Thoughts One Week Post-Riviera Jan. 13 - Jan. 23 Caribbean Hideaways RT Miami Cruise

[CintiPam]

I decided to share some thoughts regarding my recent Riviera Caribbean Hideaways cruise, which sailed from Miami on Monday, January 13, returning there on Thursday, January 23.

Cruising Background. Husband Gerry and I have sailed four times previously on Oceania, three times on the smaller “R” ships annually starting in 2008, and the last time (2-1/2 years ago!) on Marina a couple of months after its inaugural cruise. These past two years we sailed on Azamara Quest, a result of our having to cancel a planned September 2012 Oceania cruise when our daughter set her wedding date for the end of that month. As very itinerary-driven cruisers, and being cup half-full rather than half-empty people, we have enjoyed sailing on both Oceania and Azamara lines and firmly believe in the merits of each.



This was our very first Caribbean cruise, booked within an hour last July when Oceania sent us an email including Cincinnati temporarily as a gateway city. (We already had booked our upcoming May Riviera Istanbul to Barcelona cruise almost immediately after itineraries were released.)

Edited February 3, 2014 by CintiPam

[CintiPam]

This is the first time we used Oceania Air and the flights provided were pretty lousy. We had to catch a 7 AM flight from Cincinnati, had several hours layover in Charlotte and arrived in Miami at 2 PM. Fair enough at the included price although getting up at 4:45 AM was not much fun.

 

But the flights back home did not leave Miami until 4:50 PM, with a changeover in Philadelphia (really ridiculous to arrange in January!) which arrived in Cincinnati at 11:30 PM, so we did not get home until almost 1 AM Friday morning. OK, you certainly get what you pay for and fortunately we ended up flying between polar vortex problems! And the car started after midnight although it was minus something or other so we were very fortunate.

 

On the other hand, we are using Oceania Air for our upcoming May Riviera cruise, and even with the deviation fees, non-gateway city fees, and $100 extra for getting the exact flights we requested, we still saved about $400 per person over what we would have had to pay on our own.

 

So basically you or your travel agent needs to do some homework to find out if you should take the air allowance and book on your own or book through Oceania. The Matrix website really helps me make my determinations on airfare issues.

 

We also chose to make lemonade out of lousy flight-home lemons by spending our six hours after disembarkation exploring South Beach rather than sitting at the airport. I highly recommend the excellent recorded Art Deco tour with 15 stops (one mile RT) which you can rent and take at your convenience for $15 per person from the Miami Design Preservation League. The player is about 2” X 1” and clips to your clothing with earbuds you can keep. With the temperature that day topping out at 70 F, it was a great day for walking around South Beach. We chose to sleep in and not rush off the ship in order to drop off our luggage in time to catch the daily guided tours offered at 10 AM by a private company and 10:30 AM by the Preservation League.

[CintiPam]

Smooth, fast and efficient. As our Miami taxi rolled up to the Oceania terminal (at Miami’s set price of $24 from the Miami airport to Port of Miami), the driver popped the trunk, and while we still were paying our fare, a sturdily-built Miami port employee grabbed our bags and directed us inside Oceania’s terminal. There was no one else at all boarding then (at around 2:45 PM), so we gave our names to the welcoming Oceania employee on the ground floor, climbed upstairs, had our photos taken, were handed our Oceania cards and boarded. Immediately onboard, I had my first glimpse of the even-more stunning Lalique staircase than on Marina. I love art glass in all forms so bear with me.

 

We left our carry-on bags and went aft and up for our late lunch before the 4 PM closing of the Terrace Café. First impression: beautiful cabin hallways, nice classy wood and brass touches outside each cabin entrance, and lovely veranda furniture. Our luggage was waiting for us by the door after we finished lunch, and I just had time to unpack the clothes really needing to be hung before our 4:15 muster drill in the Riviera lounge.

 

I already have complained sufficiently about Oceania’s discouraging attitude to Cruise Critic roll call get-togethers, so I will not repeat my experience with the Executive Concierge here other than to say embarkation is a busy stressful day for all employees. Oceania sent out printed invitations that evening to all 53 roll call members for an event on the second sea day in Horizons.

[CintiPam]

The papers in our cabin indicated that David Peterson would be our CD, not the promised Roy Perez, who had been an assistant on a previous Oceania cruise whom we enjoyed very much. The mystery remains: what happened to CD Roy Perez? I asked David later in the cruise whether Roy was ill and was told that he was not, but even I was not brave enough to inquire any further. Any insight from readers of this thread, if any, would be appreciated.

