Rare maxamize Posted June 25, 2013 #1 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Riviera May 25 – June 6 Istanbul to Rome We had a wonderful cruise onboard Oceania’s MS Riviera. Since I love reading all the comments and reviews on this website, I decided to write down my thoughts on this cruise for others to read. I have also compared Oceania’s small ships (R-Class) to their newest and notably larger ship Riviera that is almost identical to the Marina (both the new O-Class). We have previously sailed on the ‘small’ ships Nautica and Insignia and had been anxious to try one of the new ships. Riviera exceeded our expectations on most points, but we also had a few disappointments. This is a lengthy review so beware… The M.S. Riviera is a beautiful ship, especially the interior design and amazing artwork that you find throughout the ship. Food When cruising the itinerary is a decisive factor for us, but the gastronomy is equally important (maybe even more…). After our culinary experiences onboard Nautica and Insignia we had very high expectations. We had been a little worried that the quality and preparation on Riviera (double the amount of guests) wouldn’t be as good as on the smaller ships, but I can honestly tell you that the food on Riviera was extraordinary. It may well be the best we have ever experienced on a cruise ship. The variety of restaurants is superb with Toscana (Italian), Red Ginger (Asian), Polo (steaks and seafood), Jacques (French), Waves (burgers), Terrace Café (buffet) and Grand Dining room. Red Ginger and Jacques aren’t available on the smaller ships and are not to be missed when sailing on Riviera or Marina. Since we love food so much this review will focus primarily on that. Grand Dining Room On the ‘small’ ships we weren’t very fond of the main dining room, but on Riviera it’s a beautiful and spacious restaurant, that serves innovative dishes with exclusive ingredients like caviar, main lobster, fresh scallops and prime rib. The food was excellent and the menu changes daily. Most of the dishes are also served buffet-style in the casual Terrace Café for those who prefer a more laidback atmosphere or like al fresco dining. In the Grand Dining Room we enjoyed delicious caviar, bouillabaisse, risotto with main lobster, slow roasted prime-rib and many more fabulous dishes. It was always difficult to choose from the menu, since there were so many attractive options. Service was good but sometimes felt a little rushed. One point of criticism however… Although the crystal chandelier is absolutely stunning the light (probably LED) is so bright, that whenever sitting near or under it, you feel like being in the doctors or dentists office. Maybe they could dim the lights a little, so that after dark the room feels more friendly, warm and intimate. Toscana It was our favorite restaurant on the small ships and on the Riviera it is also a very good restaurant. The décor is light and fresh with stunning views. The menu is almost identical to the small ships and they have specials every night. We enjoyed our dinners and loved the fresh pasta with scallops, fried calamari, melanzana, veal chop, dover sole and many more. The service was also very good with knowledgeable waiters and nice touches like the olive oil menu and fresh Parmesan cheese. We really loved Giovanni who also makes the best espressos and cappuccinos in the coffee bar Baristas. Red Ginger This Asian themed restaurant is only found on Riviera and Marina and it is wonderful. The room is a little dark and the windows are blocked by curtains (so unfortunately no view), but it’s very nicely decorated and the lovely Italian Maitre’d was one of the best crewmembers on the ship. We had mouthwatering lobster pad thai, miso glazed sea bass, caramelized chicken, seared tuna and many more delicious dishes. Please don’t forget to try the watermelon and duck salad, its fabulous. This restaurant also has a nice touches like being able to select your choice of chopsticks out of a wooden presentation box Polo This restaurant serves delicious steaks and seafood. The décor is very similar to the same restaurant on the small ships, but the room feels even more upscale. The food is very good, but you can get lobster and steaks in almost al the other dining venues on the ship. I wouldn’t mind if Oceania would change the menu a little and put some other specials on it. The dining chairs can be challenging when wearing smooth clothes, as you tend to slide from the polished leather. Service was good and the views are again marvelous. We had lobster bisque, waldorf salad, tender prime-rib and grilled jumbo shrimps. Everything cooked to perfection. Jacques This restaurant has menu’s inspired by the famous French chef Jacques Pepin, who is a culinary advisor for Oceania. We loved the décor and the food in this restaurant. It really feels like sitting in a French bistro. Service was good and knowledgably. The pumpkin soup, artichoke with foie gras, Dover sole and Canard a l’orange were all fabulous. The Crêpe Suzette was made fresh and also very tasty and rich. I wish we had eaten there a second time, because there were a lot of dishes on the menu I would have liked to try. Oceania did a great job with this restaurant. Waves This venue serves ‘limited’ breakfast and hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch. The food is good with juicy burgers, salads and ice cream. The restaurant and tables are covered completely by the deck above and this makes it feel a little dark and it can get