Riviera repositioning cruise

[sandbag7]

It's been some time since we've gone on a cruise but we've done over 20, including one with Oceania and two with Renaissance. We are looking at a repositioning cruise on Riviera and we've never done one of those; moreover we've never been on a ship of this size - seems like a lot of people to satisfy on a sea day, and I suspect the weather is not particularly condusive to long periods on deck or on a verandah. What kind of activites would this ship likely offer on its multiple sea days?

[StanandJim]

If you've sailed Oceania before, then you pretty much know the activities routine on the positioning cruises, although they do amp it up slightly with such things as an outdoor "Country Fair" on trans Ocean voyages.

 

They sometimes add a Bridge Instructor for the card playing folks, -that involves both instruction and scheduled play-, the Cruise Director almost always adds numerous additional Trivia sessions.

 

The Spa and Beauty Salons can be counted on to run all sorts of Specials, and if there is demand additiional fitness classes are offered (mostly for a fee).

 

If the pianists aboard are up to it, a version of Name that Tune is played in Martini's and/or Horizons.

 

The Culinary Center and the Artists Loft seem to run more classes on a repositioning cruise, but that may be a function of more passengers being available to attend more of them.

[ORV]

and scheduled play-, the Cruise Director almost always adds numerous additional Trivia sessions.

 

 

 

I guess Ray Michaels didn't get that memo, quite a few of us on the last Riviera TA mentioned how nice it would be to have a morning trivia session, never happened. Of course he's a performing CD and obviously most of the CD's I've sailed with aren't, at least that what he told me.

 

Afternoon team trivia and 8:45pm seemed to be all they could muster. It shouldn't be a problem to add extra now that they have a 10 or 12 member activity team. Unfortunately those little singers and dancers were put to work with plastic gloves and sanitizing wipes. I'm wondering if they'd ever done anything like that before.

[Hawaiidan]

I have been on several... both on Marina, Regatta and soon Riveria.

 

Trans pacific its just peachy, great weather and only 2 to 4 sea days at a time.Verandas are aplus

Trans Atlantic can get great weather going east to west in the fall but not so going west to east in the spring..Verandas can be weather sucking blackholes where you can get lots of wind or rain...or both

 

However, here is another consideration, that these cruises attract a type of passenger who likes being at sea and these kindred souls seem to enjoy each others company. The result is this thing called "conversation", (you know, what people did before the computer introversion of today)

To be frank, other than going to trivia I have never attended more than 2 maybe 3 shows over 5 cruises. The true beauty of a longer sailing is the people, who are the real entertainment...and I mean that in a positive way.

 

Finally, Oceania attracts a group who seem to enjoy each other and just being at sea. If you feel the need to have a carnival of activity then try NCL or Carnival...

[kibutzer]

Have to say on recent TA Oceania did not ramp it up. No Country Fair, perhaps due to heat, no grand buffet. Only a very poorly attended ship building competition. Perhaps it was due to last minute changes in CD or number of new staff taken on board. Not sure. Food was good, Dining room was generally lightly seasoned, staff seemed inconsistent, some of our favorites were great, some of the new staff spent more time talking to each. some were monopolized by "favorite" passengers making it a challenge for them to break away to serve others, and some new staff were excceptional.

 

Still a great cruise but less consistency in service experience than we were used to.

[ORV]

Have to say on recent TA Oceania did not ramp it up. No Country Fair, perhaps due to heat, no grand buffet. Only a very poorly attended ship building competition. Perhaps it was due to last minute changes in CD or number of new staff taken on board. Not sure. Food was good, Dining room was generally lightly seasoned, staff seemed inconsistent, some of our favorites were great, some of the new staff spent more time talking to each. some were monopolized by "favorite" passengers making it a challenge for them to break away to serve others, and some new staff were excceptional.

 

Still a great cruise but less consistency in service experience than we were used to.

 

 

Last minute changes in CD? Were you on the Riviera? I'm pretty sure Ray had been on there for at least the last couple of months. I know he was on there when I got on in Venice, so there certainly wasn't a last minute change before the TA.

 

The country fair was not held due to the noro outbreak. I didn't notice any heat, other than one day the weather was fabulous.

 

I'm pretty sure there was a grand buffet/fancy brunch. It was either on the TA or the one before it. I definitely went to it.

 

Doesn't sound like you were on the Riviera, perhaps you were on the Marina. I would be hard pressed to call the Riviera TA a great cruise, although I don't think it's as bad as some are making it out to be.

 

I will agree that they did very little special in the way of activities for the TA. My biggest activity was enhanced hand washing and walking up and down stairs on a moving ships without touching the hand rails.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We did Riviera transatlantic in 2013, and as lovely as the ship is, I found the activities offered to be underwhelming. Trivia was packed and done in ongoing teams so you couldn't just join in casually. Art classes filled up very fast, and there were very few things beyond the expected lectures (which were boring.) The ambience of the ship with no included alcohol is such that the lounges are either extremely crowded because it's happy hour, or almost empty. We did not find this situation particularly conducive for conversation at all. Despite our participation in a very active roll-call before the cruise, we found it hard to connect with our fellow passengers as we had in the past on Regent.

