marieps

We were on EQ Deck 8 in a corner aft suite for the holiday cruise (which @mahdnc sadly had to cancel) and loved it. A single pole on DW's side of the bed, which she adorned with holiday lights. We're in the same room on Sille for the October TA. Can't wait.

Dave, you KILL me.

So you're saying that a PH on O is priced similarly to an entry level on Seabourn or Silver Sea. That's not a good value? I've sailed Regent, but not SS or SB. I'm not sure how a PH on O for the same price as entry level on SS or SB is not a value. Not wanting to argue, just wanting to understand your take.

We've been on Regatta and Riviera, and will sail Insigna's 2024 Eastbound TA. Having been in an A cabin on Regatta, we realized that when sailing R class we must have a PH. The bathroom (especially the shower) is simply too small for us. We are not large people, either. The PH with walk-in shower is lovely on both ships. I concur with others about the dining. RG and Jacques were our favorites.

They call it "open air," and from the look of the pic they've just painted a court on the sport court with a portable net. Hope it's less windy than Oceania Riviera. We were just on her and most of the time the wind made the game unplayable.

We look for something distinguishing in the elevator lobby. Last cruise it was a house phone. We knew to always exit on the opposite side to access the proper passageway to our cabin.

Such a good point.

No need for a robe in the steam and sauna. Some wear one while on the loungers. Reflection's PG is a bit more expansive that Solstice, as it includes a cold room. Towel only is fine in the sauna located in the locker room (at least in my experience on the mens' side.) Most go buff in fact with a towel to sit on. Enjoy.

What a bonus. That must have been exciting. I've seen dolphin pods while leaving the PEV channel but never a whale from the ship.

Ironic that E class is marketed as a ship that optimizes ocean views, and yet these seasoned passengers are recommending S class.

Enjoy your cruise.

Have a great cruise!

I opened a Charles Schwab checking account specifically for hitting ATMS overseas, as all fees are refunded. Be sure to use a bank ATM. Also be sure you have a credit card that waives foreign transaction fees. I use Quicksilver for that purpose.

At least they didn't run out of eggs. It was a pleasant surprise that Waves as a cook-to-order egg station for breakfast. You need not wait in line at Terrace.

You will be taking the tunnel to B rather than the bridge to J. Sadly I had an Uber driver two weeks ago whose GPS took us thru the tunnel to get to J. Signage is not great. Have a great cruise, regardless.

I sooo miss the split-top buns of my youth in NH. And those red hot dogs. Where did you go to school? DW & I are BU grads.

So happy to hear this review after many negative comments lately aimed at Sillie. We're on her TA in October and expect an excellent cruise. FWIW, we just got off Oceania Riviera and ran into many couples with O and =X= experience who voiced preferences for =X= in terms of value and especially service.

The good news is the basket of fries was hot and salty. Yum.

True, but New Englanders will not recognize it as a traditional lobster roll.

Please also note breakfast times in Blu can vary depending on whether it's a port or sea day. In our experience breakfast will be served 30 minutes earlier (and end earlier as well) on a port day.

Love the Fargo reference.

It was fun reading this "live from" after the fact, as we were on the same cruise. It was explained to us the snails delivered by the vendor were of poor quality, hence no escargot. Same with arugula. My beef carpaccio came smothered in field greens! We also experienced the jam shortage, although I found one jar of cherry on disembarkation morning. I mentioned on another thread our we had to refire three bowls of mussels and two lobster bisques on night one over temperature issues. My wife was quite acutely ill the next morning. While we could certainly not prove a causation, the Sr. Exec Chef and Restaurant Mgr insisted on meeting with us to discuss it. They were very attentive and offered an extra night at Jacques. Two nights of goat cheese souffle, my single favorite item on the ship. The OP mentioned early on where O outshines =X=, but the wifi is a miserable failure when you compare the two. =X='s "free" laundry is also far quicker to return. We were in a PH and found so much storage and the room so well laid out we left more than a half dozen drawers empty. None of that silly brick a brack found in Revolutionized =X= suites. Just my two cents. Enjoy your cruises, future Riviera travelers.

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. It was clear the entire F&B staff knew who we were after our meeting. The incident made it's way to Reception as well. It was a rough 12 hrs for DW, but the response from the staff was thoughtful and appropriate. BTW, I always enjoy your posts.

We did, and the senior exec chef and the restaurant manager insisted on meeting with us. They offered apologies, and an extra reservation at Jacques, which we gladly accepted. We also suggested they not serve warm single-serve tubs of yogurt for breakfast at Waves, and that someone periodically bus the glasses from the forward sun deck off the spa. Both suggestions were taken to heart and acted upon.

We said hello to Yan last night. Out of nowhere he was the one assigned to us. He had to deal with a very poor brigade experience. Refired mussels twice that were just too cold to eat. Lobster bisque tepid at best. Really? The sommelier was wholly inattentive. And worst, DW was ill all morning. Acutely so. Jacques tonight. Hoping for a turn around.