MVPinBoynton

9 minutes ago, the mice said:

Airfare seems to be up everywhere, and so are the miles required for award seats, assuming you can find those to line up with your dates, especially now that every mainstream publication is writing about credit card points for "free" travel.

 So 22 months out, O has to be very conservative in their pricing.  I think it will be more reasonable. Certainly hope so. 

Just now, the mice said:

Well, I will be sure to check your blog for great information.  Your photos are amazing as are your descriptions.  Sorry I didn't get to meet you on Riviera, but I think you disembarked as we were getting on in Bangkok.   Maybe one day our paths will cross.

Thanks so much. I hope our paths cross too. 

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Just booked a multi-segment SYD-Bali-SYD (35 days on Riviera) in the newly available 2026 itineraries. 
It was supposed to be two ATW segments on Vista (based on pre-roll out segment intel). But a now-confirmed disembark in Dubai instead of Mumbai (for a cruise starting in Sydney) put an end to that plan. 
 

FWIW, not only do we like the SYD-Bali-SYD itinerary, the fare ((for pretty much the same cruise duration) on Riviera is significantly less. But, the real killer was a bizclass airfare price check (this year’s) of RT SFO-SYD vs the multi-city SFO-SYD/DXB-SFO. That multi-city for a variety of different dates and airlines was as much as twice the SYD-SYD RT.

 

Final decision was easy!

Our Bali to Sydney business class is ridiculously high, but I will do better when it gets closer on my own. 

18 minutes ago, the mice said:

@DrHemlock FWIW,  I was looking at various 2026 itineraries, including the one we booked.  If you see a cruise you are interested in, open the itinerary and click on the port name, or on the link for Ports& Excursions above the itinerary list.  You may see descriptions for excursions- maybe if the port was ever used before.  Of course, no prices and these excursions could change by the time booking for any opens at 365 days, but some helpful info to glean some insight about the ports.   

For our Japan itinerary, a couple of ports only said "information coming soon" or some such thing.  But there were ports that I have not seen on an O itinerary for Japan (maybe on Regent?) that had excursions listed.  

I found that all ports in Japan are amazing. 

We booked the Melanesian Marvels Bali to Sydney 21 day cruise.  Other than Sydney, it goes to all new ports for me.  I’m always looking for new and interesting places to visit. This cruise has them. 

3 minutes ago, pontac said:

I'm with @CDNPolar , really great review and great pics.

 

I did this cruise on Viking Delling in August 2023 and it was interesting to see the differences.

 

Our Tournon train ride was in open carriages and the river below was dry, just a few pools left, so it was most interesting for me to see it in flood in your pictures. And we made it all way.

 

But we didn't get to Vienne. The boat was delayed and the included tour cancelled.

 

We visited different wineries, and I thought the optional Chateau Neuf du Pape was poor - and it caused me to write the only letter of complaint to Viking in 13 cruises with them, on the other hand the included tour to Beaujolais was first rate.

 

A couple of points. Your description mentions the coffee station "just before you enter the lounge on the port side" which reads like there is only one coffee station, but there's an identical one in the same position in the starboard side. 

 

The description "a unisex bathroom with two stalls.  Men and women could be in there at the same time, which was a bit different." caused me a double take but I think it's a matter of interpretation. Just a shared washbasin.

 

On the upper deck the stalls each have a washbasin and there's no shared door.

 

My briefer review our our trip  is here

 

It is interesting how the same cruise can be so different.  Thanks for your comments. I’m will make a couple modifications based on them. 

I have just posted a review to my website with lots of photos of the Rhone River cruise on the Viking Delling.  I also have the menus from the restaurant and lounge.

When we booked this trip, we knew that we would see a lot of beautiful places and have some wonderful experiences.  This trip far exceeded our expectations.  We knew that the Viking long ships are perfect for river cruises and that their staff is friendly and very customer focused.  We didn’t expect to meet so many enjoyable cruise mates on this cruise.  Everyone was so friendly and fun loving.  We looked forward to seeing our friends every day.  We knew the ports would be pretty, but they were so much better than we thought they would be.  So much beauty and so much history.  The outstanding Viking tour guides made every tour so special.

In Arles, we saw one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world.

In Avignon, we were impressed with the beautiful massive walls around the town and the Palace of the Popes where seven popes lived after leaving Rome.

In Lyon, we visited the Notre Dame Basilica.  It is certainly one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been in, and I have been a bunch of them.

We also traveled out to the beautiful, lush wine country for tastings.  So gorgeous.

Our only disappointment was that we should have added additional days in Paris so we could experience so much more.  But on the plus side, we now have a very good reason to plan a return trip on our own sooner rather than later.  If you are thinking about doing a river cruise, I would highly recommend doing the Rhone.  It is a winner!

