MEFIowa

Though certainly for the O-class ships, non-concierge B cabins and concierge A cabins are quite nice and useful. Some people may not find they get enough benefit from the A-level to leave the B-level. NO one should feel like the "have" to have a PH. Or an A. Or that they are in an "inferior" cabin, whether even G or F. I think paying for a PH is a waste of money since we cruise for excursions and ports and take port-intensive cruises. I'd rather use the money saved to take an interesting excursion, for example. But to each their own. ANY cabin on any O ship is a nice place to be if that is what you want and can afford.

We took the train from Venice to Trieste on 10/30/23. On time, on schedule. Just hopped on the train in the station (no checks at all) with our luggage and she left on time. The taxis were right at the train station and the dock isn't too far away. So was easy to get to Riviera. And was a no fuss embarkation. Of course, you're doing the reverse. But the distances are pretty short. Just sign up to get off at the earliest you can. Get down to the waiting area in advance, where they'll have you exit. Be the first in line to get off. Or as close as you can. As you know, if you're nervous, you can just take the later train. Might not be direct but you'll get there.

Though that "taste" can be quite different. We did Istanbul twice on our 11/2023 B2B on 2 consecutive weekends. Think it was Sat-Sun and Sun-Mon. With the overnight both times. So, 4 days and 2 nights. I'm pretty sure we saw MORE of Istanbul in our 4 days than anyone on the ship and maybe more than many do in a week. BUT we knew to get our Istanbul card to use the public transportation, had great maps, and Rick Steves' guide that game some amazing walking tour options. We literally went all over the historic old part and the new part, both on the European side. Walked for miles and took public transportation for so many miles. On the day of the Istanbul marathon when public transportation was shut down, we walked from the port terminal to Hagia Sophia & the Blue Mosque and back. Amongst tens of thousands of people. I'd bet we were the only two who took a public bus out to the old walls of Constantinople (the #38 bus) and then walked it back. That's nearly out 4 miles. Oh the things we saw as the only tourists wandering Steves' route past old walls, imperial palaces, churches, synagogues, and the Patriarch of Constantinople's area (our Orthodox "Vatican") on a lovely afternoon.

Not sure the OP is really apples to apples. The point of cruising is to "sample" quickly and move on. But the point of spending time on vacation in a particular area is to dig deep and experience. They both are what you make of them So, I know what you mean about the Med cruise we were both on off Riviera 11/2023. We had a magnificent time. We're in our late 50s so we were doing all the energetic walking and excursions to see sights (e.g., all those steps up the St. John's Fortress in Kotor). We did ours as a 20-night B2B hitting so many cities from Istanbul to Barcelona. With 3 nights each in Venice (before the start) and in Barcelona (at the end). We came to see and we saw. Each day off the boat early to be on the road to somewhere. BUT I can then COMPARE our 2023 Med cruise to my solo dream vacation in PARAGUAY in April-May 2022. I spent 2 magnificent weeks in country. I did it by building my own personal route with an American who does small group and individual tourism there. We literally planned each day out in 30 minute blocks. And we drove her diesel SUV over 2000 KM from deep in the Chaco desert to the heart of the swamps of Neembucu. Usually with a guide or history expert on the day's places. With so many points in between. I took her to places she'd never been to in her 20 years dealing with Paraguay! I'd wake up at 4:30 or 5 am and immediately get up to wander around whatever city I was in. And I'd walk around them at night before going to bed. With each day filled with the places I wanted to go to. My bucket list trip tied to my love of Paraguayan history going back 40 years to my college days. I loved them both and both were so entirely different. Now if I can just do future dedicated vacations in Madagascar & the Wild Coast of S. America (Guyana, Surinam & Fr. Guiana)!

Yes, outside of Miami everything...depends. In Triest on 10/30/23 nothing seemed to matter. I suspect many stayed on board, so fewer new embarkations. It was the start of our B2B so we didn't disembark in Athens on 11/9/23. For us, anyone just pulled up in their taxi and went to the entrance. Which had a tiny number of people. Seemingly more workers than passengers. There was no line at 12:30 pm when we arrived. We'd taken the train from Venice to Trieste. We grabbed a bite of lunch and then walked back off to sightsee for the afternoon before departure.

