LIVE from the Riviera Nov 18 Crossing

[Jancruz]

(The croissant may have been dethroned. Sitting in a broth of butter and keeping ever so warm were a chaffing dish full of gooey sticky buns this morning. As though they should have worn their chest waders after being baked, these things were soaked with the concoction half way up via capillary action. Tender, moist, melt in your mouth. The outside edges were just as soft as the “filet” in the center.

We are now on a daily watch for the sticky buns in the Terrace Café.)

 

 

 

Sticky buns are made every other day..

Jancruz1

[cruisingxpert]

(The croissant may have been dethroned. Sitting in a broth of butter and keeping ever so warm were a chaffing dish full of gooey sticky buns this morning. As though they should have worn their chest waders after being baked, these things were soaked with the concoction half way up via capillary action. Tender, moist, melt in your mouth. The outside edges were just as soft as the “filet” in the center.

We are now on a daily watch for the sticky buns in the Terrace Café.)

 

 

 

Sticky buns are made every other day..

Jancruz1

 

That's good to know and probably a good thing:)

 

CJ

[no fuss travel]

Where do they hide them in the Terrace Cafe? Also,do they have nuts in them?

[Jancruz]

Where do they hide them in the Terrace Cafe? Also,do they have nuts in them?

 

Yes and I think yes..

Jancruz1

[DOJO466]

The croissant may have been dethroned. Sitting in a broth of butter and keeping ever so warm were a chaffing dish full of gooey sticky buns this morning. As though they should have worn their chest waders after being baked, these things were soaked with the concoction half way up via capillary action. Tender, moist, melt in your mouth. The outside edges were just as soft as the “filet” in the center.

 

We are now on a daily watch for the sticky buns in the Terrace Café.

 

This morning, there was a ship wide activity held around the pool deck. I will not go into details, but it appeared that at least 60 percent or more of the passengers were participating. A group of typically well-heeled passengers were trying to fill bottles of water, knock things over, etc. all in an effort to collect raffle tickets. I don’t troll the boards here so this may or may not have been something new but the event was very well received. While on that note, there is plenty for anyone to do on any given day while we are at sea.

 

Lunch in the dining room today after one of the ladies had completed her 4th spa appointment of the trip. This was the first marginal service we had received on this trip but it appeared to be a training/new opportunity for the waiter involved. I’ll not mention names as it is unfair to label someone when you don’t know the full story. We did not leave hungry and requests were handled..sort of. We’ll leave it at that. We were taken aback though when as we were leaving a dining room manager asked why we were not staying for dessert. Now he was a good 60 or more feet away. I’m assuming his eagle eye saw that we left before lunch entrée plates had been cleared and that is how he knew. Impressive all the same.

 

This afternoon, it was resting on the verandah under the protective shade of the overhang. As the Riviera plowed through the now resting ocean, the bow waves looked like the speedy rush and mayhem of an avalanche while the chorus of thousands upon thousands of imaginary hissing sea snakes provided the bubbly sound that follows. There are few to no clouds in the sky. The temperature is in the moderate 70’s.

 

More spa time for another member of the party. Movie time for us in the room.

 

Dinner was just great. Osmond, our waiter, overheard my mother say that she forgot her reading glasses in the room. He shows up with jewelry box sized selection of reading glasses. Wow. The sea bass in a banana leaf was obviously inspired by the highly touted dish in Red Ginger. It was yummy. As was the soft shell crab, polenta soufflé, and the 5 desserts for the 4 of us 

As each day passes, it seems as though the trip keeps getting better. As it started out so well, that seems nearly impossible, but it is happening.

 

I have to say the ladies in our group were as radiant as ever. We are lucky fellows.

 

Again, our waiter and assistant waiter were a joy to be around. And that brings me to my final point for this evening and one that is weighing heavily on me. As we travel Oceania or any other cruise line, we should never think of ourselves better than the ones who are serving us during our travels. In some ways we may be “better off”, but we are indeed no better. None of us are “entitled” to anything although that disease has obviously infected quite a few on this voyage.

 

Osmond, our waiter tonight, has a 1 ½ month old baby girl that he has only seen on Skype. By this time next week, he will be on his way home to see her in person for the first time. He had real joy in his heart and a smile that cannot be erased. He’s here, wiping crumbs off of tables, to make a better life for his child. Without the willing sacrifice of 100’s of team members just like Osmond, none of us would be enjoying the 6 star service and food on Oceania.

