Onboard Riviera Jan. 4

[Nymich]

I think the repeated announcements are to keep the mask requirement in the front of everyone's mind.  I do have the benefit of having 3 other cruises on two other lines to compare this cruise too.  O is smart to keep reminding everyone because it's a part of cruising safety right now.

As for adherence to the masking it's better on this cruise than the other 3 were.  Is it perfect?  No it's probably not perfect and that is why O keeps repeating the requirement.

They have to keep announcing and the guests have to comply because test day is coming Friday!

So I personally am complying because I want to be HERE reporting and not from quarantine or somewhere in Barbados because they threw me off!

[pilgrimage]

45 minutes ago, Nymich said:

Good morning everybody!

Got a notice last night at turndown that mandatory antigen test is needed for Riviera to get clearance for Barbados.  Testing is This Friday 7-11 in Toscana and Barbados port day is Sunday.  

If you are going to cruise right now ports can't be

a priority.  This whole itinerary is different and now we have a mandatory test for a port that wasn't even on our original itinerary.  

 

What was really strange about the Barbados test requirement on our cruise was that we had enough cases to trigger 3 other islands (Curacao, Grenada, Antigua) to deny us, but Barbados was just fine with whatever we had.

 

I will say - the onboard testing was *much* smoother than our pier-side experience.  We were in and out in 5 minutes.

[pilgrimage]

1 hour ago, AlexCherie said:

I’ve been in Barrista’s twice now and it’s basically walk up service. No wait time, ever. I don’t know if that is standard, but my Macchiato was completed almost before I finished saying thank you. Almost not an exaggeration.
 

 

Even with our mostly full ship, I never had any problem at Barista's - at most I had to wait at the counter with a couple of others, but they are very fast.

 

Be sure and try that frozen coffee drink when you need a quick afternoon boost - it will make your hair stand on end.

[Nymich]

11 minutes ago, pilgrimage said:

 

What was really strange about the Barbados test requirement on our cruise was that we had enough cases to trigger 3 other islands (Curacao, Grenada, Antigua) to deny us, but Barbados was just fine with whatever we had.

 

I will say - the onboard testing was *much* smoother than our pier-side experience.  We were in and out in 5 minutes.

It's funny you have Pilgram in your name because you were the Pilgram last week with all this.  That being said I think we can all agree things have escalated since then and what was once acceptable last week may not be this week.  For that matter the Jan 14th cruise will be different than this one.  The whole thing is very fluid constantly changing.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Nymich

[pilgrimage]

39 minutes ago, AlexCherie said:

“I’ll have what he’s having”

 

Saw him another day having a burger at Wave's grill.  The man knows a good thing 🙂

[AlexCherie]

5 minutes ago, pilgrimage said:

 

Even with our mostly full ship, I never had any problem at Barista's - at most I had to wait at the counter with a couple of others, but they are very fast.

 

Be sure and try that frozen coffee drink when you need a quick afternoon boost - it will make your hair stand on end.

We did that yesterday! Loved that frozen coffee.

[AlexCherie]

4 minutes ago, Nymich said:

It's funny you have Pilgram in your name because you were the Pilgram last week with all this.  That being said I think we can all agree things have escalated since then and what was once acceptable last week may not be this week.  For that matter the Jabn 14th cruise will be different than this one.  The whole thing is very fluid constantly changing.

 

 

Fluid to say the least. NCL cancelling cruises left and right in January.

[pilgrimage]

Just now, Nymich said:

It's funny you have Pilgram in your name because you were the Pilgram last week with all this.  That being said I think we can all agree things have escalated since then and what was once acceptable last week may not be this week.  For that matter the Jabn 14th cruise will be different than this one.  The whole thing is very fluid constantly changing.

 

True - although I found masking to be very prevalent on our cruse.  In Terrace grill, the staff was adamant about people putting their masks back on when coming back to the buffet if they forgot while leaving their table.  Of course, once seated (anywhere there was food or drink), it was wheels off.

 

People seemed to handle it very well all through the cruise.  Although we had a disturbing encounter when disembarking in Miami and waiting in line for the port elevator to take us down from the gangway level to the customs level.  A couple was *extremely* adamant about limiting the number of people in the large elevator, but people behind were having none of that - there was just the one elevator and a line building up.  Once in the elevator, there was a bit of a shouting match, including some f-bombs and a passive-aggressive threat of physical violence (i.e. "someone is about to get their f-ing head bashed", or words very close to that effect).  I think there was some pent-up frustration all around.  Never saw anything like that onboard, however.