But I do read often of re-pricing for better sales and I don’t think they were all originally booked while onboard. I've been "rebooking" thru sales since the Presidents' Day Sale of 2021, shortly after I had booked a cruise for 12/2021 in 1/2021. BUT for me that has meant "using" sales to change cabin levels, usually going to a higher cabin for the same or less fare. So I've gone from a G to a C and then from a C to an A. Or from an F to a B or an F to an A. And that early summer 2023 Extraordinary Savings Sale was...extraordinary. Rebooked our Med Cruise from an F to an A3 and that A3 was only $1899 PP for 10 nights and then a B4 to a B3 for only $1749 PP for another 10 nights on the B2B. The B4 had been rebooked from an original C to the B4. The ESS cut that sale price by $500 PP. We initially booked early in 2022!

I've repeatedly used such 4-cabin upgrade sales to my advantage, for something previously booked. I use the same O rep and call her whenever I see something like that. If it benefits us, we'll rebook the cruise, though it has always kept the same booking number.

We sailed in really early, starting right around sunrise on Riviera 11/2023. And it was foggy. So was hard to see anything as we first entered but lit and cleared up by the time we docked. BUT IIRC, we only had from 0800-1430 to explore Kotor. Then we exited in broad daylight. We did the amazing climb up to the top of the St. John's Fortress.

Though since often O only allows disembarkation at 0800 or 0900 and you have to be back on board as early as 1430-1600 many days, can be hard to be "frazzled" from short days in ports. By the time you come back, you can relax somewhere on board before diner. Found in our 20-night port-intensive Med cruise this past Oct-Nov that a nice soak in the therapy pool worked wonders around 1730. Before dinner. Could hardly imagine missing some amazing sights or places merely to treat an 8-hour port day as a sea day. But that's just us.

The employee HATED working in the cold and wetness on bad days. We talked about it. He was miserable. Who wants to have cold wind whipping across you at your workstation, wearing a raincoat and rain hat? AND I, the passenger, HATED having to wait in the elements for a smoothie. All because they added a mediocre pizza operation that forced the move of the smoothie station forward.

We spent 10 nights on Sirena in 11/2022 in the E. Caribbean. In a B2 cabin. Port-intensive cruise. We cruise for ports, not the ship. I can't say I'd disagree with your thoughts, but then we didn't do anything but the comic's show. Could care less about nightly entertainment, when we're in bed early to get up and be the first of the ship in each new port. BUT that's us. My wife did love the Illy coffee they were serving then. And I enjoyed some chai tea.

In your haste to be negative you chose to overlook my words. But I was clear: NIGHT. That means dinner: "Ate one of the whole pizzas from Riviera's pizza oven place at Waves in Nov 2023, on the last night before we came into Barcelona." [NIGHT] And having lived in the Philippines (1990-91), just north of Indonesia, most S. Asians in these tropical areas do not enjoy winter or cold weather. Completely foreign to their native lands.

Ate one of the whole pizzas from Riviera's pizza oven place at Waves in Nov 2023, on the last night before we came into Barcelona. Went and got it while wife was packing, so she'd have the room to herself. Created the exact toppings and style I wanted. Ate half and took rest to wife in our cabin. It was fine. But not something I consider special. We eat pizza dozens of times a year. It is far better than the truly mediocre pizza served at lunch in the TC. Was it up to a good Pizza Hut pizza? That's as high a rating I'd give it. Adds little to culinary excellence or the dining experience. A huge downside for me is that the pizza oven on Riviera displaced the ice cream/smoothie area, forcing it past Waves, midship, exposed to the elements. So every morning when I'd get my Sun Salutation smoothie and it was colder or raining the smoothie maker would be dressed in winter gear or a rain coat, while people were hit with rain or blowing cold wind. I felt so sorry some mornings for the Indonesian man making the smoothies. He knew my order so if he see me he'd wave and call out that he'd make it. I'd come back to get it in a couple minutes.