 

The Country Fair on Deck 12 was special and will fade into the mist of a distant memory. However, it’s the growing collection of tastes, people, events, small moments, and service touches filled with humility and heart that will leave us with a voyage we will always remember.

It is so unfortunate about the new disease "entitlement"'.We have been finding more and more of these "bugs" lately on our sailings. Will hope for a cleansed sailing in 3 weeks when we sail

[pacheco18]

(The croissant may have been dethroned. Sitting in a broth of butter and keeping ever so warm were a chaffing dish full of gooey sticky buns this morning. As though they should have worn their chest waders after being baked, these things were soaked with the concoction half way up via capillary action. Tender, moist, melt in your mouth. The outside edges were just as soft as the “filet” in the center.

We are now on a daily watch for the sticky buns in the Terrace Café.)

 

 

 

Sticky buns are made every other day..

Jancruz1

 

Jan -- you continue to be a wealth of valuable information!

[potterhill]

I don't usually care for pastries and my cinnamon buns are much better than the ones on the ship. So I was safe, until I discovered the coconut pastries in Horizons. Heaven! But, they only make them alternate days. :-(

 

Mo

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[ORV]

Getting rough again today.

 

I'm amazed at how many people congregate in the Executive Lounge. I don't get the draw. I'd rather be in my room or out and about, but to each their own. On our first leg, which was port intensive, we didn't see this as much. At any given time there will be 6 to 10 people in there.

 

Trivia in the theatre is not as bad as some have reported on this board, but it's certainly not as convenient as the set up in the R ships. It's easily doable though.

 

Nice to know about the sticky bun schedule. None today so tomorrow must be the day. They're in the big heated covered silver servers with the lid that rolls back for those looking for them.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Did you not go on the sled in Funchal???

Jancruz1

 

Yes we had done it in the past and did not feel it warranted to repeat. It was fun and one of those things you do an cross off the list that don't need a do over.

 

As for our Tangier's Guide - His name was Aziz. I will post his contact information in my review. I am not in my cabin posting.

[pacheco18]

Yes we had done it in the past and did not feel it warranted to repeat. It was fun and one of those things you do an cross off the list that don't need a do over.

 

As for our Tangier's Guide - His name was Aziz. I will post his contact information in my review. I am not in my cabin posting.

 

We used Aziz as well -- be aware that 50% of the men in Tangier are named AZIZ LOL When we got off the ship and looked for Aziz we had to figure out which Aziz.

[RetiredFL]

(The croissant may have been dethroned. Sitting in a broth of butter and keeping ever so warm were a chaffing dish full of gooey sticky buns this morning. As though they should have worn their chest waders after being baked, these things were soaked with the concoction half way up via capillary action. Tender, moist, melt in your mouth. The outside edges were just as soft as the “filet” in the center.

We are now on a daily watch for the sticky buns in the Terrace Café.)

 

 

 

Sticky buns are made every other day..

Jancruz1

 

 

We were told they only make so many pans and when they are gone, they are gone.

So we early risers sometimes luck out.

[ronrick1943]

JANCRUZ,

 

Dethroned, I think not. "O" has the very best Croissant we've ever had--really.

Rick

[jertom]

JANCRUZ,

 

Dethroned, I think not. "O" has the very best Croissant we've ever had--really.

Rick

 

I agree ! Where else can you leave a bigger pile of flakes behind you after eating one ?

:D

[Paulchili]

I agree ! Where else can you leave a bigger pile of flakes behind you after eating one ?

:D

 

Paris (or most other places in France)? :D

But seriously, the croissants on Oceania (both plain and chocolate) are the best at sea and as good or better than almost anywhere on land.

FWIW, DW, who is somewhat of an expert on sticky buns, claims that while they are very good, they are not as good as they used to be (I wouldn't know as I have never had them).

Edited November 26, 2013 by Paulchili

[CintiPam]

Paris (or most other places in France)? :D

But seriously, the croissants on Oceania (both plain and chocolate) are the best at sea and as good or better than almost anywhere on land.

FWIW, DW, who is somewhat of an expert on sticky buns, claims that while they are very good, they are not as good as they used to be (I wouldn't know as I have never had them).

 

I remember from my Marina cruise that I deserted my daily morning breakfast chocolate croissant for the amazing sticky buns when available. I look forward to having these debates once again in about 50 days!