warm. Serves can be quite chaotic at times, with people standing in line, ordering food and waiters bringing the food to the tables but sometimes unable to locate guests. You can also get milkshakes and gelato at Waves. This venue is the best (and only) spot for people who return later from shore excursions. Terrace Café The Terrace Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual atmosphere. The location high on the stern of the ship gives you a magnificent view. To bad this area is somewhat poorly designed. The outdoor space is ridiculously small for such a big vessel. Tables and chairs are big, bulky and placed very close together. Navigating and finding a free table can be quite a challenge. The food is delicious with a big variety. We liked the grilling station that serves lamb chops, jumbo shrimp, salmon and steaks. There is a dedicated pasta stations that serves pasta of the day that is sometimes freshly made. The lunch and dinner menu changes daily. Service can be hit and miss. Sometimes very good and sometimes messy with tables not cleared and cleaned. If you like dining al fresco this restaurant is the spot for you. We enjoyed a couple of nights sitting outside and getting great services from our waiter Raja. What surprised us is that all the restaurants close early. Except the main dining room (9:30) all other dining venues close at 9:00. When getting back late from a shore excursion you sometimes really have to hurry to get something to eat. The Terrace Café staff is very motivated to close down and prepare for breakfast. They started cleaning tables well before 9:00 and that doesn’t give you a very upscale feel. Nightlife If you’re not that in to food but like an active nightlife, Oceania might not be for you. They have a show in the Riviera Lounge every evening, but that’s about it. The shows are in my opinion somewhat mediocre, due to the lack of having really good singers and dancers. I prefer one really talented/professional vocalist, musician or comedian performing, instead of group that really tries hard but just lacks the quality (or training). After the show in the lounge ends, there is music and a ‘disco’ up in the Horizons lounge. We tried a couple of times but the place is deserted after 10:00 in the evening. Cocktails and drinks The prices for wine and cocktails are fairly high especially when you calculate the additional 18% gratuity that you pay for each and every drink. I don’t mind paying for good quality and most of the wines and spirits are fine. The cocktails however are a different story. They use fruit concentrate (cheap concentrate) for everything and even the promised ‘fresh’ limejuice comes out of a bottle. Cocktails like strawberry daiquiri, piña colada or margarita al taste chemical. Stateroom We had a wonderful Penthouse Suite located on deck 10. The stateroom was beautifully decorated with a large marble and granite bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower, huge walk-in closet, furnished balcony and Oceania’s Tranquility beds. There is a small couch and a writing desk. We loved our room and spend a lot of time out on the balcony. Unfortunately our room wasn’t properly cleaned on embarkation day. We found a lot of dust and a dirty handkerchief in the closet. The space under the desk hadn’t seen a vacuum cleaner in quite some time. Our stateroom attendant quickly resolved the issues, but it wasn’t a nice first impression. Guests who reside in suites (Penthouse, Oceania, Vista and Owner) get a butler. We don’t use the butler a lot, but it’s a nice feature when he (or she) is good at his job. Although our butler was friendly and helpful (he got as extra reservations in Toscana and Red Ginger) he was also somewhat intrusive. He would nock on the door and just let himself in, even when my wife was changing clothes or came out of the bathroom (naked). It didn’t matter if we told him not to enter the room he just came barging in and then apologizing telling us that he really needed to polish the wine cooler or bring our evening canapés. This happened more than once and got bothersome. Whenever we would see him in the hallway he would always try and start a conversation. It didn’t matter if we were already having a conversation with each other or with other guests; he would just start talking and kept asking questions about our day, dinner or what we were planning tomorrow. I understand he means well, but it made us feel uncomfortable. Our bathroom had a faulty (and cracked) shower dial. It took 2 days to get a new knob installed (the cracked part stayed). We had to request new shampoo and bath gel bottles multiple times because our stateroom attendant forgot to replace the used ones. Pool The pool is wonderful with good services, but the deck space felt cramped. There were to many sun beds placed to close together. People ‘reserved’ their beds for hours without being there. The pool deck got to crowded at times. During the evening the pool looks beautiful with great lighting and sometimes the show movies on the big screen with fresh popcorn. We had some bad winds during our voyage but otherwise it would have been a nice place to hang out after dark. Spa deck We loved the spa deck and thalasso pool on the forward deck near the spa. It has comfortable double sun beds, a commanding view and it’s so peaceful compared to the crowded pool area. This space is available to guests staying in suites but other guests can obtain a day pass. It’s a serene heaven and the perfect way to enjoy sailing. Gym / Spa The gym is excellent with all the machines you could wish for. The sauna and Turkish bath are also fabulous. The CanyonRanch SpaClub is amazing although a little to expensive. Weather We had a bit of bad luck on this cruise with strong winds at night. The ship is new, state of the art and has stabilizers, but still you could feel it pitching and rolling a lot. The seas weren’t that rough and I’m used to sailing on ships big and small, but the motion you felt on the Riviera surprised me. Ports Istanbul Great city with so many sights to see and enjoy that you don’t get tired of it even after spending days walking through the city. We went to Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and up to the Galata Tower. We dined at the rooftop terrace of the Richmond Hotel. It has a magnificent view but the prices are very high and the food is mediocre at best. The best food can be found in small restaurants. We loved getting a drink on a terrace and watching the buzzeling city life. Kusadasi Street vendors are very active in trying to sell their goods. We didn’t like walking around on the market near the port, because some people get very nasty when you friendly tell them that your not interested in their watches, bags or other products. Ephesus however is beautiful and well worth the trip. The excavations are stunning. Rhodes We like this island a lot and it’s nice that you can walk from the port to the old city. It’s very nice to wander around, enjoy a coffee and get some souvenirs. We would recommend taking a cab and let the driver show you around the island. Taxi’s are located just steps from where the ship docks. Crete The harbor and the town are nice spots on the Island, but if you take a cab you can find beautiful beaches and town. We also enjoyed the shops around the port and had a nice drink. Santorini The ships anchors and guests may use the tenders to get ashore. There is a cable cart that takes you up to the old town, you can also hop on a donkey or just walk. I wouldn’t recommend walking all the way up to the town. It’s a long and steep climb. We took the donkey going up (next time we will use the cable car) and walked back down. The town itself is very nice with sweeping views. It can get busy when there are more cruise ships in the area. Sicily This Island is one of our favorites. The ship anchors near the old town of Taormina that is positioned high above the sea giving you great views, nice restaurants and cosy little shops. We also took the ships tour to Mt Etna. We were disappointed with the tour. The bus ride was fine but when we finally arrived at the parking lot we only had about 30 minutes to walk around and enjoy the magnificent views. There was no time to take the cable car up to the mountain, walk to the different viewing spots et cetera. This ship tour was expensive and it actually only consisted of a bus ride to a parking spot. Sardinia The ship was docked at the port of Olbia a busy industrial harbor. The shops and restaurants in the city center were all closed and you really needed a cab to take you to one of the nice towns like Porto Cervo. Rome We stayed an extra night in Rome before flying home and love this city. We went to the Vatican, walked to the Spanish steps, Coloseum and many other beautiful sites throughout the city. Debarkation When on vacation the last thing you want to think about is the end of your well-earned holiday. The crew on Riviera makes sure you are reminded that there is and end to your lovely cruise. It started already two days in to the 12-night cruise. We were asked to fill out the debarkation forms for the number of suitcases, departure time and transport. A little early but fair enough. Then 4.5 days prior to disembarkation day we were already given our debarkation tickets, ‘thank you for sailing with us’ letters and final comment cards. It felt very strange to have this so early and with so many days ahead of us. When we came back to our suite on our last full cruise day our suitcases were already placed on the bed. I know every cruise line want passengers to get their luggage outside of the cabin on the last evening and have everybody leave the ship as early as possible the next morning, but this was a little to much for our taste. We have cruised before. We know the drill. Conclusion We have now experienced the big O-Class ships and the smaller R-Class ships. I would sail the bigger O-class ships again when the itinerary is good, but I prefer the level of service spaciousness and intimacy of the smaller ships Nautica, Insignia and Regatta. For us the cruise on Riviera felt more like being on a big cruise ship with waiting times, lines, cramped spots and a lack of personal attention. At the end of the day we prefer the feeling of being on a yacht better that sailing on a cruise ship. What we liked + Variety of specialty restaurants + Food + Beautiful staterooms + Décor + Artwork + Public spaces + Spa deck What we didn’t like + Big ship feeling + Small pool (to many beds placed to close together) + Small outside deck (terrace café + pool) + Stateroom cleanliness / cleaning + Stateroom maintenance (broken shower dial/scratches on the door) + Somewhat intrusive butler + Restaurants that close at 9:00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairbourne Posted June 25, 2013 #2 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Great review thank you Maxamize.:) makes me realise I should get my act together and finish my Regatta Alaska review! Anyhow I did read some of your comments with a heavy heart as you have experienced some of the things we did not like on the Regatta that you disliked on the Riviera and we have an upcoming Riviera cruise booked! I am amused by your comment of the R ships being like a private yacht, certainly not on our recent cruise on the Regatta with over 800 souls on board! Do you know how many you had on board? We are now concerned that should the Riviera be over-booked and sold to capacity and plus plus, we will have the same "over-crowding" experience. Thanks again for taking the time to write:). