Embarkation and disembarcation. Due to the time I had to leave my hotel and other factors, I arrived at the pier in New York shortly after embarkation began. I waited in line 45 minutes to get to check-in. From there the process went quickly. The receptionist took an impression of my credit card, my photograph, and some other details and in almost no time I had my Oceania card and was on the Marina. The line was considerably shorter as I walked on the ship than when I started, emphasizing that to avoid lines one is often best advised to be at the pier no earlier than a couple of hours after embarkation is scheduled to begin. One piece of luggage was waiting when I arrived at the cabin, and there was the usual mysterious pause until the balance arrived.

Disembarkation was a breeze. My group was called on time. I walked off the ship, picked up my luggage, and was on my way to the airport in minutes.

The Ship. This was my second sailing on the Marina. She is a beautiful ship and has been well maintained. Unfortunately art auctions were a feature of the cruise, and some of the art work being sold was exhibited in the corridors, especially on the fifth deck. It would be charitable to say these paintings do not complement the dEcor of the Marina. It would be more accurate to say they detract from and cheapen the experience of being on a lovely ship. I don't know how much money the auctions make as a result of displaying the artwork in passenger areas, but I doubt it is worth the esthetic price. Read more