CruiseAficionado

We first visited the little town just up the road from Taormina, Castelmola. It was a wonderful little place that we had almost to ourselves. Some very interesting shops. That was a wonderful day!

We loved the small town of Taormina and all its little shops. Will have to enquire about Castelmola if we ever visit Messina again.

We were in Taormina and Messina last July and had a great time! Our driver also offered us a visit to his favorite cannoli shop and he was buying! All 6 of us went with him and enjoyed the BIGGEST and best cannoli's we've ever tasted. As you ordered they would put the filling in the cannoli. It took both hands to hold since it was so big. My only regret was not taking a picture of how big they were. Regardless of how big they were, none of them lasted long as each of us scarfed it down as quickly as we could. The store we stopped at was called Laboratorio Pasticceria Gelateria and if we ever return to Messina we will be sure to stop again!

Sorry we missed out but just not a big fan of cannoli. Your post is certainly a ringing endorsement for anyone seeking the best. Thanks for posting

That should brighten up my afternoon work load!

You are too kind. Glad you are enjoying.

Its like a thriller I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight !! I told you you missed your vocation Write a book!!

 

Sent from my SM-T713 using Forums mobile app

Thanks, now off to dinner at the Terrace ... giving Sydney a break. Wait to see what magic he surprised us with when we got back yesterday. Will work on the continuation when we get back from dinner.

To Herculaneum and back ... almost not.

To those of you adventurous types who eschew tours and tour groups we, who almost missed our boat, salute you! First of all, we thoroughly researched Pompeii and found out that there was actually a more precisely preserved smaller city further to the North called Herculaneum. The unique preservation of this city was due to the particular dynamics of its burial that was covered by flows of pyroclastic rock that solidified to an average height of 16 meters. This led to a phenomenon of preservation that is absolutely original and nothing at all like Pompeii. It provided researchers (not us) with organic artifacts (plants, fabrics, furniture and structural parts of wooden buildings, even the boat recovered from the ancient marina in 1982) and also the upper floors of the buildings which gives a precise idea of volumes and building techniques. So as we had not heard the all clear for random tender service we headed to the Riviera theater. Walking down the forward stairs we arrived at deck 5 and were immediately told to enter the theater ONLY through the starboard entrance. Upon entering we found an empty theater and a table on stage manned by two crew members who handed us two red cards only to surrender them back after walking out the the port side to the same gentleman who was now asking for our red cards. The purpose of making us walk into the theater to grab the cards escapes me. As we boarded the tender our attempt to sit in the two of the 8 upper was greeted by a stern “no” and we were then ushered to the center seats and instructed to bunch up. The attempt to take the extra time to “fill” the tender to capacity was met with a fellow passengers observation that “wouldn’t it be faster to just leave with a not so full tender?” Dunno the answer but after arriving at the dock we exited FIFO (first on first off) which was a cruise first fo me. We then took a shuttle to city center and finally walked the last few blocks to the train station. The train station agent was quite nice and took our 11.5 Euros for a 11.6 Euro fare RT for two to Herculaneum. The ride would be several stops past Pompeii and the train seats did not lend themselves well to our over 50 minute ride. Not expected was the late departure from the originating station which was about 5 minutes. The train we were in was in very bad shape on the outside and was completely covered in what seemed like several layers of dirt along with bold, graphic, somewhat artistic graffiti. The interior was fairly clean of debris but the plastic seats seemed to have been scuffed by shoes. Nonetheless they were hard and got harder as the train became later and later as we stopped and left each station.

We arrived in ercolano which is the name of the train station and walked downhill to the entrance of Herculaneum. A rather nice fellow asked if we would be interested in visiting Mt. Vesuvius after seeing the Herculaneum and we said no which he respected and kindly moved on to the next visitors. We then proceeded to a building about 200 meters from the entrance to buy tickets and get a free guide. At the back of the building was the ticket entrance and further on was a booth renting audio headsets but unfortunately there was a sign saying they were on break. The whole complex is contained in what amounts to be a giant hole in the ground surrounded by current dwellings. As we walked down what we thought was the entrance ramp we discovered our guide did not match up with the building numbers and briefly wondered if a previous offer of an English speaking guide would have been helpful. Oh well, my main intent was to get an “overall” impression of what it may have been like to live in that era and not so much in the minute details. After a sun baked hour of traipsing about the ruins we finally ended up where we should have begun our tour. It was the lowest point in the dig and housed vaulted rooms that opened to the original beach which was now behind what I estimated to be at least a 50 meter wall and maybe higher. All in all it was stunning to be walking the same streets that ancient peoples must have walked over 1900 years ago.

