When one thinks of Oceania Cruises, the name “Del Rio” often comes to mind. After all, Frank Del Rio, the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), founded the Oceania brand in 2002, growing the cruise line in the upper-premium space with culinary- and destination-focused itineraries.

Meanwhile, Frank Del Rio’s son Frank A. Del Rio has risen in the cruising world. The younger Del Rio joined Oceania as one of the cruise line’s founding team until his departure in 2017 as senior vice president of port destinations and onboard revenue. He took a five-year sabbatical before returning to Oceania in March 2023 as chief marketing officer.

“My father is not just my father, he’s my hero, a guy that I’ve looked up to my whole life,” Frank A. Del Rio said in an interview with Travel Weekly Asia. “For me growing up in Miami, the cruise capital of the world, I was exposed to the cruise industry since I was a baby.”

Now Frank A. Del Rio is stepping into his father’s shoes, mirroring a career trajectory that isn’t unlike that of his father. Since 1 January 2023, he succeeded Sherman Howard to lead Oceania Cruises as president, as part of sweeping changes to NCLH senior leadership announced in late 2022.

Once again, Oceania Cruises is headed by a Del Rio.

Oceania Cruises will launch new ship Vista in May 2023.

Constant rejuvenation

Like the brand he represents, Frank A. Del Rio is on a quest of constant renewal, with 2023 shaping up to be a year of many significant developments for Oceania Cruises.

As Oceania Cruises marks its 20th anniversary in 2023, the cruise line will launch and inaugurate new ship Vista. “It’s been 10 years since we launched a new ship, and it’s now a perfect time to show what we’ve learnt from our guests and what they want us to incorporate into the ship. We’re bringing out some amazing new culinary experiences that I’m very excited about.”

After Vista’s debut in May 2023, the second 1,200-guest Allura Class ship is on track for delivery in 2025, while another two vessels are likely to launch by 2027 and 2029 respectively.

Meanwhile, a refurbishment of Oceania Cruises’ two O-class ships, Riveria and Marina, is underway to give the staterooms, bathrooms and public spaces “a complete remodel”. This follows the US$100 million refurbishment of the cruise line’s R-class ships – Regatta, Insignia, Sirena and Nautica.

Travellers’ ever-evolving preferences and tastes have changed significantly since the brand’s inception two decades ago, so such renewal is much needed as Oceania strives to stay ahead of competition. The interior décor of Oceania ships, says Frank A Del Rio, now mirrors that of contemporarily designed high-end hotels and luxury homes. 

While the average age of guests at Oceania has held steady at 67 years old, Frank A Del Rio points out that “a 67-year-old today is different from a 67-year-old twenty years ago”, a reason why the cruise line is adamant in “evolving the product to serve the needs of the new consumer”. 

The interiors of Oceania Cruises' ships undergo constant renewal to meet guests' ever-evolving needs and preferences.

An epitome of luxury

The swift return of demand for luxury cruises post pandemic, and the growing trend for longer voyages and farther destinations, have yielded positive outcomes for the cruise line.

“We've seen a massive uptick in guests participating in our grand voyages, who are 50-plus days journeys, and these voyages are bringing a higher percentage of new to brand guests,” said Frank A. Del Rio, adding that the new-to-brand guests make up a slightly bigger proportion for its recently launched 180-day ‘2025 Around the world Cruise’.

“I strongly believe that the cruise industry has to constantly be reinventing itself to attract past guests and new-to-brand guests that we need to be able to attract,” said Frank A. Del Rio. “If you want to keep your prices up and even keep bringing them up, you have to deliver something that the guest is willing to pay for.”

He added: “Another reason why we feel it's important to preserve price is for our travel advisor partners – every time I lower price, I take money away from my travel advisor. We're committed to price preservation, and it's also a way of showing them our commitment to them and that we're going to keep their commissions strong.” 

“We never fight on price. It's all about the deal. You'll hear my father and many of our executives always say that it's not price; it's a deal. It’s the value that you build into the product – that's our recipe for success. And we're very open about it.”

Aquamar Kitchen is one of the new dining spaces aboard Oceania Vista.

Camaraderie and collaboration in APAC

Trade partnerships are clearly an area where Frank A. Del Rio feels strongly in maintaining, especially with the changes that the pandemic has wrought on the travel industry.

“With travel coming back and new travel advisors coming into the space, you have to re-educate and train them, bring them up to speed on the brand. It’s an opportunity to win those people over.”

In Asia, the cruise line is doubling down on efforts with “our travel advisor partners and giving them the tools and the resources for them to be able to be as successful as they can,” he added.

“Such activities are really about re-engaging our friends and partners, developing and refreshing the camaraderie that we’ve always had.”

"We recognise that we will have to invest in emerging markets like Asia and Australia to help with that growth. Most definitely, over the last 20 years, our focus and our attention to this region has grown and it will continue to grow.”