We, too, were on the Sirena inaugural cruise. This was, obviously, a shake-down cruise and while most of the cosmetic changes had been made, a lot of work remained to be done. Still, our Penthouse Suite was fully furnished upon arrival, and Oceania went all-out of make it a special event, with Jacques Pepin and his family on board for part of the trip to smooze with the guests. A welcome improvement to our stateroom was the installation of walk-in showers in place of baths.

We found the new specialty restaurant arrangement a mixed success. The Tuscan Steak (Italian and steak house) had both superb food and service. But the Red Ginger was such a grave disappointment that we cancelled our second night there. If you want Asian while on the Sirena, we suggest the wok cooked-to-order in the Terrace Café; we found it high-superior to Red Ginger.

Entertainment in the Sirena Lounge is more professional. But this isn't a Disney boat and makes no pretense of being one. It is, by and large, a ship that caters to those 55+ who want a comfortable, relaxed voyage without hassle, and for these purposes Oceania's Sirena delivers as well if not better than any ship we've been on.