[Mura]

A couple of nitpicks, Wendy. And I admit that I was not on your cruise so I'm speaking generally.

 

I personally don't find it all that helpful that you found the lectures boring. Maybe others didn't (find them boring). What I am suggesting is that a little more detail about the lectures and perhaps why you found them boring would be more helpful. Perhaps that cruise was "lucky" in having nothing but boring lecture®s.

 

I'm not saying that I've been entranced with all the lectures I've attended on various cruises! But I have generally found some lecturers that I liked very much and others, not very. Sometimes it's the lecturer's delivery, sometimes it's the subject matter. (When someone just reads from his notes it's deadly, whether the person is leading a tour or making a presentation on board.)

 

We were on one cruise on Marina where a fellow passenger (who was NOT hired as a lecturer) ending up giving several very entertaining presentations dealing with Hollywood movies. Fortunately for the passengers he arrived with video and audio material, perhaps "just in case" it would be needed.

 

The second nit is about the lounges, and again, we tend not to go to them so my comments may not be all that pertinent. But whenever we've gone to the lounge we haven't seen it overcrowded, nor have we seen it empty. (Maybe late at night!) Then again, when we had Meet & Greets at cocktail hour with 100+ attendees, yes, the lounge got very crowded!!

 

Thanks for your comments even if I don't entirely agree.

 

(Of course, no one cruise is identical to another in terms of the personnel so I might well have had the exact same reaction to your Riviera cruise in 2013 as you did.)

 

Mura

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Of course not all cruises are identical, Mura. Just another data point, which all these comments provide.

 

I generally like onboard lectures, and was expecting something more scintillating. Two years later I can't dig up the names of the lecturers, sorry. Nor can I enumerate all of the onboard activities.

[ronrick1943]

We've been on a few TA's and love them. To me sea days is what cruising is about. True not a lot of planned things on the ship--but we've never run out of things to do. Some days just watch movies and room service. And dinner in your suite what could be better with no day plan to follow. It's just a great way to cruise (for us).

Rick

[Mura]

Of course not all cruises are identical, Mura. Just another data point, which all these comments provide.

 

I generally like onboard lectures, and was expecting something more scintillating. Two years later I can't dig up the names of the lecturers, sorry. Nor can I enumerate all of the onboard activities.

 

I can understand that ... I keep a diary on board but even so there are days that go unreported. And I probably wouldn't detail why I didn't like a particular something as well. I tend to remember lecturers that bored me (not necessarily who gave them!) better than I remember other details, which is why I asked. Not important.

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

It's a very individual thing. Some people are bored, for others there is not enough time to attend all the activities offered.

On a recent 25 day cruise with many sea days (more than a TA cruise) I was happy reading, surfing the net, talking with friends and attending lectures (between all the meals :D). M, OTOH, couldn't attend all the activities she wanted to due to conflicts in time and ran from place to place to do as many as possible, but often had to pick and choose.

So, it depends on the individual :)

[Hambagahle]

Having sailed Regent and Oceania on TAs I have to say that the entertainment offered and quality of lectures and numbers of lecture series as well on Regent was better. However this may not be a fair comparison because our TA on Oceania last April co-incided with the change over from the Jean Ryan Singers and Dancers to the Norwegian in house productions. We had no evening production shows. there was evening entertainment though, one of which Jamie Michael Stewart's show, was outstanding IMO. (He was the singer who had the "Love Boat" hit...

 

There were only two lecturers and I only went to one because the other topic didn't interest me. The fellow had a power point presentation - lecture was on the history of the Madeira islands which should have been fascinating - and he proceeded to READ the slides as though non of the audience were literate. I abandoned him for the rest of the cruise. On Regent as a rule we have had extremely well-qualified speakers who have provided a lot of food for thought.

 

I hope my next Oceania cruise will have some decent shows in the evening and perhaps a good lecture here or there but since it is port-intensive this might not happen! However I am so pleased with the standard of service and food on the Oceania ships I am unlikely at present to return to Regent...

[Hawaiidan]

We've been on a few TA's and love them. To me sea days is what cruising is about. True not a lot of planned things on the ship--but we've never run out of things to do. Some days just watch movies and room service. And dinner in your suite what could be better with no day plan to follow. It's just a great way to cruise (for us).

Rick

 

Rick, who lives down valley from me, has the right idea... ..nothing

 

In our daily lives, many of us get wrapped in"control" and over planning.

So the opportunity to let go plans, control as ,floating along, taking life as it happens can be a wonderful discovery...a relaxing moment in a world of the ticking clock. A place to savor letting go...

