Oceania Cruises celebrated a major milestone earlier as the line’s new 1,250-guest Riviera vessel was afloat for the first time and moved from the construction dock to her fitting-out berth.

“The float out of a ship is a beautiful occasion which marks the beginning of her life and we are eagerly anticipating the day next spring that we can unveil her to the world,” stated Frank Del Rio, chairman Prestige Cruise Holdings, parent company of Oceania Cruises.

The shipyard will now focus on fitting out and finishing Riviera’s exquisite interiors which were designed in concert with the renowned team from Y&S of Oslo, Norway.

Riviera will offer 625 elegantly appointed and custom-crafted accommodations that are among the largest at sea, ranging from 174 to a palatial 2,000+ square feet.

Her top suites will be a study in chic, residential elegance and feature furnishings from Ralph Lauren Home and designs by Dakota Jackson of New York City and S.B. Long Interiors of Greenwich, CT.

The ship will also feature a Lalique-designed grand lobby, ten dining venues and numerous bars and lounges. Facilities will include a full-service Canyon Ranch SpaClub and fitness centre, innovative Bon Appetit Culinary Centre, swimming pool and hot tubs.

In her inaugural year, Riviera will cruise the Mediterranean and then cross the Atlantic where she will spend the winter cruising the yacht harbours of the Caribbean.

From April 14th through November 29th, 2012, Riviera will offer 13 distinctive itineraries on a total of 21 voyages, calling on ports in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Turkey as well as Israel, Croatia, Cyprus, Montenegro, Morocco and Monaco.