Riviera crossing: Part 3 of 3 - misc

[DavidTheWonderer]

In this final post I'll talk about a few matters that didn't make it into the previous ones.

 

First, a promised small comparison to Regent. Before Regent included wine with meals and a set-up including liquor and beer in the cabin. When it went all-inclusive for alcohol FDR once said that the overall alcohol consumption didn't change much. But I certainly noticed that a lot more people were going to the bars and lounges instead of staying in the cabins. This made the ships much more social and pleasant. Riviera felt more like Regent before it went all-inclusive: except for the daily happy hour (2 for 1 drinks between 5 and 6), the lounges and bars were not particularly used.

 

Second, a promised summary of one day of the cruise. This was day 2, the first full day on the ship and a sea day.

 

It started nicely with coffee at Barista's, and a nice breakfast in the Terrace.

 

At 12:30 we went back to the Terrace for lunch, but there were absolutely no seats. No big deal: off to the Grand Dining Room. They lost my drink order, which really wasn't that complicated: it was a Heineken beer. After they fixed that, nothing more appeared for almost two hours. Finally they brought my beef and barley soup. For this soup the famous "Where's the beef?" question applies, and so does "Where's the barley?". The soup was actually fairly dilute consomme, but I wasn't about to send it back: who knows when I would ever get anything more to eat. All in all, a two hour lunch consisting of the no-beef no-barley soup and a sandwich. Lots of apologies from the staff, but at some point "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it.

 

At 6 that evening we decided to go out for refreshing cocktail before dinner. It was the night of a free bar, and there was not a seat in a bar or lounge to be had. An hour later we went back and found a seat in a hall. The waiter brought my "gin gibson, straight up" which turned out to be straight gin in an old fashioned glass with no onion or even twist in sight. Perhaps all the martini glasses were being used to hold the beef and barley that didn't get into the soup.

 

Dinner that evening in the Grand Dining Room. I ordered the Menu d Gustation, including the 3 suggested wine pairings. But only 1 of the wines actually appeared. More "I'm sorry" from the staff, which still didn't cut it.

 

This day, my first full one on Oceania, was such a disaster I considered leaving the ship in Tangier the next day and flying home. I'm glad I didn't because things did get better, but the only way they could have been worse is if I had ended up in the hospital or morgue.

 

I'll close with a few more random observations about the cruise.

 

The activities are important for a cruise with this many sea days, but on this cruise they were fairly lackluster. Ditto for the lecturers: good topics but dull presentations.

 

The quality of the ship's musicians, two bands, a string quartet, and a pianist, were all excellent.

 

I don't expect much from the evening shows on a ship, and so wasn't disappointed.

 

Embarkation was pretty smooth, and dis-embarkation was exceptionally quick and efficient.

 

The second last day of the cruise our butler, whom we barely used, came by begging for an excellent rating. This was not acceptable behaviour.

 

Finally, the end of cruise questionnaire included the usual "Have your cruised before and if so with which lines?" There was a long list of a ten or so cruise lines to be checked, and a 'fill in the blank' for other lines. Regent was not in the list, so had to be written in by hand. We thought that was pretty bizarre since they are both owned by the same company.

 

Am I now an Oceania cheerleader? No. Would I sail Oceania again? If the price and itinerary looked good. How would I compare Oceania to Regent? I am not going there.

Edited December 3, 2013 by DavidTheWonderer

[Travelcat2]

Quickie comment....... you may find it interesting in six months to look back at your Oceania cruise. Our views of our Riviera cruise in May are a bit different than they were right after the cruise. I'm not going there either.

Edited December 3, 2013 by Travelcat2

[fairbourne]

David, I'm so glad you didn't jump ship in Tangier - who on earth would have made our evenings with great stories and THAT joke!!! LOL! I am definitely not going there!

[LHT28]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts & impressions of your cruise

[poss]

The joke! The joke! We want the joke!

[Emdee]

I had a similar experience on Oceania ,though some years ago. Bad and then more bad service.

 

Like you if the price and itinerary are right I will try them out. It will be last choice after

Crystal, Azamara and Regent ( in no particular order).

[PaulMCO]

At 6 that evening we decided to go out for refreshing cocktail before dinner. It was the night of a free bar, and there was not a seat in a bar or lounge to be had. An hour later we went back and found a seat in a hall. The waiter brought my "gin gibson, straight up" which turned out to be straight gin in an old fashioned glass with no onion or even twist in sight. Perhaps all the martini glasses were being used to hold the beef and barley that didn't get into the soup.

 

 

Very good. :) No surprise in all of our cruises they have either ran out or never had onions for the my DW's "Gibson." She now takes a bottle with her on all cruises.

[mariners]

David, I have loved reading your perspective on Oceania. It is really balanced including both the positive and the negative. Thanks for taking the time to write the three parts!

 

Did you take any of the cooking classes? If so, how did they compare to the Cordon Bleu course on Regent?

[JPR]

You appear to have missed what we viewed as some highlights: chef's cooking classes, the incredible Spa (love that sauna and hot-tile chaise before dinner; who needs a martini?), 18-hole putting course, arts room, etc. These amenities on Riviera and Marina, in addition to the cuisine onboard, are what edge out Regent for us...