We did our B2B changeover on Riviera in Athens on November 9, 2023. And we had to change cabins, which has its own issues. BUT we found the process to be smooth and were able to leave the ship pretty early, without any delay waiting for all the others to leave. You have to make sure to let your cabin steward & attendant know in advance and work with them. You may need a new key card, from the front desk. We did because we went from an A3 to a B3 at the changeover. We made it to the Acropolis early, long before the lines got huge, using local metro that we walked to from the ship.

You're confusing and conflating things. My POINT was the O is DIFFERENT in that it allows you to bring on board unlimited amounts of alcohol. NOT that we could drink our own alcohol all over the ship. People who break the rules on drinking their own alcohol endanger the policy. I like and respect the policy. I drink mine responsibly in my cabin. BUT I do enjoy the Captain's Party (and Repeater Party) and then drink their alcohol all over the ship that night.

Keep in mind that O allows you to bring on board unlimited amounts of beer, hard liquor and wine at embarkation and in ports.

And, of course, people are drinking free and freely all over the ship on the evening of the Captain's Party. People who bring their own beer and hard liquor on board should be drinking it in their cabins. And for wine, pay the corkage fee if you want to drink your wine outside your cabin.

Have you looked at the various threads over time here? To see all the discussions about food and comparisons to other lines, including "family" NCL and Regents.

We did a B2B with the changeover from an A3 to a B3 on Riviera in Athens on 11/9/23. What was funny is that the room we were going to had a couple that was also changing rooms as part of their B2B. So they had to wait on that room while we had to wait for their room. Because we when from concierge to non-concierge we had to get a new card. Be careful about what all you acquire on the 1st leg. I had a ton of beer, hard liquor and wine. I moved all of that myself. And you'll have to move your own valuable out of your safe. And make sure to discuss your move with your room steward and attendant in advance.

Weather generalizations rarely are uniformly accurate. We had 10 magical days on Sirena in the E. Caribbean 11/19-29/2022. Fantastic weather. And 20 magical days on Riviera 10/30-11/19, 2024 in the Med. More fantastic weather. In both cases, we were usually one of the few, if only, cruise ships around. So that meant the locals wanted to see us. Lines short, places not crowded. Fares less expensive.

We booked our Aug-Sept 2024 Baltic cruise on Sirena in May 2022. So that allowed us to do cruise-only and avoid SM and the price increases since then, though our 2 cruises didn't make it on the 2023 Extraordinary Saving Sale. The current price for one cruise is $3499 PP, for a G. Exactly $1000 more PP. The other, an F, now $3849, up exactly $900. So combined increase $1900 PP.

Just opened the O brochure I received in today's mail. Pushing the "Free Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay" deal thru May 31st. Saw a couple of "bargains": 11/27/24 Marina 10 nights in the E. Caribbean. Miami to Miami. $2999 veranda (no airfare) or $2199 inside stateroom (no airfare). And Nautica. Either Miami to Cartagena or Cartagena to Miami. Both 12/2024. 10 nights. $2999 veranda or $1899 inside stateroom (both no airfare).

Seems like it has been different on every voyage for us. I prefer sparkling water. On Riviera 12/2021 there were various cans and bottles of both still and sparkling water in our fridge and in the bars and elsewhere. Same for Sirena 11/022. But on Riviera 10-11/2023 seemed a bit harder to easily find it. So I'd go up to Horizons every night around 8 or 9 pm and pick up some cans or bottles of sparkling water from the bartender. He looked forward to talking with me because it was always empty. He quickly learned what I liked and he'd have it ready for me nightly. Got to know the singer for the house band, too. (My wife smokes as did the singer, so I'd get my water and meet them in the smoking lounge.)

The Concierge Lounge on Riviera had USA Today and the NY Times, as well as a couple of UK newspapers (e.g., Daily Mail) and one Canadian newspaper when we were on her Oct-Nov 2023. I love to read newspapers.

A good reminder to... 1) Watch for sales. 2) Compare the expensive Allura or Vista cruises to the less expensive most similar or identical itineraries on the R- and O-class ships. Can't for the life of me see paying to sail on Allura if Riviera was doing the same or similar cruise for thousands less. We did the W. Caribbean on Rivera and the E. on Sirena.