Exiting the dig we walked the long gradual hill back to the train station passing what looked like the best sandwiches and pizza around. However our plans included catching the next train back to Sorrento and catching a burger at Waves before it closed at 4:00pm. Also I had read a New York Times article about how the mafia made money by burying toxic materials illegally at a fraction of the legal price somewhere around Naples. It was only years later when the U.S. Navy, who had a base nearby, discovered the toxins had entered the ground water. (Story can be googled if you want more detailed info.)

On to our almost missing the ship. When we got to the train station DW had been advised to enter through the Sorrento entrance and not the Napoli one, advice which seemed reasonable but often disregarded. While standing on the station platform and tired from all the walking we decided NOT to wait the additional minutes for the 1:53 pm DD express train but instead just take the now delayed next train scheduled at 1:28 which arrived a few minutes later. Once aboard we thought we were on a straight shot train to Sorrento like the one we took from Sorrento and paid little attention to the announcements made in Italian. Tired but happily engrossed in reading our guides and reliving our visit to Herculaneum we did not notice the trains passengers dwindle to just a few passengers in addition to us. Finally we reached the end of the line and it was not Sorrento. Little did we know that our train would slide over to another track without our knowledge and end up out in the beautiful Italian country side albeit much closer to Mt. Vesuvius. A charming Italian woman, one of the few passengers left in our car, quite emphatically told us something in Italian that may have been translated to “you missed your train transfer” or worse as she chuckled. As we looked at her with little acknowledgement to what she was saying her son muttered “no apish”. We then quickly became somewhat of celebrities as one by one people tried to explain in Italian that we needed to wait for the train to go back 6 stations and get off to wait for the next train to Sorrento. While DW tried to use our limited train schedule (because they do not put all the stops on it) to figure out the earliest we could make it back to Sorrento the conductor came up and explained in his best limited English that he announced the necessary train transfer to Sorrento and once again told us what we needed to do. He also told us we would not be leaving for 50 minutes. Now DW was worried as her calculations now put us back to the train station at 5:47pm. With the last tender at 5:30 and the ship leaving at 6:00 we were in seemingly dire straights and contemplating having to catch a flight or train or taxi to Rome our next stop. (To be continued)

Taormina was a huge visual difference from Mallorca and even Valencia. We met our guide along with another couple as we left the ship at 8:30 am and other than provide cursory historical information he was a less expensive alternative to a taxi. The road to Taormina ended up being a somewhat bumpy ride that even the Mercedes Benz van we were riding in could handle. Along the way we saw very little new construction and our driver referenced that the influx of immigrants did not want work but only wanted money which I took as meaning they were a burden on the government and added to their high taxes. During the journey we passed through many, many tunnels and some of them rather long and even a corkscrew one on exiting the highway to Taormina. During the drive I wondered when they were constructed and by whom but forgot to ask our driver. After about an hour of viewing some rather dingy looking apartment buildings (some in need of repair) and some wonderful panoramic views of the Med we arrived at our drop off point at one of the city gates. As it was now 9:30am and we had an allotted time of 2 hours to stroll down the main street looking in the assorted shops before reaching the greek amphitheater dating back to the 3rd century BC. It was located a sharp right hand turn from the main street and up a short hill. Admission was 11 euros and if I recall audio headsets were available for 8 euros or 11 euros for two. We opted to just walk around without the headsets and found the dramatic videos recreating what the structure must have looked like more impressive than trying to imagine it. However the views and cool breezes were worth the strenuous stair climbing. We exited and began our meandering trek through the Sunday crowd back to our waiting driver. The return trip seemed to be made in great haste as we passed many slower vehicles with little regard for speed limits. Do not know if it was related to our party declining our drivers offer to visit his favorite cannoli shop back in town or not. Of note we traveled on a four lane highway with two diversions down to one lane. One for a 2 year old landslide that had closed 2 lanes and yet to be fixed and the other for a closed tunnel that I think was caused by a cave in. Finally, knowing that part of one of the Godfather movies was shot here l asked our driver kiddingly how the local “mafia” was doing and he remarked “they are all in the ground”. Back on board I could only reflect that from my observations the Sicilian economy is not doing that well but it did not prevent us from having a wonderful time.

