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

[Wendy The Wanderer]

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's also the issue of Immigration. I believe that this was done on the ship, in the show lounge, on the morning of disembarkation (this was Riviera, in November.)

[LHT28]

There's also the issue of Immigration. I believe that this was done on the ship, in the show lounge, on the morning of disembarkation (this was Riviera, in November.)

 

It appears some have cruises have changed the process

We have always done it this way before for non U.S. citizens however this trip we just got off with everyone else

 

I asked & they said it depends on the agreements with the ports visited & the USA

who knew

 

It was so smooth compared to previous cruises

 

Lyn

Edited January 27, 2014 by LHT28

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It appears some have cruises have changed the process

We have always done it this way before for non U.S. citizens however this trip we just got off with everyone else

...

 

Ah right, it's non-US people only, sorry. We had been in Spain, Morocco and Bermuda, so who knows.

[cruisingxpert]

It appears some have cruises have changed the process

We have always done it this way before for non U.S. citizens however this trip we just got off with everyone else

 

I asked & they said it depends on the agreements with the ports visited & the USA

who knew

 

It was so smooth compared to previous cruises

 

Lyn

 

That's very interesting. I'm from the GTA and we had to do the visit to the Theatre last March for the exact same itinerary as you just took and for the most recent Mayan one on Dec 2nd 2013.

 

Hope this is a good sign. I hate getting up at the crack of dawn to retrieve my passport..

 

Catherine

Edited January 27, 2014 by cruisingxpert

[JimandStan]

For those of you who were as flummoxed as I was, I believe that GTA is an acronym for Greater Toronto Area....

 

Canadians.....Eh? :rolleyes:

[cruisingxpert]

For those of you who were as flummoxed as I was, I believe that GTA is an acronym for Greater Toronto Area....

 

Canadians.....Eh? :rolleyes:

 

Sorry. Yes, that is correct - you know everything - I want to be on your Trivia team :D

 

Catherine

[LHT28]

That's very interesting. I'm from the GTA and we had to do the visit to the Theatre last March for the exact same itinerary as you just took and for the most recent Mayan one on Dec 2nd 2013.

 

Hope this is a good sign. I hate getting up at the crack of dawn to retrieve my passport..

 

Catherine

I was surprised also

They did not keep our passports at check in like they have done in the past

Hope it is a sign of things to come for Non U.S. Citizens

so much more civilized

;)

[LHT28]

For those of you who were as flummoxed as I was, I believe that GTA is an acronym for Greater Toronto Area....

 

Canadians.....Eh? :rolleyes:

 

Nothing gets passed you ....:D

[cruisingxpert]

I was surprised also

They did not keep our passports at check in like they have done in the past

Hope it is a sign of things to come for Non U.S. Citizens

so much more civilized

;)

 

I sure hope so. I'm not crazy about being dressed and ready to leave my cabin at 6:15 - 6:30am when I have a long wait at the airport for my flight home.

 

On our first cruise with Oceania last year, I was stunned to find they take your passport from you. In all my cruises in the last 25 years - mostly from Ft Lauderdale but also some from Miami - that was the first time it had ever happened.

 

Catherine

 

p.s. Rachel - sorry about hijacking your thread. Now back to regular programming. Hope you are having a wonderful time and I look forward to your next report.

[TedC]

Delete

Edited January 27, 2014 by TedC

[J3RZG1RL]

Thanks all I will do a later flight just so I am sure to get home :) and so I can be a little relaxed on my last vaca day.

 

Sorry Rachel - so many people replied.

 

Have a nice trip!

 

Stacey

[sailorgirl]

LOoking forward to more of Rachel's comments and comparisons.

[RachelG]

No problem with the hijacking! Disembarkation is an important topic.

 

Now back to the regular programming.

 

Warm slightly cloudy day with just a bit of wind today. We were docked in Roadtown alongside Legend of the Seas. Riviera makes that ship look like an old shabby rust bucket (sorry Norwegian fans, but it is true).

 

We had originally scheduled the E VIP speedboat excursion and were really looking forward to it, but a few days ago, we were informed that it was cancelled due to "operational issues". Not sure if enough people didn't sign up or the boat was broken, but we rescheduled to the Virgin Islands Sailaway and Snorkle. A very good choice. Lovely catamaran with a nice young but competent crew. We sailed to a sheltered cove where you could snorkle if you wanted. Since my perforated eardrum 2 years ago, I have given up on this activity, but George really enjoyed it.

 

Then we sailed to a small dock where there was a little shack restaurant selling drinks and food. Had a nice snack in a clean and comfortable spot on the beach. Then sailed back to Tortola.

 

Late lunch in Terraces which was Asian today. Good sushi and another meager salad. Lots of other choices that were Asian based, but I really have to have my veggies.

 

Trivia was our best performance ever. We came in 4th, but we were very close. And one of our answers was correct even though it was not the official answer. With that one we would have been 2nd. We are improving. I felt the team really worked well together today.

 

Walked and jogged for an hour up top whle the ship sailed away. The captain executed a beautiful 360 turn in the harbor which gave me some great views.

 

Dinner at Polo Grill tonight.

[sailorgirl]

I think Legend of the Seas is Royal Caribbean, not Norwegian. Let's not upset anyone!! Am enjoying and appreciating your comments. We have sailed Riviera before and are doing a transatlantic in April. We also have friends on board now so. Thanks for the time you take to share.

