Backed by fresh trade investment, a simplified commercial model and the need to fill a run of new luxury ships, the line’s sales bosses told TTG that the UK was ripe for growth.

Speaking on board its new ship Allura, Oceania Cruises chief commercial officer Nathan Hickman said “the UK punches below its weight”. 

“I think we’ve kind of had them [the UK team] handcuffed a little bit," he added. "When I look at what we should be getting from the UK market, we’re nowhere near saturation point.”

Director of sales UK and Ireland Louise Craddock added that with some sales restrictions removed and a “simplified pricing structure” introduced in June, the UK had already seen sales double year-on-year, with many more measures set to help her grow sales. 

“We had multiple pricing opportunities, which we were hearing from partners sometimes made it quite confusing and complicated to sell,” Craddock said. “The goal is now to double our business in the UK in the next couple of years. We’ve got the infrastructure to do that, and that is something that’s being lead from the top. 

“The shackles are off and it’s time to bring this brand to life. We have done a great job with the trade, but there is still more brand awareness needed, but we’re now getting the funds we need to do that.” 

Hickman added the UK sales spike had come from listening to what local markets needed: “Different markets have different sensitivities and different things that help propel the business. For example, listening to Louise for her local knowledge, and with Paul [Beale] and Steve [Odell] also saying ‘go with what works in this market’ has been releasing the reigns for Louise, so we’re seeing this huge boost in sales.”

Allura is the line’s eighth ship and the second in its Allura Class. The ship entertained 130 trade partners on its shakedown cruise last week, feted as a huge success by Craddock and Hickman. 

Guest feedback 

Craddock said a variety of new and existing partners had sampled the ship, including agents such as Designer Travel’s Angela Perkins who sailed with the line for the first time and went on to sell a big Japan cruise while still onboard. “She is more of a luxury land-based agent who has now fallen in love with Oceania, which is exactly what we’d hoped for,” Craddock said. 

Hickman said the line drew heavily on guest feedback to help shape Allura, with the maiden voyage of the 1,200-passenger ship sailing near-full from Trieste to Athens this week, with TTG onboard. 

“We’ve done a lot of research and one thing became very clear – our guests don’t want to be passive participants in their holiday,” Hickman said. “That sense of curiosity that got them on a plane and onto a ship doesn’t end once they embark. They want to keep learning, stay engaged, and take part in something meaningful.”

Hickman said this insight had driven a fresh slew of experiential learning opportunities across the ship, from enhanced culinary programming to digital know-how sessions at the new LYNK Digital Center, which now sits next to the ship’s relocated library. 

“It’s a bit like the Apple Genius Bar at sea,” Hickman said. “Guests were going to our internet manager with all sorts of tech questions, from how to use Instagram, to how to take better travel photos or manage online security, so we created LYNK to meet that demand for digital confidence – and it’s been a huge hit already on Allura.”

Fleet expansion plans

Another new addition is the Chef’s Studio, where guests can enjoy chef-led cooking demonstrations that are less structured. Meanwhile, Oceania’s Culinary Center continues on Allura with an offering of more immersive, hands-on cooking experiences, where two-hour classes are led by chef-instructors. 

Allura also sees the return of the line’s signature French restaurant, Jacques, named for legendary chef Jacques Pépin, the line’s first-ever executive culinary director. Already deemed a success on Allura, the restaurant will be retrofitted onto class-sibling Vista.  

The line is also preparing to launch the first of four Sonata Class vessels, each of which will carry approximately 1,390 guests. Oceania Sonata goes on sale January 2026 and will be launched in summer 2027, while Oceania Arietta will come in 2029, with two further ships in 2032 and 2035.

Hickman said: “When you’re talking about 50% more capacity, you have to start talking to more people. Vista is still being talked about after two years, and here we are now talking about Allura – soon we will open the books for even more ships in the new Sonata Class, so we need more sales.”

Craddock added she thought there was great potential to do this among first-time cruise advisors.

“I want all agents in the UK to be selling cruise, and we’re seeing that – we really are seeing how the industry is changing,” she said. “And if you’re not in cruise at the moment, you should be, as it is absolutely booming.”