 

David Peterson is very efficient, well-organized and has a very dry sense of humor, but he was not one of those warm and friendly guys who would greet you in the hallway. He had his first morning show shot with him sitting behind his office desk, and he made a point of turning back to his keyboard while still on camera at the end, so I knew immediately that this was a CD with a very different attitude towards his role than I previously had experienced onboard Oceania.

 

I am a trivia fan, and David’s insistence on flying through the questions, even while adding varying amounts of bonus points to each of the 20 questions asked, plus marking all the papers himself, then showing off his mathematical skills by adding everyone’s scores in record time at the afternoon trivia, really was a downer for me, and we ceased attending after the first two days onboard.

 

Please note, gentle readers, that this just is my opinion, my two most recent cruise experiences were with warm and fuzzy Azamara personnel, and Leslie Jon was the CD on three of my four previous Oceania cruises. David performed his job very efficiently.

That's it for today!

[CintiPam]

I am a mid-ships lower deck gal due to my queasy stomach; I loved our Deck 7 Oceanview C cabin on Marina. IMO there certainly is no need for a veranda when sailing the Baltics. Unlike my spouse, who loves to fall asleep to the rolling motion of the ship, I am a cruiser who is happiest when not feeling any movement at all! I carry Bonine just in case, but prefer not to be drugged during my vacations (or other times!). So that is why all our cruises to date had been in the Mediterranean and the Baltics.

 

Our TA conveyed several upsell offers in the last month before sailing but no particular cabin was provided, just a deck number, and I was very afraid of being assigned a cabin too far forward. where the bucking into any headwinds would get to me, or in the back, where I hate the vibrations so much I never sit in the back third of the Grand Dining Room.

 

Finally, the week before we sailed, she had another offer, this time to jump to a B1, which was so attractive that I asked her if she could get Oceania to offer a specific cabin. I figured if it was in the middle 2/3rds of the ship, I would take it and pray for good weather. I knew my spouse would love the veranda. Our TA got two cabin numbers and one was fairly central, so we grabbed it, and it worked out great.

Oddly enough, spouse had to work most mornings, so I was the one who really used the veranda for substantial amounts of time,. However, that is partly due to the fact that I could not get a chaise in the shade on the pool deck due to way too much chairhogging on our cruise, particularly on our final two sea days.

[CintiPam]

Positives: Restful colors, innocuous artwork, fantastically comfortable beds, a lot of lighting options, small bed lamps you can beam directly to your book so you can read in bed easily (even while spouse is asleep!), nice lighting all around the mirror hanging above the desk for make-up help, three hooks for airing clothes right outside bathroom door, extra desk lamp, stable and comfortable desk chair.

 

The beauty of these cabins really struck me after having sailed most recently on Azamara Quest, where the furnishings desperately are in need of replacement. Azamara replaced the mattresses between our two Quest cruises, so they were fine, but all else is very worn, scratched and darkly dated. Also the veranda furniture on Riviera is lovely “coated” wicker-looking with matching small table and comfy cushions while there is a too-big large plastic table and two white plastic chairs on Quest. On Azamara, the table always is in the way whenever entering or exiting the veranda.

 

Negatives:

 

1. As on Marina, the closets are placed way too close to the bed (about 15 inches from my side of the bed?) and only are 2/3 of the size of those on the “R” ships (double rather than triple doors). Therefore, there is a lot of taking turns when we both were trying to access our hanging clothes and shoes.

 

2. The excellent safe is placed on the top shelf, ridiculously too high for many (like me) to reach all the way to its back. I spent a lot of time scrabbling around in it to find my jewelry pouches.

 

3. Spouse used the desk drawers for all his non-hanging items but IMO the desk drawer space is too shallow for useful clothing storage, which is why spouse had to use it.

 

4. The rainhead shower is lovely but like many others, I usually turned it off when applying shampoo and conditioner due to the extremely small size of the shower.

 

5. We only used the bathtub in the lovely bathroom to dry out our wet swimming items. The bathtub really used up a lot of cabin space that I would have preferred being used for a bigger closet and better closet access.

 

6. We travel with only one 25” suitcase each, and barely unloaded their contents both in the drawer and closet space available, so I cannot imagine where those who bring more place their clothes.

