First time Oceania Impressions - Back from RIVIERA

[eroller]

First time Oceania Impressions - Back from RIVIERA

7-day Caribbean Cruise. March 13, 2016

 

I've always wanted to experience Oceania ever since its inception. The line seems to have a fanatical fan base so I figure they must be doing something right. Lately I've been reading more and more discontent among the ranks so I hoped I hadn't missed the "Oceania boat" so to speak. Although new to Oceania, I'm an experienced cruiser having sailed over 100 cruises the past 35 years or so. Although I'm at the top tier of many cruise line past passenger clubs, I'm not loyal to any particular line. I like to try new ships on different lines, and I can be equally happy in an inside cabin on Royal Caribbean as a suite on Silversea. I don't often repeat ships, but there are exceptions such as QM2 which is a favorite. Ships are a passion and have been since I was a child, so just being on one is always invigorating to me. I'm at the point where the itinerary is secondary, and most of the cruises I book are for the ship itself. Oceania was a win win for me. A new cruise line and a relatively new ship as well. I went in with high expectations especially regarding the food, which Oceania has trademarked as "the finest cuisine at sea". That is a pretty bold claim if I do say so myself.

 

I usually include a complete photo documentary of the ship with my reviews, but that wasn't in the cards this trip. I've been quite pleased with the photo quality of my iPhone 6 Plus so I relied on it for all my photos. The camera decided to die the day of embarkation and would no longer focus. My husband has the same phone so I started using his, and amazingly it also failed during the cruise. Turns out both phones were part of a batch of iPhones where the camera was defective and they both decided to fail at almost the same time. Apple has since replaced the camera. So photos are limited. I had just started to photo document the ship from the top down when the camera died. Attached is a link to the photos I do have.

 

Like every cruise and ship, there are positives and negatives. I have yet to find the 100% perfect experience and I don't think it exists. Oceania in general was quite good and I was pleased with the experience, but in terms of value there might be better options for me. I also want to make special mention of noro-virus. It's been plaguing RIVIERA to the point where the ship was even taken out of service for a couple days of heavy cleaning. My experience was that the ship was spotless and thankfully no Code Red situation on my sailing. I do think the crew was extra tired because of all additional cleaning and procedures they have been tasked with, and this was on top of an already very tough job. Even so I found them for the most part friendly and efficient. One thing you didn't see were the Officers, which are highly visible on lines such as Azamara and Disney. I think that is one reason the crews on those lines really stand out. It starts from the top down.

 

 

Please keep in mind these are my impressions based on my experience. You may or agree or disagree and that is fine. We all have our own expectations and perceptions and there is no right or wrong, just opinions.

 

What was outstanding:

- Cuisine. Yes it lived up to the reputation. Every meal was excellent and some of the dishes were the best I've had on land or sea. Truly memorable. Even in the main dining room the cuisine along with the variety of choices was phenomenal. Red Ginger, Jacques, and Toscana were all exceptional.

 

- Suite. We were in a penthouse, cabin 11028. It was one of the nicest cabins I've had on any ship. Well appointed and very well kept. The walk-in closet was wonderful as was the marble bathroom. I loved the Tranquility Bed! Our Butler was also excellent and efficient. I rarely order room service for breakfast because it often arrives cold, but the pancakes on Oceania were probably the best I've ever had and came hot! You actually only get one but it's really big! What a nice treat especially having it all laid out by the butler. It was always delivered at the specified time on the dot. The Bulgari bath amenities were wonderful and I especially appreciated the bath salts. My husband loved the extensive movie selection (two a day can be signed out) and he took full advantage of catching up on some great films.

 

- Culinary Center. This is something unique I've not experience on any other ship. It's fitting on Oceania since the cruise line is dedicated to foodies. We signed up for an Italian cooking class and really enjoyed it. It was a great learning experience not to mention quite entertaining. It was a wonderful way to spend a couple hours.

 

- Executive Lounge. We really liked this space because it was directly across from our cabin. It almost felt like an extension of our suite! It was a little too convenient to sneak in for a coffee or cookie at any hour. The news was usually playing on the large screen TV which prompted conversations and getting to know our fellow passengers.

 

- Space. RIVIERA is very spacious and crowds were never a problem. Finding a deck chair, seat at the buffet, your favorite bar stool, etc. was effortless. Often times I wondered were everyone was as it was hard to believe there were 1200 passengers onboard. It seemed more like 500-600 tops.

