Glamour on the high seas as Oceania Riviera sets sail with a touch of Ralph Lauren

Oceania Riviera came out of drydock in Marseille at the beginning of the northern summer and proceeded to wow her high-season guests as she hit all the Mediterranean's most fabulous ports with a new bar and lounge, as well as redesigned suites and staterooms.

Oceania, a premium cruise line owned by Norwegian, is now in the middle of its OceaniaNext program, which sees enhancement of its fleet of six mid-sized ships.

With a primary point of difference being the emphasis on great cuisine (free specialty restaurants with lobster on the menu at each of them every night a point in case), post-reno, Riviera now has a stylish cafe, Bar Istas, with a top-of-the-range Victoria Arduino espresso machine upon which trained staff pull Illy coffees to order. Guests can relax in a lounge decorated in Hollywood Regency style, or on stools at a bar with expansive ocean views.

The 1250-passenger Riviera's Concierge and Veranda staterooms have been refreshed in line with the look of the company's newest ships, Insignia and Sirena.

But the Owner's Suites are the beneficiaries of the most significant transformation in the program – they are reimagined in a style reminiscent of "the world's most glamorous yachts" says Bob Binder, president and CEO of Oceania Cruises. They exclusively featuring decor from the Ralph Lauren Home Collection.

Riviera will spend the rest of 2019 in the Atlantic and Caribbean. See oceaniacruises.com

Julietta Jameson travelled as a guest of Oceania Cruises.