Riviera Questions??? - Concierge value??

[KCSungirl]

Greetings from Sungirl. I am planning a Med cruise at the end of August for my 25th anniversary. I have agonized over the pros/cons of several cruises. I have narrowed my options to include the Oceania Riviera. I thought I had the perfect cruise booked with the Ocean Princess, but I had second thoughts and cancelled. I have not cruised with O previously, but have cruised an R class ship, previously Renaissance. Not to be compared with the Riviera, of course.

 

If someone would be kind enough to comment on the perks of concierge class I would appreciate it. I have no trouble spending money, but I am also the Queen at getting what I think is a good value. I am not sure where an extra $1000 ($100/day) for concierge class would pay off most??? I am trying to somewhat limit my costs on the cruise so I can justify a B-Class upgrade on the flights.

 

Also, can someone comment on shipboard entertainment?? Does the Riviera have production shows and headliner show? Singers? Comedians? Musicians? Are they comparable to other cruiselines?

 

Specialty dining - Is it a problem getting reservations for primetime 7pm?

 

Is there anything else I should have a heads up on compared to Celebrity and Princess? Besides the size/service of the ship

 

My hesitation on O is not the price, but getting what I pay for, which is subjective.

 

This cruise goes Rome to Barcelona. Can anyone comment on the romance/atmosphere of Portofino, St. Tropez, and Marseille? I have not visited these ports previously.

 

Thank you for helping me. Sungirl ;-)

[writer100]

KCSungirl: Have not (yet) sailed on O--Riviera in January--but do know the ports you mention. Portofino is a charming Italian "village" with some nifty (and very expensive) restaurants. Alas, much of its charm has been submerged beneath blatant tourism excesses. St. Tropez is the prototypical Riviera resort, from the beautiful yachts to the beautiful women. Take a deep breath and you can smell the money. It is also the boarding point for tours to Aix and other marvelously picturesque villages. Although these "villages" have an extraordinary sense of style and presence. If you want to experience something way off the tourist beat, have a drink at the Grand Hotel Cap Ferrat. This is, by most measurements, the most luxurious hotel in France, and a serious contender for that title, worldwide. Service so smooth you think the waiters are on skates. The prices are, well, astronomical. But you can afford a drink, and the views and the atmosphere are otherwise free. Marseille is a big city. It has a lot of good restaurants (this is France, after all) and is considered (or it considers itself) to be the home of bouillabaisse. (Alas, I am not a devotee.) There's a 3-star Michelin seafood restaurant here called Le Petit Nice Passedat, that serves reputedly the best bouillabaisse in France. I think the menus--essentially chefs menus with no a la carte choices--start at $200 pp. Or did a couple of years ago. The city also has a strong African and Arab presence, with markets and retail stores that reflect those ethnicities.Hope this helps a bit.

[aZ4me]

First, Happy 25th Anniversary!

 

We were on one of Marina's Barcelona to Rome cruises last year and thoroughly enjoyed all of the ports, including the ones you mentioned.

You will have the extra advantage of already having paid for the best food around---aboard Riviera, so you may want to enjoy the incredible flavors of the town during the day and romantic meals aboard Riviera at night. (That way, you can help ensure you get your money's worth...Oceania's food is amazing.)

 

The concierge cabins offer the same size accommodations as the veranda cabins, so space is not affected by the selection (and price increase). If it's important to you to have access to snacks in the C Lounge and access to a concierge attendant, and a tote bag, then spend the extra for the concierge cabins. If not, save the extra money for souvenirs -- of which you will find plenty in ports you will visit. If you really want to splurge, get a PH suite. The extra space is GREAT, and having the butler actually is both fun (hey, how often do you have butler service???) and very convenient.

 

I think you will have a fabulous anniversary cruise regardless of the space you sleep in. You have such an excellent (and romantic!) itinerary and such an exquisite ship...you've chosen wisely.

 

Have a blast! :)

[patnlcc]

KCSungirl - we had a concierge level cabin on the Marina TA Miami to Barcelona in March 2012. We didn't think it was worth the extra. Bottle of champagne in the room on arrival. Access to concierge lounge - it was so far from our cabin, we only popped in twice. Tea/coffee/small snacks - no different from what was available in Baristas. No physical difference in the concierge and regular balcony cabins, in fact if you can get deck 7, you will get an extended balcony.