Much to our surprise this portion of the Med has rougher seas than we experienced during the Atlantic crossing. Oh well we were comfortably ensconced in our suite which is a floor lower and seven cabins closer to mid ship than our former cabin and contemplated where to go to lunch. Waves grill and a lobster/steak sandwich that we have not yet tried was on the agenda. Speaking of our new cabin it is completely 180 degrees opposite our first cabin and is producing an out of sorts sensation for us both. Upon entering this cabin the bed and bath are now on the left side and everything in the bath is opposite to where it was. Initially confounding but we are now getting used to it. Further on the subject of cabins we were able to see cabin 7009 and it’s huge deck area. In comparison to our current PH the balcony cabins seem to be a smaller more condensed version which we would definitely consider for future cruises on O. While the butler service has been a guilty pleasure the added savings of a balcony cabin could be an option on any future cruises. Especially since Concierge cabins have the option of ordering from the GDR. We spoke with Iwona at the future cruise desk on board and she advised the PH’s on the Nov 2018 T/A are already sold out.

Ended up having the surf and turf with DW having the Kobe burger. Later she succumbed to the motion of the ship and advised dinner at the GDR was no longer an option. So around 2:00pm we advised Sydney that we would be dining in suite yet again. Since the motion was not affecting me I preordered the Sea Bass in puff pastry for two for me and she had the free range chicken from Jacques. Dinner came at 7:00pm while we were watching the rather esoteric movie “The Shape of Water” one of Oceania’s movies on the TV. We set the alarm for our next days tour to Taormina.

Thanks for taking the time to let us all in our your adventure - really enjoying it!

Thank you.

BTW our wonderful hosts in Mallorca that gave us the aforementioned best tour of their island have advised the specifics. At Valldemossa we visited Cafe Con Leche with the hearth and had Cappuccino and the pastry was Ensaimada. The restaurant was Porto Bello and the delicious wine that made me buy more was Macia Batle. Thanks Roger and Pauline

http://www.maciabatle.com/mb/en/Vinos/white.html

Macià Batle

www.maciabatle.com

Blanc de Blancs Variety Prensal Blanc and Chardonnay Vintage Prensal grapes were harvested from 17 to 23 September, also coming from vineyards registered in the Binissalem – Majorca D.O. Chardonnay grapes were harvested from 26 August to 3 September on several plots in the Binissalem – Majorca D.O.

After two lively and informative shore days we are finally able to catch our breath in our cabin on a rather stormy sea day. The navigation crew obviously has its hands full as we have experienced a few strong shudders as the ship crashes through some large swells. After our 14 day leisurely transatlantic cruise with its many sea days we experienced 2 very “active” days ashore. Of course our fatigue could be caused by some late afternoon lunches that included a large quantity of wine. Lol. After getting back on board in Valencia we found ourselves so tired we did not have the energy to shower and go to dinner. Therefore we cancelled our turn down service as DW climbed under the covers. I then suggested we contact Sydney and order something from one of the Specialities. However, since it was once again late notice, DW said I should just go up to the Terrace and give our butler a break from our last minute dinner requests. After all we didn’t want to be accused of “butler abuse”. Lol. So I went to grab a quick plate of lobster tails and some veggies to bring back to the suite. Instead I found some stir fry chicken, steamed veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots), sautéed zucchini, my favorite crab claws and some deliciously prepared muscles. Within minutes of my return to the cabin DW was fast asleep and after finishing my dish I also called it a day.

The next morning we once again had a 9:00am meeting that DW felt required setting an alarm but ended up as not necessary because DW was up at 5:00am. I got up at 6:00am and we called Sydney to order breakfast in suite. He arrived shortly with our hot breakfast items of eggs, oatmeal and a very hot carafe of coffee. I can see this could be a regular occurrence as the Terrace seems to be more crowded this trip than on the TA. So it seems we will be ordering breakfast the prior evening instead of that morning so Sydney can adjust his morning schedule.

