Currently On Sirena - Questions?

[samiam0403]

Hello all! I noticed there seemed to be a dearth of info from Sirena lately, so I figured I would offer to answer any questions. We boarded yesterday in Miami, and are on board for a 10-night sailing to the Caribbean. Have previously sailed on Riviera twice (Concierge Veranda and Penthouse), and are currently in a Concierge Veranda. So far, service, dining, and general upkeep has been impeccable. Slightly delayed boarding yesterday (as Sirena was coming off a Transatlantic), but boarding was quick and painless and started generally on schedule with the delayed 1200 boarding time that they notified us of. Dined last night in Red Ginger, and while I was sad to see the Tempura Vegetables were not on the menu, we were more than happy with our dinner choices. We have today and tomorrow at sea, so I'll have plenty of time to answer any questions if you have them! 

 

(Going to try to upload pics - let's see if it works!)

Cabin.HEIC Pool Deck.HEIC

[basenji56]

Is it true that the showers are too small be usable except for petite people?  I have read that people of larger size need to go to the locker room in the spa to shower every day.

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by basenji56

[samiam0403]

Just now, basenji56 said:

Is it true that the showers are too small be usable except for petite people?

My husband just stepped out of the shower - his review is: I'm a small guy (5'6") and it's small. Tall enough, but no elbow room. You have to Tetris yourself in to fit. 

[samiam0403]

Let's try those pictures again. - this time as jpegs.

 

 

[samiam0403]

[roberts2005]

Thanks for posting.  Did the TA on Sirena in 2019. Really enjoyed the ship.

[RetiredLifer]

Who is the Cruise Director?  Do you know how long he or she will be on?  We have a January sailing.  Thanks and enjoy your cruise!

[pinotlover]

Dottie is currently the CD, she boarded in Lisbon on October ~25th. She should still be there through Feb probably.

[sunlover12]

samiam0403,

I was on Sirena in October and also found Red Ginger to be excellent.  The two best dishes I had on the cruise were from Red Ginger.   Tom Kha Gai soup and Tuna Tataki appetizer.  If you haven't tried them yet, I heartily recommend them.

Thank you for your posts and photos. 

 

[Sun Queen II]

We are also on Sirena right now in a PH2. Service has been outstanding and the food is top notch. Our room surprised us when we arrived as we were expecting something smaller, and we have plenty of space especially like the table and two chairs for in room dining. The bathroom is a little on the small side but we don’t spend much time in there anyway. Beds are super comfortable. TV choices are limited, but we’re not here for the TV. The only thing I wish was different were bigger ice cubes, they melt so fast!  Guess that’s not much of a problem 😉

[ChadnKate]

5 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Dottie is currently the CD, she boarded in Lisbon on October ~25th. She should still be there through Feb probably.

Dottie was our Sirena CD for 28 days Istanbul to London, May-June this year. PS. We love Dottie. 

[roadmaster]

Love a look at the wine list/prices

cheers

[aqua]

My husband and I were  on the Barcelona to London part of ChadnKate’s B2B cruise.  I agree that Dottie was great!  We were a little concerned because Sirena is so small but we loved her. 

[ChadnKate]

42 minutes ago, aqua said:

My husband and I were  on the Barcelona to London part of ChadnKate’s B2B cruise.  I agree that Dottie was great!  We were a little concerned because Sirena is so small but we loved her. 

We loved how close the smaller Sirena could get to some of the ports. Up the river from Cadiz all the way to Seville. Same in Bordeaux. Etc. 

[samiam0403]

18 hours ago, RetiredLifer said:

Who is the Cruise Director?  Do you know how long he or she will be on?  We have a January sailing.  Thanks and enjoy your cruise!

Dottie is our CD. Don't know how long she's on, but I'll ask around today!

[samiam0403]

15 hours ago, sunlover12 said:

samiam0403,

I was on Sirena in October and also found Red Ginger to be excellent.  The two best dishes I had on the cruise were from Red Ginger.   Tom Kha Gai soup and Tuna Tataki appetizer.  If you haven't tried them yet, I heartily recommend them.

Thank you for your posts and photos. 

 

The Tom Kha Gai was wonderful! Definitely ordering that next time we dine at RG later this week.

[samiam0403]

Good morning from our detoured route in the Caribbean. Announcement from the captain this morning that due to an ill passenger needing more care than the ship's doctor can provide, we're diverting to Puerto Plata to offload the pax. He'll let us know how much that will delay arrival in St. Kitts tomorrow as soon as he knows. 

 

Day 2 was a lazy day of breakfast and lunch in the GDR, reading on the balcony, chatting with loads of people around the ship, and spending too much time in the casino. Tried the slot tournament at 1330 ($35 cash or ships charge), and did not win, sadly. Happily, later in the day after being up and down on the slots, I had 2 hand pays and am way way up. Last night was the Captain's reception with free cocktails from 1800-2000. The ship's passengers definitely showed up - we took a few steps into the Sirena Lounge and immediately walked out. A little too crowded for my tastes. Same with dinner when we strolled down to the GDR - line was out the door. We decided to just head to the room and order room service. I told my husband that my petit fillet was better than most steaks I have had in specialty restaurants on other cruiselines! Had shrimp cocktail and the fillet, and hubs had california rolls and a cheeseburger. We were both very happy with everything we ordered!