 

I think meeting and connecting to others has more to do with a persons personality than the ship... I did make recently a interesting discovery, that is the wonderful world of the smoking section....

I dont smoke ,but I found, to a person, that some of the most wonderful , interesting and out going people all hang and visit in the smoking section......Whereas some other of the ship people were wound a bit to tight.......

Just an observation.....

[Paulchili]

[quote name=Hawaiidan;48551774

I think meeting and connecting to others has more to do with a persons personality than the ship... I did make recently a interesting discovery' date=' that is the wonderful world of the smoking section....

I dont smoke ,but I found, to a person, that some of the most wonderful , interesting and out going people all hang and visit in the smoking section......Whereas some other of the ship people were wound a bit to tight.......

Just an observation.....[/quote]

 

I agree with the first part.

As to the other part - is this perhaps because the smokers are "forced" to socialize in 2 very small confined areas on the ship and thus get to know each other better, while others are free to roam? :D

Just a thought.

[Hawaiidan]

Paul....thats a good point.. However, so are meet and greets, cooking, art.

 

The fact remains that I have consistently found the smokers to be some of the most charming and outgoing people...... maybe too because smoking has been for decades a very social activity like drinking..... Whatever the reason the wonderful people who smoke are fun to be with.......smoker or not...

 

 

 

As far as a health risk... Well the CDC has just declared saliva to be a cancer causer..but only if you swallow it.......

[DOJO466]

Rick, who lives down valley from me, has the right idea... ..nothing

 

In our daily lives, many of us get wrapped in"control" and over planning.

So the opportunity to let go plans, control as ,floating along, taking life as it happens can be a wonderful discovery...a relaxing moment in a world of the ticking clock. A place to savor letting go...

 

I think meeting and connecting to others has more to do with a persons personality than the ship... I did make recently a interesting discovery, that is the wonderful world of the smoking section....

I dont smoke ,but I found, to a person, that some of the most wonderful , interesting and out going people all hang and visit in the smoking section......Whereas some other of the ship people were wound a bit to tight.......

Just an observation.....

For once I do agree with you Dan. Years ago (18) we were smokers and I can honestly say some of our best friends were met in the "smoking section". Unfortunately most have passed, not saying from smoking, but they are now gone...almost all of them

[LHT28]

I have met interesting people in other areas of the ship ..you just need to be friendly & start up a conversation

We met a nice couple at the pool just chatting then found out we lived in the same area

DH found out he knew this lady as a child ..she lived next door to his uncle :D

So you never know who you will meet ...just be friendly ;)

 

I avoid the smoking sections

[PaulMCO]

Best places - to meet people are smoking section, Martinis and Barista... Sort of addicting....:D

 

My worst lecturer was on Riviera -- he was a Professor of History with a specialty in Alaska Native people. And true to form he was giving a lecture on the History of Crete. Boy where does O get some of these.

 

Maybe I can volunteer -- my topic today is is the History of Microprocessor based systems used to Control Air Traffic -- any takers???

Edited December 21, 2015 by PaulMCO

[LHT28]

Maybe I can volunteer -- my topic today is is the History of Microprocessor based systems used to Control Air Traffic -- any takers???

I am sure some would find it nap worthy ... :D

[Paulchili]

I am sure some would find it nap worthy ... :D

 

Not as comfy as the library but darker :D

[JMBobB]

Have to agree with several posters here that meeting new people on board is one of the real pleasures of longer cruises. While SWMbI has never met a stranger, even I, generally more the curmudgeon, have truly enjoyed meeting new friends at sea. Come to think of it, even some on this thread...

 

And as one who has done quite a bit of public speaking, I'm every bit as likely to abandon ship early if a presenter merely reads his/her slides rather than flesh out an outline with cogent and interesting details and explanations.

 

To sea with ye!

 

JMBobB

[LHT28]

Not as comfy as the library but darker :D

 

Some people can nap anywhere :D

[CintiPam]

Some people can nap anywhere :D

 

Did someone mention my husband? :D

[kibutzer]

Last minute changes in CD? Were you on the Riviera? I'm pretty sure Ray had been on there for at least the last couple of months. I know he was on there when I got on in Venice, so there certainly wasn't a last minute change before the TA.

 

The country fair was not held due to the noro outbreak. I didn't notice any heat, other than one day the weather was fabulous.

 

I'm pretty sure there was a grand buffet/fancy brunch. It was either on the TA or the one before it. I definitely went to it.

 

Doesn't sound like you were on the Riviera, perhaps you were on the Marina. I would be hard pressed to call the Riviera TA a great cruise, although I don't think it's as bad as some are making it out to be.

 

I will agree that they did very little special in the way of activities for the TA. My biggest activity was enhanced hand washing and walking up and down stairs on a moving ships without touching the hand rails.

 

Hi,

 

I didn't say I was on the Marina, was commenting on my TA cruise. It was different than my last TA and although still enjoyable the changes were noticable.