[Nymich]

Very stressful trying day today.  Pool time followed by Waves.  Finish off with:

[pilgrimage]

5 minutes ago, Nymich said:

Very stressful trying day today.  Pool time followed by Waves.  Finish off with:

 

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt 😉

 

 

[pilgrimage]

4 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Thank you for this helpful thread! We board Riviera in March for our first ever Oceania cruise and we have reservations at Jacques on our first night. Keep those delicious pictures coming!

 

Here are a few from Red Ginger:

 

Seared Salmon with Scallop Ceviche

 

Miso Glazed Seabass

 

Beef Teriyaki

 

Broccoli and Shiitake Mushrooms

Edited January 6, 2022 by pilgrimage

[macaroni]

Tell us what everything was…I know the 2nd item is the famous miso glazed seabass!

[pilgrimage]

6 minutes ago, macaroni said:

Tell us what everything was…I know the 2nd item is the famous miso glazed seabass!

 

Edited post to add names.  As always, the problem is deciding which items to sacrifice!

[Nymich]

Poolside T shirt: 

(Not mine)

 

I yell because I care

Edited January 6, 2022 by Nymich

[Twiga]

For those who have been onboard or are onboard now, can you decline taking the covid test if you don't want to get off at the port requiring it?  Or is Oceania requiring everyone to get tested whether they plan on getting off the ship or not?

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just now, Twiga said:

For those who have been onboard or are onboard now, can you decline taking the covid test if you don't want to get off at the port requiring it?  Or is Oceania requiring everyone to get tested whether they plan on getting off the ship or not?

Let’s hope that it is required of everyone!!!

[pilgrimage]

5 minutes ago, Twiga said:

For those who have been onboard or are onboard now, can you decline taking the covid test if you don't want to get off at the port requiring it?  Or is Oceania requiring everyone to get tested whether they plan on getting off the ship or not?

 

Barbados required it of everyone on board in order for the ship to visit.  That may not be the requirement at every port, but it was for them on our cruise last week (tested on 12/27).

 

I think the intent is to determine a total % infected on board and they use that to determine if it is above a set baseline (1%, etc.) to deny entry.  Of course, that information then has to be provided to all other ports of entry and they can deny as well based on that, even if they don't have a testing requirement.  That happened to us for 3 of our 7 ports.

Edited January 6, 2022 by pilgrimage

[Nymich]

5 minutes ago, Twiga said:

For those who have been onboard or are onboard now, can you decline taking the covid test if you don't want to get off at the port requiring it?  Or is Oceania requiring everyone to get tested whether they plan on getting off the ship or not?

No it is mandatory to let Barbados decide whether to all Ship in.

[Nymich]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Let’s hope that it is required of everyone!!!

And it is required of all!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, Nymich said:

And it is required of all!

Excellent. 
For the welfare of all aboard, it is so important that those folks who are fearful of the possible positive tests submit to them. It’s part of the deal we all agreed to. 

[Nymich]

More real time news to help you plan and prepare.  Of course all this may change in 5 minutes! Lol

[Nymich]

I have an urgent announcement to make.

We are now having lunch at the GDR and not Waves.

 

Also funny joke by the Captain difference between a boat and a ship?  Ship sinks you get in the boat.  Boat sinks you get into the water.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Nymich

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, Nymich said:

I have an urgent announcement to make.

We are now having lunch at the GDR and not Waves.

Also funny joke by the Captain difference between a boat and a ship?  Ship sinks you get in the boat.  Boat sinks you get into the water.

When I was learning to sail and had to memorize all sorts of terminology, one of the first items was that you can put a boat on a ship but not a ship on a boat. (I like the skipper’s definition better.)

[Nymich]

20 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Excellent. 
For the welfare of all aboard, it is so important that those folks who are fearful of the possible positive tests submit to them. It’s part of the deal we all agreed to. 

Did you get the numbers?

690 onboard with 60 continuing on.

[pilgrimage]

20 minutes ago, Nymich said:

I have an urgent announcement to make.

We are now having lunch at the GDR and not Waves.

 

Also funny joke by the Captain difference between a boat and a ship?  Ship sinks you get in the boat.  Boat sinks you get into the water.

 

Visual Aid.