Left the ship to meet our friends in Palma de Mallorca for a automobile sightseeing trip around the island. Much to our dismay the weather was reminiscent of our morning in BCN which was rainy, windy and gloomy. This type of weather could also change as evidenced by the abundance of afternoon sunshine that showed up in BCN. With fingers crossed we headed out to our first stop Valldemossa. Arriving there we found a space in a somewhat empty car park and sat there conversing in a rather pronounced drizzle that would turn into momentary torrents of rain. After about 40 minutes we ventured out to roam the cobblestone streets in a very slight drizzle. While DW perused various ceramics and wood items made from olive trees. With the drizzle not letting up we found a very inviting cafe with a fire burning in its hearth. We ordered coffee and pastries and waited out the weather. After about an hour the overcast began to lift and the tour groups began filling the streets and the entrance to the Carthusian monastery. Because we had already used up two hours of our day we decided to skip seeing the interior where Chopin spent time with his partner to see more of Mallorca. We will save it for the next time we visit Mallorca.

Driving through the country side we observed acres of evenly spaced olive trees, a rare ostrich running alongside the road and a seemingly never ending green landscape. Once the foggy mist began lifting we also observed some rocky outcroppings. Along the way we also noticed a plethora of various BMW’s including a few of the exotic i8’s. Palma de Mallorca has some very wealthy residents as we also observed listings in the windows of the somewhat ubiquitous real estate companies that ranged from million euro properties to multimillion and even one for 17 million euros. Life must be good on the island.

As our journey around the island continued we stopped in the charming ancient town of Soller. This is just an almost 28 mile train ride away from central Palma, just off the Plaza de Espana if you want another spectacular view of Mallorca. As we walked around a slight sprinkle of rain began which we avoided by walking into the various shops. Our next stop was to a quaint town next to a quiet small harbor and a waterside table at Porto Bella restaurant and a delicious lunch of shrimp cocktail, Hake fish, vegetables/potatoes with DW having Carmel flan and I with the Carmel (bread) pudding. At my urging our lunch was accompanied by two bottles of a local white wine because it was that good!

Returning to Palma we drove around the harbor observing the multitude of yachts, some gigantic, lining the Palma harbor. As this concluded our visit we said goodbye to our friends and followed the Oceania signs through the port building back to the ship still feeling the effects of our two bottle lunch. Lol

The absolute best City Tour EVER!

Have you ever been on a tour that gave you not only the sights and sounds of a city but also the local tastes? Well that is what you are in store for when you choose Sea Saffron as your tour guide in Valencia Spain. Having toured the world extensively this is one of the best city tour I have ever been on.

We were met at the bottom of the escalator in the cruise terminal building by Eduardo, joined another couple and walked to two private cars (not a taxi) for our ride to city center. Upon arriving we then started our walking tour of Valencia that included: Valencia Cathedral which holds a Holy Chalice purported to be by Christian historians as the Holy Grail, Mercado Central one of the oldest in Europe in continuous operation and Church of Saint Nickolas with almost 2000 square meters of fresco paintings. Along the way we had a taste of the local ham which is similar to prosciutto and visited a cafe serving a traditional drink made out of “tiger nuts” and a most amazing pastry to dip into it. Next we were once again taken by private car to the City of Arts and Sciences which is so spectacular in person that pictures do not do it justice. After walking around the “City” we walked to a high rise and were taken up to a private room with a magnificent view of the city for an exquisite seven course Tapas treat including a wine tasting from three bottles of wonderful local wines - two reds and a white. I highly recommend this exceptional tour to anyone who wants to truly experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Valencia! We were treated like royalty.

I've enjoyed you review. Are you going to continue it through the next leg?

 

 

Is Roger still on board for the B2b? If so tell him Orv says hi.

 

 

Enjoy the next leg.

Orv, I just noticed you also like cool weather cruises in the summer. Will tell Roger hi for you as we may see them in Mallorca tomorrow.

Thanks for all the kind comments. Yes, our cruise continues ... see my live from Riviera Iconic Med as it includes our cabin transfer day.

I've enjoyed you review. Are you going to continue it through the next leg?

 

 

Is Roger still on board for the B2b? If so tell him Orv says hi.

 

 

Enjoy the next leg.

Nope, they left in Palma de Mallorca.

