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

[Travelcat2]

I've recently begun packing "One Sole" shoes with lots of "toppers" for a different look. While not the most beautiful shoes around, they work well on board. Shoes seem to take up a lot of space in our luggage.

 

On our one Riviera cruise, we were in a penthouse suite and had plenty of room for everything.

[hondorner]

We travel with carry-ons for cruises up to 30 days; will be doing a 6-week ocean cruise, river cruise and RV trip in May and June with just carry-ons. No one remembers what you wore or how many times you wear it, and there are ship lauderettes and ship's laundry.

 

Cold or variable weather was a challenge, but we have learned to layer. We recently completed 24 days in the North Atlantic at the end of September, temps in the 50's and occasional 40's, with just carry-ons.

 

Shoes continue to be a problem. Betsy wears flats and sandals. My shoes take up more room than hers, so I have gone over to 100% sandals -- casual, open toe and leather closed toe "fisherman" sandals for dressy wear. If it's really chilly, I add socks (which I otherwise avoid like the plague :rolleyes:).

 

I don't bring jeans because they take up too much room; for casual wear I rely on nylon zip-off pants/shorts, and pack a couple of pairs of dress slacks. I only pack 4 pairs of underdrawers, because I have exceptionally fast-drying Ex-Officio drawers that I wash out in the sink; they dry overnight; I could actually manage with 1 pair, like Rick Steves! I do pack two fast-drying bathing suits; one pair is a muted tan,with pockets, that can actually double as outerwear if there is swimming involved anywhere in an excursion.

 

This type of packing didn't happen overnight -- we practiced for years, taking note of clothing we packed but never wore, and gradually cutting back to the essentials. It is so liberating to not be encumbered with excess baggage -- it has lead to all sorts of other economies, like airport buses and trains instead of taxis or hire cars.

[wowpeople]

Thank you all for ideas...please keep 'em coming...though we have been on countless cruises , I feel 'packing challenged'...seems I need more stuff than anyone...will definately feel tight without adequate drawer, shelf and hanging space. Need a remedial packing course!😳😳

[RachelG]

Regarding packing and storage, you could use the bathtub to store stuff, but the clothes line is really to flimsy to hang anything other than a couple of bathing suits on. I am not sure where you would put one of those plastic over the door shoe hangers as the closet doors are sliding. Perhaps would fit over the bathroom door, but I don't know that that door would close securely if you placed it there. We have gotten everything adjusted, but it took a while. I would not go below a PH in future unless by myself due to the space issues for storage. Also if I want to get something from the closet while George is still asleep, he wakes up because the closet is right by the bed and the light comes on.

 

As far as the amount of clothes, one of the main reasons I cruise is that I can take a bunch of stuff and not have to wear the same thing over and over. No one else may remember what I wear, but I remember. And I got a big grease spot on my top last night at dinner. Not a problem since I have plenty of other choices. I also hate having to do washing very often, be it by hand or machine.

 

We had dinner at Terraces last night. I would not go again. Least favorite dinner venue. Too many people walking around, had to stand in line at the grill for a long time. Lobster was good, not great. Not as good as in either Jacques or Polo. Took forever to get wine refill. And there were many EXTREMELY casually dressed people, including one man in what our yard guy wears to mow the lawn, an old t shirt and shorts.

 

Rock the boat after dinner was pretty good. We were anchored in St Marteen, and the weather was good. I even got George to dance one dance which is a minor miracle.

 

Oh, we did not win the sailing. We were in Canada II, which is an extremely light boat. It was very windy, which gives a heavier boat the advantage so Stars and Stripes came in first. But we gave up a good effort.

[Cruiser Jane]

Rachel, I'm enjoying your posts! Thanks for doing this.

 

For anyone with more than 7 pairs of shoes, try pushing your empty luggage further under the bed and put your shoes under the bed at the edge where you can stoop down and easily retrieve them.

 

One flaw design to the larger O ships is the closet in the regular staterooms. Be careful with the snap shut magnet on the side of the sliding door which made a hole in a silk shirt of one of our CC members. Even with the light, it's dark on the floor. I'm able to use the floor on the side closer to the hall to store all my shoes as I usually have about 7 pairs. Bill puts his 3 pair on the other end. The Interior design specialists were thinking only of looks and n ot comfort when they ordered the too big furniture all over the ship. That stateroom should have only had a loveseat so the night table can be pushed away from the closet to make room for you to get into it!