[Paulchili]

Agree with Suzan above - if you want to splurge, go for the PH. Not only is it significantly larger but you will have a butler who can help you get extra specialty reservations or serve you a meal from any specialty restaurant in your PH course by course (among other things). Don't forget the fabulous Terrace Cafe with lobster tails, jumbo shrimp and endless selections every night!

Everyone is guaranteed one reservation in each restaurant and often can get more if one is flexible with time and table size. If time is important to you, PH can book restaurant reservations online before Concierge, so you are more likely to get your days and times in the restaurants.

Concierge is not worth the money - IMO.

Enjoy your cruise but beware - you may never want to sail on Celebrity or Princess again :D

[Mura]

St. Tropez is the prototypical Riviera resort, from the beautiful yachts to the beautiful women. Take a deep breath and you can smell the money. It is also the boarding point for tours to Aix and other marvelously picturesque villages. Although these "villages" have an extraordinary sense of style and presence..

 

I snipped a lot there.

 

You consider Aix a village???!! I ask because we rented a car before our April Viking cruise (Avignon to Chalon-sur-Saone) and spent HOURS driving around Aix trying to find our hotel which was just off the main Rotunde! We loved Aix but I definitely would not call it a "village".

 

I WOULD recommend a day or two there, however (or more if you can spare the time). I was a music major in college and studied orchestration with Darius Milhaud, who came from Aix. His family home is now a hotel in Aix (walking distance to the main sights in town) and our group of 14 all loved it. (Whew, she said, having been the one to convince everyone else to stay there.)

 

Our few days in Aix were the highlight of that Viking trip.

 

Mura

 

P.S. Regarding the value of "concierge" -- as many people have said, it depends on what is important to you. We always book a PH because we like the extra room (and on a few occasions we've been lucky enough to be in a Vista or OS, but that has been ve0ry rarely). When we first had butler service we didn't use him at all. In November 2005 I tore my meniscus the day before boarding and fortunately had been given an upsell to an OS on Regatta, and because of my limited maneuverability (and needing a wheelchair and/or crutches), we used the butler a lot. Most breakfasts were in the room, and some other meals as well.

 

As a consequence we use them more now. But the butler per se isn't that important to us and we could live without one. But we cannot live without the extra space!

 

So when you ask the question "is it worth it", you are bound to get lots of answers. And maybe you won't know if it's worth it to YOU until you try it.

 

It IS nice to have extra reservations for the specialty restaurants -- but again, that isn't important to everyone either. There have been cruises (on the "R" ships) when we didn't use our reservations at all. Other times, we have used all our reservations and even tried for extras. We liked Jacques so much on Marina last October that we had dinner there three times on a 14 day cruise.

[KCSungirl]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post. I can learn from everyone. (and laugh!) I have gotten around the world a bit, but I needed some experienced O cruisers to confirm that I was doing a good thing. ;-) A penthouse is NOT in my future for now, unfortunately. I wouldn't want to give up my March in Naples or Jan. in Cancun to pay for it! Az4me = I laughed about the tote bag. Do I really need 499 tote bags? I am trying to get rid of them! I don't drink champagne, but I would love a free bottle of Vodka.

 

I really appreciate the port restaurant/bar suggestions as we always eat off the ship when possible. I have no problem spending $$ on those once in a lifetime opportunites, but I am also happy with a hot dog from a street vendor. I have quite a range.

 

No one has commented on the entertainment??? Does this mean you all go to bed early or does this mean the entertainment is not exciting?

 

I think I have decided to pass on the concierge and save my money for shopping, excursions, and yummy food.

 

I noticed the O excursions were pretty pricey. I am an independent tour person, but I will have to put some time into Florence and Provence private tours. It's been six years since we have been to the Med so there are probably more tour operators available. I would appreciate any suggestions for Florence and Marseille. I have been to France on land, but not by sea.

 

My husband is drooling over all of the topless women he can watch throughout the ports. I told him that I can leave him in Ibiza with some young honey and I will take the money.

