The goal of a new cruise ship is to cause a stir. Be it a new innovation, a first-at-sea experience, eye-catching design or a stunning art collection, each new vessel hopes to offer something to make it stand out from the crowd. That air of new-ship buzz has been in abundance throughout the last year: the members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which brings together the global cruise community, recorded 24 new ships in 2025 alone.
Among these new vessels was the 1,200-passenger Oceania Allura which first hit the waves for the luxury line in Italy last summer before undertaking a transatlantic crossing. It’s now home-porting in Miami for the winter, which is where I stepped aboard to join her first Caribbean itinerary.
