WHY IT RATES: Oceania Cruises' new Go Local tour series takes travelers into the lives and homes of locals in select destinations. - Mackenzie Cullen, Editorial Associate
Oceania Cruises, the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, unveiled its groundbreaking new Go Local series of immersive destination tours.
As a part of the brand's stream of OceaniaNEXT enhancements, these new, exclusive small-batch tours go beyond the tourist sites and embed our guests in the fabric of local communities. Guests will experience destinations on an entirely new level where they are welcomed into local homes and businesses and immersed into their way of life.
"On our new Go Local tours, you don't see the highlights or even visit a landmark. On these tours you are being introduced to local artisans, shopping local markets, and quite literally becoming part of a local family. You're learning about and experiencing generations-old traditions and the ways of their day-to-day lives," stated Bob Binder, President and Chief Executive Officer for Oceania Cruises.
More than 120 tours are offered throughout Europe, Alaska, and South America with myriad choices of tours that run the gamut from A Day at the Farm in Kusadasi, Turkey to the Hidden Treasures of Milongas in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Playing Gaelic Games in Cork, Ireland.
Sample Go Local Tour
- Shepard for a Day in Mahon, Spain - guests will be welcomed to a family farm in the countryside of Ciutadella or Es Mercadal and introduced to the lifestyle and operation of the farm, including the milking and shearing of the sheep. Guests will also learn the intricacies of making goat cheese and how the strong coastal winds that soak the grazing fields result in the cheeses having a hint of sea-saltiness. After the immersion into sheep farming, it's time to savor a meal around the family table and sample local cheeses, fresh baked bread, cured meats and of course, wine.
- Shop for Dinner and Set the Table in Buenos Aires, Argentina - accompanied by a local guide, this is a fun and engaging afternoon and evening of shopping local markets and then retiring to a local residence where dinner is prepared and enjoyed. Navigating through a market bustling with locals, there will be opportunities to ask the butchers for the best cuts, the fish monger for today's catch or to haggle with the grocer for the best price on vegetables. One need not be a foodie to appreciate the richness of this experience. After the shopping is finished, it's time to enjoy a traditional Argentine dinner "at home."
- Fishing with The Natives in Portofino, Italy - on this lively excursion, guests spend the day at sea with a local fishing crew, watching them haul in the day's catch. The Captain and crew will describe their typical day on the stunningly beautiful Ligurian Sea and explain the different methods they use such as casting nets or the traditional palamiti - long lines with hundreds of hooks. Of course, no day at sea would be complete without a meal of traditionally prepared, just-caught fish followed by a refreshing dip in the sea off the coast of Portofino.
- Ardmore Village & Inspiration of a Local Artist in Waterford, Ireland - At the Brigid Shelly Gallery in Ardmore, the locat artist known affectionately as "The Cow Lady" guides you during a hand-on painting class in her studio. Shelly loves to capture landscapes and people on canvas but admits that she is a bit fascinated with painting the local cows. She starts with a tour of her gallery and a look through some of her recent works and then turns everyone loose to release their inner Picasso. During the session she will regales with tales of local life, history and lore and she loves to answer questions. Of course, everyone returns home not just with fond memories, but their own personal masterpiece.
With the addition of these new tours, Oceania Cruises offers the widest and most immersive range of touring options - Oceania Exclusive and Oceania Select collections of mainstream excursions, our trademark Culinary Discovery Tours, Food & Wine Trails tours for the ultimate foodie experiences, the most expansive offering of Wellness Tours available across six continents, and now the ground-breaking Go Local series.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