 

Cheers, Sungirl

[Mura]

Sungirl,

 

Silence regarding the entertainment is no doubt because in general it is not all that great! But recent reports from Marina and Riviera are that it is vastly improved. I don't know if that has extended to the "R" ships yet. We tend not to go to the shows ourselves being more of a "classical" bent. But we did have excellent entertainment on Insignia in July 2010 (the Midnight Sun cruise) where we had some excellent classical and jazz musicians performing.

 

Ship's tours are expensive and crowded, so many of us opt for private tours or just walk-arounds. Your best bet for finding a group that is setting up a private tour is to go to your roll call. Our best tours have been done this way.

 

As to Florence, do you want to do Florence itself or one of the other towns in the area? On our October trip we had a lovely private tour to Lucca. If you want to do Florence, I would suggest taking the ship's bus-only transfer to Florence and then do what you want on your own there. You can easily book tours of the museums (and etc.) online.

 

I can't help you on Marseille! But you could look at the ports section at CC which should help there. And of course, again, check your roll call.

 

Mura

[capecodder2]

Entertainment is not a strong forte for O. Especially on the port intensive cruises, people seem to be up early, off for the day, relax perhaps with a cocktail at the end of the day, dinner and bed. No production shows, not enough room for them or the people required to put them on. I really don't think O's ship excursions are more expensive than any other cruise line, they all come from the same companies. I, personally, like some ship excursions and we usually do a mix. Some of the best tours we have been on have been ship tours, and they are not all crowded. I have to say that some of the worst tours we have been on have been with people we "met" on Roll Call. Ask lots of questions and be sure they are doing what you want to and not a lot of shopping, unless that is what you want. Enjoy. PS. I agree, stick with the B verandah, Concierge isn't worth it to me.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I really appreciate the port restaurant/bar suggestions as we always eat off the ship when possible. I have no problem spending $$ on those once in a lifetime opportunites, but I am also happy with a hot dog from a street vendor. I have quite a range.

 

Sungirl, I am an Oceania newbie, looking forward to my first Riviera cruise next fall, but I have been on the sister line, Regent, a number of times. I think you may find that you will want to eat on the ship whenever you can. Yes, it's nice to have local cuisine in ports, but the cuisine on all these ships is very, very good. Not good enough to want to hurry back to the ship for lunch necessarily, but certainly enough that will want to get your money's worth in those wonderful dining rooms.

[JimandStan]

I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck when discussing the merits of Concierge Cabins, to me that would be a much more important amenity than either the Concierge Lounge or the cashmere lap throws.

[Paulchili]

I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck when discussing the merits of Concierge Cabins, to me that would be a much more important amenity than either the Concierge Lounge or the cashmere lap throws.

 

I guess that's because not everybody is a "Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck" person :D

I am certainly not one, anyway. But if one is such a person, that would be a good benefit.

YMMV

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I guess that's because not everybody is a "Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck" person :D

I am certainly not one, anyway. But if one is such a person, that would be a good benefit.

YMMV

 

I am definitely such a person, and I think I'm going to love this benefit. But on a port-intensive cruise, I would think twice--unless there were sea days, I don't think it would be worth it just for this benefit.

[juli2020]

Entertainment is not a strong forte for O. Especially on the port intensive cruises, people seem to be up early, off for the day, relax perhaps with a cocktail at the end of the day, dinner and bed. No production shows, not enough room for them or the people required to put them on. I really don't think O's ship excursions are more expensive than any other cruise line, they all come from the same companies. I, personally, like some ship excursions and we usually do a mix. Some of the best tours we have been on have been ship tours, and they are not all crowded. I have to say that some of the worst tours we have been on have been with people we "met" on Roll Call. Ask lots of questions and be sure they are doing what you want to and not a lot of shopping, unless that is what you want. Enjoy. PS. I agree, stick with the B verandah, Concierge isn't worth it to me.

 

On our cruise in May we did five ship's excursions and were very pleased with them. They were well organized and not crowded. Plus if you book 5 or more excursions before your cruise...you will save 25%.

 

In Marseille we did "A day in Provence" which was great. We had been to Provence before and this tour went to two villages that we had not been to.

