writer100 Posted January 4, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Although some cruise experience--mostly Seabourn--we are looking at Riviera in December. Assuming deck plans are the same as Marina, how concerned should we be about noise from Deck 6---Martini's, Grand Bar, Casino and MDR--being audible in cabins on Deck 7? The only ones not immediately above the previously mentioned social areas are Category B3 far forward, not an option for the occasionally queasy sailor. Also, if we purchase a bottle of wine in one restaurant will it magically appear in another? Writers are not the wealthiest retirees on the planet, so the $49.50 per person, per day fee for unlimited (premium?) drinks seems a tad, um, pricey.So, what does a cocktail cost? Wines by the glass--not to whine, but the choice is rather limited--are priced on the web site.But not cocktails--or beer, for that matter, Finally,not to impose further on your patience but if I may, if one likes to dine late--and we do--are the chances of getting a table at the specialty restaurants improved? Many thanks in advance. No doubt all of the queries above have been answered before, so I apologize for the redundancy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAexNY Posted January 4, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Any bottle of wine you start in one dining venue will be saved with your cabin number and available to you in any other venue, including Terrace and the main dining room. Yes, the liquor package is pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksps cruise fan Posted January 4, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Although some cruise experience--mostly Seabourn--we are looking at Riviera in December. Assuming deck plans are the same as Marina, how concerned should we be about noise from Deck 6---Martini's, Grand Bar, Casino and MDR--being audible in cabins on Deck 7? The only ones not immediately above the previously mentioned social areas are Category B3 far forward, not an option for the occasionally queasy sailor. "Occasionally queasy..." I'm right there with you. Our first two cruises on Regatta in the Caribbean, we booked a penthouse suite each time. One day out of each cruise, I spent the day in bed waiting for my seasickness to pass. When we booked our Beijing to Hong Kong cruise in 2010 on Nautica, I was totally freaked out about seasickness, especially since my scientist husband told me that we'd be passing twice through the Straits of Taiwan, a place that has the worst weather in the world. (Average wind speeds are 41 knots!) As a precaution, we booked a midship cabin on Deck 7, the lowest deck with a balcony midship. Great move! I wasn't seasick once although we experienced episodes of bad seas three times with the result that many, many people were confined to their cabins. (Admittedly, I spend most of my time in the public spaces on Deck 5.) This background should tell you why we booked cabin 7061 for our holiday cruise on Marina. Again, great choice for seasickness control. But you're asking specifically about the noise. We definitely could hear the bass sound track that accompanied the jazz pianist in the Martini bar. We couldn't hear a single note of the piano or human voices, singing or talking. The sound of the bass heard in the cabin wasn't very different from the sound we heard when sitting in the lounge itself. Again, my husband had an explanation: Low frequency sound waves -- the sound of a low pitch instrument -- travel undiminished over longer distances. The metal construction of a ship is a poor absorber of sound waves so these sounds travel long distances. Based on the laws of science, my husband guessed that folks with cabins on higher decks were hearing the sound almost as clearly as we were. That said, we were never bothered by the bass sound. We certainly were never kept awake. Supposedly, Martini stays open "until..." but as far as we were concerned, it closed the instant our heads hit the pillow. Also, if we purchase a bottle of wine in one restaurant will it magically appear in another? Writers are not the wealthiest retirees on the planet, so the $49.50 per person, per day fee for unlimited (premium?) drinks seems a tad, um, pricey. We always purchase wine by the glass, but I could never heard diners at neighboring tables having any problem with a somelier from one restaurant retrieving wine purchased elsewhere on a different day. So, what does a cocktail cost? Wines by the glass--not to whine, but the choice is rather limited--are priced on the web site.But not cocktails--or beer, for that matter, There's a wide variety of prices for cocktails. You can certainly save money on cocktails by paying attention to the drinks of the day which feature reduced prices, typically under $5. Only once did we purchase a drink of the day. Mostly, we were not attracted to any of the options, but we're happy to drink Planter's Punch one day. Unfortunately, the version we were served was pretty weak. Happy hour pricing is available in all the bars is 2-for-1 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. excluding the special martinis in the Martini Bar and single malt scotch. (I don't know if the Big