Oceania Sirena to Leave Fleet in 2028 Following NCLH Sale

Oceania Aurelia will debut in 2027 (Photo: Oceania)

Last updated

Jul 31, 2026

(12:42 p.m. EDT) — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has decided to part ways with one of its older ships, Oceania Sirena.

According to the company, Oceania Cruises will continue operating the 684-guest ship through spring 2028 under the terms of a charter agreement. The sale is expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2026.

NCLH has not disclosed the buyer of the R-class ship.

Oceania Sirena entered service in 1999 under the name R Four, sailing for Renaissance Cruises.

After the company declared bankruptcy, the ship was then transferred to Princess Cruises in 2002 and renamed Tahitian Princess. In 2009, it was renamed again, this time as Ocean Princess.

The vessel left the Princess fleet in 2014 and underwent extensive refurbishment before reentering service as Oceania Sirena in 2016.

Another R-Class ship, the 1998-built Oceania Regatta, has been chartered to My Cruises and is leaving the fleet this summer, while Oceania Nautica is set to be transformed and relaunched as Oceania Aurelia in 2027.

This means that the only remaining R-Class ship in the fleet is Oceania Nautica, built in 1998.

The announcement sparked mixed reactions among members of the Cruise Critic community, with many reflecting on their experiences aboard Sirena and wondering what the sale means for the ship's future and for the cruise line.

Some members shared fond memories of the ship: "I've only sailed on Oceania once, just over a year ago, and that was on Sirena. We had a nice time, and thought the ship was in pretty good shape, given its age," said Stockjock.

Others expressed concern that the sale could signal fewer unique itineraries.

"If that's what is going to happen it will mean even less of unique itineraries to the harder to reach destinations," wrote osandomir. "Unfortunately, it's the direction that Oceania has chosen and it will make them more similar to some other cruise lines with limited itineraries."

A few cruisers said the move wasn't surprising: "Not surprising as writing was on the wall with the new larger ships coming onboard."

On the other hand, several cruisers saw the sale as part of a broader shift in Oceania Cruises' strategy.

1985rz1 noted: "Yes, it seems Oceania is moving in the direction towards mass market lines with its pivot on demographics, and shift to shorter cruises with very traditional itineraries, but with medium size (1200 to 1400 pax) ships."

However, not everyone viewed the move negatively. Some members expressed hope that the fleet changes could allow the cruise line to focus its remaining ships on longer voyages.

"Perhaps if the R ships leave the fleet we can hope that O will use Riviera and Marina for more exotic and longer itineraries," commented the mice. "2 years ago we had a great 24 day B2B on Riviera in SE Asia and some were on for up to a 58 day extended journey. Ever hopeful."