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Oceania cruise - live from the Riviera Transatlantic


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This is my first attempt at writing a CC review ‘live’ from a ship and all comments are, of course from my own personal observations and experience. Hope this post proves to be entertaining and informative.

Day 1

Getting to Miami (Rating: 10)

We chose the Olife air option ATL-MIA and BCN-ATL with an U/G to business class on the return leg as it was cheaper than anything we could get ourselves. Instead of $5000+ it was $1799 with an added deviation fee of $175 per person to go to MIA a day early. Interesting enough we got our airline reservations shortly after booking our cruise and making our full payment. We were then able to go to both airlines websites and secure our seat assignments as well. DL to MIA was on time, uneventful and incidentally the 737-900 was a very new airplane and the seats were some of the most comfortable I have ever had. We arrived on time in Miami right around 4:00pm, picked up our 2 checked bags (which we had to pay a fee of $25 per bag) and quickly called an Uber car to whisk us to our hotel for the night.

Our Overnight Hotel (Rating:10)

We choose the Marriott Biscayne Bay which turned out to be a great location. Upon checking in the front desk agent told us she had given us a complimentary upgrade to a room on the 17th floor with a view of the bay and the cruise port in the distance. The hotel was just two blocks from a Publix which enabled us to stock up on some of our favorite alcoholic beverages. We ended up with 2 single malts, a grey goose, buffalo trace bourbon and 4 wines. We had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant next door called Casablanca’s (very appropriate as one of our ports is in Morocco) which also had an outside deck overlooking the water. They had a 1/2 price happy hour going on and also presented you with a complimentary seafood dip and chips which was amazingly tasty.

Boarding the Ship (Rating:10)

My wife usually likes to get to the port early because ... well, she just can’t wait to get on the ship, her excitement level is over the top. LOL I however, detest leaving the comfort of our hotel just to wait outside or in the lounge to board, so she compromised this time. We planned to check out of the hotel before noon and get to the ship shortly after as it was only a 5-10 minute ride to the port. However due to a transportation mix up we arrived at the port at 12:35 missing our 12 noon Penthouse boarding time. We left our 2 big bags with a porter. Upon entering the building we saw there were no lines, thus, we were immediately checked in, photo taken and ushered to the boarding ramp.

Our First Meal Experience (Rating: 6)

Once on board (12:48) we were told to go to the terrace for lunch. I might add that this may not be the optimum time to board as it was almost impossible to find an open inside table. This may have been due to a rather strong wind on the patio that prevented many folks including us from dining outside. Also it appeared that many guests were having a leisurely lunch awaiting the room ready announcement and not leaving anytime soon. We circled the restaurant twice without locating an empty table when a couple very kindly pointed out a just vacated one which we gladly snagged. It did take about 5 minutes for a staff member to come over to clear and reset the table. Next we went looking for the much anticipated carved turkey. Unfortunately the “bird” was pretty much picked over and white meat was in short supply. Oh well, the small portion was probably a blessing in disguise as I have decided to watch my caloric intake in order to manage my weight on this trip. lol As compared to our first day buffet on Seabourn, we rated the O buffet a distant second and more in line with what was offered on Azamara.

The Penthouse Suite (Rating: 10)

At about 1pm we heard the announcement that the penthouse suites were ready so we hurriedly made our way to our forward cabin. I must say O’s PH’s are impressive, roomy and very “livable”. The closet can handle two people in them at a time and so can the bathroom. The shower didn’t seem as small as some suggested but we will see when I try it out. One thing of note was no ice in the ice bucket and no iced champagne in the champagne bucket like on our other cruises. Instead we found the champagne in the mini fridge. Might be how they got the cabin ready so fast. Luggage arrived with a knock on the door at about 2pm.

Shortly after 3pm we received a knock on the door from of all things an electrician. Wow, we thought maybe something had been reported on the last cruise and was going to get fixed. This was not the case as he was just checking to see if my CPAP machine was hooked up properly with a converter. It was but he advised if I had needed DC he could apply a quick solution.

Our Butler and Stewardess (Rating: 10)

Quite soon after he left we heard someone calling out my wife’s name in the hallway. We then met our lovely cabin attendant Nadezhda who was a charming woman from Russia. We chatted for a bit and then DW gave her a little Easter Basket she had prepared for her before we left home. She especially liked the small, fluffy stuffed rabbit. Nadezhda was very efficient and immediately noted my CPAP machine needed distilled water and said she would bring it. On previous cruises on other lines my CPAP machine did not seem to be as high a priority as on O. She also had us sign an acknowledgement for each of our four OBC’s of which 2 were refundable (from our TA) and two were non-refundable from Olife.

