Newby Observations

[flyer79]

First time Oceania cruiser recently off the Riviera.   We have done multiple HAL and Viking voyages and enjoy them both but wanted to spread our wings a bit.  We really enjoyed O and will add it to our options going forward.  We also benefited from this forum so I thank you all for that.

 

The Riviera was a fine ship for us.  The flow was great, never felt crowded but did feel alive.  We did the art scavenger hunt which was fun and helped us learn our way around.  We did miss having a full promenade for walking but there is a 1/10th mile lap on the very top.

 

We were in an A class cabin.   On our next O cruise we are going to drop down to B.  The extras just didn’t add up for us.    I think we went into the lounge twice and nothing about it grabbed us.  Never even met the concierge.   Nothing like the Neptune lounge on HAL though you need a higher level suite on HAL to get access.  The laundry was nice but not really essential for a 12 day voyage.    Might regret not getting earlier access to specialty dining but we are pretty flexible about when we eat.  I will miss the therapy pool on the reserved spa deck. Cabin attendant was excellent, friendly and efficient.   Our room was comfortable with sufficient storage.  2 minor complaints - the table on the balcony was just big enough for a drink or 2.  On Viking and HAL we could breakfast on the balcony.  Our  bathroom had the ridiculous tiny shower.  Viking bathroom was far superior and even included a heated floor.

 

Having 4 different specialty dining options was great.  The best meal I had was a lamb dish at Jacques.   We liked them all but I will say that we prefer Pinnacle Grill on HAL to Polo and Manfredi’s on Viking to Toscanos.     No complaints about the main dining room - plenty of variety and reasonably high quality.   If it used to better I’m sorry I missed that because I enjoyed just about everything  I ate.   Considering they are feeding 1000 people I think all 3 lines do an admirable job.     We generally avoid the buffet so no help comparing there.  Tried Waves for lunch a couple times.  Better than Viking’s version but we preferred HAL’s fries and taco bar.  Room service breakfast was similar to HAL and both better than Viking.   Wine offerings that are part of the package at meals were all drinkable but none memorable.   Next time we will follow many of your suggestions any bring our own and pay the corkage fee at least a couple of nights.  Beer offering are pretty lame on all 3 lines if you are a craft beer fan.

 

If entertainment is your thing I’m not sure any of these 3 lines should be your go to.  Had a funny comedian/magician for 2 nights who we liked.   House band and singers were about what you would expect and very similar to Viking.   We were disappointed in the trivia.  On HAL it is our go to happy hour activity.  On O they have it in the afternoon when we weren’t even back on the ship or at 8:30 while we are eating.     Fitness rooms are about the same on all 3 but Viking does put theirs down low instead of having great views from a top deck like O and HAL.   Viking does have the Nordic spa (Ice cave!) that beats anything HAL or O offer.

 

Good itinerary which is usually how we pick a cruise.   Like other’s mention I did think they cut a couple ports shorter than needed but I know nothing about the operational considerations so who knows.   When we booked the itinerary included Gdansk, Poland but that was swapped for Berlin.    We did the 3 hour bus in, 5 hours in port, and 3 hours back and I don’t regret it but not my favorite type of port call.    Met some fascinating folks in Estonia and Lithuania who discussed the impact of Putin’s adventures on their countries.   Both counties have significant Russian populations and the older generations harbor some fondness for the Mother Russia concept.

 

While on board we booked a second O cruise on the Marina.    For booking on board we got a $400 discount on the room and $300 worth of OBC.  Transferred the booking to my TA right then and got the gratuities from her.   I will say the Simply More offering fits us very well.  We usually book about half our shore excursions from the cruise line and maybe half independent.  We like wine and beer at meals but don’t drink much otherwise.  We use wifi to check up on things at home but don’t stream or try to do work.  And I always decline the air as I live in a hub city with very good non-stops almost anywhere which the bulk contracts rarely include.

 

The on board guy was really busy and a bit stressed.  Based on what I read here,  I asked for the extended balcony cabin in the B class.  Not sure if I worded it right or what but he looked puzzled and searched a bit and then told me all 4 of them were already taken.   I knew from the deck plan there are way more than that but just let it go.  As soon as I got back to my room I emailed my TA and had her find me one which she did no problem.  One  port issue came up almost immediately.  Here is itinerary from the email I got the day of the booking:

 

 

Cruise Itinerary

Date               Port Description.       Arrive.        Depart

Sep 24           Bordeaux, France.   8:00 AM

Sep 25           Bordeaux, France.                        5:00 PM

 

 

Very nice almost 2 day overnight.

