Live from Riviera Miami to Miami Jan 23-Feb 2 2014

[RachelG]

George and I flew from tulsa to Miami late last evening to join up with our friends Ron and Sue for 10 days aboard the Riviera. We are all experienced Regent cruisers. George and I have also cruised on silversea several times as well as a couple of AMA river cruise and assorted expedition cruises. Ron and Sue had previously tried Oceania on the Marina and enjoyed it, so they convinced us to join them on this trip.

 

As I usually do on our other cruises, I will be posting live. There will be the inevitable comparisons with Regent and silversea. I know that may bug some people, but they were helpful to me when I was deciding to take this trip. I will be very happy to answer any questions, so please ask if there are specific things you want me to find out.

 

We are currently at the airport hilton as we got in at midnight. We are booked in a concierge suite on the ship so can board at noon. We were offered an upgrade yesterday to a butler suite for $750 per person, but I did not feel that we needed to do that since a lot of the advantage of the butler suite (being to book in the specialty restaurants earlier for instance) is moot now. Plus I very much like the location of our current suite, at least on paper.

 

I chose the concierge level for several reasons. Being his is a Caribbean cruise, we definitely wanted the balcony. We also wanted as close spacewomen as what we are used to on Regent. I liked the idea of access to the spa terrace as well.

[WesW]

Hope George and you have a great cruise...regards to Ron & Sue too.

 

btw...PCH files for IPO is news today:

 

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/prestige-cruise-holdings-files-for-ipo.html

[orchestrapal]

Hope George and you have a great cruise...regards to Ron & Sue too.

 

btw...PCH files for IPO is news today:

 

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/prestige-cruise-holdings-files-for-ipo.html

 

Will there be shareholder discounts in our future? :D

[cruisingxpert]

This is great. What a Market blogged live from the last cruise and now we get to go again. Love it. Can't wait for my Mar 28th cruise.

 

CJ

[Wendy The Wanderer]

George and I flew from tulsa to Miami late last evening to join up with our friends Ron and Sue for 10 days aboard the Riviera. We are all experienced Regent cruisers....

 

May you stay clear of the Polar Vortex and be warm! Looking forward to hearing your impressions.

[journeyfan]

Rachel, we board the day you get off so take good care of the ship for us. Also, our good friends from Raleigh are on your cruise...... Bob and Lill (she has short, curly red hair).... so if you run into them, tell them Marcia and Mike say "hi."

[RachelG]

Well, the internet wifi connection in our suite is terrible. Good enough for me to do my work with the office via VPN, but loading anything to the internet is impossible as it is so slow. Good thing I bought the unlimited internet package.

 

But let me go back. Embarkation wasn't bad. There was a huge looking line when we arrived at 12:15, but it was really quick moving. So we were onboard in less than 10 minutes. We went up for lunch at the Terrace. Met up with our friends Ron and Sue and had a great time catching up. My veggie burger was really good, and George liked his surf and turf burger. I did not like having to tell the girl at the counter every thing I wanted on my salad and how much. Much prefer to get my own salad. I understand it is a health thing, but it is frustrating. They never get it right. But the salad was good, though to heavy on the dressing for my taste, even though I was trying to tell them how to do it.

 

Luggage took a bit to arrive, but eventually did. I was able to find a place for everything, but it was tough. I should not have brought 12 pairs of shoes. The drawers are tiny! I ended up hanging more stuff than I normally would just due to lack of drawers.

 

The bathroom is just right in my opinion, but the closet space is tiny. The suite itself is ok, a bit small, but ok. I don't like that there is no dividing curtain between the sitting area and the bed. Can't stay up and read if George wants to sleep, but we will survive. The balcony is fine.

 

Muster drill was pretty efficient and to the point, which I like.

 

After muster, we had a nice CC get together in the Horizons Lounge. Pretty well attended. We got a trivia team together, and we met a lot of nice people.

 

Dinner is in Jacques tonight.

 

Will post more later as internet allows.

[Andy]

Hi RachelG,

 

I was invited for a ship tour of Riviera in Miami today, and was very impressed with both the ship and the luncheon at the Grand Dining Room. I plan to share my insights on a separate thread, within the next few days.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise !

[RachelG]

Dinner at Jacques last night was excellent, among the best I have had at sea. I had a salad, the goat cheese mousse, and (of course for anyone who knows me) the Dover sole. It was perfectly prepared and was deboned tableside. Ron and Sue both had filet which was reported as delicious. The only not so good thing was an appetizer that George ordered. It sounded good on paper--artichokes and fois gras. but it looked just nasty--a emulsified fois gras with tiny bits of artichoke. But the rest of his meal was outstanding--pumpkin soup served in a real pumpkin and lobster that he pronounced as perfect. Crepes suzette to finish off. Wine was good and glasses promptly filled.