9 minutes ago, the mice said:

Re: engine.

We were on the next 2 segments (getting off tomorrow in Seoul).  No problems AFAIK.  Our only delay was when Shanghai held us up for hours due to fog.  We made every port more or less on time. 

Looking forward to reading your review. 

So happy to hear that.  They must have gotten a part in Singapore to fix it. 
 

We had a Shanghai fog issue too. We had to spend an extra night there because the port had to close. It didn’t open until after 1:00 the next day. We missed the next port. 

45 minutes ago, SophieM said:

Thanks for your post and link to your review! We, too, will be on the Riviera, having last sailed on her shortly after her refurb. Our itinerary is Singapore to Dubai. 

Have a great time. 

1 hour ago, SophieM said:

Thanks so much to all who have posted so far! We will be there towards the end of April and can’t wait! I’ll look forward to reading more posts and adding my thoughts, too, after our visit. 
 

Jane

I have just posted my review of our Oceania Riviera SE Asia cruise that started in Singapore.  We stayed there 3 nights before the cruise.   I definitely recommend getting the Grab app.  It is just like Uber and made getting around so easy.  It also saved us a bunch getting to the port. I have lots of photos and some videos during our visit there in the review.  A link to my reviews is in my signature. 

7 hours ago, tryan70 said:

Was engine trouble fixed?

Not during our cruise. 

4 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I was more worried about the pool collapsing.  😁

LOL, I hadn’t thought about that. 😱

1 minute ago, Iamthesea said:

Looking forward to reading the review and taking a look at your fabulous photos!

 

As for the infinity pool overlooking Singapore's highways and city, that will be a huge NO for me!!!  I have anxiety just looking at that photo. 😮

In the review there is a photo and video that shows you would have to work very hard to get outside the channel and over the wall on the other side of the pool to fall off the building. 

I have just posted a review to my website with lots of photos of the Islands to Indonesia cruise on the Oceania Riviera.  It was an amazing cruise through Southeast Asia starting in Singapore and ending in Bangkok.  It was such a wonderful adventure, and we were able to spend three nights before the cruise in Singapore and three nights after in Bangkok.  Two cities that I have looked forward to spending more time in since my first visit in 2010.  I also have the menus from the restaurants, spa and lounges.

Although the Rivera lost one of its engines, we didn’t lose too much port time in any of the ports other than Manila.  While in Singapore we stayed at the amazing Marina Bay Sands Hotel with a massive infinity pool on the top of it.

We also were able to see the Supertree light/sound show at the Gardens by the Bay right next to the hotel.

In Bangkok, we saw a mesmerizing display inside of a massive stupa.

We saw so much beauty and history in SE Asia, so it is a long review.  The review is located on my website, which is linked to in my signature.  You can also just Google “Mike and Carol’s/Cathy’s Cruise Reviews” to find a link to it I hope it is helpful for those of you that are planning to cruise on in this part of the world; or if you have been there, I hope it brings back some fond memories.

47 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Oh that’s a great idea. What hotel did you use? We are in the process of booking one right now and trying to decide where to stay. 

We stayed at the Marina Bay Sands. Overpriced but quite an experience. 

7 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

We are visiting Singapore for the first time and have a dilemma. Our flight arrives early in the morning but our hotel check in is late in the afternoon. Are there any tour operators that would pick us up at our hotel or the airport (along with our luggage) to go on a tour for a few hours until our hotel room is ready? We thought about storing our luggage at the airport but we don’t want to have to make a trip back there unless we have to. I also thought about using stasher or something similar and walking around and doing our own sightseeing. But will be coming off of a direct flight from Los Angeles so we will be too tired to do much walking. Any experiences or suggestions?

We just did that last month.  The hotel kept our luggage until our room was ready. They texted us while we were exploring and put it in our room, so it was there when we got back to the hotel. Very easy, no hassle. 

29 minutes ago, notjaded said:

Many thanks for starting this thread, and your review. Quick question for now:

 

Do you think that there would be a benefit to bringing walking sticks and crampons for navigating ice and snow while on excursions?

 

 

We brought walking sticks and were glad we had them

6 minutes ago, wcGma said:

Thank you for your wonderful review and photos. We are booked on this cruise March 2024 and wondered about your experience in Alta. Our cruise shows tendered in Alta. It sounds like you were docked and was there a Viking shuttle to the main area? I would like to visit the Igloo Hotel via taxi as you reported and trying to figure the timing as the Finnmarkslopet is happening as well. 

