Aboard Riviera

Hi, everyone, this is my first report from aboard Riviera!

Betsy and I left Florida Saturday the 5th, flying from Miami to JFK to meet Jim and Stan for our flight to Nice, France. We breezed through the lack of traffic on Saturday on the 2-1/2 hour trip from Okeechobee to Miami, whipped through security and had the best kind of flight -- boring. At JFK, we stayed within airport security between terminals arriving one gate away form the shuttle bus from T4 to T3, then getting off the shuttle within 50 feet of the restaurarant where we were meeting The Boys, as we call them (we're old enough to be their parents).

Jim and Stan soon showed up and we had a liesurely dinner, having over 4 hours layover to make the connection. The restaurant was near gate 11 and we were departing from Gate 12, so things were moving along as smoothly as they could be. We had a direct flight from JFK to Nice, France on Delta. Thanks, Oceania Air Department -- this, from my experience, is typical of what they do on a deviation. All four of us managed to snag slight upgrades to Delta's Economy Plus for $80 each (there was a thread here about that a couple of weeks ago). The extra 4 inches of leg room was appreciated, as was the complimentary wine with dinner. The flight was so smooth, I actually managed to grab a couple of hours of sleep, something I rarely can do on a plane, even in Business Class.

Of course I can't mention specific travel agents on Cruise Critic, but suffice to say there were a lot of them on this same flight, including ones we know. In fact, when we were met for our bus transportation to Monte Carlo, they had two busses waiting! After a smooth ride, we came around a corner, and there she was! Riviera was sitting in her glory, all alone at the Monte Carlo dock. Check in was aboard the ship, in the Riviera Lounge (the theater, equivalent to Marina Lounge) and went extrememly quickly, then we swiped our brand neww World Cards as we left the lounge, officially registering the fact that we were aboard.

We were looking for any differences between Marina and Riviera, and spotted two immediately -- the new chandelier over the Grand Staircase (but we knew about that already because it was pictured on Oceania's blog a few days ago.)

The other thing that was immediately visible was that the infamous "step" on Marina was gone! For those who have never been on Marina, the Grand Staircase, the gorgeous Lalique Crystal heartbeat of the Oceania Class decor, ended in a marble tile expanse -- that was raised one small step above the surrounding carpet. On Marina's Maiden Voyage, it quickly became apparent that folks would not see the transition, especially coming down the stairs, and yellow and black caution tape was applied on the edge of the step. The marble tile area is now flush with the surrounding carpet -- the step is gone!

My camera was packed, and I've been so busy I haven't snapped pictures yet -- they'll come son.

We had lunch on the Terrace with Jim and Stan, and briefly said hello to JanCruz and Stu and ShariCruz. Frank Del Rio stopped by our table and mentioned his one regret -- when the shipyard installed the new glass partitions on the tubs, to create a second shower, they chose a more narrow glass panel than Frank wanted. He said they would be changed out to a wider panel with a few weeks. He looks great -- new stylish glasses, a small goatee and a visible weight loss.

We then checked out our cabin -- 10058, A1 Concierge. There, we quickly noted some important details. There are way more outlets -- two 110V on the desk (along with the 220V Euro style out), the TV raised slightly to expose a duel 110V outlet on the wall with one outlet available next to the TV plug, and a new 110V outlet near the headboard of the bed. This one had been promised to CPAP users, and they delivered. If you don't have medical equipment, however, it can be used for chargers, etc.

Next, the all-important shower -- the overhead rain shower head has been raised and easily provides 5 inches of clearance for my 5'10" height -- it will easily accomodate 6'3". The infamous grab bar in the Marina shower, that became a bit too obtrusive when bending over to soap up, is gone. Yay! The waist level hand-held shower wand has been replaced by an adjustable hand held (spray to massage) on an adjustable height mount in the "normal" shower position. The rain shower head is no longer needed except as a luxurious way to soak, in my opinion the perfect accessory. The rain shower volume is controlled by the upper know while the "nomal" shower head is controlled by the lower knob; the temperature for both is controlled by a central knob. Very intuitive, and a joy to use!

In the meantime, there is, indeed, a second shower head rig in the tub, on an adjustable height rack, providing an option for folks wwho may be a bit larger than optimum for the separate shower staff. The glass partition is indeed a bit too narrow, as Frank said, but that will be remedied soon.

