Oceania cruise - live from the Riviera Transatlantic

[airtana]

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

 

Yes, this event was listed in the daily publication, Currents, and commenced on day 6 of this cruise. I agree they ought to do this often, but it is very work intensive for whoever organizes it and actually takes the photos and then prints the 6 pages of items we had to find and identify. It certainly did get us a much better appreciation for the artwork onboard.

 

Jordy received over 100 entries with 15 of them having 100% of the answers correct. And may I give a shout out to our trivia team members, Roger B and Pauline for being two of those that got them all right! And for earning lots of those coveted Big O Points. Job well done!!! As for ourselves, we came in third having missed just one, but we only got 1 Point for our effort. And so it goes . . .

[airtana]

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??

 

On this cruise, we only had to show up in the Riviera Lounge with our life vests in tow and listen to a short presentation before being dismissed, no muster stations, so it sounds like they have different protocols for certain ships and departure ports. Or maybe it is at the Captains discretion how he wants it handled. Its anybody’s guess, I reckon.

[edgee]

On this cruise, we only had to show up in the Riviera Lounge with our life vests in tow and listen to a short presentation before being dismissed, no muster stations, so it sounds like they have different protocols for certain ships and departure ports. Or maybe it is at the Captains discretion how he wants it handled. Its anybody’s guess, I reckon.

 

That was also the case for drill during our February cruise on Riviera. However on Insignia last August we had to listen to instructions in main dining room after which we were guided outside to line up next to our lifeboats in the hot Manhattan sun. Perhaps the varying procedures are due to Captains' discretion.

[LHT28]

Usually the O class ships you just stay at the muster station no heading out to the life boats ..we have not

On the R ships you go to the muster station then head out on deck to the lifeboats

 

What annoys me ids those that feel they do not need to show up & hold up everyone while the crew hunt them down then they yap all the way through the drill

Just saying

[pinotlover]

On the Marina, last October, we gathered at our designated stations, got the briefing, and then proceeded by group to our life boat and stood around there for awhile.

 

I don’t believe there is rhyme nor reason nor Class of ship in determining who gets which drill. Luck of the draw!

 

With that in mind, I wouldn’t schedule an early dinner in a Specialties on the night of embarking. You’ll get your appointment, just a question of what time. However, you must dress for dinner before the drill begins and go through the drill wearing their dinner attire. For those that thrive and strive to meet to bare minimum of allowed attire, that may be fine. For many of the rest of us, we prefer either different dining that evening, or plenty of time to dress to standards we find appropriate.

[BigNance]

Usually the O class ships you just stay at the muster station no heading out to the life boats ..we have not

On the R ships you go to the muster station then head out on deck to the lifeboats

 

What annoys me ids those that feel they do not need to show up & hold up everyone while the crew hunt them down then they yap all the way through the drill

Just saying

 

So true! We were on a cruise where they were paging passengers that hadn't shown up for muster. The rest of us had to stand around and wait. Hence the bad jokes and tacky comments...........

[CruiseAficionado]

OMG Tangier is one of the most exotic places I have ever been to. We docked so no tenders necessary and we met our tour operator at the dock area. He introduced us to our guide Mohammed who escorted us to a MB taxi and we were off. First of all I thought Morocco was going to be a desert with sand dunes. However, those are 700 kilometers away on the other side of the Atlas Mountains.

Our journey began with a ride through some very “rich” areas with gated entrances owned by rich families as opposed to wealthy businessmen we were told. Soon we were at the Caves of Hercules which surprisingly were free of charge. Next we got to ride a camel which is scary when mounting and dismounting. It seems when a camel kneels you are immediately throw forward and if you are not holding the metal handle on the saddle tightly you will be thrown. Great fun and a picture to be treasured. Next was a trip to the Kasbah which was a amazing array of passageways and the most fascinating doors and doorways. One thing of note is the abundance of public water spigots which are provided free to those residents who do not have access to water. Finally, we had lunch in a three story restaurant on the top floor with a view of the harbor and enjoyed a lamb dish that included prunes and a half of a hard boiled egg. Fresh bread and a hearty soup completed our meal. DW just wanted to see a snake charmer so it was arranged by our tour operator Said and voila she has a picture with a snake wrapped around her neck. I declined not being a snake person. After some shopping that included some heavy negotiations we returned to the ship tired but happy. Fitbit said I walked 6.1 miles on the tour.

[BigNance]

On the Marina, last October, we gathered at our designated stations, got the briefing, and then proceeded by group to our life boat and stood around there for awhile.

 

I don’t believe there is rhyme nor reason nor Class of ship in determining who gets which drill. Luck of the draw!

 

With that in mind, I wouldn’t schedule an early dinner in a Specialties on the night of embarking. You’ll get your appointment, just a question of what time. However, you must dress for dinner before the drill begins and go through the drill wearing their dinner attire. For those that thrive and strive to meet to bare minimum of allowed attire, that may be fine. For many of the rest of us, we prefer either different dining that evening, or plenty of time to dress to standards we find appropriate.