For those of you who have cruised O b2b and had to change cabins this should be familiar. The previous night we woke up about 3am due to anxiety or whatever and were unable to go back to sleep so we watched some TV until the sunrise peeked in between the drapes announcing our arrival in BCN. We began packing all our items into our suitcases that were not on hangers which included all toiletries. We also managed to pack our libations in some divided wine bags to help Sydney with the move. About 7:30 we had breakfast in the terrace and returned to our cabin. At approximately 9:15 am all b2b guests were paged by Corey to disembark in BCN to check with local authorities before continuing on our next cruise. We had just been advised that our new cabin was not yet ready because the former guests were late leaving and it would be a bit longer before we could move. So off the ship we went in a cold slight drizzle with our passports and ship cards into the hall now vacated by all our previous cruisers. The local security check was very friendly with questions like “when do you retire in US” to “are you having a nice cruise”. Upon returning back on board we discovered our butler Sydney with an armful of our hanging clothes as he advised our new cabin was now ready. We went back to our old cabin to find all of our bags had been moved and only a few hanging garments remained so we grabbed them and met Sydney in our new cabin. We had asked Sydney If he knew who our new butler would be and he said ... him if we wanted. Since he was “no problem” on all our prior requests we decided to keep him. Lol. We decided on carved turkey for lunch as the new cruisers were filling up the terrace. BTW O had set up a special lunch in the GDR for b2b guests and since we had a reservation went down to see what was being offered. No turkey on the menu so we had a salad and left for our new PH. That evening we were so tired from lack of sleep that we ordered dinner in our cabin and Sydney responded admirably even not letting me miss my favorite desert of steamed ginger cake with vanilla ice cream which he remembered. Ah the benefit of our “retained” butler. Much to our surprise our new cabin attendant knocked on our door and presented my DW with a laundry bag with some clothing items she had accidentally left in a drawer in our old cabin. It seems our old cabin attendant found them after checking our room. We fell asleep early that night knowing the next day we would be exploring Valencia!

Sitting in our cabin at 8:05am, already had breakfast and awaiting our new cabin to be cleaned and ready for our b2b 10 day Iconic Mediterranean cruise. A great time to reflect on our first Oceania cruise.

As a former international marketing executive IMHO Oceania has carved out a unique market for its product. Not quite comparable with Seabourn or Regent because of their all inclusiveness but a great step up from Celebrity and Princess. Some of the highlights are the stunning design of the ship, the wide variety of food choices and the very friendly attentive service. Where I think O differentiates itself from a marketing perspective is in the PH category. The ability to order in suite dining from any Speciality Restaurant or the GDR or the room service menu was a huge plus for us on the cruise. Not only was that convenience worth the additional cost but the PH suite is so “livable” and we found the two chair dining arrangement at the foot of the bed very comfortable. This is coming from someone 5’10” 220lbs and 5’6” 130lbs. We used the couch many times while on the free internet which sometimes slowed down but never proved completely inaccessible. There are so many food temptations that on days we had to move the clock ahead we skipped breakfast and plunged directly into lunch. As a seafood lover I am still amazed at the abundance of wonderfully prepared seafood choices. I have not yet been able to try them all during our 14 day cruise. (Oh well, we do have another 10 days) I don’t recall ever eating as much lobster on any other cruise but in my defense you can order it literally everywhere. Our trivia team had so much fun and astonishingly finished the last day’s trivia contest with all correct answers which was a first. We even arranged a final dinner in Red Ginger and had some great conversations about best trip (safari’s), first job and numerous “stories”. Unfortunately we missed one of the sixty-eight scavenger hunt items and therefore only received one point for all that work. Third place winners Roger and Pauline who were also on our trivia team got thirty points.

Would we care to sail on O again? You bet, as we are looking very hard at a Venice to Miami transatlantic in November. On advice from just about everyone we have been told to book on board to get the lowest price guarantee and then find a good TA who will give prepaid gratuities. So there you have it our fist time on O and first time doing an on board review. As far as comparing O with Azamara and setting food preferences aside let’s just say I now consider them different. It is hard to compare an O PH with its unlimited in-suite dining choices to a Club Continent suite on Azamara. Both are great cruise lines just different in their own way but just as inviting.

Our Transatlantic cruise is about to end but not without a huge surprise ... an invitation for dinner with the Master of the ship and the Staff Captain. Upon meeting both you are immediately impressed by their warmth, friendliness and sincerity. We were joined by another couple from Bermuda and were seated at a table for six. One of my first questions was about the stability of the ship during our crossing. It seems that it is really a combination of “riding the waves” and using the stabilizers. My next question was what was the struggle to dock in the Azores like and I hope I got his explanation right. Apparently the Riviera’s overhanging pool deck acts like a sail in very strong winds like the ones we experienced in the Azores. These winds, if strong enough, can sometimes overpower the thrusters and therefore control of the ship. Another complication was the other ship in port was somehow funneling the wind and it created an approximate 20 knot wind difference which was hard to manage even with a tug assisting. To get more power for control the Captain and his officers even tried backing in but to no avail. I was impressed by the fact that missing a port is considered no trivial matter to this Captain and his crew and that every effort was made to dock. The rest of the night was spent in individual conversations and I think we were some of the last to leave Toscana.

