Oceania cruise - live from the Riviera Transatlantic

[anthony5050]

Whoaa.... You are free to "assume bogus information" if you wish..but DID happen. I was the "other poster" and the information was not :"bogus.: The Specialties really did open at 6 p.m. on my late February/early March 10 day cruise on Riviera. Perhaps it was a failed experiment that was not continued...but it did happen. It was officially posted in Currents and when we arrived for our 6:30 reservations there were tables of folks who were well into their 2nd and 3rd meal courses. Wait staff said it was done to allow for more reservations...NOT FAKE NEWS...I promise..I am an honest guy:halo:

 

 

 

On the shorter cruises, in order for all of the passengers to enjoy the specialties restaurants they will add a 6:00 reservation. Plus they might also add 9:00 slot.

 

 

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[airtana]

One more little tip I just remembered. The bottle of champagne they give you in your stateroom when you board if you are in a concierge or penthouse category can be brought to any restaurant to enjoy during a meal and you will not be charged the usual $25 corkage fee. Just saying . . .

[CruiseAficionado]

Joined the possibly legions of cruisers who “missed” the Azores. Lol

Well we arrived in the harbor early and the Koningsdam was already docked so we though it was a go for us. Alas, after 3 valiant white knuckle tries the high winds kept us from docking and we sailed away for a bonus day at sea. Corey quickly arranged some daily activities and we enjoyed looking at the whitecaps as we left the harbor. The rest of the day we were at the mercy of the Atlantic which fortunately did not affect us but did others as barf bags were discreetly placed around the ship on the tops of trash receptacles.

Dinner was at Polo Grill and we were fortunate enough to get a window seat with a very nice panoramic view out of the ceiling to floor windows on the side and back of the ship. We both tried the Colossal Chilled Shrimp Trio starter. We both also had the Timbale of Heart of Palm Remoulade which was a very interesting dish that I wouldn’t have recognized as Heart of Palm. Since I am not a steak aficionado I opted for the whole Main lobster steamed with drawn butter and added the truffle mashed potatoes and lobster Mac and cheese for sides. DW had the surf and turf that consisted of a Florida lobster tail and filet mignon which she said was perfect. Can’t remember the last time I had any lobster other than tail on a cruise so loved the tender claw meat that was included. BTW our waiter did an excellent job of separating the meat from the shell for me. There was a dessert medley that piqued my interest but it will have to wait until the next time. Having now completed the four Specialities I am loath to rank them as each have their own unique qualities and as we all know food tastes are subjective so I will not go there. IMHO Oceania’s Riviera has something for everyone and if you can’t find something you like to eat on board then ... God help you. Lol

The next few days should be uneventful sea days until we reach Tangier and our camel ride so I will take a break from my reports and watch the Masters Golf tournament which we are getting on board via Skysports. Hope that those of you joining us in BCN have enjoyed a little glimpse of what you are about to experience and a hearty thank you to all who have commented.

[british betty]

Greetings British Betty,

 

So glad to hear you will be joining us on the 11th in Barcelona. And I am here to inform you that today in rough seas and high winds our tenacious CaptIn tried in vain three times to dock at Ponta Delgado and was not successful. We gave him three cheers for his valiant effort, though.

 

And as for saving you some food, Betty, no promises can be made in that department. LOL. Right now we are off to lunch to once again delight in some culinary treasures!!!!

 

Last year we didn’t even get near the Azores, the decision was made to divert to Madeira instead, so we had a pleasant day there.

 

I notice your DH couldn’t manage dessert when you ate in Jacques. Last year we were sitting very near the dessert trolley and I spied a rather delicious looking dish of Mille Feuille and was horrified to watch them disappear one by one. I had made a point of leaving enough room for one and fortunately after the dish had been emptied, the waiter assured me that more would be brought from the kitchen. It was to say the least, divine and I’m looking forward to the exact same dessert when we dine in Jacques this year . Enjoy your port hopping and hopefully your seas will be calmer from now on .