 

 

Good point!

[CruiseAficionado]

Our Transatlantic cruise is about to end but not without a huge surprise ... an invitation for dinner with the Master of the ship and the Staff Captain. Upon meeting both you are immediately impressed by their warmth, friendliness and sincerity. We were joined by another couple from Bermuda and were seated at a table for six. One of my first questions was about the stability of the ship during our crossing. It seems that it is really a combination of “riding the waves” and using the stabilizers. My next question was what was the struggle to dock in the Azores like and I hope I got his explanation right. Apparently the Riviera’s overhanging pool deck acts like a sail in very strong winds like the ones we experienced in the Azores. These winds, if strong enough, can sometimes overpower the thrusters and therefore control of the ship. Another complication was the other ship in port was somehow funneling the wind and it created an approximate 20 knot wind difference which was hard to manage even with a tug assisting. To get more power for control the Captain and his officers even tried backing in but to no avail. I was impressed by the fact that missing a port is considered no trivial matter to this Captain and his crew and that every effort was made to dock. The rest of the night was spent in individual conversations and I think we were some of the last to leave Toscana.

Edited April 10, 2018 by CruiseAficionado

[DOJO466]

Here’s a couple more small insights. You seasoned Oceania cruisers are all probably aware of this, but it took me a week and my DH pointing this out to me. The Bulgari toiletries in the cabins actually have a flip top. All this time I was unscrewing the top to squeeze out the contents. DUH!!! I am not a blond for nothing!! LOL

 

One other thing, we asked our butler on day one to provide us with some candied ginger which, again, Sydney happily provided with his standard, “NO PROBLEM” reply. It’s useful not only for enhanced digestion but also good to treat any feelings of sea sickness. We just may be needing some of that today as the Atlantic is really rocking and rolling. WAHOO!!

Well I'll be darned. Have sailed on 17 O cruises and never knew this. I have been chasing that pesky top all over the shower as it falls thru the wires. Learn something new everyday. Thanks

[LHT28]

Well I'll be darned. Have sailed on 17 O cruises and never knew this. I have been chasing that pesky top all over the shower as it falls thru the wires. Learn something new everyday. Thanks

Deb you are too funny :D

Wonder what else you have missed

[Iamthesea]

Well I'll be darned. Have sailed on 17 O cruises and never knew this. I have been chasing that pesky top all over the shower as it falls thru the wires. Learn something new everyday. Thanks

 

I take a small triangle, that I have cut out of the rubber material that you line kitchen shelves with, and use it in the shower basket. The material has little perforated holes in it. Therefore, the material allows water to drain while keeping bottle, razors, caps, etc. from falling through. ;)

[LHT28]

Well I'll be darned. Have sailed on 17 O cruises and never knew this. I have been chasing that pesky top all over the shower as it falls thru the wires. Learn something new everyday. Thanks

Deb forgot to mention

 

last cruise we discovered the drawer in the bathroom counter on the Riviera thanks to another poster

 

I never noticed before just thought it was a place to hang the hand towel

 

so we all can learn something new :halo:

[CruiseAficionado]

Sitting in our cabin at 8:05am, already had breakfast and awaiting our new cabin to be cleaned and ready for our b2b 10 day Iconic Mediterranean cruise. A great time to reflect on our first Oceania cruise.

As a former international marketing executive IMHO Oceania has carved out a unique market for its product. Not quite comparable with Seabourn or Regent because of their all inclusiveness but a great step up from Celebrity and Princess. Some of the highlights are the stunning design of the ship, the wide variety of food choices and the very friendly attentive service. Where I think O differentiates itself from a marketing perspective is in the PH category. The ability to order in suite dining from any Speciality Restaurant or the GDR or the room service menu was a huge plus for us on the cruise. Not only was that convenience worth the additional cost but the PH suite is so “livable” and we found the two chair dining arrangement at the foot of the bed very comfortable. This is coming from someone 5’10” 220lbs and 5’6” 130lbs. We used the couch many times while on the free internet which sometimes slowed down but never proved completely inaccessible. There are so many food temptations that on days we had to move the clock ahead we skipped breakfast and plunged directly into lunch. As a seafood lover I am still amazed at the abundance of wonderfully prepared seafood choices. I have not yet been able to try them all during our 14 day cruise. (Oh well, we do have another 10 days) I don’t recall ever eating as much lobster on any other cruise but in my defense you can order it literally everywhere. Our trivia team had so much fun and astonishingly finished the last day’s trivia contest with all correct answers which was a first. We even arranged a final dinner in Red Ginger and had some great conversations about best trip (safari’s), first job and numerous “stories”. Unfortunately we missed one of the sixty-eight scavenger hunt items and therefore only received one point for all that work. Third place winners Roger and Pauline who were also on our trivia team got thirty points.