[Travelcat2]

David, I have loved reading your perspective on Oceania. It is really balanced including both the positive and the negative. Thanks for taking the time to write the three parts!

 

Did you take any of the cooking classes? If so, how did they compare to the Cordon Bleu course on Regent?

 

Just sticking my two cents in since we have taken cooking classes on Oceania and Le Cordon Bleu on Regent. Regent offered a three day class that was quite intensive -- preparing food during the class in the actual kitchen used by Regent chefs for their French restaurant and eating our creations at the conclusion of the class (just stating this for those not familiar with what Regent offered). We prepared various types of dishes -- fish (that needed to be deboned) one day, dessert another day and I believe a veal tenderloin was also prepared.

 

Oceania has the most beautiful kitchen for their classes that we have ever seen. It reminded me of the Food Network programs but with multiple stations. There is a theme for each class and most classes run from 1 1/2 - 2 hours. We took the pasta making class and worked with a partner through all of the processes of making and cooking fresh pasta. It was an excellent class but not at all like our experience on Regent.

 

Oceania also offers another type of culinary class/event. A group of approximately 12 passengers met in the Culinary Center and then headed off to a local restaurant (in Greece) where we spent the morning on the patio helping the chef in preparing several Greek dishes. This was probably the best excursion/culinary event that we have ever attended. While we helped in preparing the dishes, wine and ouzo was there for us to drink. If we asked what an ingredient was, we were given a taste and explanation. They made sure that each of us had a good hands-on experience.

 

Following the cooking, we toured the kitchen and had a meal consisting of everything we had prepared (however it was prepared by a chef in the kitchen). It was amazing and more wine and ouzo was served. Once back at the ship, we were given a couple of hours to relax (much needed after the wine and ouzo) and then had another hour in the Culinary Center where we prepared Greek appetizers. At that point, none of us could eat a thing but it was an interesting ending to a great day.

 

Note: This was a very expensive class/excursion but worth every penny!

Edited December 5, 2013 by Travelcat2

[CintiPam]

Thanks, David, for taking the time to post your perspectives about your recent cruise. You have provided very helpful information.

 

After reading Wendy's first, I already knew that a transatlantic was not for me! Hopefully, the food service will improve with training of the newer staff by the time I board next month!

 

All of our previous four Oceania cruises (and our two on Azamara) have been very port intensive, so this time I will have the leisure to check out the onboard experience much more thoroughly.

[Hawaiidan]

I took this some years ago...it ran $500pp and was 5 days long 2 hour classes and had a graduation party and dinner in Signatures. We prepared from scratch Crab Charlotte, Tornedos Rossini, A whole class of vegetables, A class on soup and stock, and finally presentation and plate techniques.

Got a diploma from Cordon Blu, apron, hat, Cordon Blu cook book This used the ships kitchen. Our instructors were regular Cordon Blu instructors and they were demanding and critical. It was only for 12 people.

 

Not done the Oceania classes but the they are $69pp and say only an hour long... We will see

[ChatKat in Ca.]

I did the Regent Cordon Bleu classes three times. They were all different because the instructors were different. We actually caught Latitudes on fire on the Panama Canal Crossing when the French Trolley exploded on Mariner. The crew was there before more than the trolley flames spread. We also had partners for the courses. One of them we had a market outing. Most of the recipes were very complex and things like paring of vegetables needed to be exact replicas of each piece. I think i made about 3 of the recipes at home and I have all the cookbooks. It was always fun but classes were 2 or three hours, a cocktail party, dinner at signatures and a welcome dinner too. We had also a complete tour of the ships.

 

On the Riviera, I did the Pasta Class with my husband as partner and the Bistro Class; Kathryn Kelly was amazing as instructor and all the recipes and techniques were useful in day to day. In an hour we went over making French Onion Soup from Scratch, we made quiche including a crust, we made Apple Tartin. In the Pasta class we made pasta and very simple sauces too. The focus was on simplicity, with technique and was a lot of fun.

[JPR]

Chef Kelly is great. On our last Riviera cruise a bunch of us accompanied her into the public market at the port of Corfu. Each of was given about 5 Euros and instructions on what we were to buy and how to discern the best quality (we had honey). Then we toured the highlights of the town and returned to the ship after an hour and a half break to make a multi-course lunch that included a watermelon and feta salad with a honey vinegar dressing, crispy stuffed squash blossoms, and grilled chicken gyros with tzatziki.

[mariners]

Thanks for the all of the answers on the cooking classes. If we sail Oceania, it would definitely be something I'd sign up for providing we were not on a short, port intensive sailing.

 

I still use my Cordon Bleu cooking books from Regent, but I don't wear the apron or hat.:D

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for the all of the answers on the cooking classes. If we sail Oceania, it would definitely be something I'd sign up for providing we were not on a short, port intensive sailing.

 

I still use my Cordon Bleu cooking books from Regent, but I don't wear the apron or hat.:D

 

I use the aprons all the time--I'm a messy cook and have ruined many articles of clothing, so I try to be good.