O Martini which is offered at every bar on the ship qualifies for the Happy Hour Special.) Somehow, we never made it to Happy Hour. We did most of our drinking at Martini's and our bill typically ran around $15 -$18 for one round of drinks. Beer is super cheap. We drink Tsing Tao (sp??) to accompany our meal at Red Ginger and the liquor bill was either $6.00 or $6.50 for two beers. Finally,not to impose further on your patience but if I may, if one likes to dine late--and we do--are the chances of getting a table at the specialty restaurants improved?Many thanks in advance. No doubt all of the queries above have been answered before, so I apologize for the redundancy. The specialty restaurants close earlier than the Grand Dining Room. The last seating at the restaurants is 8:30 but dining continues until 9:30 p.m. in the GDR. Lots of folks like to eat at 8:00 or 8:30 so I don't think your chances improve. If you've read other of my posts, you will have seen that you will be able to make additional reservations on a day-of basis via the reservations desk on Deck 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 5, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Although some cruise experience--mostly Seabourn--we are looking at Riviera in December. Assuming deck plans are the same as Marina, how concerned should we be about noise from Deck 6---Martini's, Grand Bar, Casino and MDR--being audible in cabins on Deck 7? The only ones not immediately above the previously mentioned social areas are Category B3 far forward, not an option for the occasionally queasy sailor.Also, if we purchase a bottle of wine in one restaurant will it magically appear in another? Writers are not the wealthiest retirees on the planet, so the $49.50 per person, per day fee for unlimited (premium?) drinks seems a tad, um, pricey.So, what does a cocktail cost? Wines by the glass--not to whine, but the choice is rather limited--are priced on the web site.But not cocktails--or beer, for that matter, Finally,not to impose further on your patience but if I may, if one likes to dine late--and we do--are the chances of getting a table at the specialty restaurants improved? Many thanks in advance. No doubt all of the queries above have been answered before, so I apologize for the redundancy. Oceania ships are very quiet as a rule. On our last Marina Cruise, a Cruise Critic buddy of ours inadvertently booked 7062 which is, much to their horror, almost directly over the Grand Piano in Martinis. They never heard a peep, so I'm sure you will be fine. "All time favorite cocktails" such as (but not limited to) a Stinger, Daiquiri, Martini, Old Fashioned, Sidecar, Rob Roy etc. will run you $8 per, plus the 15% gratuity. Wines by the glass run from $5.95 for the House White & Red to $19 for a fine Port (plus that gratuity, natch). There are also daily discounted drink of the day specials and a 241 Happy Hour each afternoon. The times when Specialty Restaurant reservations are in demand will vary greatly depending on where the ship is. In the Caribbean (where I believe you are sailing) later reservations are usually at a premium, as people enjoy lingering at the beach or pool before getting ready for dinner. I'm not sure if you are on the 10 or the 14 day cruise, but the shorter itineraries attract younger people who are less averse to dining later, so that also has an effect. Enjoy your trip !~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 5, 2012 #5 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We were in 7114 never heard a peep from below or above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted January 5, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I have never seen a drinks package on any cruise line that was anywhere near a bargain or even a break-even unless you drink a whole lot more than anyone I know. I've wondered if they are really meant to be. Neither did I realize until I read a few threads on Princess and Celebrity (this is new to O) that there are so many people adverse to signing a chit for a drink - I have decided that maybe this is the point of purchasing such a package for a lot of people. Maybe it is a rationalization on cost? Interesting. We usually buy wine for dinner by the bottle and drink what we want and save the rest for another time. Occasionally, a glass of wine or a cocktail during the day. On a Celebrity cruise I added up our alcohol consumption cost and compared it to what the drinks package would have cost - the package came out to more than twice the actual cost. We don't mind signing chits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted January 5, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We were in 7115 for a 16 day cruise this past May/June and never heard anything. We booked the same cabin again for this June. We tried to get this cabin (or any of the aft larger balconies for our Tahiti 2013 cruise but they were all booked so ended up in 7004 which is in the front. I am not wild about being in the front but we wanted the extended balcony. Hoping for smooth seas in French Polynesia. I also take Bonine with me. If the Captain even mentions choppy water on the horizon I pop a Bonine and I have never