 

Would we care to sail on O again? You bet, as we are looking very hard at a Venice to Miami transatlantic in November. On advice from just about everyone we have been told to book on board to get the lowest price guarantee and then find a good TA who will give prepaid gratuities. So there you have it our fist time on O and first time doing an on board review. As far as comparing O with Azamara and setting food preferences aside let’s just say I now consider them different. It is hard to compare an O PH with its unlimited in-suite dining choices to a Club Continent suite on Azamara. Both are great cruise lines just different in their own way but just as inviting.

[BigNance]

Sitting in our cabin at 8:05am, already had breakfast and awaiting our new cabin to be cleaned and ready for our b2b 10 day Iconic Mediterranean cruise. A great time to reflect on our first Oceania cruise.

As a former international marketing executive IMHO Oceania has carved out a unique market for its product. Not quite comparable with Seabourn or Regent because of their all inclusiveness but a great step up from Celebrity and Princess. Some of the highlights are the stunning design of the ship, the wide variety of food choices and the very friendly attentive service. Where I think O differentiates itself from a marketing perspective is in the PH category. The ability to order in suite dining from any Speciality Restaurant or the GDR or the room service menu was a huge plus for us on the cruise. Not only was that convenience worth the additional cost but the PH suite is so “livable” and we found the two chair dining arrangement at the foot of the bed very comfortable. This is coming from someone 5’10” 220lbs and 5’6” 130lbs. We used the couch many times while on the free internet which sometimes slowed down but never proved completely inaccessible. There are so many food temptations that on days we had to move the clock ahead we skipped breakfast and plunged directly into lunch. As a seafood lover I am still amazed at the abundance of wonderfully prepared seafood choices. I have not yet been able to try them all during our 14 day cruise. (Oh well, we do have another 10 days) I don’t recall ever eating as much lobster on any other cruise but in my defense you can order it literally everywhere. Our trivia team had so much fun and astonishingly finished the last day’s trivia contest with all correct answers which was a first. We even arranged a final dinner in Red Ginger and had some great conversations about best trip (safari’s), first job and numerous “stories”. Unfortunately we missed one of the sixty-eight scavenger hunt items and therefore only received one point for all that work. Third place winners Roger and Pauline who were also on our trivia team got thirty points.

 

Would we care to sail on O again? You bet, as we are looking very hard at a Venice to Miami transatlantic in November. On advice from just about everyone we have been told to book on board to get the lowest price guarantee and then find a good TA who will give prepaid gratuities. So there you have it our fist time on O and first time doing an on board review. As far as comparing O with Azamara and setting food preferences aside let’s just say I now consider them different. It is hard to compare an O PH with its unlimited in-suite dining choices to a Club Continent suite on Azamara. Both are great cruise lines just different in their own way but just as inviting.

 

Marvelous reviews all the way! I cannot wait for our cruise in October - I am going to put all the info you provided into play when we board! We are not in a PH, but intend to enjoy everything we have available to the max! Hope your 2nd leg of the cruise is as good or better than your first! And please keep posting!!!

[ORV]

I've enjoyed you review. Are you going to continue it through the next leg?

 

 

Is Roger still on board for the B2b? If so tell him Orv says hi.

 

 

Enjoy the next leg.

[DOJO466]

Deb forgot to mention

 

last cruise we discovered the drawer in the bathroom counter on the Riviera thanks to another poster

 

I never noticed before just thought it was a place to hang the hand towel

 

so we all can learn something new :halo:

I found the drawers, took a few cruises to find them.

[CruiseAficionado]

I've enjoyed you review. Are you going to continue it through the next leg?

 

 

Is Roger still on board for the B2b? If so tell him Orv says hi.

 

 

Enjoy the next leg.

 

Nope, they left in Palma de Mallorca.

[CruiseAficionado]

Thanks for all the kind comments. Yes, our cruise continues ... see my live from Riviera Iconic Med as it includes our cabin transfer day.

[CruiseAficionado]

I've enjoyed you review. Are you going to continue it through the next leg?

 

 

Is Roger still on board for the B2b? If so tell him Orv says hi.

 

 

Enjoy the next leg.

 

Orv, I just noticed you also like cool weather cruises in the summer. Will tell Roger hi for you as we may see them in Mallorca tomorrow.

[ORV]

Nope, they left in Palma de Mallorca.

 

If I remember right they have a place there.

[roger b]

If I remember right they have a place there.

Big Hello from Pauline and Myself lets hope we meet up again we really enjoyed cruising with you !!!!

[Cruise Junky]

Wonderful review. Would you mind sharing your tour guide info for Tangier?

Thanks

[airtana]

We used Said Tours and we highly recommend them. Very professional and will tailor your tour to the things you are interested in seeing and doing (and buying!!!)

[Cruise Junky]

We used Said Tours and we highly recommend them. Very professional and will tailor your tour to the things you are interested in seeing and doing (and buying!!!)

 

Thank you so much.