Next we met our butler Sydney who when asked said he was from India. My wife gave him a list of things we needed like a martini shaker, limes, diet tonic water, wine glasses, more rock glasses, Speciality dinner menus and advised him we would be taking advantage on numerous occasions of the in suite dining option. His reply was “no problem”. I also asked how many cabins he had and his reply was 16. Out of curiosity I had to ask how many passengers usually require his unpacking services and he said there were 4-5 who were, as expected, quite elderly.

Muster Drill (Rating: 9)

At 5:15pm the time came for the mandatory safety drill with life jackets. It seems that one of the only premium ships not requiring you to bring your life jacket with you is Seabourn. We managed to get a seat in the back of the Riviera theater and as soon as it was completed we popped out and up the stairs back to our cabin. Walking up to 11 from 5 was quite a workout and hopefully proof I’m still in pretty good shape with no chest pains. We try to always use the stairs on our cruises in an attempt to fight the inevitable dreaded weight gain. Lol After stowing our life jackets we went exploring the ship.

The Ship and Staff (Rating: 10)

In one word, STUNNING. From top to bottom, the design elements and color schemes were beautiful and absolutely spotless. Our first stop was at the Speciality desk to ask whether or not there were any reservations left for that evening and she asked for our cabin number followed by “I see you like early dining”? Ok, so how did she know that ... by virtue of noting our previous reservations. Since only table sharing was available we passed. Next we went to the spa to see the thalassotherapy pool and spa deck, which looked so inviting with its bubbly warm water. As we were leaving the spa we met Prim, one of the massage therapists. He gave each of us a complimentary “trial run” massage and intuitively found some sore spots we each must have incurred lugging our 50 lb bags. He was so good we decided to go ahead and schedule 2 massages in the next few days with him.

Wandering the ship we met and spoke with the GM, various bartenders, and a charming entertainer named Emily who was still manning the gangplank entrance. We noticed the GM was speaking with two men in suits and were advised they were “corporate” and always come on board when the ship docks in MIA. She also said she was on Regent before O and on the same ship we were on which was the Navigator. We laughed about how it had a reputation for “vibrating”. After talking with her for about 30 minutes she asked if we would be interested in having dinner with her and another entertainer some night and we accepted.

Our First Dinner (Rating: 10+)

Then, because I was wearing shorts and noticing many of the GDM selections were also available in the Terrace, we decided to go there for dinner. OMG, the selection of seafood was amazing. My wife opted for the sea bass, lobster Mac and cheese, pork roast and seafood salad. I, on the other hand, love seafood and selected crab claws, single prawns in a corn mix, seafood salad and topped it off with some lobster Mac and two grilled lobster tails, which were succulent. Everything was hot and cooked to perfection. Going to the dessert station I was advised to try the strawberry cheesecake which was simply divine and my wife opted for a pistachio mouse with a crunchy ring of toffee and dark chocolate on top which she said was so delicious. Our first dinner on O was a winner, a real home run!!!

Not being late night owls, we skipped the welcome show production, and returned to our suite for a night cap from our brought aboard bar before drifting off to a sound sleep in our super comfortable tranquility bed. Ahhhhhhhh, life is good!!

So there you have it, a blow by blow description of 2 Oceania newbies initial experience on the Riviera. I will be glad to address any questions or comments.

 

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Excellent review so far! Thank you for taking the time to share. Wishing you both a wonderful crossing!

 

I confess to being like your wife - eager to get to the ship and on board. Then I can sigh.... :cool:

 

Joe

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We're taking the return TA, our first with O, in November back to Miami, so it will be interesting to hear about your experiences. Thanks for taking the time to post your observations!

 

+1, first Transatlantic but second time on the Riviera.

Really looking forward to the rest of your review!

Mirjam

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Who is the cruise director? Is it Corey Powell?

 

Disclaimer . . This is the DW answering this post, hubby is busy putting a jigsaw puzzle of Cinque Terre together (another port stop on the second leg of this back to back voyage). Puzzles and Words with Friends are two of our leisure time addictions.