 

And here is from an email I got the very next day:

 

 

Due to tide restrictions, please note the revised arrival and departure times below:

 

Date               Port Description.       Arrive.        Depart

Sep 24           Bordeaux, France.   1:00 PM

Sep 25           Bordeaux, France.                        1:30 PM

 

 

Still a nice port stop but lost 8.5 hours and did they really just learn about the tide restriction the day after I booked?

 

I’ll end on a high note.  We were traveling with 2 other couples and there is a lovely corner 6 top in Polo grill right by the back corner.  The night we ate there the ship was leaving Stockholm which has to be one of the most beautiful 3 hour sail ways anywhere in the world.   We timed it perfectly with the sun setting during the meal and these gorgeous views to our side and out the back up on deck 14.    Just a fantastic experience.  If you are ever doing the Baltic try and get Polo on your Stockholm day!

 

Thanks for everything!

 

[Woofa]

Thanks for your review.  Good to have options you like with multiple lines.

Two quick things:

1.  I assume if you had a small shower you must have snagged one of the rooms that kept the bathtub.  Most switched to shower only and on our January Riviera cruise our shower was plenty big.

2.  Do try Terrace buffet one night when the grill is open (most nights) and even better if you can sit outside.  Fresh grilled to order salmon, steak, lamb chops, shrimp, lobster tails and veggies.  Worth a try.

(And try the pizza at the waves location one evening, we really enjoyed it.)

[EJL2023]

Speaking of the bathroom refits…..and some keeping the tubs.  I have seen the list in which staterooms kept the separate bathtub.  Just curious if anyone has heard if the Marina retrofit will follow the same plan and keeping the same staterooms especially in B4 and A4 with the tubs?? Have a cruise on Marina in November 2024 and would certainly prefer the setup with NO tub.  Have an A3 booked so hopefully they do the same and should be safe. 

[flyer79]

Thanks!

 

1) We did have the tub and small shower.  For the next cruise we are in 7112.  Is there any way to tell which type bathroom we have?

2) Will do!  Not sure how we missed the fresh grill.

 

 

 

[EJL2023]

2 minutes ago, flyer79 said:

Thanks!

 

1) We did have the tub and small shower.  For the next cruise we are in 7112.  Is there any way to tell which type bathroom we have?

2) Will do!  Not sure how we missed the fresh grill.

 

 

 

This is a screenshot from a forum under Riviera regarding the bathrooms with tubs. Looks like 7112 based on this should have no tub. 
 

[ORV]

50 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Looks like 7112 based on this should have no tub. 

That is if Marina follows the same game plan. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. 

[EJL2023]

7 minutes ago, ORV said:

That is if Marina follows the same game plan. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. 

Assumed they were asking about another cruise on Riviera since another ship was not mentioned. 

[ak1004]

Thanks for the review! very balanced and detailed, love it!

 

The Bordeaux time reduction is really annoying, and the port time reductions look more and more like a real issue. We love almost everything about Oceania, but those itinerary changes and port cancellations are a real concern to us.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, flyer79 said:

While on board we booked a second O cruise on the Marina.

 

1 hour ago, flyer79 said:

For the next cruise we are in 7112.

 

13 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Assumed they were asking about another cruise on Riviera since another ship was not mentioned. 

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

Thanks for a great review! We especially liked it, as we have also been on Viking and HAL recently, and November will be our first O, on Riviera. The snow room in Viking was great, as was the thermal pool. Did you use that pool on Riviera? We'll definitely try the concierge, as we really took advantage of that on HAL. At least I won't expect too much.

 

We're hoping for a better experience than yours in Toscana, but you're right: Manfredi's was great! We loved the Chef's Table on Viking, also. It's encouraging that you booked another O cruise; that's the best evaluation you could give!

[EJL2023]

12 minutes ago, ORV said:

 

 

 

Sorry, guess you have to always read back several messages to get the whole story. My bad. 