Our itinerary said that we would be

 tendered also, but we docked.  If you are the only ship in port, you should dock also.  There wasn’t a shuttle, but taxis were very convenient, especially to go to the Igloo hotel.  It is a must see and so much better than the one in Tromso. 
 

Enjoy, it is an awesome cruise. 

31 minutes ago, JimChar said:

Singapore cruiser here. Reposting what I have shared in a roll call about Singapore

Basic Information about Singapore.

For those with pre & post cruise plans

 

Where to exchange foreign cash  ? Money changers everywhere in Singapore for this. Best rates in Singapore's Chinatown as there are plenty of competition there. If you forgot, at the cruise terminal has a booth there too. Local food centers, a highlight for my visiting friends, are mostly cash. The local cashless system requires a local bank account, so unlikely for you.
 

Most supermarket, restaurants and bars in Singapore will accept your Visa / Master card. Public transport i.e. subway and buses, also accepts your card - tap to get in, tap to get out. 

Is there Uber here ? No, but local version of this ride hail GoJek, Grab & Tada. 

How far from airport to cruise terminal ? By taxi 35mins+, by subway 1 hr (Marina South Pier station & a 10 mins walk under the shelter). Yes, you can bring luggage onboard the subway. Signages are in English and we all speaks English, so no worries about getting lost.

How far from hotel to cruise terminal ?  Depends on your hotel location. I guess it's about 15 - 30 minutes depending on traffic. 

Free Wifi ? At the airport, cruise terminal, most major shopping malls and your hotel

Public toilet ? We are better than Italy, free public toilets are everywhere (not behind the bush). In the malls, food center (which may charge you 20cents per entry), subway stations etc. 

Duty free imports to Singapore ? None for cigarettes & cigar. The alcohol part, see the chart. Booze & cigarette are expensive here due to the taxes.

 

Personal use recreational drugs / vapes ? Don't even think about this. It could be a nasty fine, jail or even death sentence. 

Plugs & Power socket

The power socket for Singapore is UK type 220V. Adaptors for your appliances easily available at the local stores for about a $1+ each. If you're buying, get the ones with the fuse (13A) for safety.

Singapore / UK plug

 

Thanks so much for the info.  I have seen som before, but nice to see in one place.  I know I can use Grab, but is there a good transfer company to use from the airport to Marina Bay Sands?

6 minutes ago, Shwarmski said:

@Aussie Jo @MVPinBoynton

We enjoyed Punta Tombo more. 

19 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Thanks.  That sounds likely.  But I was a little worried that we were too large.  A Regent Seven Seas ship just docked there, or even higher "up," but she is more like Regatta, etc. in size/weight etc.  Also, the Hiep Phuoc SPCT port website mentions smaller size figures too, which made me even more curious/nervous!  Silverseas Whisper sailed WAY up (down?) the Saigon River and I was so jealous, looking at that on Marine Traffic.  Then again, some ships have stopped WAY south of HCMC.  But who knows?  Some things surprise me.  This spring both O's smaller and larger ships sailed down the river to Bordeaux and docked right in the heart of Bordeaux.  But the river wasn't all that curvy....

 

Regatta was just in Sihanoukville.  I'd love to hear how that was. It sounds like an interesting port.

 

We docked in Bordeaux while on the Riviera in 2019.  It was so convenient to be able enjoy the gorgeous city. 

1 hour ago, Queen of DaNile said:

I called Oceania. This is their emailed response:

"The port we intend to use is :

SPCT Hiep Phuoc Port, however this is subject to change at port authority discretion."

 

That would be awesome, especially since we overnight there. Thanks for checking. You beat me to it. 😃

We will be going to Ho Hi Minh City in February.  I hope we get to do the Ho Chi Minh Slalom, as our Captain on the Azamara Quest called it.  There are 16 curves in the river making it interesting.   I doubt the Riviera, being twice the size, will do it unfortunately. 

On 11/19/2023 at 3:24 PM, AMHuntFerry said:

Here's the one from Vista in October:

https://www.thepreismans.com/vista23_menus.htm

 

We were the last cruise before the Simply More program started on Oct 1, so I didn’t have any of the info for the new program.  Sorry. 😞 

I was impressed how Celebrity handled this difficult situation with boarding everyone so late.  The line to get into the terminal was horrendous, but everyone waited patiently.  It moved pretty fast and we were in the terminal in a half hour. The security and check in lines took another half hour but it was done quite well with the large crowd.  We then went up to a large waiting room with seats in sectioned areas to wait for our section to be allowed to go to the ship.  It looked like it could a very long time but it was only another half hour and we were on the ship.  

I must commend Celebrity for providing a very orderly and efficient way to handle this most unusual situation.