puzzled by such negative comments about Oceania Riviera

[Emperor Norton]

Why moan about someone's dress, about the color of the bar lighting, about the large number of tourists at popular places in high season, about the quality of the souvenirs, about malls being closed, about the internet being upstairs, about whatever?

 

 

Why didn't you ask these questions in the threads the issues were initially raised in?:confused:

[Floridiana]

baychilla, you can answer here if you like.

[Sunviking]

I agree with you about dress code; it does matter. And especially when a cruise line such as Oceania has already made the suggested attire very comfortable (i.e. no formal nights), I just don't think it's very hard to put on a nice shirt, top, slacks, whatever. So anyone who doesn't just doesn't care which means they have an attitude problem.

 

Your point is also well taken about giving thought about when to travel. Having seen the picture posted on this person's review, I would never dream of going there in July ... ever! The crowds (for me) would spoil the whole experience and it seems he was always looking for shade. So if nothing else, the review was great for making that point along with (as I mentioned several times before) some amazing photography!

 

I try to travel once a year with my daughter who has been working on a PhD and will now be teaching at a university. Unfortunately we must follow university schedules which means we have to go to places like the Med in the summer when it's hot and there are lots of tourists. We spent 18 days there last July and I dripped my way around the eastern Med and it was crowded! Nonetheless we had a lovely time and the time spent with her was priceless. For those not retired, vacations must be scheduled around work obligations. Wish it weren't so, but that's life.

[Mura]

Okay, it's true that are lots of people who cannot choose when to vacation.

 

We were always lucky that my husband could schedule his vacations "off season", and I worked part-time as a professional singer who used by days off for auditions and the like. I also had an office that understood -- I would tell them, "I'm off for a month" and they were fine with that. And they even bought tickets to my recitals.

 

True, not everyone is that lucky and for people in academic careers they really do NOT have a choice.

 

So don't think we are lecturing you if you have to travel in the summer time.

 

Last year we did the Black Sea cruise which required us going to the Med in the summer time, which I never would voluntarily do. We were lucky as far as the weather was concerned. We had one day which was the hottest day of the year -- in the high 90s F. But the other ports while warm, were tolerable.

 

Now we are going to do a TA taking us to Brazil in THEIR summer time. We've been there before when it's summer in South America and know what we will encounter, but we don't have a choice either.

 

You cannot always pick the time you will travel just as you cannot totally control the weather.

 

I know I won't go to Barcelona in August if I can manage not to ... but Rio in December probably won't be that different.

 

Mura

[sailfar]

We have cruised many of the lines. Oceania cuisine is at the top as well as Regent. Food is not just about the camera appearance but also the taste and and the variety of the cuisine. Oceania not only has a renowned French chef but an Italian chef. They also have a sushi chef and an Indian chef. The variety even on the smaller ships is fantastic!. Go to the cruise ratings site and check out what people think of the food on Oceania. Don't just take one source or look at pictures of one person. Consider all the imput like you would do in buying a nice tv or kitchen faucet.

 

Enjoy your cruises. The people on Oceania are wonderful, as well as other cruise lines. Oceania cruises tend to attract well educated, interesting people who have a curiosity for travel adventure without the snarky appeal and smoke. You really need to try an Oceania cruise before you pass judgement.

[cbb]

I went to the SB thread on this topic and did not like many of the responses. I don't usually judge a cruise line by the people who write on CC but I must say I was turned off by what I read there. I hope those writers continue to insist on traveling only on SB; it will make my O journeys that much more pleasant.

 

SB will continue to be off limits to us until their smoking policy changes. Even though they have recently changed some of the rules, it still seems that smoking is allowed in too many places.

[Emperor Norton]

baychilla, you can answer here if you like.

 

Or I could answer questions in the threads in which they were originally raised. Guess What I'm going to do?

[Emperor Norton]

I went to the SB thread on this topic and did not like many of the responses. I don't usually judge a cruise line by the people who write on CC but I must say I was turned off by what I read there. I hope those writers continue to insist on traveling only on SB; it will make my O journeys that much more pleasant.

 

SB will continue to be off limits to us until their smoking policy changes. Even though they have recently changed some of the rules, it still seems that smoking is allowed in too many places.