[Vineyard View]

This was a particularly helpful review for me. Thank you for taking the time. Having sailed on Viking several times in PV, and in Neptune on the ‘old HAL’ smaller ships(all pre Covid) I could completely relate to and appreciate what you shared. 
 

Full promenade, always used it on sea days, but if the itinerary is packed that is a smaller miss. 
Viking showers are pretty hard to beat, as is the open to all spa area with therapy pool, ice room, etc.

I was also glad to hear of your impression of the concierge amenities as I was wondering about that. We always enjoyed Viking specialty restaurants, and felt that with the upgraded beverage package we had a much wider selection of wines to choose from than I believe Oceania offers. 

 

I appreciated your restaurant comparisons so thank you. Sorry you missed Gdansk. We did a similar itinerary on Viking several years ago when life was different than now. I can only imagine the current status. Such a beautiful place in our world. 
 

That you booked a second cruise with O speaks volumes!  Thanks again for sharing! 
 

 

[Croooser]

Excellent, well balanced review. Thanks very much for the time and effort.

 

We are booked on that same Marina sailing next September and are in #7008 which is an extended B3 with a partially open side facing aft. Nice itinerary at a nice time of year we think.

 

Let's hope that the drydock for marina is performed well and on time.

[babydrum]

20 hours ago, flyer79 said:

First time Oceania cruiser recently off the Riviera.   We have done multiple HAL and Viking voyages and enjoy them both but wanted to spread our wings a bit.  We really enjoyed O and will add it to our options going forward.  We also benefited from this forum so I thank you all for that.

 

The Riviera was a fine ship for us.  The flow was great, never felt crowded but did feel alive.  We did the art scavenger hunt which was fun and helped us learn our way around.  We did miss having a full promenade for walking but there is a 1/10th mile lap on the very top.

 

We were in an A class cabin.   On our next O cruise we are going to drop down to B.  The extras just didn’t add up for us.    I think we went into the lounge twice and nothing about it grabbed us.  Never even met the concierge.   Nothing like the Neptune lounge on HAL though you need a higher level suite on HAL to get access.  The laundry was nice but not really essential for a 12 day voyage.    Might regret not getting earlier access to specialty dining but we are pretty flexible about when we eat.  I will miss the therapy pool on the reserved spa deck. Cabin attendant was excellent, friendly and efficient.   Our room was comfortable with sufficient storage.  2 minor complaints - the table on the balcony was just big enough for a drink or 2.  On Viking and HAL we could breakfast on the balcony.  Our  bathroom had the ridiculous tiny shower.  Viking bathroom was far superior and even included a heated floor.

 

Having 4 different specialty dining options was great.  The best meal I had was a lamb dish at Jacques.   We liked them all but I will say that we prefer Pinnacle Grill on HAL to Polo and Manfredi’s on Viking to Toscanos.     No complaints about the main dining room - plenty of variety and reasonably high quality.   If it used to better I’m sorry I missed that because I enjoyed just about everything  I ate.   Considering they are feeding 1000 people I think all 3 lines do an admirable job.     We generally avoid the buffet so no help comparing there.  Tried Waves for lunch a couple times.  Better than Viking’s version but we preferred HAL’s fries and taco bar.  Room service breakfast was similar to HAL and both better than Viking.   Wine offerings that are part of the package at meals were all drinkable but none memorable.   Next time we will follow many of your suggestions any bring our own and pay the corkage fee at least a couple of nights.  Beer offering are pretty lame on all 3 lines if you are a craft beer fan.

 

If entertainment is your thing I’m not sure any of these 3 lines should be your go to.  Had a funny comedian/magician for 2 nights who we liked.   House band and singers were about what you would expect and very similar to Viking.   We were disappointed in the trivia.  On HAL it is our go to happy hour activity.  On O they have it in the afternoon when we weren’t even back on the ship or at 8:30 while we are eating.     Fitness rooms are about the same on all 3 but Viking does put theirs down low instead of having great views from a top deck like O and HAL.   Viking does have the Nordic spa (Ice cave!) that beats anything HAL or O offer.