Yes, the Cruise Director is Corey and he is a hoot, very funny sense of humor. Any other staff questions, let me know.

A couple more observations . . . It was a decision made by the Captain yesterday that all time changes (we are going through 5, I believe before arriving in Barcelona) be done at 11:30 am instead of the usual 12 midnight. This really seems to make it a lot easier for the passengers to adjust their sleeping patterns to the new time clock each day.

One small tip on the bathrooms which I believe has been noted before . . There are 2 kind of secret drawers on each side below the sink for additional storage space. Nice touch.

Also, this morning they were giving a 20% discount for services in the Spa at 8 and 9 am, so I decided to pamper myself and signed up for a deep tissue massage with Prem, a lovely gentleman from India who as stated before, gave my husband and I a mini example of his talents on the day we boarded. I can only say it was probably the best I have ever had (and I have had many). He found so many tight spots in my back I didn’t even know existed. I now refer to him as Dr. Prem with the magic hands. If you are on this ship now or will be in the future I highly recommend looking him up.

Speaking of accolades, our cabin stewardess, Nadezhda, has continued to astound us with her expertise and attention to detail. Again, we have to say she is best we have ever had (and believe me, we have had our share of excellent ones).

Yesterday the weather was a bit gloomy with high swells, but on this ship we did not notice the rocking and rolling as much as on others. We did join in on the first trivia session having put a team together ahead of time with other folks from the Cruise critic roll call. Corey had quite a few topics he covered with his questions, some more tough than others. Example: the giraffe is the only animal in the world that is born with these? So what do you think? Answer: horns!!! Unfortunately our team did not get this one correct. As a matter of fact we were at the bottom of the barrel getting only 16 points out if a possible 23. Ouch . . No Big O Points for us!!! But, hey, today is another day and hopefully there is only one direction to go in and that is UP!

Speaking of today, the weather is drop dead gorgeous . .sunny skies, calm seas that look like glass, and mild temps around 70°. Couldn’t be more perfect. We are taking advantage of the relaxation of a day at sea and I am posting thIs from my balcony with the soothing sounds of the waves crashIng in the background. So far, we could not be any happier with our experience on Oceania. We have found the service in all areas to be attentive, friendly and genuine. On day 3, we are truly very satisfied cruisers.

DH taking over. So far the star of this cruise for me has been ... this ship and our penthouse cabin. As DW stated we are sitting on a fairly large balcony in well padded chairs with our feet propped up listening to the snow white waves gently leaving the bow as we knife through the azure blue Atlantic. I have to add that Nadezhda brings in the pads every night during turndown service so they are not wet from the morning dew. Yesterday we ordered two canapés from the menu our butler had given us, one which consisted of fruit skewers and the other veggie spears with a dipping sauce. They were excellent and sure beat the canapés we have had in the past. Speaking of cabin services, Sydney has been top notch and managed to find DW a bottle of Bloody Mary mix to go with her Grey Goose. We also were surprised to find some sparkling water in the mini fridge. My, my do we feel pampered. So far the PH upgrade has proved worth it.

 

Last night was the Captains welcome reception with complimentary drinks from 5:45 pm until 8 pm in all three indoor bars where we met some interesting people and had some great discussions about where they were from and where they have travelled. Service in the dining areas as well as the bars has been exemplary. IMHO our experience aboard Oceania’s Riviera has been so different it is hard for me to compare it to our other cruises ... so I won’t. For those of you about to embark on your first cruise on O’s Riviera you are in for a real treat. I really don’t know how much being in a PH has affected our enjoyment but so far I would highly recommend it.

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Understand if it is too early in the cruise to answer this question, but wondered if you have any enrichment/educational lectures during the day, and if so how many speakers are on the ship and what are the subjects. We are considering booking Riviera's Transatlantic back to Florida in November, but are concerned about the many sea days lacking interesting programming. Would appreciate your thoughts.

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Understand if it is too early in the cruise to answer this question, but wondered if you have any enrichment/educational lectures during the day, and if so how many speakers are on the ship and what are the subjects. We are considering booking Riviera's Transatlantic back to Florida in November, but are concerned about the many sea days lacking interesting programming. Would appreciate your thoughts.

 

So far we have only seen 2 lectures about Bermuda. Sandy Cares has a B.A. in history from The U of Michigan and is the lecturer. Will keep you posted.