 

Between certain posters threads on SB I thought I was up for a horrible cruise. Turns out, nits aside to be the opposite. I would suggest that one NEVER judge a cruise line based on what whaaagarrrbl you see on cruise critic.

 

What you see can direct you, but times change, people change and stocks change.

[Paulchili]

Between certain posters threads on SB I thought I was up for a horrible cruise. Turns out, nits aside to be the opposite. I would suggest that one NEVER judge a cruise line based on what whaaagarrrbl you see on cruise critic.

 

.

 

Is that what you think the people on SB forum think?

Maybe you should enlighten them as well? :)

While it is nice of you to let us know that your O cruise was "opposite of horrible" (my interpretation of your post), we here need little such assurances; that cannot be said of the SB bunch.

[travelwell]

We have sailed on both Oceania and Seabourn and have had great cruises on both. I wrote a review after the Oceania cruise, what i would call a premium cruise, a huge step up from Celebrity, our favorite at the time. We often have felt that cruise made us decide to dabble into the luxury market, sailing on Regent, the Seabourn and lastly Crystal. Comparing Oceania and Seabourn is. like comparing apples to oranges. Very different feel, especially when comparing to Seabourn's triplets that hold 200 people. By the end of a two week Seabourn cruise we knew most of the passengers and many officers. After our Oceania we knew a few dozen but it was a larger ship and we felt we had appropriate interaction. Both ships were full of great people but Seabourn was much more diverse, but it was also based out of Hong Kong. No line is 100 % perfect. Seabourn's embarkation was the worst I have ever encountered, exactly as Baychilla wrote in her review of the Pride, but we loved the intimacy of the ship. I would only stay in a Penthouse or higher on Oceania but I would definitely go again, especially if we were with our 30 year old children.

[SunDapple]

It isn't so :). Admittedly, I can't compare our first experience on Oceania with an experience on Seabourne because I've never cruised on Seabourne.

 

But we've cruised since 1982 on Cunard, Royal Viking Line (oh so long ago it was my favorite), Holland America, Celebrity, NCL, Windstar and a few others that died a long time ago.......

 

I too have cruised on Royal Viking, in the early to mid 80's. Ever since, those experiences have been my gold standard for everything a cruise should be, most importantly their standard of service. Oceania lives up to Royal Viking's highest standards, set when cruising had yet to become a vacation for the masses.

I've done some time on Princess and RCCL, for a reason.... when we were cruising with kids, but once we discovered O that was the end of every other cruise line. (We are now free of children as well). :-)

 

That said, the things that are the subject of criticism in the SB thread are laughable when viewed simply as "Third World Problems".

[HeatherInFlorida]

I too have cruised on Royal Viking, in the early to mid 80's. Ever since, those experiences have been my gold standard for everything a cruise should be, most importantly their standard of service. Oceania lives up to Royal Viking's highest standards, set when cruising had yet to become a vacation for the masses.

I've done some time on Princess and RCCL, for a reason.... when we were cruising with kids, but once we discovered O that was the end of every other cruise line. (We are now free of children as well). :-)

 

That said, the things that are the subject of criticism in the SB thread are laughable when viewed simply as "Third World Problems".

 

Royal Viking set the standard for us, too. We cruised on the the Royal Viking Sea on our honeymoon in the Mediterranean (1985) and even in a mid-grade cabin, the service was beyond impeccable; everything else as well (including food). Cruising was very different back then. Other than our cruise on Wind Song in the South Pacific, that cruise stood out as our favorite.

 

The other thing Royal Viking excelled at that no one has ever come close to matching since was shore excursions at far from outrageous prices. During that one 12 day cruise from Barcelona to Venice, we saw and learned so much. It was incredible. I think cruise lines have completely lost the ability to provide shore excursions worth what they charge.

 

Oceania, for us, absolutely lived up to our experience on Royal Viking ... and then some because of increased stateroom luxury.

[wripro]

Remember that those prices for shore excursions on Royal Viking were 20 years ago. They'd be much more expensive if RV were around today.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Remember that those prices for shore excursions on Royal Viking were 20 years ago. They'd be much more expensive if RV were around today.