Portofino you can do on your own. We walked up to the Hotel Splendido and then hired a driver to drive us to the towns of Santa Margherita and Rapallo and then came back to Portofino for lunch. Portofino is charming.

In St.Tropez we took another ship's excursion to the "Hilltop Villages" which was another good excursion.

 

I don't know why the ship's excursions get a bad rap. Not all private excursions are good. We like to do a combination.

 

As far as entertainment goes...We tend to eat dinner late(8:30-9:00) and by the time we are finished with dinner we are tired. Oceania is not known for their entertainment. It is not a deal breaker for us.

[JimandStan]

I am definitely such a person, and I think I'm going to love this benefit. But on a port-intensive cruise, I would think twice--unless there were sea days, I don't think it would be worth it just for this benefit.

 

I never thought that I was such a person either, but Mr. & Mrs. Hondorner intruduced me to the bliss of soaking away the tension of a long day ashore on the Spa deck, just before a smart cocktail in Martinis, probably at Trivia with Leslie Jon :D

 

:eek:GOSH, I NEED to book another cruise ASAP :eek:

[muddsmom]

As far as entertainment goes...We tend to eat dinner late(8:30-9:00) and by the time we are finished with dinner we are tired. Oceania is not known for their entertainment. It is not a deal breaker for us.

We personally don't enjoy the large Broadway and Vegas types of entertainment on ships. There are many reasons O appears to be a good fit for us. Lack of children on board, jazz and string type entertainment and no formal nights. So far, everything we have read seems perfect for us. We look forward to our 2014 trip.

[juli2020]

]I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck [/b]when discussing the merits of Concierge Cabins' date=' to me that would be a much more important amenity than either the Concierge Lounge or the cashmere lap throws.

[img']http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/703158/20120610/234402.jpg[/img]

 

JimandStan,

I would not have known about the spa deck if it wasn't for you. It is a lovely area to sit and read in the late afternoon. Another nice perk of having a suite.

We did not have the Thalassotherapy Pool on the Marina. You have been a great source of information on this board.

[hondorner]

I never thought that I was such a person either, but Mr. & Mrs. Hondorner intruduced me to the bliss of soaking away the tension of a long day ashore on the Spa deck, just before a smart cocktail in Martinis, probably at Trivia with Leslie Jon :D...

Shhh -- the Tpool and Spa sundeck were great precisely because they were unknown for most -- we don't want them to become too popular, now, do we? Next thing you know, there will be chair hogs on the bubbling water lounge...:p

[CAG]

We were on the Riviera maiden voyage and we thoroughly enjoyed the 10 cast member production shows. Like food, entertainment is very subjective so to say that Oceania doesn't have good entertainment can just be someone's opinion. On the port intensive cruises, most people are ready to retire to their rooms once the shows end around 10:30 or make a stop in martinis for a night cap and an occasional name that tune.

 

If you are into good wines and food, you must try La Reserve for dinner one night. Yes, it is an additional cost, but you are just paying for the cost of the wines. It is a wonderful experience!l

[jagger16]

Sungirl, we were in Portofino last summer and the highlight of our day was taking a boat out to the San Fruttuoso Abbey. It was a delightful afternoon on the small beach. We spent a few hours there and then after taking the boat back to town, walked from Portofino to Paraggi and boy did we regret it. The beaches there could not even compare to the secluded cove at the Abbey. There are casual restaurants at the Abbey as well if you want to have a seaside lunch. We ate back in Portofino's main town but walked out of the harbor area to find a reasonably priced, friendly and delicious restaurant. We also bought a bottle of limoncello and a slice of pizza from an alimentari and had a delightful little snack while watching boats in the harbor.

http://www.portofinocoast.it/-english/servizituristici/location-SanFruttuoso/camogli-sanfruttuoso.html

[ALM54]

We just returned from Riviera, the Barcelona-Lisbon trip.

 

We had originally booked a B level cabin which is not concierge. Shortly before departure O offered to our travel agent an upgrade offer to an A2-A4 for a small overall increase. We decided to go for it since it was a great value. I have to say that I did not think it was worth it.