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The breakfast choices have been varied with just about anything you could want including lemon cream waffles. Also a custom egg (hard/soft boiled, fried, poached, omelets) station, assorted fruits, breads and pastries. While DW was at a stretch class followed by a deep tissue massage I went to the terrace for breakfast. She later joined me at waves and ordered an omelet with her choice of fillings. While there by the pool a competition was going on between the officers and the guests. Very well attended with about 20 guests in line at each of the competitions. With Corey describing the action and some classic “oldies” playing in the background the pool area was filled with raucous laughter.

Our trivia team managed a third place finish as one team almost managed a perfect score. Sample question: what religion were the Vedas associated with? Hindu. I now know popcorn must be available because our trivia followed a first run movie “The Post” in the Riviera lounge. Odd that our butler said it was not available for the cabin.

 

Dined at the GDR and had an excellent iceberg salad with granny apple, walnuts, raisins and blue cheese dressing followed by something called a chicken purse. However, when asking the waiter for his entree recommendation, which I have learned in the past to trust, he recommended the Alaskan Halibut. Turns out I should have taken his advice but I saw Beijing Duck and figured it was like Peking Duck. Boy was I wrong. Instead of the crispy delicacy I last had on a business trip to London 20 years ago it was not crispy or served in the traditional way and instead had a rubbery skin that had to be carefully cut off or I might still be chewing. Lol

 

Retired for the night with a DVD of the sci-fi movie Passengers. There is a slot in the TV to insert the DVD along with controls for play, stop, etc. Unfortunately we were unable to get it to play either by using the buttons on the back of the TV or the remote receiving the ominous message “prohibited ”. Called our butler, he tried and failed, took the remote and said he would be right back. When he returns he points the remote at the TV and voila the movie starts. Mystery solved as it was a bad remote. Next DW was able to circumvent our butler to order some popcorn. He arrived a few minutes later with popcorn in hand. BTW everything said about the beds is true as they are very, very comfortable.

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The hotel was just two blocks from a Publix which enabled us to stock up on some of our favorite alcoholic beverages. We ended up with 2 single malts, a grey goose, buffalo trace bourbon and 4 wines.
That's quite a lot!

 

We'll be boarding in Barcelona (21 Apr) and I'm wondering how much we can bring aboard.

 

Just out of idle curiosity, but what single malts?

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That's quite a lot!

 

We'll be boarding in Barcelona (21 Apr) and I'm wondering how much we can bring aboard.

 

Just out of idle curiosity, but what single malts?

 

We brought 4 bottles of wine and 4 bottles of spirits. Single malts were Dalwhinne 15 yr and Balvenie double wood 12 yr . O does not seem to have a limit as long as you drink it in your room.

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Bermuda

Docked in beautiful Bermuda with its gorgeous crystal clear aqua blue water. Weather was slightly cloudy but quickly turned to sunny skies. Had a wonderful breakfast before departing the ship. As we were the only ship in port we had the whole dock area to ourselves. Since I had forgot to pack my b-12 vitamins we began our search for a pharmacy and found a good one. DW found a pair of sandals, a bracelet for our cabin attendant, and a bottle of Gosling Black Seal rum which is made in Bermuda. While standing in line she met a local customs official who told her to also get a bottle of ginger beer to go with it for an excellent drink. We later walked around the local shopping area and glass factory. Found an interesting accent lamp from Turkey and DW found a beautiful and colorful poncho from Thailand that could be worn in various ways. Also found a teal color men’s bathing suit for only $275. I knew things were expensive in BDA but that IMO was a little extravagant and I passed.

We returned to the ship and had a great Greek lunch and went back out again and met some fellow passengers who had just returned from the ferry to Hamilton and said there was really not much to see there. We then made our way to the prison on the hill which was closed tighter than a drum but had a local art show in the former barracks area. Having achieved our 10,000 steps we climbed back aboard to get ready for trivia.

 

This day’s contest was one that could go either way and ranged from: true or false - the only bone in the body NOT attached to another bone is located under the tongue to who was Snow White’s sister to what is the only female animal to have antlers? The trivia gods were with us as Roger, Pauline, Mike, Cheryl, Penny, Dave combined with yours truly and DW to win the top prize of 3 points! Mike even knew the name of the bone under the tongue (hyoid) and Roger knew what is the name of a tree, shoe, capital city and recipe (Wellington). But everyone contributed and I think Cheryl and Pauline do an excellent job of sifting through all our potential answers and selecting the right ones. BTW Official answer for female antlers was reindeer and Snow White’s sister was Red Rose.