 

But after dealing with this problem the first time, I was prepared after that.

 

For anyone wanting a curtain to divide the sitting area from the bed, I recommend VERY STRONG magnets with hooks that you can string a cord from one end of the stateroom to the other. Then hang an extra sheet over it. Bring clothes pins to fasten it. I use my sarong. Not as big but it works.

 

Look forward to more posts Rachel - sorry for interrupting here.

 

Jan

[warburg]

Andy, are you able to correct a spelling error in a Roll Call title?

[Travelcat2]

Rachel, your description of Terraces at night is pretty much the same as ours. And the way some people dress was laughable. I also saw old t-shirts and shorts as well as overalls (not nice ones -- farm overalls -- we saw this in an elevator about 9:30 p.m.) It seems odd to me for people to be dressed in this manner on a ship that is so beautiful.

 

Also agree with you about clothes. I like plenty of choices of what to wear and did not realize how little space there is to store clothing in some staterooms. The bathtub is another great idea! On the other hand, really glad that we booked an upper suite for our next cruise.

[EAGLESLOVER]

Rachel

Thank you so much for posting. I really enjoy your live froms and value your opinions.

[RachelG]

First, thanks so much for all the nice complements and the good suggestions. The shoe under the bed one is a great idea. I have taken to putting out some clothes for my early morning wanderings the night before in the bathroom so I don't disturb George's beauty sleep.

 

LOVE St Barts! We had a morning snorkeling tour. It was a motorized catamaran and held many fewer people than the big sail one in Tortola. (As an aside, apparently on the snorkeling tour yesterday, a man almost drowned. Took in a big amount of seawater and had to be pulled onto the boat. Everyone was talking about it today as it was a close call and very frightening.)

 

Anyway, our captain today was a very safety conscious and funny Frenchman who had everyone laughing. Snorkeling was on the lee side of a tiny rocky island with tons of fish. George thought it was one of the best snorkeling tours he has ever done.

 

We had to take tenders to and from St Barts. There was only the Star Clipper saling ship anchored with us today, so it was not crowded in town. We had lunch on the ship then went and walked around a bit. Lots of expensive stuff to buy--I did not bring money so we were safe!

 

Trivia was very hard today with no team doing great. We did not win, but all scores were pretty low. I walked afterward and watched a beautiful 180 degree rainbow off the back of the ship. Got 45 min in then it started pouring rain.

 

Dinner tonight in Toscana.

[journeyfan]

Rachel, who is the Cruise Director on your ship? Is it David Peterson?

[Mura]

I am amused about the different perceptions of cruisers. (No one is wrong when it comes to perceptions.)

 

Both here and on the "favorite restaurant" thread, so many people feel so differently.

 

I'm not wild about the Terrace Buffet on the "R" ships although I'm not at all unhappy to have dinner there when we're not interested in changing after a long day. But I do love it on Marina, and I assume Riviera cannot be too different.

 

But not everyone loves the buffet, period.

 

If you look at the "rate the specialty restaurants" thread, there are hardly any people who rate them the same way. I love Jacques the most, don't care for Red Ginger. But there are MANY people who feel the opposite.

 

Just goes to show ... it's all in the eye of the beholder.

 

Mura

[Terryd444]

Rachel, thanks so much for posting every day. It is helping me get through the countdown to Sunday when we will board after you!

 

Just wondering if you are finding the concierge perks to be worth it? Are you using and enjoying the Spa Terrace? I love that space, the therapy pool is gorgeous....but we are planning to be quite busy each day so I thought I might just pay the $25.00 per day for that perk on the days I have time to do it.

 

Re-reading your comments this evening and noted that you don't like being served the buffet food. That's one of the reasons I selected Oceania! I hate regular buffets where people serve themselves as I have a compromised immune system and worry about getting sick from germs. Riviera was just inspected by the CDC in December and got 100% score (85% is a fail). You've probably heard about RC and their problems this week....so we can all be glad about this small annoyance....keeps us safe.

 

Also wanted to ask if you've used the gym. Did you happen to notice if they have those small rebounding trampolines?

 

Thanks Rachel, keep enjoying yourself! Glad you made a good showing on the sail, that must have been a great day out.