 

Walking around the ship, it really is beautiful. Very tastefully decorated and everything just flows as far as the decor.

 

We had a good nights sleep, with minimal to no motion. One thing I really like is a nifty night light in the bathroom that is just enough to avoid tripping on things but not obtrusive.

 

Shower pressure is good with appropriate temperatures.

 

We dock this am at Nassau.

[pingpong1]

Hi Rachel - I'm looking forward to following your posts and observations on this cruise. Be sure to let us know if you see any "brown water" coming out of the sink faucet! ;) Regards.

[RachelG]

HAHA, pingpong. No brown water seen as of yet.

 

I was going to go workout this am, but it has started raining, so I will post about yesterday. Internet continues to be painfully slow. I am going to walk around the ship today and see if I can find a better wifi spot.

 

Yesterday in Nassau was a mass of humanity. 3 Carnival ships, 1 Norwegian, and 1 Disney, plus us. We were docked at the furthest slot out which was good because we had a lovely view from our balcony of the ocean, but a long walk through a lot of people to get to the entrance to the port.

 

It was very windy, overcast and looked like it might rain when we set off for a walk around. Temp about 70 which was really perfect for walking though would have been too cool for me to do any beach activities.

 

We walked past the pier area then up the hill to get away from the mass of people. Walked past the art museum to John Watling's rum distillery where they offer free tours and samples. It is a beautifully restored property and worth a visit even if you don't drink rum much. It has been in 2 James Bond movies as well, so that is kind of cool.

 

We walked back to Greycliff, a historic hotel which appears to be in a slow state of decay. The swimming pool is beautiful though. Past the government house and Catholic cathedral and back to the ship in time for lunch.

 

Today was Mexican day, but I splurged and had a burger and fries, something I really only eat about twice a year. Very good.

 

Walked on the very nice jogging track for an hour. I really like that it is a dedicated walking and jogging track so you don't have to dodge loungers, etc. It was very windy, but warm enough to be comfortable.

 

Team trivia was in Martini's at 4:15. We have a pretty good team and came in 4th which is not bad for the first try. If I had not given 2 wrong answers which everyone believed, and if George had not talked me out of 2 right answers which I waffled on, we would have won. Oh well, today is another day! The CD runs a very tight ship at trivia, which I like.

 

Captains cocktail reception had everyone out for free drinks. I was able to snag a seat on one of the Swarovski barstools.

 

Dinner in Red Ginger. The duck and watermelon salad actually was great. I would order again. They brought me extra hot peppers. But I was a bit disappointed at the miso glazed seabass. The texture just wasn't right to me, seemed soggy. I would order something else if I ate there again. Our server was very sweet and kept bringing more hot pepper for me!

 

Up in Flames was the show, and I was impressed. The Jean Anne Ryan singers and dancers were the best I have encountered, with the male singer being outstanding and the female dancers not being anorexic.

[LHT28]

Rachel try near Barristas for the WiFi or the pool deck sometimes works better

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... The Jean Anne Ryan singers and dancers were the best I have encountered, with the male singer being outstanding and the female dancers not being anorexic.

 

Not sure the same group of dancers is still on board that were there for our mid-November crossing. There were four girls, all blonde, and all very tall, a couple well over six feet. They were very visible around the ship!

 

I had the miso-crusted seabass one night, and thought it was great. So perhaps it was just an off night.

[RachelG]

First, thanks for the wifi info. I will check that out tomorrow as I have not been in Barristas yet.

 

Wendy, the seabass tasted ok. It was just a texture thing to me--mushy and soggy. Ron, who had it too, thought it was great. Just not my thing.

 

Today was a very lazy seaday. Rain in the morning made the gym packed, so I just goofed off. We had a long lunch in Terraces, but I was very good today, just having salad. The salad bar thing continues to aggravate me. Today there were no veggies other than lettuce on the indoor one. They had cheese, anchovies, olives, chicken. But no tomatoes, peppers, carrots, etc. I went outside and was able to get a few carrots and peppers, but very inadequate in my opinion.

 

The rain cleared, so spent an hour walking around the upper pool deck. They had the real walking track closed because of wind. I have definitely walked in stronger wind that what was on today, so thought this was a bit over cautious. The problem with walking on the pool deck upper level is that it is very congested with loungers and people just talking. At least all the walkers were going in the same direction.

 

Trivia was a bust, but we were missing two people. George was in the gym and lost track of time. And he knew two of the questions that we missed right off when I asked him.

