What would you do if you were asked to start up a new cruise line and were handed with a relatively new, luxurious 700-guest ship? If your name happens to be Joe Watters or Frank del Rio, you would probably call your new venture Oceania Cruises, name the first ship Regatta and start to build a cruise line that hovers between the premium and luxury segments. 

With a hint of Renaissance, a scoop of Crystal, a good deal of people management and a whole lot of marketing experience, Oceania have been delivering a wonderful cruise experience from day one. Such was the success of their first ship Regatta that sister Insignia joined the fleet a year later. And now, on November 24, 2005, friends and family of Oceania Cruises have congregated in Istanbul, Turkey to witness the naming of the third Oceania sister Nautica.

Originally ordered by the now defunct Renaissance Cruises, the Oceania triplets carry only 700 guests and offer a completely unstructured lifestyle geared to well-traveled English-speaking couples. With no formal nights ("Country Club casual" is the only dress code) and much emphasis on good food and interesting destinations, Oceania has quickly secured her own place amongst the cruise industry's big players.

We join Nautica at Istanbul, Turkey for her festive naming ceremony before setting sail on a five-day pre-inaugural “Friends & Family Cruise” in the Eastern Mediterranean. Despite the inclement weather en route, we quickly appreciate the vessel's elegant interiors, her lazy mornings, active afternoons and convivial. On Nautica every day feels like a Saturday!