[RachelG]

Yes, Sailorgirl, my mistake. I realized it last evening after I had posted. It is Royal Caribbean--and sadly, looks very rusty.

 

Dinner last evening in Polo Grill was good. Mine was perfect--beet salad, shrimp scampi, asparagus--all perfectly prepared. George's lobster and filet were just right too, but weirdly Sue's filet was over cooked. She and George had both ordered medium. His was perfect, but her's was medium well bordering on well. Ron's steak seemed pretty fatty--should have been better trimmed IMO. I would not have served it like that at our home.

Service was fine (except for the waiter failing to ask if the meat was cooked to our liking). And the desserts were excellent. Very similar to Prime 7 on Regent.

[RachelG]

Lots of ships in port today--at one time there were 6. Warm and very windy.

 

We were signed up for the America's Cup Sailing Race. As a little background, George and I used to have a sailboat, and he at one time was an avid sailor. So he was really anxious just to be able to get on one of these classic sailboats.

 

We were lined up by a rather strict girl from the sailing company and marched out to the dock where the ferry pulls up. We were divided into 3 teams of about 16 each to crew the 3 boats. They took us out to the sailboats on an open flat bottomed boat, and we were assigned various jobs depending on fitness level and some other factors which the professional crew didn't share (probably age, agility, etc). Anyway, George was a primary grinder which is a job requiring a lot of muscle. And I was the mainsail trimmer, which is a very demanding job, let me tell you. I had to listen to the captain and follow his instructions very quickly. It was very windy, so there was a lot of action as far as letting the main sail in and out which is what I was doing. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and exercise as well.

 

Lunch in Terraces was better today. My remarks on the mid cruise comment card regarding the need for more veggies was apparently heeded as there was a wide selection today.

 

We again came in 4th in trivia by 2 points. We seem to be stuck there.

[Terryd444]

What fun Rachel!

 

But who won the sailing race?

[wowpeople]

Hi Rachel

We were offered 4500$ to downgrade from PH to concierge. I am a heavy packer with lots of shoes too! I am on Mar 4 riviera...Caribbean 14 nighter and sooo worried abt the lack of space. Do you think ( seriously ) that we can use bathtub for storage or hanging clothes on dryer line?

Thanks,

Edited January 28, 2014 by wowpeople

[globevest]

Hi Rachel

We were offered 4500$ to downgrade from PH to concierge. I am a heavy packer with lots of shoes too! I am on Mar 4 riviera...Caribbean 14 nighter and sooo worried abt the lack of space. Do you think ( seriously ) that we can use bathtub for storage or hanging clothes on dryer line?

Thanks,

 

Not Rachel, but on our last Marina sailing our cabin steward threw out a comment that some passengers "use the bath tub as extra storage space".

I think he say my wife's packing as she opened cases.:D

[LHT28]

Hi Rachel

We were offered 4500$ to downgrade from PH to concierge. I am a heavy packer with lots of shoes too!

Thanks,

 

I would stick with the PH in that case

The clothes line will not hold a bunch of clothing it is good for drying swimwear etc..

Edited January 28, 2014 by LHT28

[Ms Understood]

I would stick with the PH in that case

The clothes line will not hold a bunch of clothing it is good for drying swimwear etc..

 

Well, Lynn, for $4500 she can just buy new clothes as she goes along :p

----------------

Helen

[wowpeople]

Have already given up PH....guess I will have to use clothesline or maybe bring a stronger rope and try to figure out way to use for hanging clothes and maybe put shoes in bathtub also...

If anyone has come up w creative way to store clothes w minimal space, let me know! I already have heard abt magnetic hooks.....this WILL be a challenge for me :(

[Travelcat2]

On my gosh, I've been so wrapped in my own little world that I forgot that you were going to be on the Riviera. Just read the entire thread and find your comments interesting (as always). I tend to think that your Miso glazed sea bass may have been a poor piece. Regent now serves this dish -- I special ordered it three times. My husband had a piece similar to what you described and isn't as fond of it as I am.

 

We loved Le Reserve and will go there again on our next Riviera cruise (just booked last month after we cancelled a Regent cruise -- a whole other story).

 

You seem to be doing okay in the Terrace Café - this was definitely our least favorite dining venue. The quality did not seem up to the standards we are used to. On the other hand, the specialty restaurants exceed what we are used to.

 

We also enjoy the ship -- so beautiful (and I have it on good authority that Regent's Explorer will be the best ship at sea).

 

Looking forward to further reports and really hope you do a review. Also, when you have time to reflect on the cruise........ would you go on Oceania again???

[Terryd444]

Maybe you could take one of those over the door plastic shoe racks for the shoes? Some of them even come on a hangar I think?

[LHT28]

Have already given up PH....guess I will have to use clothesline or maybe bring a stronger rope and try to figure out way to use for hanging clothes and maybe put shoes in bathtub also...

If anyone has come up w creative way to store clothes w minimal space, let me know! I already have heard abt magnetic hooks.....this WILL be a challenge for me :(

 

Just be more creative in your packing choices ...dare I say it :eek:

leave some shoes behind

 

We pack 1- 26" case each for up to 30 day cruises

I have several prs of shoes & do just fine without resorting to using the tub for storage

 

Good luck