OMG Tangier is one of the most exotic places I have ever been to. We docked so no tenders necessary and we met our tour operator at the dock area. He introduced us to our guide Mohammed who escorted us to a MB taxi and we were off. First of all I thought Morocco was going to be a desert with sand dunes. However, those are 700 kilometers away on the other side of the Atlas Mountains.

Our journey began with a ride through some very “rich” areas with gated entrances owned by rich families as opposed to wealthy businessmen we were told. Soon we were at the Caves of Hercules which surprisingly were free of charge. Next we got to ride a camel which is scary when mounting and dismounting. It seems when a camel kneels you are immediately throw forward and if you are not holding the metal handle on the saddle tightly you will be thrown. Great fun and a picture to be treasured. Next was a trip to the Kasbah which was a amazing array of passageways and the most fascinating doors and doorways. One thing of note is the abundance of public water spigots which are provided free to those residents who do not have access to water. Finally, we had lunch in a three story restaurant on the top floor with a view of the harbor and enjoyed a lamb dish that included prunes and a half of a hard boiled egg. Fresh bread and a hearty soup completed our meal. DW just wanted to see a snake charmer so it was arranged by our tour operator Said and voila she has a picture with a snake wrapped around her neck. I declined not being a snake person. After some shopping that included some heavy negotiations we returned to the ship tired but happy. Fitbit said I walked 6.1 miles on the tour.

Joined the possibly legions of cruisers who “missed” the Azores. Lol

Well we arrived in the harbor early and the Koningsdam was already docked so we though it was a go for us. Alas, after 3 valiant white knuckle tries the high winds kept us from docking and we sailed away for a bonus day at sea. Corey quickly arranged some daily activities and we enjoyed looking at the whitecaps as we left the harbor. The rest of the day we were at the mercy of the Atlantic which fortunately did not affect us but did others as barf bags were discreetly placed around the ship on the tops of trash receptacles.

Dinner was at Polo Grill and we were fortunate enough to get a window seat with a very nice panoramic view out of the ceiling to floor windows on the side and back of the ship. We both tried the Colossal Chilled Shrimp Trio starter. We both also had the Timbale of Heart of Palm Remoulade which was a very interesting dish that I wouldn’t have recognized as Heart of Palm. Since I am not a steak aficionado I opted for the whole Main lobster steamed with drawn butter and added the truffle mashed potatoes and lobster Mac and cheese for sides. DW had the surf and turf that consisted of a Florida lobster tail and filet mignon which she said was perfect. Can’t remember the last time I had any lobster other than tail on a cruise so loved the tender claw meat that was included. BTW our waiter did an excellent job of separating the meat from the shell for me. There was a dessert medley that piqued my interest but it will have to wait until the next time. Having now completed the four Specialities I am loath to rank them as each have their own unique qualities and as we all know food tastes are subjective so I will not go there. IMHO Oceania’s Riviera has something for everyone and if you can’t find something you like to eat on board then ... God help you. Lol

The next few days should be uneventful sea days until we reach Tangier and our camel ride so I will take a break from my reports and watch the Masters Golf tournament which we are getting on board via Skysports. Hope that those of you joining us in BCN have enjoyed a little glimpse of what you are about to experience and a hearty thank you to all who have commented.

Lamb burger - my first!

While DW was on the Oceania@sea computer handling some work items I was having some scrambled eggs and home style potatoes at the waves grill. The pool area was devoid of its usual lounges and initially I though it was because it rained the previous night. Instead it was because we were having a Country Fair which included games like “ring toss” and prizes like free drinks. Once again the competitors were out in full force and the fair was well attended. Seems like this is a very competitive ship in that almost all activities attract an abundance of folks.

When the 11:30-12:30 time change occurred we headed for the Terrace and upon checking the grill found a great looking sandwich that I call lamb burger. It was ground lamb and not the gyro type but more like a hamburger patty. It was placed in a pita pocket on a bed of lettuce with a slice of tomato and red onion. It was then topped off with a dollop of tzatziki sauce and simply delicious. Of course I had to have the steak fries too. Unfortunately DW had already made herself a plate of other items and was half done with it when I finally arrived on the aft patio having had to wait a few minutes in line before ordering my lamb burger. Suffice to say, after trying a bite of mine, she got a smaller version to enjoy.

