11/18 Riviera Review

[dibel]

Honestly, who would believe it could happen. Such arrogance from Oceania

[no fuss travel]

Can we now close this topic please. This happens on other cruise lines as well, but I still cruise those lines when the itinerary appeals. Sometimes you just are not lucky and simply have to go with the flow and chalk it up to one bad experience. Wishing everyone who had the bad luck on this cruise happy cruising with whatever line you enjoy.

[wristband]

I disagree nofuss. Those who paid a premium price & endured the Riviera clown car find this thread informative way to compare "notes"...rather than suffer silently.

 

Personally, its good to know my bad experiences - one after another compounding, grating and clawing their way into our heads day after day - was not isolated. Others on CC are sharing similar frustrations and displeasure which, hopefully, will be fed back to O HQ after they read passenger surveys.

 

If you find it discouraging to read about poor performance, I get it. But please know for those onboard it was discouraging. The cherry on top was O's unresponsiveness and lame conduct. I don't demand perfection. As a O loyal fan, I have come to expect a reasonable, prompt response to be forthcoming once a problem is identified. But problem after problem onboard was not addressed in an adult manner. Indifference don't cut it for $20,000.

 

Riviera management during the past several weeks reminds me of the country song:

 

"If the phone don't ring, you'll know its me!"

[dibel]

No Fuss,

 

We are all adults and recognize things can go wrong while cruising. I assume you were not on the cruise? Given that, why would you ask to close the thread? I certainly would want to know this about any cruise line, not just Oceania. of course, no cruise line ever acted or treated me this way.

[RJB]

No Fuss,

 

We are all adults and recognize things can go wrong while cruising. I assume you were not on the cruise? Given that, why would you ask to close the thread? I certainly would want to know this about any cruise line, not just Oceania. of course, no cruise line ever acted or treated me this way.

I agree 100 %. Lets close the thread when there no other posts that want to be read.

[wripro]

Instead of closing the thread those who do not like it can simply bypass it. This is actually very valuable information because the attitude onboard seems to be very different from what it was a couple of years ago. And when you're paying this much money for a cruise your issues deserve to be listened to and addressed.

[ronrick1943]

I agree, the more information management can read, just maybe they will see it's not one or two people-that they have a problem that needs addressed.

Rick

[RJB]

I agree, the more information management can read, just maybe they will see it's not one or two people-that they have a problem that needs addressed.

Rick

I just hope management is reading these boards. Mr. FDR used to read them but from what I read not any more. We seem to get no reaction to all the negative posts for the past few weeks. :confused::confused::confused:

[sailfar]

Two days into the cruise, I met a woman who had been so sick she had to cancel her excursion. I washed my hands extra dilegently and used more handgel.

 

At the captain's evening nothing unusual. By the time the Oceania Club events were on, no one on the staff was shaking hands and the captain announced that 10 people were diagnosed with norovirus.

 

Later in the cruise, the wait staff were at the handgel locations making sure that people were using it and the tables were being sanitized, but as the cruise went on they were a lot more thorough in their procedure. (My praise for a wait staff especially a woman from Nice who did a great job from the beginning of cleaning all areas of the chair, especially the side rails and chair bottom sides that people use to pull out the chair from the table.)

 

What could have been done better? Honesty from the Captain. I found out it was over 6% that got noro as reported to someone from the staff on cruise critic.

This matched up with the CDC report. Wow, in this day and age, the truth comes out really fast and people on the point need to respond quickly and honestly.

 

I think it would have been better for the captain to have reported the actual numbers as I think people would have taken noro more seriously. As it was I was seeing things that made me think it was more serious: 4 bottles of Gatorade carried on a tray by a staff member along our room corridor, plates of food carried by passengers who ate alone back to their room for missing dining mates, etc.

 

Would I sail Oceania again? Yes, I am booked on 6 more cruises. Would I like Oceania to comment on this particular cruise, yes, FDR it would be nice. It was hard on all of us, especially the crew that worked especially hard.

[wristband]

YOurs is a very fair comment sailr. Onboard communication lacked candor and honesty - unacceptable.

 

Okay, problems happen, people are unhappy, situations change at see. We get it..

 

This was quite different. Not only did ship management fail to inform us in a responsible and professional manner and take the necessary steps. They acted as if there was no problem despite obvious signs of vomit in hallways, elevator cars, floors, where many pax did not leave rooms because they were so darn ill they could not stand up straight.

 

I would like to think adults will act responsibly when asked to do so and that management has a responsibility to respond quickly and effectively to a threat. That failed to occur on Riviera along with MANY OTHER problems that were unrelated to the Noro Virus outbreak.

 

Others where have voiced concern about rolls at the Terrace Café. I wonder if we are looking in the wrong space. This seems to be a crew issue as Noro broke out in 2012 and 2105 to the point it had to be reported to the CDC.

 

Why has Riviera had such problems and other, much longer voyages, have not had the same bad track record? I do not think it can be attributed to a several ill passengers alone or the luck of the draw. Something else is going on here. Our cruise on Riviera in November as indeed, the "PLAGUE SHIP!"

[LHT28]

One would like to think that adults would act responsibly

but according to the many posts of people leaving the washroom without washing their hands or passing the gel stations (whether effective or not)

handling food & putting it back on the trays, staying in their cabin when ill, calling the medical centre if they cannot make it there (for fear of having to pay)

 

It appears they cannot act responsibly :rolleyes:

Does the cruise line really need to tell people these things ?