 

They'd be more, but i'm thinking in today's $$$. Compared to the cost of the cruise, they were very reasonable. But even money aside, it was the quality of the tours and the guides that were so outstanding.

 

Truthfully, in 1985 cruising was much more expensive than it is today.

[digtexas]

My first cruise was on Royal Viking to Alaska in the summer of 1984. I was 36 at the time so you would expect that I would have been very impressed. However since I started luxury cruising again in 2005 on the Crystal Serenity, followed by the Crystal Symphony, Seabourn Quest and most recently Oceania Riviera, I find the modern cruising experience much more elegant than I remember it being back then on Royal Viking. I recall a small cabin with a tiny shower and two port holes...not exactly luxurious, and although I just cannot remember exactly how the ship looked, I don't remember it being nearly as elegant as the more modern ships with their wide open atriums and beautiful public spaces.

I am not contradicting any one else's memories of their experiences, but as I remember it, nothing stands out that surpasses today's luxury cruises.

[HeatherInFlorida]

My first cruise was on Royal Viking to Alaska in the summer of 1984. I was 36 at the time so you would expect that I would have been very impressed. However since I started luxury cruising again in 2005 on the Crystal Serenity, followed by the Crystal Symphony, Seabourn Quest and most recently Oceania Riviera, I find the modern cruising experience much more elegant than I remember it being back then on Royal Viking. I recall a small cabin with a tiny shower and two port holes...not exactly luxurious, and although I just cannot remember exactly how the ship looked, I don't remember it being nearly as elegant as the more modern ships with their wide open atriums and beautiful public spaces.

I am not contradicting any one else's memories of their experiences, but as I remember it, nothing stands out that surpasses today's luxury cruises.

 

Danny, there is no question that luxury has been added to cruising as that's what the public wanted. So we got what we asked for ... larger cabins, balconies, and it just gets better all the time. Even a standard cabin on a Celebrity ship has it over the cabins on Royal Viking.

 

But I wasn't referring to the design of the ships, the size of the cabins, or what some call "elegance". While they have stepped up the amount of venues for dining, I still believe it's hard to top the food and service we received on Royal Viking.

[digtexas]

Danny, there is no question that luxury has been added to cruising as that's what the public wanted. So we got what we asked for ... larger cabins, balconies, and it just gets better all the time. Even a standard cabin on a Celebrity ship has it over the cabins on Royal Viking.

 

But I wasn't referring to the design of the ships, the size of the cabins, or what some call "elegance". While they have stepped up the amount of venues for dining, I still believe it's hard to top the food and service we received on Royal Viking.

 

I don't doubt you for a minute Heather. I just wish that I had a clearer memory of it.

Regards,

[CintiPam]

Having only booked but as not yet sailed on Oceania, I was somewhat shocked at the negative feedback on the Seabourn board about a cruise on the Riviera I believe. After reading all the positive reviews about the great food, service on Oceania I was rather disgusted by the snobbish put downs in this review. Tell me it isn't so. Thanks

 

It isn't so. Looking forward to cruising with you next spring!:)

[no fuss travel]

I don't doubt you for a minute Heather. I just wish that I had a clearer memory of it.

Regards,

 

It was the service. There was the maitre d', the assistant maitre d', the head waiter, then your regular waiter plus helper in the dining room. They did not have to wait on as many tables so you got more personalized service just like your cabin steward did not have to clean as many cabins as they are now responsible for. Yes the cabins were smaller and there was that darn shower curtain you had to fight with everytime you took a shower, but what I remember is the service. I sailed with Sitmar in the 70's and early 80's and that is my fondest memories of cruising. I remember one cruise where we had gone on a tour to Chichen Itza for the day, got back late, our room had been made up for the night, but we decided we just had to have a shower before going to dinner. We thought we were safe since they had made the room up and didn't pick up after ourselves. Needless to say to our embarrassment and surprise, they had completely redone the cabin so that it was spotless. Our room steward got a special thank you after that.:D

[HeatherInFlorida]

I don't doubt you for a minute Heather. I just wish that I had a clearer memory of it.

