New to Oceania, Tell All Please

[Mura]

Just to voice another semi-opinion ... depending on the port and how long we've been there, we may opt for early embarkation (we're usually in a PH or possibly above) OR we may eat on shore.  When we were staying Rome for a Civitavecchia departure, we didn't get to the ship until around 4pm.  And that was for a 10pm sailaway as I recall.  When we're leaving from Barcelona, we've usually been there for 3 days or so ... and depending on what we want to do that morning, we may go to the ship around 11am or wait until 2-3pm.

 

We don't mind the zoo in Terrace on boarding days ... but I can see why others would!  And if it's truly a zoo with no seats (this can depend on whether you're on an "R" or "O" ship), we're happy to have a late lunch at Waves.

 

There's always dinner to look forward to ...

 

Mura

[clo]

1 hour ago, CintiPam said:

And my adjustment to that Waves Grill (open daily until 4 pm) fabulous Surf and Turf, is: double lobster, no steak, no bun.  Just wonderful grilled lobster with no shell with which to hassle, dipping sauce, and truffle fries.  Yum!  

I seem to remember that you're not the only one who does that 🙂 I thought their lobster was just SO good.

[clo]

19 minutes ago, Mura said:

OR we may eat on shore. 

Like in Rio 🙂 

[CintiPam]

1 hour ago, Mura said:

We don't mind the zoo in Terrace on boarding days ... but I can see why others would!  And if it's truly a zoo with no seats (this can depend on whether you're on an "R" or "O" ship), we're happy to have a late lunch at Waves.

 

There's always dinner to look forward to ...

 

Mura

Ah, Mura, so wonderful (as always) to read your post, particularly your last sentence, so evocative of the foodie delights of Oceania.  
 

BTW, since we switched In 2011 from sailing on  Oceania’s “R” ships to sailing on the larger “O” ships, we never have had any issues having lunch onboard, although we indeed tend to board and dine after 2.  

[Floridastorm]

On 5/2/2020 at 10:58 PM, Mura said:

I trust by now you have been convinced that you can get your deposit back -- as long as you cancel in the appropriate time frame, which will be shown on your invoice -- Yes???

 

Good luck!

 

Rather than worrying about the deposit, it may be more important to worry about getting money back IF you have to cancel AFTER final payment.

 

Mura

 

All one has to do is purchase Travel Insurance that has the "Cancel for any reason clause". I believe that would refund most if not all of whatever funds are spent for not only the cruise but for all other related reservations.

[clo]

5 minutes ago, Floridastorm said:

"Cancel for any reason clause".

Do some of those exclude pandemics? I thought I'd read that.

[ORV]

9 hours ago, clo said:

Do some of those exclude pandemics? I thought I'd read that.

I don't know much about it but I think I understand what "any reason" means. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

I don't know much about it but I think I understand what "any reason" means. 

Well ORV, we all thought we knew what "any reason" meant. But, if you check with reliable insurance brokers like insuremytrip.com, you will find that even the "any reason" policies now exclude things like pandemics.

[Paulchili]

13 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

But, if you check with reliable insurance brokers like insuremytrip.com, you will find that even the "any reason" policies now exclude things like pandemics.

I am shocked - insurance companies using fine print and exclusions? 😀

[Nanci40]

Is there any link that reviews the staterooms on Riviera?

[1985rz1]

19 minutes ago, Nanci40 said:

Is there any link that reviews the staterooms on Riviera?

Here's the link to the Cruise Critic review of the state rooms:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=607&pgtype=cabins

 

Full Critic Critic review of the Riviera can be found here:

 

 https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=607

 

Individual pax reviews are here:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=607

Edited February 25, 2021 by 1985rz1

[Kate-AHF]

if you search youtube for "oceania riviera staterooms"  you'll get all kinds of very good video of each kind of room & suite

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Nanci40 said:

Is there any link that reviews the staterooms on Riviera?

You might find some  at

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Oceania-Riviera

 

it is hit or miss

[Nanci40]

Thank you.  I was hoping for a more concise list but perhaps it does not exist.  I am more looking for staterooms with problems:  noise, etc.  We were on the Epic a couple years ago and the stateroom ceiling made the most annoying squeaking sound.   I can tell it bothered some other past passengers because when I located the spot it was coming from, there were several wooden chopsticks wedged in there.  Unfortunately, that "fix" hadn't worked.  

 

[YoHoHo]

21 minutes ago, Nanci40 said:

Thank you.  I was hoping for a more concise list but perhaps it does not exist.  I am more looking for staterooms with problems:  noise, etc.  We were on the Epic a couple years ago and the stateroom ceiling made the most annoying squeaking sound.   I can tell it bothered some other past passengers because when I located the spot it was coming from, there were several wooden chopsticks wedged in there.  Unfortunately, that "fix" hadn't worked.  

 

If such an issue is reported on O's mid-cruise survey it will be fixed. They take those surveys very seriously. 

 

There is no such list I know of. These are not huge ships with nooks and crannies so there are few "bad" cabins, some "better" but not bad. And O's refurb / maintenance has been very good.