 

Trivia with teams of 9 is ridiculous if we have to play in the nightclub. Guess I only will play in the evening.

[yorkiemomjn]

I don't usually care for pastries and my cinnamon buns are much better than the ones on the ship. So I was safe, until I discovered the coconut pastries in Horizons. Heaven! But, they only make them alternate days. :-(

 

Mo

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

 

Oh, no, now I am in trouble! :eek: I LOVE coconut!!!

[sldispatcher]

The morning dawned with growing overcast skies and the bright orange disc of the sun rising quickly above the eastern horizon then hiding behind the cloud bank. The seas became a little more rough as the day progressed. However, after so many days at sea it did not really seem bad to me. Raindrops chased in sun worshippers indoors so lounges were fairly busy.

 

Echoing what ORV stated, I’m not sure what the big attraction for the Executive lounge is, but people are using it so it definitely serves their purposes.

 

As I write this, I’m reflecting on what a great experience this has been so far. For the few out there that are reading this and may not have cruised with Oceania before, it is all about the details. Again, I have had fantastic cruises on other lines. The seafood tends to never be “fishy”. The berries are always fresh. The reading glasses case in the dining room, the way plates are refreshed in the Terrace, the concerns over dessert, and the list goes on and on. I personally think there is great value provided for what is charged. So much has been thought of in regards to each guest’s vacation experience.

 

Today, the dining room was absolutely slammed with guests for lunch. I had not seen it like that this entire cruise. I would easily say that 85% of tables were occupied by 100pm. That did affect the speed in which the food came out, but it did not affect the quality in anyway. Managers were pitching in bringing food up from the galley and clearing tables. I’m sure that was appreciated by the quickly overwhelmed wait staff.

 

People watching continues to be one of our favorite sports. We’ve seen more seasoned folks who are not letting deteriorating bodies or advanced age keep them from enjoying what they like to do. I say good for them. There have also been other spottings of a different sort. Often have we seen more reconstruction than what took place in the South after the Civil War.

 

Chocolate malt (thicker than the shake) was dessert from Waves. The afternoon was an ultra-lazy affair in the room. Like dogs laid up on the front porch on a hot summer day, we hardly moved while taking in two movies on the TV. The motion of the ship was aggressive, but our mid-ship location tends to temper most of the effect.

 

The clouds and passing showers eventually gave way to partly cloudy skies while the rolling ocean with meringue tips of wind swept spray continued the relentless exchange of energy. Somewhere, in a faraway place, these waves will lap up against a shore. Perhaps a shore you or I will visit someday.

 

Tonight, and for one night only, the male species in our group got our ultimate wish……

We…

Dined..

In…

The…

Terrace!!!

 

It was busier than I had anticipated. But two things stood out greatly. Piles of fresh snow crab claws and the overall quality of all dishes tasted. This is not your average “buffet” as so many have stated before me. One can see where over indulging could be practiced easily here. From the mozzarella and tomato salad that had been perfectly dressed with balsamic, basil, and olives to the tender lobster tails grilled and pampered with butter, everything tasted freshly prepped. It was almost insane watching them replace plates that were only ¼ to ½ served from the cold appetizer section. The sole purpose appeared to be to keep appearances up and to always have an ample supply. An old family friend would always use the term “eat the meat” to describe what you are supposed to do in this situation.

 

One member of our party took this to heart: 3 lobster tails, 4 grilled shrimp 1 ½ dozen crab claws and 4 BBQ’d shrimp later, he had done just that. I’m personally considering just having a large bore IV line placed so that Frank’s mashed potatoes can be mainlined. By 8pm the place was full as a tick with passengers opting for dinner here. With so many specialty dining places plus the Grand Dining Room (GDR), one would think none of them would ever be “full”. We seemed to have been with the crowd wherever we were today.

 

Would we go to the Terrace every night? No. Mostly because that is not our “style”. However, it is very high quality and would easily be an enjoyable dining spot for anyone in the evening.

 

A trip through the eastern European wasteland otherwise known as the casino had us forking over more cash for the retirement plans for those in charge of this institution. I could give you the list to stay away from, but as you well know, they are not on here because they give away large sums of money. It’s all done in fun anyway.

 

Neptune is obviously testing out the ability of the Riviera’s stabilizers. I’m sure the cast will do their best with the show tonight but we are done for the day.

 

We tapped out on the Terrace.