On our way to a welcome party in Horizons, hosted by Oceania President Kunal Kamlani, we ran into Bob Binder, former Oceania President and now Vice Charirman of Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania and Regent. Bob told us there were 727 changes between Marina and Riviera, and challenge us to find them all. Only 723 to go!

Up in Horizons, Mr. Kamlani gave a warm welcome to the passengers (most of who are industry professionals -- agents, writers, and others who contributed to Riviera -- we've casually met the designer for the Owner's Suites, Susan Bednar Long, the gentleman representing MTN (TV and internet), and one of the winery provisioners for La Reserve. Most of us had not previously met Mr. Kamlani, who is personable and friendly. We ran into FDR again, and mentioned Bob Binder's "727 changes", and said we had noted yet another change -- the lighting in the overhead at Horizons has been completely redesigned with a rolling translucent cover, in varied shades of blue that look like waves with foam. He was very pleased that we had discovered that, and went on to say that probably around 200 of the changes involved lighting. Later, in the Grand Dining Room, we decided that the fabulous circular crystal lighting was somehow even more spectacular, and later learned that it is more rounded and deeper than on Marina, wihich is slightly flatter. The result is even more sparkle, which may also be in a slight change of tint in the bulbs -- maybe I'll be able to confirm that.

We had a couple of things we wanted to confirm quickly -- I wanted to see the new thalassotherapy pool, and Jim wanted to see the new, 8" higher celings on deck 14, home of the library, Baristas, Polo and Toscana, so we took a quick tour. The new pool is fantastic -- pictures a little later (I hadn't unpacked completely, yet) -- a real rectangular pool with relaxation lounge tubes and a fast jet area -- I can't wait to try it. The new height on deck 14 is a little more subtle, especially in Baristas and the library, but appears to make the specialty restaurants more spacious. The library is largely unchanged, which is OK with me because I always appreciated the copius shelf space and never minded the seating. Those who prefer the R ship libraries will likely continue to be disappointed, but the rest of the ship is so fabulous I can't see how that would be a deal breaker.

We lingered too long in the GDR and missed the first show, guitarist Vincenzo. We were jet lagged, and early to bed. The next day is Marseilles and a full day tour to Avignon, the first trivia game with Leslie Jon, the first production show with the Jean Ann Ryan singers and dancers and the first Name That Tune with Jerry Blaine at the piano.

I'll sign off for now with the news that most want to hear -- I'm using my own laptop in our cabin with 4 bars of signal, and it is FAST! I have DSL service at home, which is a bit slower than typical cable, and this is almost as fast! FDR buttonholed me in Martinis last night and asked if I'd tried it; when I had to admit that the first couple of days were so busy, he emphasized they had spent a "whole bunch of money" to upgrade Riviera, and this morning (it's Tuesday morning, here), I can report that he was making an understatement. I haven't yet tried the provided laptop and I'll report later on the sign in and copy-and-paste possibilities.

I'll give a more full report later on the production show, but I'll quickly note there is a 10 person cast, with 4 singers who can dance and 4 dancers who can sing, and 2 ballroom dancers who were integral to last night's show, and they received a standing ovation! The band is terrific, too (the Mark Show Band, who were also on the Marina Maiden Voyage), and the string quartet will come very close to approval by the classical liovers among our readers.

Thank you for sharing your first impressions onboard the Riviera.

You wrote "The infamous grab bar in the Marina shower, that became a bit too obtrusive when bending over to soap up, is gone. Yay! "

Where is the grab bar, then? It is absolutely essential for a ship to have a grab bar either in the shower or at the entry into the shower. Is there one to help unstable people, people with arthritis, etc. to be totally safe using the shower?

Hi! Thanks for the great post! Just a quick question that I actually have been trying to figure out, but how much does the internet cost you each day? And did they offer any internet packages for the duration of your trip and how much? I know that if I were to bring my iPad, I could use the ship's WIFI, but I want to know how much it will cost. Any insight/opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thank you! (Also, that is good to know that the internet is fast!)

Thank you for the report.

Regards to all.

Please don't spend your days on CC, even a b2b has to end.