 

Terry

[wowpeople]

Rachel,

Do you find the restaurants and public rooms cold during evenings from high A//C?

Hoping summer weight eve clothes won't need a wrap cuz don't have storage room!

Have found some ships comfortable while others feel sooo cold with cranked up a/c

[JimandStan]

Rachel,

Do you find the restaurants and public rooms cold during evenings from high A//C?

Hoping summer weight eve clothes won't need a wrap cuz don't have storage room!

Have found some ships comfortable while others feel sooo cold with cranked up a/c

 

Generally speaking, older people, particularly of the fair sex, find it cool in the public rooms.

How much room can a Pashmina type garment take up in your luggage? :confused::rolleyes:

[Jancruz]

I've recently begun packing "One Sole" shoes with lots of "toppers" for a different look. While not the most beautiful shoes around, they work well on board. Shoes seem to take up a lot of space in our luggage.

 

On our one Riviera cruise, we were in a penthouse suite and had plenty of room for everything.

 

I saw those shoes on Shark Tank several years ago and thought they would be great for cruising so I bought a couple of pair of toppers ..I also love to buy Toms as they are extremely light weight and I love some of their styles..

Jancruz1

[RachelG]

Yes, David Peterson is the CD. He is not the most bubbly and gregarious, but I think he does a good job. And he is pretty funny at trivia.

 

I am in general not a fan of buffets at all, so I am sure that colors my perception of Terraces. My main problem with them at lunch was the lack of fresh veggies, and that appears to be corrected. I agree having the waiters serve you is more hygienic. I would still prefer to serve myself, but I have an excellent immune system. I understand others may not, so I am ok with having to ask to be served. I do wish they would give me my salad on a large plate rather than a bowl, but that seems to be a lost cause. I tried getting a large plate and giving it to them for the salad. They just put it aside and got a bowl. Decreases spills, I guess.

 

I have used the concierge lounge a lot for the computer as the wifi is terrible. Of course, one could always go up to the computer room. The concierge lounge is right across from our suite though, so terribly convenient.

 

I thought I would use the spa terrace a lot, but I haven't because we have just been too busy. I haven't even opened the book I brought. Of course, some of that is related to the slow wifi, as I have work from the office that I have to do every day. With the wifi so slow (I can't do the work on a shared or public computer), it takes me forever to get it done.

 

The spa terrace is really beautiful though, and on our last sea day, I hope to spend some time there.

 

I did not see any mini trampolines in the gym, but I didn't look. Not something I would personally do.

 

Public rooms are just perfect in temp for me, but that means that George thinks they are too warm. I wear my sleeveless sundresses and have no issues with being cold. And I am a person who usually feels cold.

 

Toscana was outstanding last evening. Our best meal overall on the whole cruise, with Jacques the first night being a close second. Everything was perfectly prepared. I had the asparagus, the spinach salad, the pasta trio (getting too full at that point so only ate a little, but it was good), and the sea bass. The sea bass was perfectly prepared and not mushy.

 

George had ordered the veal marsala which I warned him some had found very tough on the previous cruise. His was absolutely perfect and fork tender.

 

The wine steward last night was just perfect. He knew how to watch and refill the glasses when appropriate. He was proactive rather than having to be tracked down, which is what we want.

 

The "Rock On" show afterward was my least favorite of the cruise. The singers and dancers did well, but it was one of those shows with a contrived storyline. I would rather they just sang and danced.

Edited January 30, 2014 by RachelG

[funny26]

Just wondering if you are finding the concierge perks to be worth it? Are you using and enjoying the Spa Terrace? I love that space, the therapy pool is gorgeous....but we are planning to be quite busy each day so I thought I might just pay the $25.00 per day for that perk on the days I have time to do it.

 

 

Really doubt but, not totally sure that you can pick and choose which days you have the unlimited internet just like the unlimited booze package that must be taken once you begin for the balance of the cruise.

 

Hope someone more familiar with the unlimited internet confirms or denys my assumption but, if I am correct don't want you thinking that you can pick and choose the days for unlimited internet.

[Terryd444]

Hi Funny,

 

No you can't get unlimited Internet by the day, you have to buy the package.

 

The fee for the Spa however is $25 per day and that is the perk I was referencing that comes with the Concierge package. Sorry if my post was not clear.