[Jancruz]

JANCRUZ,

 

Dethroned, I think not. "O" has the very best Croissant we've ever had--really.

Rick

 

Rick, that was not me that said that.. and if its pastry its my favorite!!!

Jancruz1

[ronrick1943]

Jan

OK if you say so........

Rick

[LHT28]

Jan

OK if you say so........

Rick

It is there in black & white see message #99 ..it was NOT Jan that made the comment

;)

[sldispatcher]

Overnight, we went from the occasional shudder and constant roll to a much smoother sailing today. It was a good thing as it was the big brunch in the dining room. Most of it is the typical fare from Terrace Café all dressed up. Additionally, several hot items were available to order from a menu. Overall, it was a much more civil affair compared to a similar event on Celebrity’s Solstice ships where it is like the Mad Hatter is playing tea party in a hornet’s nest. Also, the food was of the usual high quality. I have a few photos that will eventually make their way to the shutterfly site this evening or in the morning.

 

Tonight was our evening in Privee`. With a butler escort from the stateroom, we arrived at the 12th floor where we were met by our waiter at the elevator bank. He then escorted us into the well-lit and over the top private dining room situated between Toscana and Polo. With just 4 of us for the evening, we pondered heavily over menu choices. I enjoyed my Toscana veal chop and could have used the bone to hack through most any structure. It was royal treatment for sure and nice that it was all family and none of the “when we are this cruise” or “on our 12th Oceania cruise in Dubai” nonsense. That’s not to say there is not a time and place for that conversation but it is not one we care to have while on the ship. In fact, we spent most of the time asking the waiter about his home, life, and reasons for being where he is today.

 

Is Privee worth the money? Again, it all depends on what is important to you. That’s up to you as an individual to decide.

 

Tomorrow is a port day at Bermuda where we will overnight. The crew is obviously getting very excited and I’m sure many of the passengers are ready for some onshore opportunities. It will be good to see land, but if it were 3 more days at sea instead I would not object.

 

Some scattered comments on areas of the ship. The gym and equipment are all in excellent shape and look brand new. The deck 12 areas with lounging chairs forward of the pool area are so nice and appealing. The carpet does not look worn at all even in high travel areas such as stairs. There are a few times where one must wait on more than one elevator during the peak demand dining times, but for the most part, we use the stairs when practical. As unpopular as it would be on these forums, I would not fault Oceania for charging customers for any specialty dining reservations beyond their initial allotment. I’m speaking strictly from the business side of myself on that point. I realize that does not fit in with the present promises, but I can see where that would weed out some of the issues with reservations.

 

Finally, I have to mention a serious etiquette problem (not unique to Oceania) that relates to entering and exiting one’s cabin. There is no need to slam the door. There is no good reason that it should be heard 4 cabins down. When entering the room, simply turn the handle like any reasonable person would. Likewise, with very little effort, you can close your cabin door quietly when you leave. For extra politeness, I almost always use my key card to activate the handle when I leave so I can close it without making any sound. It is a courtesy for my neighbors. Unfortunately, it is not a courtesy exercised by many.

 

Thank you for allowing me to sound off just a bit today. After 9 days, one can find a few more irritants that might not be quite so apparent under the fog of oblivion one lives in after boarding.

 

So from mass dining in a buffet setting at 10am with the brunch to the private setting of Privee, we encountered and enjoyed two ends of the gastronomic spectrum onboard the Riviera.

 

We are already talking about what we are going to eat next :/!

[Travelcat2]

Hoping that passengers arriving December 2nd are able to fly out of Miami. Many flights into New York and other places in the East have severe storms. People hoping to have Thanksgiving there are not able to make their flights. Hope this improves over the weekend:o

[hypercafe]

Happy thanksgiving to all, I can not speak for the rest of the country, but it is a beautiful day in NYC, with little or no airport delays.

[kimanjo]

Agree completely!

 

I am pretty sure it is a "learned" behavior to close gently. I have always to open and close hotel, house, ship doors quietly. My parents taught me this. I have always stressed this to my children.

 

At age 23 and 25, they too, gently close doors. Its second nature, you don't even think about it anymore.

[Travelcat2]

Happy thanksgiving to all, I can not speak for the rest of the country, but it is a beautiful day in NYC, with little or no airport delays.

 

Thank you for posting updated weather information. Yesterday, on the west coast, it sounded like most flights to the east coast would not be flying. Little or no delays is great news:)