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypercafe Posted June 25, 2013 #3 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Thanks for the review, very straightforward. We just took out first Oceania trip in March on the Riviera. Coming from many trips on larger ships the Rivera seemed small, just about the right size, funny how people's perspective can be so different. Beside your stateroom problems we had a very similar impression of the ship. We are going on her again early next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted June 25, 2013 #4 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Thanks for the comprehensive review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted June 25, 2013 #5 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Thank you for your very complete and objective review. My only comment would be re: your take on Polo. While the MDR may serve steaks and lobster, in my experiences on the Marina and the R ships these were nowhere near the quality of the steaks served in Polo (never had lobster in the MDR on the Marina). Maybe the steaks are the same quality (and choices) in the MDR and in Polo on Riviera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceangirlkate Posted June 25, 2013 #6 Share Posted June 25, 2013 Maxamize, we are sailing on Nautica in September and our itinerary includes, Taormina, Rome, Santorini and Ephesus. I was quite interested in your comments. We are in concierge class so hope to take advantage of the private pool in the Canyon Spa. We love good food and fine dining and hope to sample some of the entrees noted. Thank you for your comprehensive review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted June 25, 2013 #7 Share Posted June 25, 2013 We are in concierge class so hope to take advantage of the private pool in the Canyon Spa. To call it a "pool" is a little ambitious- Think Hot Tub or Jacuzzi. Filled with chlorinated sea water, at any rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted June 26, 2013 #8 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks for taking the time to write and post your very comprehensive and well-organized review. We look forward to our Riviera experience next May, having loved our Marina cruise in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceangirlkate Posted June 26, 2013 #9 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I see what you may mean...not exactly a "pool". Hopefully we will have some nice weather to lounge on the deck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricki Posted June 26, 2013 #10 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thank you for your comprehensive review, Ricki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playtennis Posted June 26, 2013 #11 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Great review thank you Maxamize.:) makes me realise I should get my act together and finish my Regatta Alaska review! Anyhow I did read some of your comments with a heavy heart as you have experienced some of the things we did not like on the Regatta that you disliked on the Riviera and we have an upcoming Riviera cruise booked! I am amused by your comment of the R ships being like a private yacht, certainly not on our recent cruise on the Regatta with over 800 souls on board! Do you know how many you had on board? We are now concerned that should the Riviera be over-booked and sold to capacity and plus plus, we will have the same "over-crowding" experience. Thanks again for taking the time to write:). I thought the max passengers was 684? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare maxamize Posted June 26, 2013 Author #12 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Please let me know if you need any information on those ports. I would be happy to share information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true45 Posted June 26, 2013 #13 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thank you for the review. Looking forward to 1st Riviera and Regatta. OP, I understand your notes about the end of the cruise paperwork so far in advance. I've encountered that on other lines. The only cruiseline so far that mitigated that depressing feeling of having to get off (my own problem) is Disney where we were met at the gangplank when leaving and thanked for being aboard. Even on Celebrity, the treatment was different the last few days to the point of beds not being made correctly and new sheets hanging out of the closet. Not that I'm anticipating that on Oceania. But the paperwork alone so soon ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted June 26, 2013 #14 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks for a great review.