 

Plans for today (now that I've checked NCAA football scores from yesterday - Go Buckeyes!) include trying to finish my book, and maybe taking a nap. Oh yes, last night, we turned the clocks forward one hour, which makes a nap much more likely today! It's a little too breezy on the balcony for my tastes this morning, but maybe I'll go find a nice chair to curl up in in the library or Horizons. You know it's a rough life when those are your toughest decisions to make in a day!

[samiam0403]

11 hours ago, roadmaster said:

Love a look at the wine list/prices

cheers

No wine list in the room - which I found odd. There's usually a list of bottles and 'bin ends' in the room on boarding day. Would a few pics of various bar menus from around the ship work for you? Can also grab pics of the room service wine/fizz menu from the TV. 

 

Off to find breakfast - and probably book another cruise with the Cruise Ambassador. More later!

[pinotlover]

Last month on the Sirena, I had to ask for the bin end list. It was outrageous! Absolutely no deals on the list, with only a couple bottles priced under $100. 
 

As far as the wine list, hopefully they restocked in Miami ( they were supposed to) and put out a new list. Only a few of the listed “ wines by the glass “ on the menu were what was being poured. One got whatever was opened and being poured not what the list said. Some referred to the “ mystery wine of the night”! The wine stewards weren’t quick on showing you what was actually poured! 😂 Should have restocked in Miami and printed a new list, so hopefully that’s behind them.

[SombraDeLuna]

We were on Sirena in June for a British Isles B2B.  Get a massage with Irena from Serbia -- she is GREAT!  Also, would you please ask someone in Dining what the name of the almond apple "muffin" is?  It's one of the daily pastry specials, has a flat top versus a rounded one, and is extremely moist and flavorful!  I'd love to be able to track down a recipe for it (should have asked for it while on board).  Thank you in advance and have a great voyage!  

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, SombraDeLuna said:

 Also, would you please ask someone in Dining what the name of the almond apple "muffin" is?  It's one of the daily pastry specials, has a flat top versus a rounded one, and is extremely moist and flavorful! 

You could ask Oceania  they might send you the recipe   it has happened in the past

 

[samiam0403]

On 11/20/2022 at 9:00 AM, pinotlover said:

Last month on the Sirena, I had to ask for the bin end list. It was outrageous! Absolutely no deals on the list, with only a couple bottles priced under $100. 
 

As far as the wine list, hopefully they restocked in Miami ( they were supposed to) and put out a new list. Only a few of the listed “ wines by the glass “ on the menu were what was being poured. One got whatever was opened and being poured not what the list said. Some referred to the “ mystery wine of the night”! The wine stewards weren’t quick on showing you what was actually poured! 😂 Should have restocked in Miami and printed a new list, so hopefully that’s behind them.

They definitely restocked - on day one, I ordered the French rosé, and was told they hadn't stocked it yet. She instead offered me a glass of White Zinfandel that I have seen at the grocery for ~$4 a bottle. I haven't been told they don't have any of the listed wines since. And I DEFINITELY watch to see what they're pouring now. 🤣 

[samiam0403]

Day 3 on board Sirena - we should be just now starting our excursion to Nevis from Saint Kitts, but due to the time needed to transport our ill passenger to Puerto Plata, we now have a sea day today and are skipping Saint Kitts altogether. While a little disappointed (we hadn't yet visited SK), getting help for a fellow passenger who needed it will always be paramount in my mind. Happily, I haven't heard anyone complaining on the ship (yet), so that's a nice change of pace. 

 

Yesterday was (another) very lazy day. Room service for coffee and OJ, then alternated between reading on my balcony, reading in Horizons, and hanging out in the smoking areas. (I know, I know. But we've made so many new friends there!) We also tried the slot tournament after lunch, playing against only one other couple - yes, we lost. But I finished the book that I brought on board, and meandered around the library and found another to start today. Lunch yesterday for us was in the GDR and dinner was in the Tuscan Steakhouse. GDR was a tasty little lunch as usual, but Tuscan Steakhouse was rather underwhelming. We started with escargot and a crab cake - hubs said the escargot was overcooked and tasted fishy (and he LOVES escargot). My medium rare ribeye looked like it had been steamed instead of grilled and was very sinewy, while hubs' medium ribeye had a beautiful sear and was quite nice. Ah well, can't win 'em all. The bread was tasty, as were our salads and desserts. But I think we'll try the Italian side of the menu next time!

 

Also stopped by the Cruise Ambassador's desk and booked a Transatlantic on Sirena for 2024. After a few days in our concierge cabin, I had to spring for a PH. The standard bathrooms, while adequate, are just a hair too small to maneuver in comfortably. 

 

We also received confirmation that our ship is indeed sailing at capacity - which is not a surprise to those of us who received offers to transfer our booking or take a downgrade. I think the only time it's felt fully booked was at Martinis during Happy Hour, and the Sirena Lounge on the Captain's shindig night. Other than that, there are always empty lounges by the pool or a quiet nook to curl up in and watch the waves go by. 

 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find some wine lists to take pictures of for roadmaster, and to attempt to find the name of the flat topped almond apple pastry for SombraDeLuna. Enjoy your day - I know I will!

 

[samiam0403]

[samiam0403]