Our recent trans-Atlantic cruise on Oceania’s newest ship the Allura was absolutely amazing.  We flew from Phoenix to Lisbon spending one night in a beautiful downtown hotel, the Epic Sana Marques.   Portugal—a fantastic destination!

Our accessible cabin was indeed very spacious and beautiful with a fabulous balcony.   I celebrated a major birthday on this voyage and our stateroom attendant celebrated too with our “new” décor.

The ship has wonderful open public areas with numerous bars, restaurants and lounges in which to relax and have a cocktail or two.

One of our favorite spots was the Horizon Lounge where we could sit and read or work on our puzzles or Sudoku. Forward facing, this lounge has fantastic views.   Another lounge where we met for our nightly cocktails is Martini’s where we had a great time with others in our group.

Our ports of call included Madeira, a very hilly island with magnificent views, and two ports in the Azores—Ponte Delgada and Horta.  Unfortunately, due to some rough seas we were not able to tender in the second port so had to miss Horta.

Following three days at sea (I love those sea days), we landed in cloudy St. Johns, Newfoundland, and  I love seeing the wind turbines—there were two at the pier entrance.

Our next port of call was Halifax, Nova Scotia, a beautiful seaside town with a wonderful boardwalk full of shops and restaurants, and the invigorating sea air.

We then entered the U.S. with a call in Portland, Maine, a very friendly and “comfortable” New England city.  Our next stop was Boston, a city full of history and culture.  Our stop in Newport, Rhode Island was met with gorgeous weather.  I always think of the Newport Jazz Festival.   Our final stop was New York from where we flew home.

It was a terrific 14-day cruise and Oceania has a beautiful new ship. Our pool and pool bar were among our favorite spots.

I loved some of the decor and decorations throughout the Allura. Call us for more information about this ship or Oceania Cruises.