 

- Art. Probably the best art collection I've seen on any ship. It was literally everywhere and well thought out. It complemented all the public rooms and was well presented. This also goes for the beautiful atrium and its custom made Lalique crystal. Just stunning.

 

- Main Dining Room. Another beautiful space that deserves special mention. It holds its own to the speciality restaurants with a spacious high ceiling, beautiful crystal centerpiece chandelier, and very comfortable seating. Tables are well spaced so there is no crowding.

 

- Overall organization. Everything just went very smoothly and was effortless. Embarkation, disembarkation, activities on the ship, shore excursions, etc. Communication materials were well done and detailed. Organization is not often appreciated when it goes smoothly, but that is a true sign of intense effort behind the scenes.

 

 

Areas of Opportunity:

- Drink prices. At over $11 per standard cocktail (including gratuity), these are the most expensive drinks I've had at sea. They are almost $4 more than drinks on just about any other cruise line. I felt a bit price gouged when it came to drinks and no I did not have a drink package.

 

- Gratuities. At $23 per person per day, I think it's the most I've ever paid for shipboard gratuities. Did I feel I received better service for those higher gratuities compared to other lines? No. So $322 for 7 days. I never used to think much about the gratuities because overall it was a minimal expense, but on Oceania it's something I would definitely have to budget for. I do realize they were a bit higher being in the penthouse. It's one reason I mentioned that perhaps Oceania is not the best value for me. By the time you add on the drinks, gratuities, and internet it's actually more expensive than some cruises on an all-inclusive line such as Silversea or Seabourn. This will really have to be something I will consider carefully before booking another Oceania cruise.

 

- Blue Deck. I absolutely despise the cheap blue decking around the upper deck of the pool. It looks and feels incredibly cheap, and takes away from an otherwise beautifully designed pool deck. It felt like Oceania ran out of money and hoped no one would notice. I would be happy with a few less pieces of art onboard to see that upper deck finished in teak or even a higher quality synthetic surface. It just wasn't fitting to an otherwise beautifully finished ship.

 

- No promenade deck. I missed a true promenade deck, and unfortunately the upper decks by the pool don't wrap around either and are rather segmented. For this reason I feel there was limited connection to the sea from the lounges as well. Besides the Horizon Lounge, there were no other good viewpoints to sit and watch the ocean. Both the Grand Bar and Martini's have their views blocked by lifeboats. This is unfortunate. I would rather the speciality restaurants be in these locations since at night there is no view from the windows anyway. Seems like a waste.

 

- Entertainment. I'll be honest we didn't book this cruise for the entertainment so I wasn't expecting much. I would give it a C at best. I do enjoy production shows but I'm used to the rather extravagant Broadway style shows on Disney, Royal Caribbean, and NCL. Oceania made a valiant effort for a small ship but overall it fell short. Perhaps the budget would be better used for higher calibre solo singers and speciality acts since production shows really don't work well in the small show lounge.

 

- Waves Grill. Great menu and I enjoyed the cuisine as it's freshly prepared, but it could be better organized. Having to find a seat and get a table number, then get up to place your order at the counter, then sit back down just doesn't work well. On a ship of this calibre, how about just offering waiter service? They have to run the food anyway so might as well take the food orders too. It would make for a much better experience especially since Oceania is all about the dining experience.

 

- Evening ambiance. It's hard to pinpoint but something was just missing for me. I realize Oceania is low key, but I've sailed on lines like Azamara and Silversea which are similar and yet there is a much more festive atmosphere in the evening. Even the deck party was a flop. I sort of felt bad for the cruise director Dottie trying to get it going, but I guess she is used to it.

 

- Crew. Although polite and efficient, I don't think they were as motivated as on lines such as Disney and Azamara. I'm giving this one a pass though because they have been worked so hard dealing with all the noro-virus issues the ship has encountered. I did my best to make their jobs as easy as possible and not ask too much of them. They were all really pleasant and there were some stand-outs, but I think they may not have been at 100% which is understandable.

 

 

In closing I really enjoyed my first Oceania experience. I'm a foodie and really enjoy a great dining experience, so I was in heaven enjoying all the fabulous cuisine. That is absolutely the main reason I would cruise on Oceania again. As I mentioned I would have to carefully consider the overall value as some all-inclusive lines might actually be the better bargain when I'm next in the market for an upscale cruise.

 

Enjoy the pictures and if you have any questions please let me know.

[Paulchili]

Thank you for taking the time for this extensive, fair and balanced review.

Hopefully if you try Oceania again it will be even better - if not, enjoy whatever cruise line/ship you sail in the future.

