Service levels on Marina and Riviera

[cruisr]

I am considering a cruise on either of the above,  Love both ships.  
I keep reading about and hearing from friends about  other cruise line service levels (including luxury cruises) and that cruise ships are understaffed due to a variety of issues.

I am wondering if recent cruisers on the Riviera or Marina can offer any insight.

 

TIA

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, cruisr said:

I am considering a cruise on either of the above,  Love both ships.  
I keep reading about and hearing from friends about  other cruise line service levels (including luxury cruises) and that cruise ships are understaffed due to a variety of issues.

I am wondering if recent cruisers on the Riviera or Marina can offer any insight.

 

TIA

We were on Riviera in January and there were more crew than passengers.

We’re on Insignia right now and there’s plenty of hotel crew (in fact, at a higher crew ratio than usual).

[MEFIowa]

Wife and I were on Riviera 12/13-23/21, W. Caribbean. IIRC, we had about 719 passengers and 779 crew. We were pampered if we wanted to be. But you did pay attention to the signs that said, for example, when the concierge would be in the Concierge Lounge. 

[willidc]

We were on Marina for the the Jan. 22 Panama Canal Cruise where Marina replaced Sirena for that sailing.  Most of the crew on Marina was in place since she was to be doing South American sailings, but those sailings were cancelled due to closure of ports in South America (particularly Brazil) due to covid Omicron.

 

Service and food were both excellent, but passenger count was around 300.  The substitute of Marina for Sirena (R ship) on the Jan 22 sailing was officially announced about 10 days (give or take) prior to sailing.  We truly had to redo our dining reservations and boarding passes.  But, Oceania was up to her pre-covid excellence once we sailed.

 

In April we had a Mediterranean sailing on Riviera with many island ports (Corsica, Sardinia, Majorca, Malta, etc).  We were told that passenger count was between 600 and 700.  Again, excellent experience sailing with Oceania (our 16th).  We noticed just a very few changes but they appeared to be primarily related to supply chain issues.

 

All things considered, we feel Oceania is doing an admirable job climbing out of this post-covid hole.  We have three more cruises booked. 

[MEFIowa]

42 minutes ago, willidc said:

... All things considered, we feel Oceania is doing an admirable job climbing out of this post-covid hole.  We have three more cruises booked. 

So do we. Booked an 11/22 on Sirena while on Riviera and have since booked BTB Med cruises on Riviera in Oct-Nov 2023 plus a Baltic cruise on her in late 2024.

[eldaradoe]

4 hours ago, cruisr said:

I am considering a cruise on either of the above,  Love both ships.  
I keep reading about and hearing from friends about  other cruise line service levels (including luxury cruises) and that cruise ships are understaffed due to a variety of issues.

I am wondering if recent cruisers on the Riviera or Marina can offer any insight.

 

TIA

we haven't been on a full cruise since they returned ....the most about 80% capacity so there  has been no shortage of help whatsoever....maybe the big monster ships are suffering.

[DeeniEncinitas]

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

We we’re on Riviera 2/15-3/8 and it was exceptional!!! A lot of wonderful staff crew members. So loved our time on her!! Food was fantastic and entertainment!! We are booked again  on her for December! We did B2B first part Passengers on board we’re 890. On our second part passengers were 1100!!. Fantastic cruise! No comparison at all but took Ruby Princess back home doing Panama Canal and it was not at all to like Oceania!Only did it because it was available 2 days after our cruise with Oceania! Never, never again!

So enjoy either choice Marina or Riviera love both!

Denise🙂

[alcpa1]

We were on the Marina Feb 1st. This was another Sirena swap and couldn't have been better.

The only thing I noticed was the lack of officers showing their faces. This was due to Covid of course. And I know Oceania officers aren't as warm and fuzzy as the staff on other lines.

[PaulMCO]

The issue is recent since cruise lines are bringing on-line more ships  and they all are now fully sailing.  Having trouble hiring crew as many left the industry and found work elsewhere.

 

More to the larger mass market ships lines where they are purposely limiting passenger counts and closing one or two specialties restaurants.