[wowpeople]

I won't mind waiting my 'turn'to get to the closet but still can't figure out where we will put our 'stuff'! Was your DH able to fit all of his shirts underware, swim suits in the tiny desk drawers? This IS going to be quite a challenge for me and will probably have to store stuff in tub. :(

[LHT28]

I won't mind waiting my 'turn'to get to the closet but still can't figure out where we will put our 'stuff'! Was your DH able to fit all of his shirts underware, swim suits in the tiny desk drawers? This IS going to be quite a challenge for me and will probably have to store stuff in tub. :(

 

Not sure how much stuff you take ...we had a 26" case each about 35 lbs & everything found a home for the 10 days we were onboard

 

DH had the desk drawers & I of course took the ones near the closet

There was some space in the night table drawers which we did not really use

put my book in mine

I do double hang things like putting a shirt on the same hanger as the dress pants & still had ample space in the closet

We had a concierge cabin so no walk in closet either

 

Lyn

[RachelG]

Positives: Restful colors, innocuous artwork, fantastically comfortable beds, a lot of lighting options, small bed lamps you can beam directly to your book so you can read in bed easily (even while spouse is asleep!), nice lighting all around the mirror hanging above the desk for make-up help, three hooks for airing clothes right outside bathroom door, extra desk lamp, stable and comfortable desk chair.

 

The beauty of these cabins really struck me after having sailed most recently on Azamara Quest, where the furnishings desperately are in need of replacement. Azamara replaced the mattresses between our two Quest cruises, so they were fine, but all else is very worn, scratched and darkly dated. Also the veranda furniture on Riviera is lovely “coated” wicker-looking with matching small table and comfy cushions while there is a too-big large plastic table and two white plastic chairs on Quest. On Azamara, the table always is in the way whenever entering or exiting the veranda.

 

Negatives:

 

1. As on Marina, the closets are placed way too close to the bed (about 15 inches from my side of the bed?) and only are 2/3 of the size of those on the “R” ships (double rather than triple doors). Therefore, there is a lot of taking turns when we both were trying to access our hanging clothes and shoes.

 

2. The excellent safe is placed on the top shelf, ridiculously too high for many (like me) to reach all the way to its back. I spent a lot of time scrabbling around in it to find my jewelry pouches.

 

3. Spouse used the desk drawers for all his non-hanging items but IMO the desk drawer space is too shallow for useful clothing storage, which is why spouse had to use it.

 

4. The rainhead shower is lovely but like many others, I usually turned it off when applying shampoo and conditioner due to the extremely small size of the shower.

 

5. We only used the bathtub in the lovely bathroom to dry out our wet swimming items. The bathtub really used up a lot of cabin space that I would have preferred being used for a bigger closet and better closet access.

 

6. We travel with only one 25” suitcase each, and barely unloaded their contents both in the drawer and closet space available, so I cannot imagine where those who bring more place their clothes.

 

Haven't been on azamara, but ditto to everything Pam said about the room on riviera. I could not have said it better!

[computerworks]

I won't mind waiting my 'turn'to get to the closet but still can't figure out where we will put our 'stuff'! Was your DH able to fit all of his shirts underware, swim suits in the tiny desk drawers? This IS going to be quite a challenge for me and will probably have to store stuff in tub. :(

 

We are incurable overpackers and recently sailed on the Marina in a Concierge cabin with three large suitcases...

...and absolutely no trouble.

 

There are drawers to the right of the desk, cabinet shelves to the left of the desk...drawers both night stands... plenty of shelf space above and below the safe, etc.

 

All three suitcases fit easily under the bed; many folks don't realize that the empty suitcases also make great temporary storage. We keep some shore gear and toys in there (snorkel gear, rain gear, etc.) for when we need it.

 

The closet was spacious...no problems there either. :confused:

 

Remember, I'm the guy who travels with 30+ t-shirts. :cool: They all fit folded in the desk area.

[tvmovielover]

I am glad you mentioned the safe and where it is located in veranda cabins (or maybe all cabins?). My only real criticism at mid-cruise was that I had to stand on the bed or a chair to access the safe and then still had to feel around for things. I guess it was a good way to stretch.

[LHT28]

I take a gallon size zip lock bags & everything small goes in there eg: pills, jewelry pouch, car key etc.

then the bag goes into to the safe so nothing will go missing

 

No need to search for the small bits on the last night they are safely in my ziplock bag :D

[Travelcat2]

We are incurable overpackers and recently sailed on the Marina in a Concierge cabin with three large suitcases...

...and absolutely no trouble.

 

There are drawers to the right of the desk, cabinet shelves to the left of the desk...drawers both night stands... plenty of shelf space above and below the safe, etc.

