men come from all over the world, to see the world. They work extraordinarily hard, 14 hours a day, seven days a week, on six month contracts. Always with a smile and a friendly greeting, often in a language that is not their own. These are wonderful people and a pleasure to know. We would choose virtually any one of them over virtually every one of our fellow passengers. In fact, we love them. We want to take them all home with us, starting with these four:

Mario and Peter in Toscana. Mario is a gentleman and a charmer. He sets the tone for impeccable service in fine dining. Peter is warm and wonderful, humble and sincere, a total sweetheart. In addition to his restaurant service, he is at the top of the gangway every morning passing out bottled water for the day in port, carefully drying each one. His mama must cry herself to sleep every night he is away from home.

Natalja and Hnin in The Terrace. Natalja is a brainy beauty from Estonia, our favorite destination in the Baltic. Hi Natalja!!! Her smile lights up the room and her laugh warms your heart, a conversationalist par excellence. Hnin is on her way home to Myanmar after the next cruise, where she studies law and language and is thrilled by the political awakening in her country. She has a loyal following who sit in her section every night.

There are a dozen more favorites: the one we call Cute Girl who is a smoky stunner with an attitude, the wine steward we call Slick - a good guy and a great bartender with real flare, the smoothie guy, the quiet older busser with a stumble gag, the dessert girls so sweet you have to look away, the laundry room attendant always early to unlock the door. And then there are the deckhands no one notices who love to be engaged with just a wave, the cabin stewards and stewardesses you pass in the hall who stop their work to ask about your day, the front desk staff...more than 400 crew in all, and all appreciated.

We did not ring the butler's bell often, but Rosario was always at the ready, dressed in tux and tails with strawberries dipped to match.

We enjoy seeing these people every day and we will miss them when we leave. Many thanks to all, and the best for the future to each!!!