 

Good itinerary which is usually how we pick a cruise.   Like other’s mention I did think they cut a couple ports shorter than needed but I know nothing about the operational considerations so who knows.   When we booked the itinerary included Gdansk, Poland but that was swapped for Berlin.    We did the 3 hour bus in, 5 hours in port, and 3 hours back and I don’t regret it but not my favorite type of port call.    Met some fascinating folks in Estonia and Lithuania who discussed the impact of Putin’s adventures on their countries.   Both counties have significant Russian populations and the older generations harbor some fondness for the Mother Russia concept.

 

While on board we booked a second O cruise on the Marina.    For booking on board we got a $400 discount on the room and $300 worth of OBC.  Transferred the booking to my TA right then and got the gratuities from her.   I will say the Simply More offering fits us very well.  We usually book about half our shore excursions from the cruise line and maybe half independent.  We like wine and beer at meals but don’t drink much otherwise.  We use wifi to check up on things at home but don’t stream or try to do work.  And I always decline the air as I live in a hub city with very good non-stops almost anywhere which the bulk contracts rarely include.

 

The on board guy was really busy and a bit stressed.  Based on what I read here,  I asked for the extended balcony cabin in the B class.  Not sure if I worded it right or what but he looked puzzled and searched a bit and then told me all 4 of them were already taken.   I knew from the deck plan there are way more than that but just let it go.  As soon as I got back to my room I emailed my TA and had her find me one which she did no problem.  One  port issue came up almost immediately.  Here is itinerary from the email I got the day of the booking:

 

 

Cruise Itinerary

Date               Port Description.       Arrive.        Depart

Sep 24           Bordeaux, France.   8:00 AM

Sep 25           Bordeaux, France.                        5:00 PM

 

 

Very nice almost 2 day overnight.

 

And here is from an email I got the very next day:

 

 

Due to tide restrictions, please note the revised arrival and departure times below:

 

Date               Port Description.       Arrive.        Depart

Sep 24           Bordeaux, France.   1:00 PM

Sep 25           Bordeaux, France.                        1:30 PM

 

 

Still a nice port stop but lost 8.5 hours and did they really just learn about the tide restriction the day after I booked?

 

I’ll end on a high note.  We were traveling with 2 other couples and there is a lovely corner 6 top in Polo grill right by the back corner.  The night we ate there the ship was leaving Stockholm which has to be one of the most beautiful 3 hour sail ways anywhere in the world.   We timed it perfectly with the sun setting during the meal and these gorgeous views to our side and out the back up on deck 14.    Just a fantastic experience.  If you are ever doing the Baltic try and get Polo on your Stockholm day!

 

Thanks for everything!

 

Great review.  Very helpful indeed.  I am concerned about the itinerary changes as well because I usually book private tours.  I am going to do a combination this time and hope for the best.  I was originally booked in a B4 but I wanted an extended balcony so I switched to a B3. They should have the larger showers with no tub which makes me happy reading your review.  I'm still looking forward to my cruise after reading several Riviera reviews but I am finding myself stressing about the potential port changes and not necessarily choosing the best tour providers but prioritizing the cancellation policy because I know O is subject to skip a port.

[YourWorldWithBill]

19 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Viking showers are pretty hard to beat, as is the open to all spa area with therapy pool, ice room, etc.

Just want to mention that on the Rotterdam the shower in our Neptune suite was about twice a big as the shower on Viking! It was spectacular. The shower in the Neptune suite on the Noordam was small, however.

We were in a penthouse verandah on Viking, not a suite, so that might be different. 

[Vineyard View]

5 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

Just want to mention that on the Rotterdam the shower in our Neptune suite was about twice a big as the shower on Viking! It was spectacular. The shower in the Neptune suite on the Noordam was small, however.

We were in a penthouse verandah on Viking, not a suite, so that might be different. 

We were PV on our Viking cruises. The showers are the same in the regular verandahs as well, but not sure about their suites. We just felt that their showers were a bonus compared to others we had sailed on, but twice as big would be pretty awesome!  
When we sailed HAL in the Neptune it was 8 years ago on their ms Ryndam with 1200 pax. It was not a large shower at all, but still a great experience and loved our trip with them. Pinnacle grill never disappointed for breakfast or dinner. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 9/20/2023 at 4:07 PM, flyer79 said:

Thanks for everything!

 

Thanks so much for a great overview! We've sailed 9 cruise lines so far over almost 20 years and will be sailing Oceania for the first time in December. Your observations and notes are really useful, I really appreciate the time you took to share. Have an awesome day!