 

All three suitcases fit easily under the bed; many folks don't realize that the empty suitcases also make great temporary storage. We keep some shore gear and toys in there (snorkel gear, rain gear, etc.) for when we need it.

 

The closet was spacious...no problems there either. :confused:

 

Remember, I'm the guy who travels with 30+ t-shirts. :cool: They all fit folded in the desk area.

 

Your t-shirt comment still makes me laugh. So, you have 30+ t-shirts for how many days? I shouldn't laugh since I probably have 30 blouses/tops for 2 weeks.

 

This thread reminds me of why we don't sail in the smaller staterooms on Oceania. We found the penthouse suite to have plenty of room and it was laid out well. We are quite surprised to learn of that some suites are space challenged. That is the one thing most people want.

[hypercafe]

After reading this I am really glad that I just rented the room for two weeks and did not buy it!!! I never realized it had so many problems.

[CintiPam]

I won't mind waiting my 'turn'to get to the closet but still can't figure out where we will put our 'stuff'! Was your DH able to fit all of his shirts underware, swim suits in the tiny desk drawers? This IS going to be quite a challenge for me and will probably have to store stuff in tub. :(

 

He always wears a dress shirt to dinner, so all those went in the closet on hangars. He did fit all his knit shirts and underwear in the tiny desk drawers. I made sure never to open any of them during our cruise!:)

[CintiPam]

I am glad you mentioned the safe and where it is located in veranda cabins (or maybe all cabins?). My only real criticism at mid-cruise was that I had to stand on the bed or a chair to access the safe and then still had to feel around for things. I guess it was a good way to stretch.

 

I am obsessive about cleaning out the safe the last morning because once after returning from a week at a resort in Punta Cana, I found that I did not have my car keys, and we had to take a taxi home and return to the airport the next day to get the car. Since that time, I practically scour the safe before I leave any hotel room or cruise ship cabin.

[CintiPam]

After reading this I am really glad that I just rented the room for two weeks and did not buy it!!! I never realized it had so many problems.

 

Not so much problems, but little inconveniences in the regular veranda cabins that do not exist on the "R" ship veranda cabins.

 

I was not so sure after our Marina trip in 2011 (when so many ship employees still needed a lot of training) whether I preferred the new "O" ships over the older "R" ones. Husband, who loves the food on the "O" ships and the public rooms was an immediate convert, but it was this cruise which finally won me over.

[CintiPam]

The public spaces all truly are stunning, supplying a very spacious and elegant feel. The Lalique staircase is gorgeous, and I never missed a chance to descend it when going from my cabin on Deck 8 to Deck 5, even though I had to detour from the regular staircase when I got to 6.

 

The best part IMO was that although the ship is so much bigger than the “R” ships, I never felt that way onboard because the design spreads people out beautifully. We never felt crowded anywhere. I thought the Riviera Lounge was comfortable, with a lot of nice legroom; and the sightlines were fine, much better than on the “R” ships. Because of the extra legroom, someone could arrive for a lecture or show late and get to a seat without anyone in that row having to stand up.

 

I thought the décor and layout of the Grand Dining Room was lovely; I believe the ceilings there are higher than on Marina. The Terrace Café seemed much less crowded when getting to and from one’s table at breakfast than on the “R” ships. We were able to find shaded seats often outside on the open rear there for breakfast although the service outside was nowhere near as good than if you ate inside there (at least at breakfast).

 

The furniture was comfortable in both Horizons and Martinis although only weightlifters could move some of it when arranging ourselves for evening trivia. I became adept at pushing rather than lifting because I simply adore evening trivia.

[CintiPam]

Because I am a docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum, IMO the art objects on display substantially add to the delights of cruising on Riviera and Marina. I really commend Mr. Del Rio for his close attention to this area, particularly because I spent too many meals on Azamara Quest just four months ago facing the absolutely hideous mural on proud display in its “refurbished" (in hodge-podge style IMO) main dining room.

 

Riviera’s artwork is contemporary (except for Miro and Picasso, if memory serves), mostly (entirely?) by Latino artists, but with much improved lighting on all of the pieces than on Marina in 2011, and all had labels. The art studio onboard also had (at least) two copies of the book recently published regarding the Marina and Riviera artwork (and their locations onboard), so I was able to seek out certain artists or art forms I like. I love blown glass and there were some lovely objects in or near many of the restaurants. Personal favorites were located in the hallways approaching the Riviera Lounge. There are some works by Joan Miro in the short hall leading to the Casino Bar on Marina, and several Picasso prints in the Casino Bar on Riviera. The décor there is fantastical but fun (versus boring on Marina IMO).