[airtana]

Betty, I have never heard of the dessert you mentioned, Mille Feuille, can you give a description? Sounds very intriguing.

 

This morning the skies opened up and it has been raining steadily for the past hour. Good day to stay inside, read a book, watch a movie, or attend the lecture on Tangier, and generally chill out before we arrive there tomorrow.

[JimandStan]

It's what we call a Napoléon over here.

[sitraveler]

In olden days, the bottle of champagne could be switched out for a bottle of wine in the restaurants. No longer.

[JimandStan]

In olden days, the bottle of champagne could be switched out for a bottle of wine in the restaurants. No longer.

 

I believe that those bottles were becoming shopworn, what with all of the round trips that they were making ;p

[british betty]

It's what we call a Napoléon over here.

Well, well, well, you learn something new every day!

 

Mille Feuille translates to ‘a thousand leaves ( or layers) which of course gives the beautifully light pastry ( and the not so light creme patisserie)

 

Thanks Jim and Stan, your mine of information has no boundaries ;p

[travelberlin]

Thanks for posting your experiences cruiseaficionado. Since we are boarding today a transatlantic with the MSC Preziosa and I am also sharing live our impressions, I will be reading your thread to compare.

Ivi

[Paulchili]

Oh - Boris! What an absolutely marvelous guy!I would send greetings but he would never in a hundred years remember us -- Boris took special care assisting my DH when he had troubles getting around and they enjoyed wonderful conversations. What a wonderful representative of Oceania!

 

Donna

 

Agree 100%.

He is the best that Oceania has to offer in our opinion - he is definitely our favorite staff member of all time - on Oceania or any other cruise line. :)

[ORV]

Agree 100%.

He is the best that Oceania has to offer in our opinion - he is definitely our favorite staff member of all time - on Oceania or any other cruise line. :)

 

I'm sure I would recognize him, but the name doesn't ring a bell.

[Paulchili]

I'm sure I would recognize him, but the name doesn't ring a bell.

 

I am sure you would.

I hope that he will be on Marina this Fall when we will be on her next. These days he is usually on O class ships, AFAIK.

[Mura]

Last year we didn’t even get near the Azores, the decision was made to divert to Madeira instead, so we had a pleasant day there.

 

I notice your DH couldn’t manage dessert when you ate in Jacques. Last year we were sitting very near the dessert trolley and I spied a rather delicious looking dish of Mille Feuille and was horrified to watch them disappear one by one. I had made a point of leaving enough room for one and fortunately after the dish had been emptied, the waiter assured me that more would be brought from the kitchen. It was to say the least, divine and I’m looking forward to the exact same dessert when we dine in Jacques this year . Enjoy your port hopping and hopefully your seas will be calmer from now on .

 

That's my first choice dessert in Jacques as well!

[ORV]

The last time I ate there I had the Jacques Favorite apple tart for dessert. It became one of my favorite desserts on the ship. Of course I had vanilla ice cream on with it.

[british betty]

Of course I had vanilla ice cream on with it.

 

Of course ! Two scoops I hope :')

[palamoh]

I might jump in and also add my comments about Boris who is the Head Mgr of all Rest’s aboard the Riviera. The second night at Sea we had a Major issue with our Food at the Main Dinning Room. Boris found us after we left the Rest w/o finishing our meal. This man has made a believer in us in Oceania. He contacted us every day to ask how we were enjoying the Cruise and how was are experience in the Rest’s He invited us to attend any Specialty Rest of our choice every night. We just returned from the City of Tangiers today and like out of know where Boris appeared at our Table in the Waves Rest This Gentelman is such an asset to Oceania, I do hope they appreciate him. He has made this Cruise something very special for my wife and I.

[Mo_Cruising]

Thank you for your informative review. We are looking forward to our first Oceania cruise aboard Riviera in August.