Last night we dined in Jacques and were met by the maitre de Yelena who had us seated at a window table. Since Jacques is located on deck 5 we were able to see the whitecaps and foamy waves breaking off the ship as it was still daylight. Our waiter greeted us with a tiny plate of two bite sized cheese balls and two other somethings topped with a black olive slice. DW had an appetizer portion of the Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp and the Boston lettuce salad followed by the Dover sole with table side deboning. I had the Maryland Lump Crab which was a little too creamy for my taste and very filling as I would later find out. Next had the Baked Onion soup and loved the Gruyere Cheese Crust but had to leave most of the soup to save room for my overly ambitious entree. I mentioned the John Dory to our waiter with fond memories of last having it in a Sydney restaurant next to the opera house 20 years ago. He advised that some thought it too fishy so (remembering my Beijing Duck) I passed and mentioned the Sea Bass filet in puff pastry for two which was my downfall. Expecting a reduced portion what I got instead was a pastry in the shape of a fish the size of almost an American football for two! Duh. They cut the nose and tail off and take them away and the rest is yours to enjoy and enjoy I did. Cutting through the top of the pastry shell revealed a surprisingly very moist large sea bass that once again melted in my mouth. I managed to also enjoy the upper and lower pastry shell but had to leave the crusty sides. Needless to say I skipped dessert. A word to the wise in that while I found the food at Jacques very good it is also very filling so you may want to choose your food judiciously. Also, once again, the service could not have been better as we were constantly checked on to see if our dinner was to our liking. Our waiter even sang a solo after the traditional happy birthday at an adjacent table.

We did the crossing this time last year and had to miss the Azores because of bad weather and heavy seas. We sailed on the very edge of the storm so the sea was anything but calm ! It made for fascinating wave watching and the ship handled it well.

 

This year we’ll be joining the ship in Barcelona so save some some food for us please 😉

When are you joining ... April 11?

For the OP currently aboard the Rivera;

 

Another poster claimed that Oceania had recently changed the opening time of the Specialties Restaurants from 6:30 pm to 6:00 pm. Is that the case on your ship? Thanks!

According to today’s Currents all Specialties are opening at 6:30 pm. As posted we were there for opening last night at 6:30 and not 6:00.

Combating the ever increasing waistline.

Before boarding Riviera I envisioned many days waking up and going to the gym and either using the treadmill or rowing machine as it is the one I have at home. Also, after learning a fitness instructor would be onboard, I planned to get some exercises on the various machines to rehab an old rotator cuff injury. But best laid plans often go astray as I soon learned that the instructor had a last minute emergency and would not be sailing with us. So l haven’t set foot in the gym except to weigh myself the first day. Lol

As a cautionary measure to try to avoid gaining anymore weight DW and I decided to skip even a “light” breakfast. This was due in part to waking up late and the clock moving from 11:30 am to 12:30 this morning and having a big meal the night before. Looking forward to eating we perused the GDR lunch menu which had a rather abundant Asian flair. Once we went to the Terrace and saw a similar menu we opted to eat there as we like to order food, especially food we are not familiar with, when we can see what it is. I had a “light” lunch, discovered some Asian delights and two fantastic deserts one which appeared to be a yummy round chocolate brownie. Unfortunately, DW went back for seconds which she later regretted as she forgot we had asked Sydney to see if he could make us reservations in Red Ginger that night. As usual his reply was no problem. Lol