So excited sitting at home , reading this :) can't July 19 get here quicker :confused:

Thanks for taking the time to post. Enjoy your cruise! Now we are really looking forward to our TA cruise.

Thank you for taking the time to report back to us. We enjoyed Marina last month, Barcelona to Rome, and booked Riviera, Miami to Barcelona, for April, 2013 while on board. It's a terrific product!

Enjoy every minute!

Ricki

Thanks for the fabulous report. We couldn't make this trip (with the new date) because we would have had a two week turnaround for our next trip in June. Glad to hear of all the improvements. Keep us posted, Don, we can hardly wait until we're aboard too!

Don & Betsy,

Thanks for sharing your impressions of Riviera. It brings back such good memories of meeting you two on the maiden voyage of Marina. I remember how exciting those first few hours aboard were. I'm a little sorry we decided to take a Regatta Panama Canal cruise instead, but we had a terrific time on that trip as well.

Have a wonderful trip, Don. Give my best to Betsy. Hope to see you another day!

Kay & Tarmo

I am so excited and can't wait for June 27th. Thank you for posting and I will look forward each day to your further updates. Have a wonderful experience on board.

Ashley

Don

Thank you for the fantastic report. I can't wait for my 7/19 cruise.

I love the way Lelie runs the trivia games and I am happy to hear that he is the CD.

Charlie

Hi! Thanks for the great post! Just a quick question that I actually have been trying to figure out, but how much does the internet cost you each day? And did they offer any internet packages for the duration of your trip and how much? I know that if I were to bring my iPad, I could use the ship's WIFI, but I want to know how much it will cost. Any insight/opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thank you! (Also, that is good to know that the internet is fast!)

If you use the search feature in the Forum you will other posts on the Package prices

I suspect they will be the same

Thanks for the fantastic first comments on the Riviera Don.

Looking forward to seeing you and Betsy on board on the 16th.

Please tell ShariCruz I said hello.

Don,

Thanks for the report - she sounds as beautiful as the Marina with some nice improvements (no "step", faster internet, etc). They do listen.....

It's great to have Leslie as CD.

Enjoy the trip (and keep on posting :))

Paul

Don, your usual fabulous review--thank you so much. I am so sad we had to cancel our Riviera maiden; however, you make me feel like I am there.

How are the table arrangements in the Terrace? Are they still very close together?

Have a wonderful trip as I know you will. I will just sit here and drool. :p

Here's a short update before dinner, with some photos.

To answer GillianRose, I used the support rod for the shower head as a grab rail to keep my balance while scrubbing my feet...

And, while I'm in the bathroom, here's the new glass partition and shower head in the tub...

This is going to be one of my favorites, the new thalassotherapy pool...

And a quick shot of the spa deck with my finger in the way (dang smart phone cameras)...

Thanks for the wonderful report. Really looking forward to our Riviera cruise in July. Loved the photos.......but how did you get my mesh scrubby that I take on all my trips? Did I leave it behind when we sailed together?? :confused: LOL Enjoy. Best regards to you both, to FDR, Jan, Stu, and Shari. Marsha

Thank you posting all this. I am so excited for my first cruise ever on 10/24/12.

Hi Don, Glad you are enjoying yourself. We have the Riviera booking in September and again in February. Say hi to Sharicruz for us.

Don

Can you confirm that guests in Concierge cabins have access to the spa sun deck and thalassotherapy pool? We have used such a pool on Celebrity and look forward to using it when we are in an A3 cabin on Riviera in September 2013.

Don

Very nice report - thank you very much! The photos are great! Looks like the Internet access has improved.

Hondorner, We are booked in this cabin for April 21 2013 Rome to Barcelona. Treat it with care :). Really cool to hear you discribe the cabin. Regards.

Don,

Thank you very much for the initial report. Like many others, my big grumble on Marina was the shower. Isn't it great that they listen and take action. I'm 6'3" and the Marina marks on my head are still healing...LOL:o.

Barry

Thanks for the report, Hondorner. I'm a little confused though. We were supposed to be on the Rivieria on May 6th (what was supposed to be the 2nd voyage) but were disappointed to learn that the cruise was cancelled due to a delay at the shipyard. I thought the maiden voyage was pushed back to mid-May so I'm quite surprised to learn that there are passengers on board right now. Is this a VIP cruise by invitation only?

Yes.