Oceania debuts dramatically refurbished Sirena in OceaniaNext project

Oceania Cruises has completed a bow-to-stern refurbishment on a second cruise ship, Sirena, as part of the US $100-million OceaniaNext brand enhancement program.

Sirena has emerged from dry-dock with 342 redesigned staterooms and suites and re-imagined public spaces that bring in the same modern chic look that debuted aboard Insignia earlier this year.

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“The re-inspired Sirena is perhaps the best expression of our team’s Kaizen culture which focuses on implementing constant incremental change that continually elevates the guest experience,” said Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises. “That’s the heart and soul of our OceaniaNEXT initiative.”

A major new focus of the refurbishment was the expansion of the ship’s on-board art collection.

The centerpiece of the collection is an original by the legendary Jacques Pepin which was specially commissioned for the Sirena.

Its on display in the re-designed Bar Istas, the ship’s social hub and coffee bar.

Pepin, best known for having been chef to numerous heads of state, dozens of cookbooks, and his long-running and Emmy-award-winning cooking shows on PBS, has always found cooking and painting to be remarkably similar forms of artistic expression, according to a press release by Oceania.

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“I don’t know whether my painting has helped my cuisine, or whether my cooking has helped my painting, and I don’t know if one borrows from the other,” he said. “All I know is that, certainly for me, cooking and painting can live in harmony together. Both are different expressions of who I am, and both enhance my life considerably.”

The project also had a special connection for Pepin as his daughter, Claudine Pepin, christened the ship when she was re-launched for Oceania Cruises in 2016.

Sirena, like her sister ships Insignia, Nautica and Regatta in the Oceania Cruises fleet, was one of eight identical cruise ships built for Renaissance Cruises between 1998 and 2001, all of which were sold to Azamara, Princess and Oceania after Renaissance went bankrupt.

Sirena sailed for Princess Cruises in the Pacific for several years before she was sold to Oceania Cruises in 2016.

Other highlights of her current refurbishment include brand new doors for all her staterooms, along with full-length mirrors and additional 100-volt sockets on each side of the bed in all cabins.

Additional cosmetic enhancements include new wall sconces in the Spa and even more crystal chandeliers in the public spaces and stair lobbies.