 

Rachel, thanks for answering my questions. I didn't notice those rebounders in the gym last year, doubt they have them. They are a wonderful no/low impact workout for the challenged which is where am I now at. Ah my days of half marathons are over...too sad for me.

 

Nice to hear you are not too cold in the public areas. I found it very chilly last year, but thankfully had some wraps. I'll still bring a couple though as this can vary so much by person.

 

As usual the food sounds delicious! Thanks again for posting, we all appreciate it!

Terry

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I saw those shoes on Shark Tank several years ago and thought they would be great for cruising so I bought a couple of pair of toppers ..I also love to buy Toms as they are extremely light weight and I love some of their styles..

Jancruz1

 

I bought the Lindsay Phillips shoes called "switchflops". I actually have two pairs, one is the switchflops where you change the top of the sandal, and the other you just change the decoration (snap shoes.) Love them both, and will buy more "tops".

 

Oh, and I agree about the wrap. I have silk wraps that take up no room at all, and are more versatile than pashminas, suitable for the tropics.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Prada Cowboy]

1 more week until I'm off to Riviera! I know I'll have at least 160 lbs of luggage with me, god thanks I'm in a PH!

[RachelG]

As noted above, all inclusive internet is a all or none deal for the cruise. No option for day by day.

 

A windy day in San Juan with Carnival being the only other cruise ship in port, way far down the pier, when we arrived. When we left at 3:00, a Holland America ship had pulled in next to us. But not crowded at all in Old San Juan.

 

We set off walking down to El Morro, one of the old fortresses, for a look around. A nice walk although there is a tram available to take you around old town if mobility is an issue.

 

Had lunch at Pizza e Birra which is inside El Convento, the old classic hotel downtown. A great lunch.

 

A couple of short rain showers came and went during our walks, but they were very short, maybe 5 minutes each, and easily avoided by hopping inside a shop or under an awning. We did find the habitat of a bunch of feral cats, so I got my cat fix for the cruise.

 

Back on board, trivia was moved up to 2:30 which meant that some of our team was missing as this was not announced ahead of time. Sue just happened to notice it in Passages. We did not do well.

 

Sue and I had an American Express wine tasting in Toscana which was pretty interesting and well done. Then we went to tea, where we were pretty abruptly kicked out at 5 because a repeat cruisers event was to be held in Horizons at 5:30. Oh, well! Time to exercise anyway.

[Ms Understood]

It sounds like you are enjoying your cruise, Rachel. I am so glad as we enjoyed our Riviera cruise tremendously.

 

See you in Beijing.

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

Helen

[poss]

Just tuned back in to CC, Rachel. Glad that you're enjoying-- and thanks for posting. I continue to believe that we'd not enjoy a Caribbean cruise, because iteresting ports are our main enjoyment (more than the food, entertainment, etc). Main thing we love the Caribbean for is hanging out in the sea, preferably face down, snorkel up. Riviera sounds great though. Still, I imagine we'll not try it, since my husband needs familiar surroundings as much as possible. He kind of feels at home on Voyager and Mariner. (Though not great at finding his way back to suite.)

[wowpeople]

Rachel,

Can you tell me if I can have toast and eggs delivered for my breakfast on concierge level? I have just read no hot food. Was looking forward to toast and eggs room service for breakfast. This would suprise me as even Hal will bring u eggs for breakfast.

Also, how limited is the room service menu?

Thank you.

[RachelG]

Wowpeople, I will check to be sure about breakfast and room service. We are not big breakfast eaters, and for sure, not room service breakfast eaters, so have not tried it out. I was under the impression you could get a hot breakfast from room service in concierge and above.

 

We are very close to the concierge lounge, so I pop in there to get my am tea, and George gets his yogurt and bread (there is a toaster in the lounge) and eats his orange which he has either nabbed the previous day from Terraces or sent me to get from Terraces. IMO the concierge lounge should have fresh fruit available too, but it does not. And no bowl of fruit in the room either.

 

We haven't ordered any room service meals as we enjoy eating with our friends. I will check that menu too. Our friends are in a PH and have commented that the afternoon canapes were not worth it. No big cocktail shrimp. They tried to order them and were brought some tiny salad shrimp.

 

They also do not think the butler does much. He did get us an extra dinner reservation, but that is about it. The reason they booked the PH is the extra room.