These should be something that one learns as a child & carries through life

WASH YOUR HANDS after using the toilet

what is so complicated about that :eek:

 

just the facts

[hypercafe]

For years I have read on this board that Oceania passengers are well traveled, above average type. On a cruise with 80% repeat passengers that fall into this upper category they now do not know to wash their hands, handle food or use hand sanitizer?

[LHT28]

they now do not know to wash their hands, handle food or use hand sanitizer?

not just cruise passengers I have seen this in airports as well

[Paulchili]

For years I have read on this board that Oceania passengers are well traveled, above average type. On a cruise with 80% repeat passengers that fall into this upper category they now do not know to wash their hands, handle food or use hand sanitizer?

 

Maybe it's the 20% that came over from NCL? :D:D:D

[journeyfan]

I have very sensitive skin and find that if I use the hand sanitizer every time I board a ship and every time I enter a ship's restaurant, my hands break out in a rash long about Day 6 of a cruise. So, on most cruises, I tend to limit use of the hand sanitizer mostly to when I'm boarding the ship. BUT, I never enter a ship's restaurant without first visiting a rest room and meticulously washing my hands with lots of soap and hot water.

[hypercafe]

Maybe it's the 20% that came over from NCL? :D:D:D

 

Actually the people on NCL got sick of getting a raw deal from FDR while hearing how Oceania was getting preference so sent over spies to even the game,!!!

[Torbsboy]

I am sure that you have all read my review for this particular cruise.

 

My question to Oceania and its fans is why do they get you to complete a final survey a day before you disembark and a month passes since you get home and you hear nothing.

 

Surely the most valuable passenger is a loyal one. I had traveled with O before and if I had not been on this cruise I would have probably booked another one. So it cost Oceania nothing to get my repeat booking but as they can not be bothered to answer some serious questions and react to my comments concerning my substandard vacation then sadly I will not be booking again. Where is the logic? I love the Oceania product including its food and the Oceania Suite but this poor attitude has left a seriously bad taste...........

[kazu]

I am sure that you have all read my review for this particular cruise.

 

My question to Oceania and its fans is why do they get you to complete a final survey a day before you disembark and a month passes since you get home and you hear nothing.

 

Surely the most valuable passenger is a loyal one. I had traveled with O before and if I had not been on this cruise I would have probably booked another one. So it cost Oceania nothing to get my repeat booking but as they can not be bothered to answer some serious questions and react to my comments concerning my substandard vacation then sadly I will not be booking again. Where is the logic? I love the Oceania product including its food and the Oceania Suite but this poor attitude has left a seriously bad taste...........

 

I suspect some of the surveys may have not quite made it anywhere but the garbage bin ;)

 

don't know for sure - but if they did get passed on it is a sad statement that no one has answered any of us

[LHT28]

I have never had a reply from any end of cruise comment card Oceania or otherwise

I have had responses from the mid cruise cards & from sending a letter to Oceania via my TA

 

just my experience

 

PS I have heard they DO read all the cards ..it may depend on how many people are reading them & how many cards are recieved in a batch

JMO

[fb0075]

Are they having any HOLDEM tourneys?

[ORV]

Are they having any HOLDEM tourneys?

 

With the cruise survey cards? ;) Yes, that's what happened to them, they are holdingem.

 

Personally I only fill out the end of cruise survey cards to win the OBC, which I haven't done yet.

 

If I really have something to say I put it on the mid cruise card, then the CD can leave me a message when they know I'm at dinner explaining how their way makes more sense than any other suggestions they might get.

[GeezerCouple]

With the cruise survey cards? ;) Yes, that's what happened to them, they are holdingem.

 

Personally I only fill out the end of cruise survey cards to win the OBC, which I haven't done yet.

 

If I really have something to say I put it on the mid cruise card, then the CD can leave me a message when they know I'm at dinner explaining how their way makes more sense than any other suggestions they might get.

 

"they are holdingem"

 

:D :D :D

[Hawaiidan]

I believe that you like lobster. Well, Polo has steamed Maine lobster on the menu - that should be OK. :)

 

Are NOT shell fish..... clams,mussels,oyster are

[LHT28]

Are NOT shell fish..... clams,mussels,oyster are

There are two kinds of shellfish: crustacea (such as shrimp, crab and lobster) and mollusks (such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops)

[sammiedawg]

I have very sensitive skin and find that if I use the hand sanitizer every time I board a ship and every time I enter a ship's restaurant, my hands break out in a rash long about Day 6 of a cruise. So, on most cruises, I tend to limit use of the hand sanitizer mostly to when I'm boarding the ship. BUT, I never enter a ship's restaurant without first visiting a rest room and meticulously washing my hands with lots of soap and hot water.

 

You are a most astute person. Despite all the handwringing over use or non use of the hand gel it does not kill the Noro virus, or the common cold virus either. Other cruise lines are disingenuous when they squirt it into your hands and emphasize using the gel.

Vigorous hand washing with hot soap water for twenty to thirty seconds is the gold standard.

Clorox wipes should be vigorously rubbed over inanimate surfaces to clean gym equipment, keyboards, shopping carts.