Just booked our first "O" cruise!

[hiccups]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing. We're past RC cruisers, but after a river cruise with Uniworld last summer I wanted to try something smaller and more upscale.

 

I'll mosey over to the Roll Call and I'm sure will have some questions for your seasoned cruisers!

 

Also, thank you to the person that posted the link to the Preisman's website--I'm enjoying their review. And drooling over the menus :D

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing. We're past RC cruisers, but after a river cruise with Uniworld last summer I wanted to try something smaller and more upscale.

 

I'll mosey over to the Roll Call and I'm sure will have some questions for your seasoned cruisers!

 

Also, thank you to the person that posted the link to the Preisman's website--I'm enjoying their review. And drooling over the menus :D

 

Glad you enjoyed the Riviera review and I am sorry I made you drool. The real food will do a much better job of it. I think you will love the Riviera, it is a gorgeous ship with great service and so much more.

[DOJO466]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing. We're past RC cruisers, but after a river cruise with Uniworld last summer I wanted to try something smaller and more upscale.

 

I'll mosey over to the Roll Call and I'm sure will have some questions for your seasoned cruisers!

 

Also, thank you to the person that posted the link to the Preisman's website--I'm enjoying their review. And drooling over the menus :D

 

We just booked this sailing too, however we are in a B4 Guarantee. It was a GREAT deal we got. You will be able to book your specialty restaurants on Mon Jan 18th and I suggest you do your homework over the weekend looking up stuff. Also please join our roll call and sign up for the meet & Greet on Mar 4th. Any ?????'s just ask here...it is a wealth of info.

[hiccups]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing.

 

Make that the 3/13/16 cruise... I type too fast for my own good :D

[sammiedawg]

Glad you enjoyed the Riviera review and I am sorry I made you drool. The real food will do a much better job of it. I think you will love the Riviera, it is a gorgeous ship with great service and so much more.

 

We've read your web site for years, cannot tell you how much we have learned from your travel blogs. We especially loved your write up on the Riviera.

[MVPinBoynton]

We've read your web site for years, cannot tell you how much we have learned from your travel blogs. We especially loved your write up on the Riviera.

 

Thanks sammiedawg. I have always appreciated your nice comments about our reviews.

[loves2read]

Glad you enjoyed the Riviera review and I am sorry I made you drool. The real food will do a much better job of it. I think you will love the Riviera, it is a gorgeous ship with great service and so much more.

 

We are also grateful fans of your website. After many cruises with Celebrity we booked our first Oceania sailing on the 4/12/16 Regatta to Bermuda. We've gotten such helpful information from your wonderful reviews.

[MVPinBoynton]

We are also grateful fans of your website. After many cruises with Celebrity we booked our first Oceania sailing on the 4/12/16 Regatta to Bermuda. We've gotten such helpful information from your wonderful reviews.

 

Glad you have enjoyed it. I hope you have as great a Bermuda cruise as we had on the Regatta.

[eroller]

Glad you enjoyed the Riviera review and I am sorry I made you drool. The real food will do a much better job of it. I think you will love the Riviera, it is a gorgeous ship with great service and so much more.

 

 

I'm also sailing on Oceania (RIVIERA) for the first time in a few months. I just came across your wonderful website as well. You did a beautiful job and it certainly painted a fantastic picture of what awaits! Can't wait!

[MVPinBoynton]

I'm also sailing on Oceania (RIVIERA) for the first time in a few months. I just came across your wonderful website as well. You did a beautiful job and it certainly painted a fantastic picture of what awaits! Can't wait!

 

Trust me, the real thing is so much better than the picture you are envisioning! Have a beat cruise.

[caviargal]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing. We're past RC cruisers, but after a river cruise with Uniworld last summer I wanted to try something smaller and more upscale.

 

 

Not sure which Uniworld ship you were on but we found the SS Catherine to be very upscale and the service consistently better and far more personal than we experienced on Riviera.

 

The decor is quite overdone on Uniworld (IMO) but food and service standards were very high on our cruise. And the inclusiveness made for an overall enjoyable experience. O's excursions are IMO terribly overpriced and we booked all private tours and enjoyed them.