 

Tonight is La Reserve. The reason I ate so reasonably at lunch. Will report back about that in the am.

[RachelG]

Wow, it is a lot of food. 7 courses, all of which are relatively small portions, but by the time you get to 7, it adds up.

 

Everything was perfectly prepared and presented. No over salting. The wines pairings were well done. And they do pour just a small portion of each, though refills were readily available for those who wanted them.

 

We had the exploration menu. Highlights for me were the scallop on a hot rock, the salmon and turbot cake, and the beef. The foie gras in brioche was just too rich, though it had a good flavor. By the time we got to dessert, I was too full to take more than a small bite of the chocolate drizzled with gold.

 

The meal does go on for 3+ hours, so plan accordingly. I do recommend it, and would go again, but not anytime soon. My arteries have to recover first!

[tallship]

Nice to hear that you are having a good cruise....thx for taking us along

[babygirl60]

We are going on the Oceania Riviera from Miami - Miami -March 18 - 28. First time Oceania cruiser and looking forward to some shore excursions. We are looking for some ideas of shore excursions if you have been on some recommended by the cruise line or off shore we would like your opinions. Are there some places we dock that have a beach close by for those times we would just like to hang out for the day relaxing on the sand. If anyone has been and has either likes or maybe even some they would recommend to stay away from we would appreciate your thoughts.

thank you

[RachelG]

A warm sunny day and very pleasant with a nice breeze. We were anchored so had to tender ashore. They do this in the same way we have encountered on Regent. You gather in the theater with your excursion tickets and exchange them for numbered bus tickets. Then you wait till your number is called. Those on their own tours get colored tickets and wait also. We were to be there at 9:20. Our number was called at about 9.45, so a bit of a wait.

 

The excursions are exactly the same as offered on Regent Navigator's similar itinerary. We went to Altos de Chavon which is a recreated Italian village. It is interesting enough with a small archeological and amber museum that are quite well done. There are a lot of pretty nice craft shops, several cafes. The views are excellent. I would do it again. The only annoyance was that at the end, everyone was back on the bus except for 2 people. The bus driver had to go off and look for them. It took 30 minutes which is ridiculous since the guide had clearly stated what time to be back at the bus. IMO if you are more than 5 minutes late getting back, you should be on your own to get back to the ship.

 

THe tender ride was pretty rough getting back to the ship. Lucky it was short. Afternoon spent just goofing off and losing at trivia, then doing an hour up on top walking and jogging.

 

As far as excursions here, I heard that the 4 wheeler one was really rough. It is the only one other than the one we did that I have heard anything about.

 

In Nassau, there are a couple of beaches within walking distance of the ship. One is at the Hilton, and the other is Junkaroo beach. You would have to pay to use the Hilton one. Probably later in the year that would be ok, but the day we were there, it was too windy and cool to do beach stuff for me. I think you would have been sand blasted.

[J3RZG1RL]

Hi Rachel,

 

I am doing March 28 miami to miami on riviera!

 

I am in the process of booking my flights back to the east coast (NJ/PA).

 

Would you be able to let me know what they say about disembarkation. I normally do the priority disembarkation where you walk off with your luggage. I think I can catch at 10:10 am flight out of Miami. I've been reading that everything in the ship closes at 9 am and all passengers MUST be out of their rooms and off the ship BEFORE 9:30. Not sure if this is true........

 

Anything you can tell me would be great. I understand that customs takes time and varies from ship to ship :) Thanks!

[funny26]

Hi Rachel,

 

I am doing March 28 miami to miami on riviera!

 

I am in the process of booking my flights back to the east coast (NJ/PA).

 

Would you be able to let me know what they say about disembarkation. I normally do the priority disembarkation where you walk off with your luggage. I think I can catch at 10:10 am flight out of Miami. I've been reading that everything in the ship closes at 9 am and all passengers MUST be out of their rooms and off the ship BEFORE 9:30. Not sure if this is true........

 

Anything you can tell me would be great. I understand that customs takes time and varies from ship to ship :) Thanks!

 

There have been several fairly recent threads regarding disembarking and catching relatively early flights like you are describing and the consensus has been don't. There are quite a few variables that play into this decision such as actual ship arrival times, customs/immigration delays, availability of cabs, number of ships in port that day, day of the week, traffic jams out to the airport, delays at the airport, available additional flights, etc.

 

Each arrival has its' own variations and really can't be used to predict another disembarkation. Yes, your disembarkation with your own luggage is a good start but, you may or may not make your flight and if you miss it you may or may not have an available alternate that day.