 

 

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[airtana]

I might jump in and also add my comments about Boris who is the Head Mgr of all Rest’s aboard the Riviera. The second night at Sea we had a Major issue with our Food at the Main Dinning Room. Boris found us after we left the Rest w/o finishing our meal. This man has made a believer in us in Oceania. He contacted us every day to ask how we were enjoying the Cruise and how was are experience in the Rest’s He invited us to attend any Specialty Rest of our choice every night. We just returned from the City of Tangiers today and like out of know where Boris appeared at our Table in the Waves Rest This Gentelman is such an asset to Oceania, I do hope they appreciate him. He has made this Cruise something very special for my wife and I.

 

Palamoh,

 

You are so right about Boris and his dedication to making things right when they go wrong, as well as his ability to make you feel like you are the only passenger on this ship. His demeanor is so upbeat and he has such a wonderful smile for all his guests. He is truly an amazing Manager and deserves every accolade his gets. He is at the top of our list of staff who has made us also feel special. You go, BORIS!!!!

[airtana]

Here’s another shout out to Jordy Castillo, the member of the Production Staff that spent so many hours of his time and energy into compiling all the photos of artwork, carpeting, sculptures, etc. for his now FAMOUS and BELOVED scavenger hunt. It was truly one of the most unique and entertaining and informative pastimes we have ever participated in on a cruise ship. Although, I must add, until you figured out he had put a few ”kinks in the works”, so to speak, it was very confounding. In a little under one hour he will have the reveal as to who got all the answers correct. KUDOS, Jordy, you are a star in our estimation and we thank you for the countless hours of enjoyment we got out of your hunt.

[airtana]

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa. My humble apologies to the poster who mentioned the restaurants on their cruise opening at 6:00pm. I had incorrectly thought they were on this current voyage. I do believe you are an honest guy and would greatly appreciate you disregarding my reference to Fake News. A poor attempt at humor on my part. Now you have aroused our curiosity and we will seek out the Restaurant Manager, Boris, get first hand, up to date information on how the operating hours may differ from cruise to cruise and update in a later post.

 

Here is the answer we got to the question this afternoon. There are times on 7 day cruises when they will extend the Dinner dining hours to 6-9:30 pm and only one other time he was aware of when they did that on a 10 day cruise. Hope that clears up any misconceptions.

[CruisingCleo]

Here’s another shout out to Jordy Castillo, the member of the Production Staff that spent so many hours of his time and energy into compiling all the photos of artwork, carpeting, sculptures, etc. for his now FAMOUS and BELOVED scavenger hunt. It was truly one of the most unique and entertaining and informative pastimes we have ever participated in on a cruise ship. Although, I must add, until you figured out he had put a few ”kinks in the works”, so to speak, it was very confounding. In a little under one hour he will have the reveal as to who got all the answers correct. KUDOS, Jordy, you are a star in our estimation and we thank you for the countless hours of enjoyment we got out of your hunt.

 

I hope this is also organised during the Riviera Transatlantic in November. It's sounds like great fun!

How was this event announced? In the daily program?

 

Regards,

Mirjam

[BigNance]

Has anyone sailed out of Athens on the Riviera? We are trying to decide where to have dinner that night. I'm pushing for Red Ginger at 7 ish, since Sail away is at 6 and we could be there and still make dinner. BUT, if Sail Away out of Athens is an event to be experienced for several hours, we may head for the Cafe deck for that delectable looking buffet that some very nice person posted pics of! (terrible grammar there...)

Thanks so much!

[pinotlover]

BigNance;

 

We sailed out of Athens, last October, on the sister ship Marina, with the same schedule. Be advised, we had our safety drill that started soon after 6:00, and unlike other cruises , entails actually going to the life boats and standing around. I would not recommend making a reservation as early as 19:00 on the 1st night. Save your Specialties for another evening!

[BigNance]

Thanks! That makes a difference!

On 2 of the 3 cruises that we have been on, we have had to go to muster stations on the deck where the lifeboats are located. Put on life jackets, stand around, make bad jokes and tacky comments, etc. The other cruise we went to one of the public areas. But, we did have to show up.

I guess that doesn't happen on every ship??