As a fairly frequent Oceania cruiser, I feel that unfortunately the "Golden age" of Oceania is behind us - too many changes on our last couple of cruises.

That said, it still is our favorite but the scales are starting to tip a bit :)

We will look at Seabourn again and try Crystal for the first time (in addition to some O cruises) in the next few years and then re-evaluate things.

Edited April 2, 2016 by Paulchili

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your review.

 

Keith

[travellerin1984]

I agree about the entertainment. The food is really great. We are foodies too and enjoyed our cruise last summer very much. The evening atmosphere was boring. No vibe at all. We can definitely think of cruising on Oceania again but the price has to be right. I consider Oceania is quite a lot more expensive than for example Celebrity and the entertainment is really a weak point considered to other cruise lines. We enjoyd the staff, they are not pushy or oversocial. You dont have to make friends with the crew. More like an atmosphere in a normal restaurant and we like that.

Edited April 2, 2016 by travellerin1984

[PaulMCO]

One nice thing about the O loyalty program is that after 10 cruise credits, your gratuities are paid by O.

 

Thank you for taking the time for this extensive, fair and balanced review.

Hopefully if you try Oceania again it will be even better - if not, enjoy whatever cruise line/ship you sail in the future.

As a fairly frequent Oceania cruiser, I feel that unfortunately the "Golden age" of Oceania is behind us - too many changes on our last couple of cruises.

That said, it still is our favorite but the scales are starting to tip a bit

We will look at Seabourn again and try Crystal for the first time (in addition to some O cruises) in the next few years and then re-evaluate things.

 

Also agree with your assessment. Already doing some bucket items with Silversea (like West Africa).

Edited April 2, 2016 by PaulMCO

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your report.

[Jay23]

Good review. I agree with most of your comments. We have had two Oceania cruises and the second was in a Penthouse Suite on Riviera which is very comfortable indeed in every respect.

 

We had pre paid gratuities so were not aware of the rates which sound pretty high! We bought a wine package and do not drink cocktails. The art collections are just beautiful, and we kept being surprised by yet another display we hadn't seen before.

 

As far as the evenings were concerned, we are not in a hurry to finish our superb dinner and consider it part of the evening's entertainment! The shows we saw at the theatre were very acceptable, we do not expect West End productions on the ships. (We are "oldies" so do not stay up very late.)

 

Blue deck.... not great!

 

Waves grill... not a favourite.

 

On the whole I thought we were in accord with the OP. J

[riandei]

Thank you for posting...we will be boarding soon for our first O sailing

[JK300]

Thanks for your review, enjoyed it.:)

John

[tiqittaq foo]

Pricy shore excursions, even higher than the luxury cruise lines for similar shoreEx. Excellent food, choice and quality.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[ORV]

Thanks for your observations. You might be the first person I've seen mention the blue deck being an issue. I've never really thought about it one way or the other.

 

I do agree about there being no connection to the sea on the lower decks, other than the MDR. While I don't really care about a full promenade deck I would like a view while on the lower decks and the ability to step out on the deck while down there and get some fresh air.

[tropicalkerry2002]

the walking/running track, that also has loungers on it?

if finished in anything else, I doubt it could be a track.

[Cruise-y]

Thanks for your report. Appreciate the photos.

 

I haven't been on the Riviera yet (countdown 4 months) but that looks like a walking/running track that goes all the way around that top deck. Most cruises I've been on have that feature and I use it every morning to power walk 2 miles and enjoy a 360 degree view of the latest port before the day's excursions. It has to be "grippy" so that you won't slip while walking or running. Therefore it can't be teak. If that is what it is, then I'm thrilled because with all the anticipated good food, I'm going to need it.

[ORV]

the walking/running track, that also has loungers on it?

if finished in anything else, I doubt it could be a track.

 

Technically the walking/running track is on 15 around the smokestack at the aft of the ships. The area being discussed is on 14, one deck above the pool, which is deck 12, that many people use for a walking track. There is no deck 13.

 

On our recent Marina cruise there was a notice in Currents(the daily newspaper) that asked guests to use the track on deck 15 for running or jogging. Walking only was permitted on 14.

[eroller]

Technically the walking/running track is on 15 around the smokestack at the aft of the ships. The area being discussed is on 14, one deck above the pool, which is deck 12, that many people use for a walking track. There is no deck 13.

 

 

 

 

Exactly. The upper deck around the pool is not supposed to be a running track. If you look at the deck plan the fitness track is around the funnel on Deck 15.