 

Know most people who will also comment will say take a later flight and sure Rachel will let you know about her disembarkation but, it may or not represent what occur on your disembarkation. Why worry yourself at the end of the cruise when most likely you can take a flight around noon or later and have a leisurely disembarkation without stress??

[RachelG]

I would not recommend booking a flight to leave Miami that early. Our flight is at noon, and that is the earliest that I feel safe with.

 

Yes, theoretically, everyone has to be off the ship by nine. And yes, you can carry your own luggage off, which we plan to do. But there are too many variables. The traffic in Miami can be a bear at times. Customs might take a while to clear the ship. There many or may not be other ships in port.

 

Anyway, back to the current cruise. We ate dinner in the MDR. It was very good--several of the same dishes we have enjoyed on Regent. Service was fine, not outstanding. Wine refills were initially a little slow in coming, but picked up toward the end of the meal.

 

The show last night was a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Weber, and was outstanding. Again, the singers, esp the two male ones, were among the best we have encountered onboard a ship.

[J3RZG1RL]

There have been several fairly recent threads regarding disembarking and catching relatively early flights like you are describing and the consensus has been don't. There are quite a few variables that play into this decision such as actual ship arrival times, customs/immigration delays, availability of cabs, number of ships in port that day, day of the week, traffic jams out to the airport, delays at the airport, available additional flights, etc.

 

Each arrival has its' own variations and really can't be used to predict another disembarkation. Yes, your disembarkation with your own luggage is a good start but, you may or may not make your flight and if you miss it you may or may not have an available alternate that day.

 

Know most people who will also comment will say take a later flight and sure Rachel will let you know about her disembarkation but, it may or not represent what occur on your disembarkation. Why worry yourself at the end of the cruise when most likely you can take a flight around noon or later and have a leisurely disembarkation without stress??

 

True thanks. :) the 10 am flights are also much cheaper, but guess I'll go after 12 thanks!

[terry&mike]

I think the noon or after flights are the safest also, even though most of the time we have been off a ship very early.

We did have an unusual occurrence once when reaching our disembarkation port. We had gone to breakfast, and returned to our room to close up our suitcases and prepare for a 7am self walk off. At around 7am we heard a passenger's name being paged to come to the front desk. We continued to hear the page every few minutes, then the page became very specific for "passenger X in stateroom X" to appear, and repeated about every 10 minutes. By 7:50a we had still not been called to disembark, and needed to clear out of our room by 8a, so we went up to a public area to wait. Lots of people were milling around, and trying to figure out what was going on. The passenger pages continued until around 8:50a, quite sternly, and then the pages stopped, but disembarkation did not begin. Finally, at 9:30a an announcement was made that disembarkation would begin shortly, and it did start around 10 minutes later. We saw a crew member that we had become friendly with during the sailing, and asked her, what on earth was going on, and she told us, "The drug dogs on the pier got a 'hit' on one of the suitcases lined up, so they needed the passenger present to open the bag, but the passenger would not respond. When he did, it turned out to be a teenage grandson sailing with his grandparents. The matter has been resolved."

We were off and clear by around 10a, and on our way, but there were some very anxious passengers with early flights.

I have always felt bad for those grandparents doing something nice for their grandson, and then having that experience.

[LHT28]

Hi Rachel,

 

I am doing March 28 miami to miami on riviera!

 

I am in the process of booking my flights back to the east coast (NJ/PA).

 

Would you be able to let me know what they say about disembarkation. I normally do the priority disembarkation where you walk off with your luggage. I think I can catch at 10:10 am flight out of Miami. I've been reading that everything in the ship closes at 9 am and all passengers MUST be out of their rooms and off the ship BEFORE 9:30. Not sure if this is true........

 

Anything you can tell me would be great. I understand that customs takes time and varies from ship to ship :) Thanks!

Not Rachel but

We just got off on the 23rd

They started calling tag colours & numbers just before 8 am then you picked up your bags & went through customs

 

It could be up to 30 min ride to the airport depending on traffic

 

Just ask to be in the 1st group

All dining closes by 8-8:30 am & all ashore usually by 9am

 

Factor in the cost if you miss the early flight

 

Good luck

Edited January 27, 2014 by LHT28

[JPR]

We booked a 5:30 pm flight back to L.A. Dropped our bags off at the same nearby hotel where we had stayed before the cruise (Marriott Marquis) which was only too happy to store them. Spent 3 enjoyable hours at Jungle Island nearby (lions, tigers, fun shows; you could take a cab to South Beach if preferred), had a great pan-Asian lunch at Zuma in the Epic Hotel across the street (DB bistro is in the Marriott), then taxi to the airport.

Edited January 27, 2014 by JPR