The overall service on board the Riviera, which I can only describe as “cheerful” because of the constant smiles, has been wonderful. In fact it may have reached its zenith at Red Ginger. We went down at exactly 6:30 and found a line of about twenty people who all appeared to have 6:30pm reservations. However, once the doors opened the line moved fairly rapidly until we found our way to the hostess who happened to be the Maitre de Susan. She was able to send us on our way to our table for two in seconds and we were seated next to a wall that I thought only gave the illusion it was falling water but was it or not I am now not sure. DW was very impressed with the decor as was I because it felt like we had been immediately transported to the orient. As an added touch we got to choose what color chop sticks we wanted from a very ornate box. We were then introduced to the amazing expanding wet towel after being served edamame and used it to clean our fingers. I then ordered a traditional carafe of Sake that had a hint of anise which IMHO was a bit pricey at $30. Our waiter Khanchai from Thailand was kind enough to point out that my initial salad choice of lobster and avocado contained some raw tuna (and hamachi?) and it convinced me to switch. He then suggested caramelized tiger prawns but cautioned they were fairly spicy hot but undeterred I found them to be perfectly prepared and a mix of sweet, spicy and hot. They went well with my very hot “white” tea that came in what seemed like cast iron tea pots that I immediately wanted to take home because it kept the tea so hot. I passed on the very popular Spicy Duck and Watermelon Salad due to my previous encounter with my Beijing “crispy duck”. Lol. Next, I ordered Vietnamese Banh Trang Summer Rolls which Khanchai offered were better eaten and less messy with hands rather than a fork which I appreciated. Finally we both ordered the acclaimed Miso Seabass which did not disappoint and was probably the best seabass I have ever tasted. Also it comes with a tiny clothespin that holds the leaves together which is removed on presentation and used to push the hoba leaf back. It seems people collect the pins to show how many of this entree they have enjoyed. So I attached mine to my shirt pocket, forgot about it and when meeting Corey in the elevator he noticed and said “ I see you had your Miso tonight?” Retired for the night with a Dalwhinnie nightcap. Life is good and now thanks to O is bordering on exceptional. Future cruisers on Riviera you are in for a wonderful time.

I’m enjoying your live blog! We did this crossing on the Riviera 2 years ago and absolutely loved it too! Your descriptions take me back and it’s fun to vicariously travel this route again. I have to say, time changes were easier on our November crossing going east to west but I think it’s a great idea that the captain made the changes during the day rather than at midnight. Enjoy every minute of your cruise!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks we may do the opposite crossing too. Just love this ship.

Awoke to another great day on a very calm Atlantic albeit a little cooler. Planned to try out the GDR and the Bistro menu for lunch. Therefore, we had a light breakfast of a single hard boiled egg, berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry) and sliced home fry potato’s with tomato slices. Next we headed to the shuffleboard competition which had about 20 competitors. We divided into 2 person teams and competed 4 teams at a time on two shuffleboard lanes. Winners got 3 points and losers got 1 point. I got 3 and DW got 1 because we were on different teams due to assigning them according to how we signed up.

Next we went to the Martini Bar to get briefed on an unusual and very complex scavenger hunt. It consisted of 68 pictures of items found on the ship which were printed on a couple of sheets of paper. The object would be to find as many as fast as you can, write down the location plus artist and name (if any) and then go to reception and log in your submission time. Easy enough we thought but quickly found out that many of the pictures contained only a fraction of a picture, sign, statue, or carpet. This immediately became a very detailed and addictive game for us both but especially for DW. It managed to keep us moving about the ship and kept us from eating. Lol. So much so we almost forgot our planned Bistro lunch. Our lunch consisted of tiger shrimp cocktail, Boston butter lettuce salad, Tuscan bean soup with croutons, and finally linguini with clams. Simply delicious.

Went back to the “hunt” with renewed energy for a few hours more before trivia. We had a few trivia teams disband and members catch on with other teams. The questions seemed to be getting much harder and once again we thought our correct answers would be less than our wrong ones. Once again we lucked out and garnered a third place finish. Today’s trivia example: What was the first song sung in space turned out to be “happy birthday” and not Major Tom.

After returning to the hunt DW managed to whittle down our unknowns to a dozen of the pictured objects but we were so tired from walking up and down stairs and around the ship we had to cancel our dinner reservations at Jacques. Instead, being in a PH, we opted for something from a Speciality restaurant delivered by our butler Sydney. However, as this was a last minute decision and we did not notify our butler ahead of time, we were unsure if it would be possible. We called Sydney and he advised “no problem” and told us he only had one other in-suite dining request. l ordered from Jacques and had the Boston butter lettuce salad, herb-crusted black foot free range chicken and mashed potatoes with DW having the same but substituting a pork rack for my chicken. The food came about 15-20 minutes after we ordered but the pork rack proved too rare and pink for DW so she asked Sydney if she could please get the chicken. Once again it was “no problem” and a chicken entree appeared about 7-10 minutes later. Sydney asked if we would like desert and we ordered two cream brûlées that were some of the best we have ever had. I must say the ability to enjoy, as tired as we were, a Speciality restaurant dinner in our suite is proving to be worth the upgrade. We can see using this service a lot more on the next leg of our b2b which will be more port intensive than the TA.