 

For starters we experienced a few days of fairly rough seas and our new A2 cabin was more aft than our former B cabin which was more amidship. IMO if you are prone to seasickness your cabin position is most important.

 

As others have pointed out, there is no difference at all between any B cabin and an A cabin in space or furnishings. In an A cabin you will get Bulgari toiletries which I happen to love but I could have brought my own. ;)

 

You get a silver room card which gets you into the Spa deck at the rear of the ship but due to the rough seas and high winds we did not use the Spa deck.

 

At embarkation there is a special priority line for different higher cabin levels but the B line moved faster than the A line did so there was n o advantage there.

 

At an A level there is no advantage at getting extra dinner reservations unlike a PH.

 

So I would say I felt the A was not worth it, even in view of the fact we paid a small premium for it.

 

Re entertainment, it's true that it's not their strong point. They did offer a few small production numbers with singing and dancing. IMO the piano player in Martinis was the highlight in terms of entertainment. There is a DJ on Horizons and a string quartet in the Grand Bar and I think there was one magic show. A couple of nights there were solo performances by different artists in the lounge. The ports were the main attractions.

 

If any one from O reads these posts I would like to offer the suggestion that they concentrate on individual singers in a small setting. I think many people would enjoy a talented singer with a pianist or something similar. Simple and non-gimmicky.

 

 

I was a little disappointed in the shore excursions. At times we had guides who were not easily understandable or were not knowledgeable or interesting. The tour buses did not have lavatories, even those used for long distances. In the past if the port was of great interest to us we would hire a private guide and I would suggest that for you. But that gets expensive fast so you might want to add in O shore excursions at times. We did the 5 port package that gets you 25% tours booked online before you embarked. At Lisbon we opted to do a hop-on, hop-off city bus which cost $15 euro pp and gave us a nice relaxed tour of the city.

 

And in balance I have to say the food is excellent, the service is superb, and bed is very comfortable. Riviera looks beautiful too.:)

[simbacat]

We stopped here in 2008 and absolutely loved it. Unlike Jagger16 we spend the whole day exploring the town, it's hills, back streets and eating in the harbor area. I MUST find a way to get back here. I've been to most Italy ports, a number of Greek ports, and three in Croatia/Montenegro. And this was one of the best for small/adorable.

[boardrep]

J and S, I missed something...I am booked in a PH but I thought that a daily fee of $25 was required to use the thallassotherapy pool and spa deck. However, if one booked a spa service, the usage of these amentities would be free. An Oceania rep gave me this information...is this incorrect? Thank you much.

 

I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and Spa Deck when discussing the merits of Concierge Cabins, to me that would be a much more important amenity than either the Concierge Lounge or the cashmere lap throws.

 

 

[LHT28]

J and S, I missed something...I am booked in a PH but I thought that a daily fee of $25 was required to use the thallassotherapy pool and spa deck. However, if one booked a spa service, the usage of these amentities would be free. An Oceania rep gave me this information...is this incorrect? Thank you much.

No J & S but I think if you are in a PH the spa deck is free to use.

 

If you book a spa service the use of the T-pool is free for 1 hr pre or post the spa service

At least that is the way it has been in the past

[JimandStan]

No J & S but I think if you are in a PH the spa deck is free to use.

 

If you book a spa service the use of the T-pool is free for 1 hr pre or post the spa service

At least that is the way it has been in the past

Access to the Spa deck is offered to Concierge Cabins and up:

 

Concierge Level Privileges

(In Addition to Receiving All Stateroom Amenities)

Priority noon check-in and early embarkation with priority luggage delivery

Exclusive access to private Concierge Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge

Welcome bottle of Champagne

Priority online specialty restaurant and shore excursion reservations

Unlimited access to Canyon Ranch SpaClub® private Spa Terrace

Laptop computer with wireless Internet access+

New for 2013! - Exclusive discounts on internet usage plans

New for 2013! - Complimentary iPad® available for your enjoyment onboard+

Bulgari toiletries

Complimentary Oceania Cruises logo tote bag

Cashmere lap blankets, perfect for relaxing on your veranda

Complimentary shoe shine service

Complimentary pressing of garments upon embarkation++