FANC6

lelak thank you for that detailed description comparing the different lines. I appreciate all the info on the cabin size and will look into Silversea!😊

Thanks everyone for the replies.  It sounds like Regent might be a good fit for us. 

Thanks for the responses. I was not looking for a circumnavigation cruise but a cruise that does New Zealand and some Australia(Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania).

The Oceania cruise is on the Regatta Sydney to Auckland February 10/25 for 14 days. 

I am looking for a similar cruise on another similar cruiseline and was hoping for feedback from others who have been on those ships .Silversea and Viking have cruises at that time. I understand that Regent and Azamara have the same cabins as the Oceania R ships so would have to choose a higher level to get the space we would like.

Thanks again!

I am not sure where to post this question so I will start on this board.

We like Oceania cruise line but only sail the larger ships (Riviera, Marina and Vista) because of the size of the staterooms and the small bathrooms on the R ships.

We are looking to do Australia & New Zealand in 2025 but Oceania only has Regatta doing the itinerary in February.

I have looked at some of the other cruiselines to see what is available (Silversea, Azamara, Regent, Viking) but would like some opinions from others who have done cruises with these lines.

We normally book a PH on Oceania and would like something similar. Also, food is important and we enjoy a variety of good meals.

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

14 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@FANC6 Happy to assist.  Since we both have so much time prior to our cruises, every morning I research each port.  Athens, is our departure port.  We are coming in early the day before the cruise as is my normal approach.  Our friends wanted as much time in Greece as possible and as we do, love Greece Food.  On one of many YouTube.com video's of food in Greece, I found this little gem.  I have already gotten a reservation online with a confirmation.  This place gets booked up quickly. 

 

I am going to cut and paste my notes from my travel document below.  It has links to the videos so it might take CruiseCritic.com some time to approve the links.  You will notice I had two options for dinner.  I choose the more formal one which is option #2.  I hope it helps you in your question.  Below is my cut and paste. 

 

1)     Dinner Option #1: Authentic Greek food (Casual). Book your table at Geros Tou Moria: https://bit.ly/3zMqBpP 

The review’s recommendation is to simply let them feed you.  Get ready for a Greek feast.

2)    Dinner Option #2: Formal with a view.  Book your table at Orizontes Lycabettus:  https://bit.ly/3DPWgt1 .  Views to die for. To get there you must take the funicular to the top of the mountain. The funicular leave ever hour on the hour; cost about 7 euro’s round trip.  I made a reservation for four (3) the moment I saw this video.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you so much for this! This place looks amazing and I am definitely putting it on my list of must see and do! Enjoying local food is a big part of how we travel and some of our best travel memories are from going to places like this. Thanks again!

I am also the planner in our family and I get the same questions just before we leave so I appreciate your work and love the response!

I noticed you had a restaurant listed for your night in Athens. We will be in Athens before our cruise (but not until 2024😞. Could you please provide some info about the restaurant and why you chose it?

Thanks!😀

How ironic! Right after I posted this Disney finally answered and I was able to get my reservations straightened out. Maybe somebody is reading these boards!lol😄

Has anyone had any success getting through by phone? I have been trying for 3 days and still have not been able to get through! I have sent 2 emails and no response there either. Is there any other phone number to call? I am very frustrated with this cruiseline! Their incompetence is colossal for a company like Disney! Hopefully they get this mess straightened out soon!😠

We just made final payment for our AMA Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps cruise on May2. We are looking forward to going but have bought insurance in case things get iffy. Hoping for the best!😀

I have the same problem and I use Microsoft Edge. The only way I can access the cruise details is to go to Special Offers and find your cruise there. 

Hope someone has an answer to this problem!😀

Drkikat, we have a cruise booked for early January 2021 from Sydney to Auckland. Do you think Australia  and New Zealand  will be open to visitors by then?

Thanks for your thoughts!😀

We just returned from a cruise on the Fantasy in Concierge and had a Cabana on Castaway Cay. I booked the Cabana as soon as it was available and we were assigned #6 (Family cabana). It was great! It was in the middle of the beach for the cabanas and had a lot of vegetation around it so it felt very private. The cabanas at the far end (#12-21) had little vegetation between them.

We were halfway between the bathroom(next to #15) and the food (next to #1). Cabanas #1&2 are close to the busier family beach so not as private.

Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise!😀

Congrats on snagging this cabin! We love the Oceania suites. Enjoy your cruise!

Fantastic! Please let me know all about the tour when you return and also the rest of your trip.

Enjoy your cruise!😀

I have booked this tour for our cruise this July. They have been good to work with so far and will let you know about the tour when we return!😀

Sea bass in Red Ginger

On our last cruise on the Riviera this past July in Santorini,at the tender dock there was a crew member serving cold water or lemonade. Also, there was a tent next to the ship at many of the ports but I didn't see anyone using the area.😀 

Jay23, Mani was our butler on one of our cruises and he is the best! Such a nice man and always greeted us with a smile!😀

We have been in the Oceania suite on the Riviera twice and loved it both times for all the reasons stated above (extra bathroom, lots of space, huge veranda, large table for insuite dining, etc.) Never did use the outdoor jacuzzi!

However, on our next cruise we opted for a PH suite since it was port intensive and we really weren't in the cabin very much. We were fine with the smaller cabin and still had wonderful service from the butler and enjoyed the cruise. We saved quite a bit of money going with the smaller suite and used it for private excursions. We'll be doing the same for our next cruise to Norway.

Would we book a OS again? Possibly, if the price and itinerary were right. 

Enjoy your cruise whatever you choose!😀

We were just on the Riviera for the Grecian Glory cruise and the GDR was closed every day for lunch probably because we were in port every day. We are not fans of the Terrace Cafe so we were disappointed that the GDR was not available when we returned from a morning excursion. So instead of returning to the ship for lunch we stayed onshore and had lunch at a cafe or restaurant near the port. Yes, it cost us some money but was very tasty local food and fun to sit and people watch like a local!

We had most breakfasts in the GDR and always had good, quick service. We were usually out by 30-40 minutes and still had time to get to our shore excursions. I hope they don't close the GDR for breakfast, we enjoyed the quiet atmosphere to start our busy day!😁

We were on the Riviera a few weeks ago and did not have any problems. We were on the same cruise as those bad reviews and I was quite surprised to read all the negative comments. I have submitted my review but it hasn't been posted yet.

I have been following the progress of Riviera since we will be on in July and I believe she just got out of dry dock after the crossing in April. I think the May 3-15 gap is due to a charter. Looking forward to seeing the improvements to Baristas and other areas.

Thanks so much for this positive report! We are on the next cruise and looking forward to being on Marina. How is the internet speed? I have been reading that it's very slow but you managed to post this report?

Thanks again!

Thanks so much for this positive review! We will be on Marina in a few weeks so please be kind and leave some booze for us!haha

Cheers!

Looking forward to your trip report since we are also first time Oceania cruisers going on the Riviera in June. Have a safe trip!:)