By
Laura Hyde |
Oceania Cruises has christened its newest ship Oceania Allura at PortMiami in Florida. The 1,200-guest ship began operations in July 2025 and will visit more than 92 destinations on a selection of seven- to 34-day itineraries during its inaugural season.
Food & Wine Best New Chefs franchise chefs Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Katie Button, Calvin Eng, Aisha Ibrahim, George Mendes and Lawrence ‘LT’ Smith performed godparent duties, which included the time-honoured tradition of breaking a Champagne bottle across the ship’s bow.
At the ceremony, which included a ship-wide cocktail reception and dinner, dignitaries including Jason Montague, chief luxury officer, and Nathan Hickman, chief commercial officer, from Oceania Cruises and Food & Wine publisher Tom Bair spoke to guests. Other notable guests at the christening ceremony included Giada De Laurentiis, Cat Cora and Claudine Pépin, godmothers of Oceania Vista, Oceania Riviera and Oceania Sirena, respectively. Following the christening, the ship set sail on a three-day celebratory round-trip Miami voyage.
“It is only fitting that she be christened in our hometown of Miami – a city that embodies vibrancy and sophistication,” said Montague. “We are deeply honoured to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside her distinguished godparents, marking a new chapter in our historic collaboration with Food & Wine.”
(From left) Best New Chefs George Mendes, Katie Button, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Lawrence ‘LT’ Smith, Aisha Ibrahim, and Calvin Eng
“This is the beginning of an inspiring partnership between Food & Wine and Oceania Cruises,” said Bair. “We both share a simple but powerful belief: that excellence never goes out of style. For decades, we’ve each stood for craftsmanship, for creativity and for a deep respect for the culinary world – past, present and future. By naming Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs franchise as godparent of this beautiful ship, Oceania Cruises celebrates the future of dining. These chefs are innovators – redefining how we experience food – and now they’ll bring that creativity to the sea.”
Read more: The Allura of the ocean