Culinary feats and cool retreats: Vista hits the spot

With just one port stop on our whirlwind two-night voyage out of Los Angeles on Oceania Cruises' Vista, there has been a decision to make: to stay on board for a six-course cellar master's wine-pairing lunch, or to disembark and explore for an afternoon the Mexican city of Ensenada.

Both options come with bold claims. Ensenada calls itself the birthplace of the margarita AND the fish taco. Oceania Cruises, meanwhile, declares it serves The Finest Cuisine at Sea - even trademarking the audacious assertion. We have already dined on Vista, in the Grand Dining Room, where I could not go past the chermoula butter-roasted Maine lobster with risotto primavera and bisque jus. And this evening we are booked to eat at Ember, one of three new Oceania dining offerings (or "concepts") launched on Vista. The Miami-based cruise line's first new ship in more than a decade, Vista was delivered last May by the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Fifteen decks and 241 metres of gleaming new ship, she comes with these claims to fame: the roomiest standard staterooms at sea, and a ratio of two staff (of which there are 800 from 47 nationalities) to every three passengers.

By 1pm, sitting in the 130-year-old Hussong's Cantina on Avenue Ruiz, sawdust on the floor, ceiling fans spinning overhead, walls crowded with memorabilia and the mariachi musicians roaming, I know I've made a good decision. Sure, the place is packed with tourists lining up margaritas - this is, after all, where the salty and sour tequila cocktail was invented in 1941 (although it does have competition for the claim). But this is fun. Mexican-style fun, with an edge: the security guard at the entrance has a very big gun.

Soon, some of the tourists are dancing. And the grumpy looking hombres behind the bar are actually happy to have their picture taken as we depart, in search of fish tacos. We catch an Uber to Tacos Mi Ranchito el Fenix and, seated at plastic tables and chairs in the afternoon humidity, politely gorge on fishy morsels in tempura batter topped with spicy green salsa. Mission accomplished. Time to head back to the ship.

And how nice it is to be back in our veranda stateroom on deck 10. There is no sawdust on the floor here. It is 27 square metres of neutral-toned and superbly finished loveliness, including the marble bathroom with its walk-in "rainforest" shower. We've also had a covetous peek inside the opulent Vista and Oceania suites - and a Ralph Lauren Home-styled Owners' Suite, of which there are three, each sprawling across 220 square metres at the ship's stern.

Showered and changed into "smart casual" attire (no jeans are allowed in specialty restaurants), we head for a pre-dinner drink at Founders Bar on deck 6, another first for the Vista. It specialises in cocktails and, still in a tequila frame of mind, I order a Picante that also has apricot brandy liqueur and a dried chilli on top.

We like Founders, but our favourite spot to hide away in plain sight, on cosy couches with sea views out floor-to-ceiling windows, quickly becomes Horizons bar on deck 14.

Dinner at Ember (which for the record is one of 11 culinary venues on board, a number the cruise line says is unprecedented for a ship of Vista's size) is from a menu of American classics with a modern twist - although my cheeseburger just seems classic, and a little on the rare side. The starter-sized lobster roll, on the other hand, is perfection. As it was with my Ensenada fish tacos, I don't want to stop at one.

THE SHIP: Oceania Cruises' Vista

THE SIZE: 241 metres long, 1200 guests, 613 staterooms (including singles) and suites

GOOD TO KNOW: Foodies rejoice! The Vista's state-of-the-art Culinary Centre conducts hands-on cooking classes with evocative names such as The Old Man and the Sea and Brunch around the Globe.

GET ON BOARD: Vista is cruising the Mediterranean between April and November this year, with 10-day itineraries from $4729 a person. She'll then home-port out of Miami until May 2025.

EXPLORE MORE: oceaniacruises.com

The writer travelled courtesy of Oceania Cruises.

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