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairbourne Posted June 26, 2013 #15 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I thought the max passengers was 684? Apparently not! In all of Oceania's marketing, brochures etc., it is much publicised ONLY 684 pax. We were told by a senior Officer on board that there were more than 800 on our recent Regatta Alaska cruise. And this would seem, from what he was saying, to be a regular occurrence on Oceania as they are overbooking so much, and making offers for people to move cruises. It is a regular topic on here of generous offers to people to move cruises so that would make sense. I have searched since we came home, and the ONLY different reference to numbers which can be accommodated on Regatta I can find is on Wikipedia which does state 824 in ALL berths. We were not surprised to hear that there were so many more on board than we has been led to believe, as the ship did feel crowded and it was not due to children either, as was suggested on another thread. (There were 3 children spotted on our cruise). Like you, our TA couldn't believe it either! Her second question (after are you sure but they say 684), was "but do they have enough lifeboats for that number?" Well, maybe not enough lifeboats, but with life rafts, and inflatables, yes they do - it was one of the first things my DH checked! They would be very foolish not to. But it does somehow make a mockery of their claims of only 684 guests, guest to staff ratio, when they are squeezing an extra 140 guests in! That's nearly an additional 20%! Perhaps Mr Del Rio, as he reads these boards, would like to comment? I am sure I am not the only one surprised and disappointed at this revelation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairbourne Posted June 26, 2013 #16 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thank you for the review.Looking forward to 1st Riviera and Regatta. OP, I understand your notes about the end of the cruise paperwork so far in advance. I've encountered that on other lines. The only cruiseline so far that mitigated that depressing feeling of having to get off (my own problem) is Disney where we were met at the gangplank when leaving and thanked for being aboard. Even on Celebrity, the treatment was different the last few days to the point of beds not being made correctly and new sheets hanging out of the closet. Not that I'm anticipating that on Oceania. But the paperwork alone so soon ... We had the same early notice of leaving on Regatta, and the new bed linen for the next occupants was in our wardrobe the night before we disembarked. And our dresser drawer had been cleared out of brochures etc., just general stuff we had put in there. Now whilst we did not wish to keep any of the things we had put in there and would have cleared it out ourselves, I was not happy with the fact that the stewardess or butler had been in there while we were still in residence so to speak! And no-one at disembarkation to bid us farewell, only the security crew. Not a soul, no farewell thanks, nothing. The butlers even had the new vases lined up on the hall rails when we came out of our stateroom on the last morning. Maxamize, I apologise for coming in on your thread with my comments but I felt some things must be said. I thought your review was very well thought out and laid out logically, which made it easy to read so I am going to write mine in the same format - :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypercafe Posted June 26, 2013 #17 Share Posted June 26, 2013 All lines are the same, the job of the crew is to make the person there at the time feel special, At the end they are looking forward to the next person. As far as the ship being full, they want money, the more people onboard the more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no fuss travel Posted June 26, 2013 #18 Share Posted June 26, 2013 It must have been the butler that did it. :D Yes, we did get the disembarkation information early on the Marina, but none of our papers were touched in the drawers. Our cabin was kept to the same quality service throughout the cruise. Mind you I just can't see having a butler, so we do not cruise in that category. Just a personal preference. I enjoyed your review and definitely agree with you about the tables in the Terrace Cafe. Too close together and when you unfortunately encountered people who insist on eating with their chairs far from the table, this makes the problem of trying to get to a table even worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Caroldoll Posted June 26, 2013 #19 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I agree on the motion part, although I do not get motion sickness, I am trying for the 8th deck in the future. I have a ton already booked on 9 and 10 though to get through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ronrick1943 Posted June 30, 2013 #20 Share Posted June 30, 2013 If you say over 800 people on the ship, don't you think that maybe the over 684 are crew? What would a cruise be without them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairbourne Posted July 1, 2013 #21 Share Posted July 1, 2013 If you say over 800 people on the ship, don't you think that maybe the over 684 are crew? What would a cruise be without them? NO and for the last time on this subject, NO! :). Crew is stated as 400 on the website, so, my school girl sums tells me: 684 guests plus 400 crew = 1084 total. We were told quite categorically over 800 guests. HOWEVER! FDR has replied on another thread, on the record, that there were 679 on our sailing - in response to my question to him. END. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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