 

BTW, Miro’s first large piece, and his first work in the USA, was commissioned for a hotel in Cincinnati, a mural now located at the Cincinnati Art Museum and referenced in the displays and video at Barcelona’s great Miro museum.

[warburg]

I take a gallon size zip lock bags & everything small goes in there eg: pills, jewelry pouch, car key etc.

then the bag goes into to the safe so nothing will go missing

 

No need to search for the small bits on the last night they are safely in my ziplock bag :D

 

Thanks for the great tip, Lyn. I will do exactly that on our Riviera TA in November. No more lost earring panic. It happens eery time.

Mary

[newbie60]

Recently on the Regatta in a PH for a 21 day cruise; when packing for the trip, I folded DH's dress shirts carefully after they came back from the laundry. The last thing that went into his suitcase were all the very lightweight hangers that the shirts had come on. It made hanging everything on the ship so convenient and left the larger hangers for other things. They take up almost no space or weight in the suitcase and his shirts hung right out so that I didn't have to iron them before they could be worn. Of course, I left them in the closet when returning home.

 

I didn't do that on our next, shorter, cruise and I was double hanging things.

[Terryd444]

For Wowpeople...

 

I think you should be able to utilize one end of the tub for hanging more clothes. There is a metal towel rack there that should accommodate several outfits. Hope this pic helps....

 

Pam - enjoyed your comments on the artwork. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Terry

 

[LHT28]

 

I didn't do that on our next, shorter, cruise and I was double hanging things.

 

because you wanted to or you had to??

 

Just ask for more hangers ..I had more than our share

 

Lyn

[CintiPam]

Positives: The pool itself is much bigger than on the “R” ships, enough to swim laps in it when relatively empty of others. It really was nice place for a dip in the late afternoon after returning from our port days in the Caribbean, and the deck itself a lovely place to hang out during our four sea days. Spouse pointed out to me that most of the time the music played was from the 60’s and 70’s, very appropriate for the demographic onboard. On most of the sea days, a live band played for a couple of hours around mid-day. There is a ping pong table in one corner and a large number of tables and chairs by the Waves Grill in the opposite corner. I avoided walking the smoking section in the third corner. The views from the decks above down onto the pool deck are spectacular, especially in the evening after the lights come up. Also, the pool deck attendants did a great job handing out towels and clearing up after people.

 

Negatives: However, the pool deck attendants never the entire cruise (in my observation) removed anyone’s stuff from any chaise lounge, even after many hours sitting empty. Although I had little problem finding single loungers in the last (always shaded) row of the pool deck onthe first two sea days of our cruise, it was impossible the last two days. (Spouse had to work a couple of hours in the AM each day so we only sought one at a time and did not require that we sit next to each other.) Even on our first sea day, I sat for the entire afternoon (almost four hours) next to one lady who kept a second lounger for her spouse although he did not return the entire afternoon for more than one minute at a time ( and never sitting down on his perennially-reserved lounger) to tell her where he was off to next! She did the same thing all the rest of the cruise. This day-long sense of entitlement was very disturbing and so unnecessary.

 

The next to the last day, I looked for a chaise lounge starting at 12:15 PM (after one of those “head chef bantering with assistant chef” culinary presentations in the Riviera Lounge), thinking many would have given them up for lunch. Spouse already had one so I sat with him a bit while checking out the two shaded rows on our side of the pool deck. After 40 minutes, I took one empty one which the neighboring couple said had not been occupied for a long while (and for at least the 40 minutes I had been looking down the same row). Well, ten minutes later, the couple returned, and the man immediately started yelling at me.

 

I was on vacation and did not want to argue with him (yes, even bold Pam), so I returned to my cabin’s veranda for a couple of hours, where I actually could see the water as we motored along, then moved upstairs for a swim late in the afternoon when seats started becoming available. On our cruise, this usually occurred starting after 4 PM, when afternoon tea commenced in Horizons, and many choices were available by the start of Happy Hour at 5 PM.

 

BTW, the same neighboring couple who told me that the chaise loungers next to them had not been occupied for a long time also told me that these absent people had two other loungers in the sun and were switching back and forth all day! That is why I chose one of those rather than any of the other dozen empty ones in the last row!

Edited February 7, 2014 by CintiPam

[I_r_a]

Thanks for sharing, CP

 

Ira