been sick even through some rough seas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandB_Toronto Posted January 5, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I have never seen a drinks package on any cruise line that was anywhere near a bargain or even a break-even unless you drink a whole lot more than anyone I know. I've wondered if they are really meant to be. Actually we were on a 35 day HAL cruise a couple of years ago and they had a wine card that you could buy which gave you 20 glasses of house wine (only four or five selections -- never changing) for about $70-80 I think. They just punched the card every time you used it. I bought two for the duration and it worked out perfectly. Of course, I am no connoisseur -- just like a glass with dinner. I think I read that they were phasing these out, so maybe they are no longer available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writer100 Posted January 5, 2012 Author #9 Share Posted January 5, 2012 We were in 7115 for a 16 day cruise this past May/June and never heard anything. We booked the same cabin again for this June. We tried to get this cabin (or any of the aft larger balconies for our Tahiti 2013 cruise but they were all booked so ended up in 7004 which is in the front. I am not wild about being in the front but we wanted the extended balcony. Hoping for smooth seas in French Polynesia. I also take Bonine with me. If the Captain even mentions choppy water on the horizon I pop a Bonine and I have never been sick even through some rough seas. Terrier1--and everyone else who has been kind enough to offer insights and reassurance--I am most grateful.Perhaps I can respond -sort of--to all of you in this message.Would it be correct to assume that the only source of music or likely audible sound from Deck 6 is Martinis? Although somewhat reassured by the experiences of those who have bunked on Deck 7, I would still like to get as much separation from late night hoohaw as possible. The seasickness episode afflicted my wife on a not particularly stormy night in the Caribbean. Whether it was wave action, or the mussels mueniere consumed earlier, I'm not sure. But a more stable cabin is certainly to be preferred. On the wine/cocktail front, as Capecodder2 suggested, we do --well, I do, actually--feel a certain awkwardness about signing chits. Entirely illogical, but there it is.I should also acknowledge that all five of our cruises have been to the Caribbean, as is the Marina one we are contemplated. Thus the ship itself--its size, multiple restaurants, and the difference in the experience from Seabourn--is what attracts us. If any of you wish to offer more advice on the subject of cabin selection and noise or any other aspect of our prospective Marina cruise I would be most grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 5, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Terrier1--and everyone else who has been kind enough to offer insights and reassurance--I am most grateful.Perhaps I can respond -sort of--to all of you in this message.Would it be correct to assume that the only source of music or likely audible sound from Deck 6 is Martinis? Although somewhat reassured by the experiences of those who have bunked on Deck 7, I would still like to get as much separation from late night hoohaw as possible. Not sure what you consider "late night" Most of the ship is quiet by 11 pm...Horizons may have a few later nighters but never seen or heard any HOOHAW on O ships The seasickness episode afflicted my wife on a not particularly stormy night in the Caribbean. Whether it was wave action, or the mussels mueniere consumed earlier, I'm not sure. But a more stable cabin is certainly to be preferred. On the wine/cocktail front, as Capecodder2 suggested, we do --well, I do, actually--feel a certain awkwardness about signing chits. Entirely illogical, but there it is.I should also acknowledge that all five of our cruises have been to the Caribbean, as is the Marina one we are contemplated. Thus the ship itself--its size, multiple restaurants, and the difference in the experience from Seabourn--is what attracts us. If any of you wish to offer more advice on the subject of cabin selection and noise or any other aspect of our prospective Marina cruise I would be most grateful. Well you already are aware I am sure the most stable part of the ship is lower decks & Mid ship From the Oceania class ships you could choose C Cat for the best location ;) It will probably not compare to Seabourn no matter how you try Sometimes a change is good ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writer100 Posted January 6, 2012 Author #11 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Well you already are aware I am sure the most stable part of the ship is lower decks & Mid shipFrom the Oceania class ships you could choose C Cat for the best location ;) It will probably not compare to Seabourn no matter how you try Sometimes a change is good ;) LHT28-yes, it is the expected difference that attracts us. No quarrels with Seabourn--well, or course a few petty ones; what would cc be without that?