 

There are folks who would not book the "no sofa" E category obstructed/partially obstructed OV on the R ships but as there is no sofa the floor space is similar. There are some, like me, who will not book deck 11 Penthouse on the O ships due to the deck 12 overhang but others are not bothered and like the deck location - so those things are more preferences than a problem with a maintenance issue. hmmmm... the more I write the more "this not that" cabin preferences come up such as the debate of the forward facing Vista, etc. So I suggest you pick something that interests you and your budget and ask for feedback on cabin ### or ### and narrow the discussion.

[Host Jazzbeau]

38 minutes ago, Nanci40 said:

Thank you.  I was hoping for a more concise list but perhaps it does not exist.  I am more looking for staterooms with problems:  noise, etc.  We were on the Epic a couple years ago and the stateroom ceiling made the most annoying squeaking sound.   I can tell it bothered some other past passengers because when I located the spot it was coming from, there were several wooden chopsticks wedged in there.  Unfortunately, that "fix" hadn't worked.  

 

There are a few forums on Cruise Critic with a Cabins thread (usually a sticky) that includes a spreadsheet – but that requires a serious commitment by a CC member to create and maintain.  I tried doing a menu thread for MSC Yacht Club, and discovered what a tar pit I have made for myself!

 

If you want to know about R-ship cabins, there is a thread with spreadsheet on the Azamara forum.  I believe that the cabin numbers are consistent with Oceania R-ships on most decks [on Deck 8 Oceania has almost all minisuites while Azamara is half and half, so you have to compare the deck plans to be sure; Azamara has no cabins on deck 3 but has added two on deck 9].

 

[LHT28]

If you have an issue  with noise  in the cabin or other problems  just  ask to speak with the GM  or sometime the front desk will pass on the info to the right dept to get the problem fixed

[Mura]

Just speaking generally about noise, we've never had a problem on O's ships, even going back to Renaissance.  So we've been on all of the "R" ships and both "O" ships.

 

Obviously, some people are more susceptible to "noise" than others.  Frankly, the worst problem we ever had was when we were in a VS on one of the "R" ships in  2006-- and that was when we were coming into port in the early morning.  We just turned over and went back to sleep.

 

We've been opposite the laundry room on Regatta (this was on Renaissance in 1999) and  on never heard anything until we opened our door and saw lots of people chatting up while they waited. On another cruise on the same ship, same location, we never heard a thing.

 

We did hear some noise -- generally briefly -- when we were in a PH on the brand-new Nautica (2004 I think which was beneath Terrace and the pool area.  We DID hear chairs being moved around but it really didn't bother us.

 

We have been in aft Oceania Suites on a majority of our cruises on "O" ships and while we might have heard some noise , we never did.

 

This has been OUR experience.  People underneath Terrace on all ships have reported noise problems.  Not everyone but some.

 

My mother sailed with us on Regatta in its early days and was close to an elevator (on Deck 7).  She never complained about noise from either the elevator or passengers waiting for the elevator.  True, this was in 2004 and people traveling today might be more bothered than she was.

 

Most of our experience on "R" ships has been in the past -- although we were on Nautica in 2016 and Serena in 2017 -- so perhaps as the ships have aged, there are more noise problems.  We just did not encounter them.

 

Mura

[Nanci40]

Thanx everyone for your input !

[pinotlover]

I avoid booking cabins under Waves , and the adjoining forward section of the Terrace because of noise.

 

At home, we never drag chairs across our floors. We pick them up and place them as needed. That obviously isn’t a universally practiced habit. People show up at Waves very early to sit and look out dragging their chairs along the floor.

Edited February 26, 2021 by pinotlover

[LHT28]

The cabin doors are a big noise problem 

seems a lot of people cannot wait the extra 30 seconds it takes to hold the door when going in/out  to keep it from slamming

If next to you it can shake the cabin in some cases

 Please be kind & close the door  & not just  let it self close 😲

[hawkesbaynz]

Interesting reading. We hope to book onto the Regatta Transpacific Los Angeles to Tokyo cruise in Sep 2022 when it opens for booking next week. Thinking of a forward A2 Concierge on Deck Seven. Imagine the Concierge a better option on a long Transpacific rather than a port intensive week trip. Looking at Cabin 7026.

 

 

[LHT28]

21 minutes ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Interesting reading. We hope to book onto the Regatta Transpacific Los Angeles to Tokyo cruise in Sep 2022 when it opens for booking next week. Thinking of a forward A2 Concierge on Deck Seven. Imagine the Concierge a better option on a long Transpacific rather than a port intensive week trip. Looking at Cabin 7026.

 

 

Better in what way? 🤔

[hawkesbaynz]

Perhaps that sh

43 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Better in what way? 🤔

Perhaps that should have been a question? Imagine we will not be using the Aquamar Terrace too much on a transpacific. Is it worth it for the reservations for restaurants... and the washing? Deck Seven looks well cushioned between accomodation decks.

[LHT28]

46 minutes ago, hawkesbaynz said:

Perhaps that sh

Perhaps that should have been a question? Imagine we will not be using the Aquamar Terrace too much on a transpacific. Is it worth it for the reservations for restaurants... and the washing? Deck Seven looks well cushioned between accomodation decks.

I guess it depends on what is important to you

 I do not use the  bag of laundry deal so not important to me

do not do meals in cabin

if the seas are rough I would think the spa terrace would be locked

 

Not saying we have not stayed in Concierge level cabins but  just not a deciding factor

Enjoy