 

Obviously the blue deck is a non-issue for many, but I have an eye for detail and it just looked very industrial to me. At first I thought it was the bare steel deck just painted blue. That would have been even worse. On another ship it probably wouldn't bother me, but on RIVIERA, a ship that is so detail oriented, I felt it wasn't befitting the rest of the ship and frankly looked tacky. It stood out like a sore thumb.

 

Also when I think of a running track, the attached picture comes to mind. An actual track with painted lines, not just some giant blue deck. In this case FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.

 

[eroller]

We enjoyd the staff, they are not pushy or oversocial. You dont have to make friends with the crew. More like an atmosphere in a normal restaurant and we like that.

 

 

 

I quite agree. My goal is not to make best buddies with the crew. This being said a little friendliness and sometimes conversation is appreciated. Some of the crew on RIVIERA looked visibly exhausted just trying to get through the day. That does impact service and I felt bad for them. I never had any rudeness, but sometimes they could be a little short. I chalk that up to fatigue.

[eroller]

 

As a fairly frequent Oceania cruiser, I feel that unfortunately the "Golden age" of Oceania is behind us - too many changes on our last couple of cruises.

That said, it still is our favorite but the scales are starting to tip a bit :)

We will look at Seabourn again and try Crystal for the first time (in addition to some O cruises) in the next few years and then re-evaluate things.

 

 

I'm sad to hear that golden age of Oceania might have passed. I'm thinking the same might be in store for Crystal. With their massive expansion something will have to give, and it will likely be a well trained and motivated crew which has been a hallmark of Crystal. They are on my short list of cruise lines I haven't sailed yet but want to try ... so hopefully I don't miss out on their "golden age" as well!

 

First though I think Viking Ocean Cruises is calling my name. I love the design of the ships which is very clean and fresh without fussiness. The overall style and adult atmosphere seems very similar to Azamara and Oceania, but with newer ships.

[lj77346]

Thank you for the review. We've cruised quite a bit on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and HAL and will be taking our first Oceania cruise in the Mediterranean this June. We enjoyed your well-balanced observations of your time on the Riviera.

[KS&JW]

Thank you for your post. I enjoyed your pictures as well.

 

Kathleen

[Clarea]

Enjoyed your review very much, thanks.

[eroller]

Thank you for the review. We've cruised quite a bit on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and HAL and will be taking our first Oceania cruise in the Mediterranean this June. We enjoyed your well-balanced observations of your time on the Riviera.

 

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the review! I think you will find the experience a step up from Royal, Celebrity, and HAL especially the cuisine. The only thing not as good is the entertainment. Very low key and quiet at night, so if you're not a late night person it will be perfect. Enjoy!!

[m1k2s3]

I really enjoyed your review and considering the camera problems you had, you still managed to capture some great pictures of the ship. I thought your review was well balanced and for the most part, I agree with you. I particularly liked some of your suggestions.

[maggie.1008]

I was also on the Riviera on March 13th. First time on Oceania and also in PH suite. Very impressed with the food. No excitement after dinner and Casino was dead. I have been on 50 cruises. 25 on Celebrity and have cruised with all the luxury line except Seabourn. I love the size of the Riviera and the 4 special dinning options. All were fabulous. I will cruise on the Riviera or Marina but not on the R Class ships. I would go on Azamara if I wanted that size. Celebrity Elite Plus benefits would follow me on Azamara. The Azamara crew and Officers are the best. I feel the food and décor on the Riviera are as good as any of the luxury lines.

[eroller]

I was also on the Riviera on March 13th. First time on Oceania and also in PH suite. Very impressed with the food. No excitement after dinner and Casino was dead. I have been on 50 cruises. 25 on Celebrity and have cruised with all the luxury line except Seabourn. I love the size of the Riviera and the 4 special dinning options. All were fabulous. I will cruise on the Riviera or Marina but not on the R Class ships. I would go on Azamara if I wanted that size. Celebrity Elite Plus benefits would follow me on Azamara. The Azamara crew and Officers are the best. I feel the food and décor on the Riviera are as good as any of the luxury lines.

 

 

 

Agree with everything you wrote. I would also return to Azamara if sailing on an R-Class ship, especially after the recent refurbishments. They look stunning and I prefer the more clean and modern design over Oceania's more fussy R-Class decor. Also as you know the crew and officers can't be beat. Oceania gets the nod for cuisine though ... truly memorable and excellent all around. I almost didn't mind the lack of nightlife because the dinners were so fantastic! Oceania is truly a foodies delight!