Oceania Aurelia is set to enter service in late 2027 as the newest long-range vessel in the Oceania Cruises fleet, with the company unveiling an inaugural deployment centred on extended global itineraries, including two separate 180-day Around the World voyages scheduled for 2028 and 2029. The programme also includes two Grand Voyages exceeding 70 days in duration, marking the first occasion on which the line has released two world cruises simultaneously. Reservations are scheduled to open on May 13th, 2026.
The vessel, currently operating as Oceania Nautica, is being repositioned as a ship purpose-built for extended voyages. Carrying fewer than 500 guests attended by approximately 400 officers and crew, the vessel has been designed to provide a more residential atmosphere suited to long periods at sea. Oceania Cruises stated that the deployment reflects growing demand for immersive itineraries offering longer stays ashore and access to lesser-visited destinations.
The 2028 Around the World voyage will depart Miami FL on January 18th, 2028 and conclude in New York after 180 days. The itinerary includes a Panama Canal transit before crossing the Pacific to Hawaii, French Polynesia and the South Pacific, followed by calls throughout Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean. Extended port stays are planned in destinations including Sydney, Bora Bora and Tokyo before the vessel returns across the Atlantic.
The 2029 edition will sail from Los Angeles to New York beginning January 6th, 2029. This itinerary follows the Pacific coast of the Americas through Central and South America before continuing to Easter Island, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. The voyage also includes opportunities for overland programmes to destinations such as Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra in Jordan and the Taj Mahal in India.
In addition to the global voyages, Oceania Aurelia will operate two extended Grand Voyages in 2028. The 78-day Grand Nordic & Baltic Discovery will sail from New York to Boston in July 2028, covering Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia and the Baltic region. Later that year, the 71-day Grand South America Adventure will depart Miami for Los Angeles, combining Caribbean itineraries with a circumnavigation of South America and a passage near the Antarctic Peninsula.
The ship’s inaugural season will begin in November 2027 with Mediterranean sailings, including a 7-day maiden voyage from Rome to Trieste and a 12-day Oceania Club Reunion Cruise from Trieste to Athens (Piraeus). Holiday voyages in the Mediterranean and a transatlantic crossing to Miami will follow before the vessel’s official christening ceremony in January 2028 ahead of its first world cruise departure.