Regards,

 

Danny :) ... it was our honeymoon:D

 

It was the service. There was the maitre d', the assistant maitre d', the head waiter, then your regular waiter plus helper in the dining room. They did not have to wait on as many tables so you got more personalized service just like your cabin steward did not have to clean as many cabins as they are now responsible for. Yes the cabins were smaller and there was that darn shower curtain you had to fight with everytime you took a shower, but what I remember is the service. I sailed with Sitmar in the 70's and early 80's and that is my fondest memories of cruising. I remember one cruise where we had gone on a tour to Chichen Itza for the day, got back late, our room had been made up for the night, but we decided we just had to have a shower before going to dinner. We thought we were safe since they had made the room up and didn't pick up after ourselves. Needless to say to our embarrassment and surprise, they had completely redone the cabin so that it was spotless. Our room steward got a special thank you after that.:D

 

We always joked about that ... we swore they had little lookout stations and the minute we left the room they would run in and tidy up. The service stood out. And then, little by little, we expected (and got) less and less. I knew that as rates went down and the passenger/service ratio changed, there was no way we could expect the service of the past. But then it just got to a point it just wasn't special anymore. So when we discovered Oceania we were like children in a candy store ... we just love it.

 

Doesn't mean that for some people there's something better out there. Just for us this is perfect, the price point is doable ... so in the foreseeable future we'll be on Oceania as much as possible. Giving Celebrity another try in 2015 and we'll see.

[Caroldoll]

We started, guess where, Carnival...then we progressed to Windstar and Sea Goddess and then fit in one Princess...and then came Royal Viking. We did China. The tours were included!. Fabulous tours, and my DH was seasick the entire cruise. They sent the doctor with us on every tour to make sure he was not going to pass out! Get that service these days. In addition they upgraded us to a suite with a butler...who knew what a butler was! I was working 18 hours a day at that time and I was the mother, provider, caregiver for inlaws and ran a business with about 800 people at that time...but I found out what a butler was for...and fell in love! Never to be without. They offered us an extension on the cruise for VJ day or whatever it was in Normandy and oh how I wanted it--it was only $100 a day at that time, but woe is me--us, back to work we went. After that my life was "ruined". Wanted quality, a great suite, a butler....on and on. For a while Royal Caribbean provided this with fabulous suites with a piano (DH plays) and even a Butler's Pantry, but then the Butler went the way of the Maytag Repairman! Their suggestion was Celebrity and Celebrity had all of the old staff from Royal Viking...cool! Then things went slowly downhill. Tried a million lines, PG, Regent, Seabourn...omg, I can't remember how many, but finally found my ship...Oceania Riviera. My taste is not as finely honed as Baychilla...perhaps us'n in SoCal are less upscale..never as good in photography and stand-up comedy, but I am with Oceania for the long haul. Something stunning has to take me off track!

[atlantic cruiser]

This is going to be my first Oceania cruise. Have many under my belt but most with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking forward to this cruise. This is my first cruise on Oceania. Have cruised with Azamara, Celebrity and HAL in the day when they were great

(1985) they were hard to beat with incredible food. That has changed dramatically. Would like to link other with others for private tours. Looking especially for a tour of Tuscany country side. Have seen Florence a few times before and would like to try something different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a

[lovetocruise16]

Baychilla, think my question got lost in the shuffle, but could you tell us how many cruises you have had over the years? And on which cruise lines?

[atlantic cruiser]

Sorry for the weird blank in my last post. Don't quite know what I did but wanted to thank everyone with the wonderful positive comments. I am now feeling very positive about my upcoming cruise and am sure it will meet my expectations. Thanks again for all the positive feedback.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Caroldoll, so loved reading your story ... especially about Royal Viking. Quite a leap from Carnival to Oceania! It's really funny about the Butler because when we booked our cruise on Riviera I wanted the PH for size, but thought 'what the heck am I going to do with a Butler?'. We're very low maintenance people so I hoped he had plenty of cabins because he wouldn't even know our faces!:)

 

Did I ever found out how wonderful it is to have a Butler on that cruise. We just loved him and I just hope our next Butler can live up to the bar he set. Funny part was we were on Deck 7 where there were only 4 PH so it was a hike for him. Still, he always seemed to be there without a call and if I did call, there he was in an instant!