--but we've never been on a ship with more than 450 pax. So the expectation is that the , um, vibe, will be different. Indeed, the only qualm I have is that somehow the cabin will be noisy. (One thing about SB, the cabins were tomb-quiet.) Some Marina cruisers we met on SB said Marina had the best beds they had ever slept in. Anywhere.Moreover, they said the food was as good, or even better than Seabourn's.(?) To be fair, they were referring to a couple of Marina's specialty restaurants--Red Ginger for certain, and either Polo or Jacques. It really is the ship and the different experience that attracts. The itinerary is rather bland. If just some of the people on board are as pleasant as those I have found here,well, it should be a most enjoyable experience. For ultimately, it is the people you meet who make a cruise experience memorable. Ah, one other question that has been asked one thousand times. I assume a jacket, and only a jacket, is required in the evening. Yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisecountess Posted January 6, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 6, 2012 "I assume a jacket, and only a jacket, is required in the evening." Actually, you will want a pair of slacks and a shirt as well:D Seriously, you can wear a sport jacket if you like, but it is not necessary. DH wears dress slacks and a nice button down or golf (collared) shirt. However, he may wear a sport jacket when we dine in the specialty restaurants. He never packs a tie. Go, relax, and enjoy. Harriet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 6, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Anywhere.Moreover, they said the food was as good, or even better than Seabourn's.(?) To be fair, they were referring to a couple of Marina's specialty restaurants--Red Ginger for certain, and either Polo or Jacques. It really is the ship and the different experience that attracts. food is subjective so will not comment but as already stated "NO JACKET REQUIRED" Some men will wear one but it is a personal choice Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted January 6, 2012 #14 Share Posted January 6, 2012 As someone who gets seasick just looking at a wave, I can assure you that eating candied ginger helps with slight queaziness. The maitre d' will provide you with it if you ask or the butler if you have one. But you have to ask when the ocean is as calm as a mirror. They bring it out automatically when the sea becomes rough. I discovered the benefit of ginger on a HAL ship where they had a bowl of ginger outside the dining room. Since I love candied ginger, I bought 4 packages in an Asian import store for my next cruise. My backup for serious cases is Bonine and the French mercalme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
writer100 Posted January 8, 2012 Author #15 Share Posted January 8, 2012 "I assume a jacket, and only a jacket, is required in the evening." Actually, you will want a pair of slacks and a shirt as well:D Seriously, you can wear a sport jacket if you like, but it is not necessary. DH wears dress slacks and a nice button down or golf (collared) shirt. However, he may wear a sport jacket when we dine in the specialty restaurants. He never packs a tie. Go, relax, and enjoy. Harriet cruisecontess (and other advisors here) I have to wear pants? That's a deal breaker! One more--and I promise the last of these queries--is this. Is there a 110v outlet in the bathroom that is a normal one, not for electric razors only? If not, how far from the bathroom is the 110v outlet for the hair dryer at or near the desk/makeup area which appears to be in the corner near the window.Can anyone estimate the distance, as I will need an extension cord for a Waterpik. Again, many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 8, 2012 #16 Share Posted January 8, 2012 . Is there a 110v outlet in the bathroom that is a normal one, not for electric razors only? If not, how far from the bathroom is the 110v outlet for the hair dryer at or near the desk/makeup area which appears to be in the corner near the window. There are 2 plugs at the desk/mirror area in the main cabin and 1 behind the TV Can anyone estimate the distance, as I will need an extension cord for a Waterpik. Again, many thanks. Maybe 25-30 ft ;) depending on your cabin Cat.....but not sure that would be allowed Is a waterpick required on your cruise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFUN Posted January 15, 2012 #17 Share Posted January 15, 2012 We were in 7115 for a 16 day cruise this past May/June and never heard anything. We booked the same cabin again for this June. We tried to get this cabin (or any of the aft larger balconies for our Tahiti 2013 cruise but they were all booked so ended up in 7004 which is in the front. I am not wild about being in the front but we wanted the extended balcony. Hoping for smooth seas in French Polynesia. I also take Bonine with me. If the Captain even mentions choppy water on the horizon I pop a Bonine and I have never been sick even through some rough seas. We're looking at booking 7127 for a trans-Atlantic (northern route in mid-May) on Marina--but we're wondering if there's covering on those extended balconies or if they're totally exposed--AND wondering if that far aft might be too bumpy. We'd