[MEFIowa]

On 6/18/2022 at 10:27 PM, alcpa1 said:

We were on the Marina Feb 1st. ...The only thing I noticed was the lack of officers showing their faces....

They were seemingly rather heavy smokers on Riviera 12/13-23/21 and my wife smokes. So I routinely talked to nearly all of the senior officers in the evening at the smoking area by Horizons where they'd congregate to smoke. (They didn't smoke down on the pool deck outside smoking area.)

[jonthomas]

we were on a TA in March, it was a two segment cruise, 10days and then 7....there was a change in staff at the end of the ten days, service and food really suffered at that point....

 

new staff needed training....

 

Im sure by the time they will be  on the ship for several more legs, the O quality will  be back.....

Edited June 21, 2022 by jonthomas

[Divetripnow]

Hi. I am wondering how the internet service is on the Riviera. No one has commented on that??

[shepherd really]

45 minutes ago, Divetripnow said:

Hi. I am wondering how the internet service is on the Riviera. No one has commented on that??

The internet on O ships is like a dancing bear.  The remarkable thing isn't how well the bear dances but that it dances at all.

[Gracie115]

On 6/23/2022 at 1:10 PM, shepherd really said:

The internet on O ships is like a dancing bear.  The remarkable thing isn't how well the bear dances but that it dances at all.

 

Well that's not good.  Are there some areas/staterooms on the ship that seem to have better internet access/connectivity?

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Well that's not good.  Are there some areas/staterooms on the ship that seem to have better internet access/connectivity?

The computer room  maybe

 I have not found it too bad  not as fast as home but  for emails, banking  & CC   it is fine

[Gracie115]

22 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

The computer room  maybe

 I have not found it too bad  not as fast as home but  for emails, banking  & CC   it is fine

 

That's all we need, so thanks.

[ORV]

Just don't expect too much from the internet. If you go the non-streaming route then don't expect to use FB, load/upload any pictures, videos etc. Large files on emails probably won't work. As Lyn said, basic email, basic websites and CC. Keep in mind if you purchase the higher package for internet it isn't any faster, it just unblocks streaming sites. 

 

Interestingly enough if you are on Celebrity and don't purchase the streaming internet then Cruise Critic doesn't work. 

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, ORV said:

Just don't expect too much from the internet. If you go the non-streaming route then don't expect to use FB, load/upload any pictures, videos etc. Large files on emails probably won't work. As Lyn said, basic email, basic websites and CC. Keep in mind if you purchase the higher package for internet it isn't any faster, it just unblocks streaming sites. 

 

Interestingly enough if you are on Celebrity and don't purchase the streaming internet then Cruise Critic doesn't work. 

 

I normally just check emails, FB, CC etc.so should be good.  So does streaming actually work with this internet after you purchase it?

[ORV]

Not sure FB will work, but it might. I have no personal experience with it but I haven't heard good reports on the streaming. As I said, it's the same service, just unblocks the streaming. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 hours ago, ORV said:

Just don't expect too much from the internet. If you go the non-streaming route then don't expect to use FB, load/upload any pictures, videos etc. Large files on emails probably won't work. As Lyn said, basic email, basic websites and CC. Keep in mind if you purchase the higher package for internet it isn't any faster, it just unblocks streaming sites. 

 

Interestingly enough if you are on Celebrity and don't purchase the streaming internet then Cruise Critic doesn't work. 

Just to be clear: the only difference between included and extra cost wifi internet on any Oceania ship is the streaming block. The “speed” on both is exactly the same and dependent in large part on satellite signal latency rather than the ship’s network setup for passengers. 

[DENIE]

We just got off the Riviera (Rome-Barcelona) on 6/25.  If I understand correctly, there were about 800 passengers on board.  Not sure how many staff.  Although this was our first Oceania cruises (numerous cruises on other lines), we did not sense any service lacking.  Bar staff was attentive an often anticipated another round of drinks.  Meal times seemed appropriate (but leisurely, as we like them).  There were no long lines for anything.  We were very pleased with the staff and service.

[firsttimers68]

Just back from Marina and found the internet ok. It did drop out a few times but then we were sailing around Norway and were warned it may happen. FB etc all worked fine on regular package.