 

We would happily cruise again on either line but I personally do find O to be more upscale. We were in PH on Riviera in the Med and that was a highlight of the trip for us.

Edited January 17, 2016 by caviargal

[sammiedawg]

Not sure which Uniworld ship you were on but we found the SS Catherine to be very upscale and the service consistently better and far more personal than we experienced on Riviera.

 

The decor is quite overdone on Uniworld (IMO) but food and service standards were very high on our cruise. And the inclusiveness made for an overall enjoyable experience. O's excursions are IMO terribly overpriced and we booked all private tours and enjoyed them.

 

We would happily cruise again on either line but I personally do find O to be more upscale. We were in PH on Riviera in the Med and that was a highlight of the trip for us.

 

Uniworld's decor definitely overdone , somewhat ugly, IMO.

[caviargal]

We would happily cruise again on either line but I personally do find O to be more upscale. We were in PH on Riviera in the Med and that was a highlight of the trip for us.

 

That should have said I do NOT find O to be more upscale than our Uniworld experience.

 

<Uniworld's decor definitely overdone , somewhat ugly, IMO.>

 

I agree. And some of the ornate furnishings in the public areas were not comfortable.

[LHT28]

Uniworld's decor definitely overdone , somewhat ugly, IMO.

+1

Looks like a florist shop threw up in the room :eek:

[RJB]

Thanks to a great deal, we just booked a B3 extended balcony cabin on Riviera's 3/3/16 sailing. We're past RC cruisers, but after a river cruise with Uniworld last summer I wanted to try something smaller and more upscale.

 

I'll mosey over to the Roll Call and I'm sure will have some questions for your seasoned cruisers!

 

Also, thank you to the person that posted the link to the Preisman's website--I'm enjoying their review. And drooling over the menus :D

Good choice. You should have a great time. :):):)

[hiccups]

We were on River Queen, and I didn't mind the décor at all. I wouldn't furnish my house that way, but for the experience, it was fine. I think it translates better in person than through pictures.

[Barrheadlass]

We were on River Queen, and I didn't mind the décor at all. I wouldn't furnish my house that way, but for the experience, it was fine. I think it translates better in person than through pictures.

 

Ditto.

[RJB]

Have never been on the River Queen. How bad is it? I think that O is pretty wonderful and would not like to downgrade at all.

[hiccups]

Have never been on the River Queen. How bad is it? I think that O is pretty wonderful and would not like to downgrade at all.

 

I don't know what you mean by "bad." As I said, I was fine with the décor... it was like a boutique hotel.

[LHT28]

Have never been on the River Queen. How bad is it? I think that O is pretty wonderful and would not like to downgrade at all.

just look at the photos of the cabins on Uniworld's website

[LHT28]

if that is what Boutique hotel rooms look like I will steer clear of them then :eek:

 

certainly not for everyone

Edited January 18, 2016 by LHT28

[hiccups]

if that is what Boutique hotel rooms look like I will steer clear of them then :eek:

 

certainly not for everyone

 

I'm curious if you've ever been on a Uniworld ship, or are just criticizing them based on the pictures.

[LHT28]

I'm curious if you've ever been on a Uniworld ship, or are just criticizing them based on the pictures.

The pictures of the cabins put me off we went with Scenic

I guess I am more of a minimalist :D

 

to each his own

[hiccups]

The pictures of the cabins put me off we went with Scenic

I guess I am more of a minimalist :D

 

to each his own

 

Yes... we were rafted to two Scenic ships and walking through, I found them a little nondescript; I was happier with the unique style of Uniworld.

[caviargal]

The pictures of the cabins put me off we went with Scenic

I guess I am more of a minimalist :D

 

to each his own

 

We found the opulent and heavy decor on Uniworld even more overpowering in person than in photos. The bigger issue was that the sofas and chairs in the main lounge were not comfortable and neither were the furnishings in the aft lounge. Normally I like to enjoy relaxing with a book or my laptop while having an early morning coffee but not on this trip. It is indeed a matter of personal taste and decor would not stop us from sailing with the line again.

 

We are on Scenic in three months and have seen their ships while in port. The modern luxury is appealing to us.

 

Riviera was a nice mix of modern and traditional. We thought the ship was lovely.