be grateful for any and all advice from those who have experiences these B4s and/or TAs. THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 15, 2012 #18 Share Posted January 15, 2012 This is the opposite side of the ship, but it shows you the exposure of the deck 7 verandas (the blue line runs along deck 7). The route that you are sailing is likely to be VERY COOL, in May, think mid-forties for a high. The veranda might not be of much use, anyway. Roughness is always a crap shoot on the North Atlantic, no matter what anyone tells you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFUN Posted January 15, 2012 #19 Share Posted January 15, 2012 This is the opposite side of the ship, but it shows you the exposure of the deck 7 verandas (the blue line runs along deck 7). The route that you are sailing is likely to be VERY COOL, in May, think mid-forties for a high. The veranda might not be of much use, anyway. Roughness is always a crap shoot on the North Atlantic, no matter what anyone tells you. Thanks so much for the very helpful photo of the ship! We had a great crossing on the 700-passenger Prinsendam last May except for the day between the Azores and Lisbon, so I know what you mean about the unpredictability. We were more mid-ships, though a bit higher (on deck 10)--so I'm not sure how it would be that far aft on the Marina if we run into wind and high seas...?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted January 15, 2012 #20 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Any TransAtlantic crossing is windy. To begin with, the ship itself is typically traveling at 25 mph for days at a time. There may be times when you get a following wind, but don't count on it. You may notice some sea-keeping differences, however, because the Marina sits slightly deeper in the water than does the Prinsendam (24 versus 22 feet) and of course Marinas' stabilizers are state of the art, whereas the Prinsendam (although I cannot believe it), has been sailing for nearly a quarter century now. You should also note that deck 7 is really only four or five decks above the waterline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George&J Posted January 16, 2012 #21 Share Posted January 16, 2012 My wife and I are going on our first Oceania cruise in the spring of 2013. It will be a transatlantic in celebration of her retirement. The insights provided by the responses in this thread have been very informative. Thank you, all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelyjubbly Posted January 17, 2012 #22 Share Posted January 17, 2012 We've just booked our first Oceania cruise sailing aboard the Regatta. We've booked an inside on Deck 8 so will be located just under the swimming pool - can we expect a lot of noise? Also would love to see what you think about the speciality restaurants, in fact, would welcome any hints/tips about the Regatta that you may have :) Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted January 17, 2012 #23 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Also would love to see what you think about the speciality restaurants, We liked both specialty restaurants. The Polo Grill is more for steak lovers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted January 17, 2012 #24 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Polo is indeed more for steak lovers (or should we say meat lovers?) but DH and I are in the minority as to Toscana. We love Italian food and we just aren't that impressed with Toscana. Okay, we've had some splendid meals there and a couple not so splendid. But we prefer Polo. To each his own, as always. I did like the additional restaurant choices on Marina as opposed to the "R" ships. I would like it if the "R" ships would add some of the favorite dishes from Jacques and Red Ginger to the GDR menu. Who knows, maybe they have! I'll find out in August ... Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted January 17, 2012 #25 Share Posted January 17, 2012 We've just booked our first Oceania cruise sailing aboard the Regatta. We've booked an inside on Deck 8 so will be located just under the swimming pool - can we expect a lot of noise? Also would love to see what you think about the speciality restaurants, in fact, would welcome any hints/tips about the Regatta that you may have :) Many thanks We were in 8012 on the Regatta for our first cruise which was very port intensive. We never heard any noise from above. Both the specialty restaurants are great. I prefer Toscana and my husband prefers Polo. Although you only get one reservation for each specialty restaurant you can always check to see if there are additional reservations available. There is a happy hour from 5 to 6 where drinks are 2 for the price of 1. You can bring your own wine and spirits on board but can only drink it in your cabin/verandah. You can bring your own bottle of wine to any of the dining venues and pay a corkage fee. If you don't finish the bottle they put it away and you can retrieve for another meal. The MDR is available for breakfast and lunch and they serve baby lambchops for dbreakfast. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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