 

Dinner in Toscana was a gastronomic delight and the best so far. Soon after being seated we were introduced to the various olive oils and balsamic vinegars which went nicely with the spectacular array of breads in our bread basket. We then started with the freshly hand made pasta bow ties in a lovely red pepper sauce. Next we had an asparagus salad with a light dressing and then shared the Veal Scallopini followed by a Dover Sole that was deboned table side and very moist.

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Bermuda

Docked in beautiful Bermuda with its gorgeous crystal clear aqua blue water. Weather was slightly cloudy but quickly turned to sunny skies. Had a wonderful breakfast before departing the ship. As we were the only ship in port we had the whole dock area to ourselves. Since I had forgot to pack my b-12 vitamins we began our search for a pharmacy and found a good one. DW found a pair of sandals, a bracelet for our cabin attendant, and a bottle of Gosling Black Seal rum which is made in Bermuda. While standing in line she met a local customs official who told her to also get a bottle of ginger beer to go with it for an excellent drink. We later walked around the local shopping area and glass factory. Found an interesting accent lamp from Turkey and DW found a beautiful and colorful poncho from Thailand that could be worn in various ways. Also found a teal color men’s bathing suit for only $275. I knew things were expensive in BDA but that IMO was a little extravagant and I passed.

We returned to the ship and had a great Greek lunch and went back out again and met some fellow passengers who had just returned from the ferry to Hamilton and said there was really not much to see there. We then made our way to the prison on the hill which was closed tighter than a drum but had a local art show in the former barracks area. Having achieved our 10,000 steps we climbed back aboard to get ready for trivia.

 

This day’s contest was one that could go either way and ranged from: true or false - the only bone in the body NOT attached to another bone is located under the tongue to who was Snow White’s sister to what is the only female animal to have antlers? The trivia gods were with us as Roger, Pauline, Mike, Cheryl, Penny, Dave combined with yours truly and DW to win the top prize of 3 points! Mike even knew the name of the bone under the tongue (hyoid) and Roger knew what is the name of a tree, shoe, capital city and recipe (Wellington). But everyone contributed and I think Cheryl and Pauline do an excellent job of sifting through all our potential answers and selecting the right ones. BTW Official answer for female antlers was reindeer and Snow White’s sister was Red Rose.

 

Dinner in Toscana was a gastronomic delight and the best so far. Soon after being seated we were introduced to the various olive oils and balsamic vinegars which went nicely with the spectacular array of breads in our bread basket. We then started with the freshly hand made pasta bow ties in a lovely red pepper sauce. Next we had an asparagus salad with a light dressing and then shared the Veal Scallopini followed by a Dover Sole that was deboned table side and very moist.

 

 

 

If Roger and Pauline are the same lovelies who made the Transatlantic last year, please tell them Donna from Illinois misses them and wishes she were on the trivia team with them again!

 

Donna

 

 

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and a bottle of Gosling Black Seal rum which is made in Bermuda. While standing in line she met a local customs official who told her to also get a bottle of ginger beer to go with it for an excellent drink.

A Dark ‘n’ Stormy!

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We brought 4 bottles of wine and 4 bottles of spirits. Single malts were Dalwhinne 15 yr and Balvenie double wood 12 yr . O does not seem to have a limit as long as you drink it in your room.
Thanks! Not planning on a booze cruise, but I do like a taste of something nice of an evening.

 

Drinking single malts in a shipboard bar seems like a pleasant fast track to bankruptcy!

 

Keep up the good work; I'm reading your reports with keen interest.

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Thanks! Not planning on a booze cruise, but I do like a taste of something nice of an evening.

 

Drinking single malts in a shipboard bar seems like a pleasant fast track to bankruptcy!

 

Keep up the good work; I'm reading your reports with keen interest.

 

We are sailing a b2b so will be on board 24 days and the single malts are great nightcaps.

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I’m enjoying your live blog! We did this crossing on the Riviera 2 years ago and absolutely loved it too! Your descriptions take me back and it’s fun to vicariously travel this route again. I have to say, time changes were easier on our November crossing going east to west but I think it’s a great idea that the captain made the changes during the day rather than at midnight. Enjoy every minute of your cruise!

 

 

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