On Oceania Riviera now, Barcelona to Trieste

[bbtondo]

16 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Aix is nice, but we found the Luberon really wonderful.  Marseilles is actually worthwhile if you get a good guide that takes to regions other than just the Old Port, but I would do the Luberon or Aix first.

Thanks!

[Aknayt3393]

@SisterHava we did the Marseille City Highlights. Our guide was great and really knowledgeable. I would say if you have a lot of interest in the buildings and architecture, it would be great. I was more entertained by the crazy traffic, our bus driver was navigating through motorcycles zipping in and out, narrow streets, and awful traffic conditions and he was really awesome. I would probably choose different to do it again if I were honest but it was fun. 
 

 

[Aknayt3393]

Sorry for the duplicate post, not sure how I managed to do that. 
 

I mentioned earlier that our scheduled Oceania tour at Monte Carlo was cancelled due to an electric car race, and the hop on hop off tour was offered up as a replacement. Well it was not a good experience, to say the least. There was a lot of confusion - I think many if not most of us thought we were still going to have a guide but once we were on the bus we were on our own with and driver who did not speak or understand English. It was sad to see a group of mostly elderly (and some handicapped) folks struggling to cope. I think Oceania dropped the ball on this one. I couldn’t help but notice Viking and other touring companies near by seemed to handle things far better, with actual guides. 

 

We ended up back at the ship fairly soon and we decided to make the best of things with a Pina colada by the pool. We also made new friends with some other couples which made up for the unfortunate tour experience. 

We ate at Jacques this evening which was incredible. I had the pork with apples and some incredible mustard cream sauce that was to die for. I had no idea pork could taste so incredible. And the vanilla pot de creme … no words. Possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and it was on a cruise ship.

[djdobrott]

@Aknayt3393 Thank you for your reporting on the current conditions.  I was curious if the Bar Stool Seats were open for seating or still closed off due to precautions?

 

I was the ship back in February and I was surprised to see the Bar Stool Seats blocked off in Martinis, Horizons, Casino Bar and even those at the pool bar. I had heard that was changing on the subsequent cruise but wasn't sure given the current situation.

Boarding for the May 7th sailing out of Ravenna with 2 other couples and we all like to sit at the bar and chat with the bar tenders; hoping they had opened those back up. 

[Tarwood3]

On 4/25/2022 at 4:18 PM, Aknayt3393 said:

It’s our first time on Oceania. We scheduled this cruise a couple years ago with three other couples. We are finally cruising only without the other couples due to schedule conflicts. I’ve not posted on this forum before but have been following off and on for a few years so I decided to post a few observations that may help others. I don’t want to post daily reports as we will be too busy - however I can try to answer questions if I’m able. We are late 50’s couple with only a couple cruises under our belt, always with other couples where other more experienced would take the lead in planning. 
 

Embarkation

I was surprised at how efficient this all went. We showed our negative test results from 72 hours prior along with our vaccine cards and were able to go through easily, no additional test needed. There wasn’t an awful line, and people seemed prepared and efficient, both passengers and staff. We only waited maybe an hour once on the ship to go to our PH room on 11. Super smooth. 
 

We asked how many passengers are on and it’s just 600, so it does feel a bit quiet but I don’t really mind.
 

Crew

So far we’ve been really impressed, most have been terrific given current conditions. 
We were a bit uncomfortable with the idea of a “butler” but figured it would be fine. He actually has been a non-event which is fine with us, but kind of funny since I thought a butler would be intrusive but we have seen way more of our room steward who has been a delight. She’s been working hard and has a great attitude. When we met the butler we asked about extra reservations at the specialty restaurants because I read on here to do that, and it was awkward - he basically said no, that he wanted to be sure other guests had an opportunity to get reservations before making second ones for us. He was nice enough about it but we did felt bad for asking and said it was no problem, we were okay without. When we eventually went to the dining room, the hostess asked if we wanted to go to Red Ginger instead and we were quite surprised. And Red Ginger ended up being maybe 1/3 full. 
 

Masks

We are all wearing masks unless eating or working out if it’s not crowded (and I’m not thinking it will be!). Not a big deal at all and I don’t have a sense of it being a problem for most. When boarding we asked about the policy and got vague and confusing answers from the reception staff, but then the cruise director made an announcement about it and I think finally everyone was on the same page. We can’t take drinks into the shows so everyone can keep their masks on, which makes sense to me. There was still decent attendance to the show given it was the first day and the ship is only half full. But everyone was still able to socially distance in the auditorium and it felt fine. 
 

Entertainment 

I was really wondering what to expect from reports on here but we went to the 930 show this evening and I think Oceania is getting back on track. The Riviera band was awesome, better than I expected with an incredible pianist. There was also a very talented 4 piece string quartet. A new team of 12 dancers and singers were introduced, along with a new assistant cruise director and social director who seems very involved in getting the singles together every day. There’s a guest singer scheduled tomorrow - I think he is supposed to be the voice of Mufasa on lion king on broadway if I’m not mistaken. 
 

I had planned to check out the casino but ended up shopping in the boutique instead. (They carry a decent selection of Lauren Ralph Lauren and Joseph Ribkoff in case anyone else is interested :}
 

Food and drink

It seems pretty good so far, better than Viking or Royal Caribbean which are my only other points of reference. I wish there was hard seltzer but that’s a pretty minor complaint. They have everything else so it’s all good. 
 

Excursions

I've been bracing myself for potential cancellations, determined to be flexible and understanding. So when there was an announcement while checking in that the excursion company had cancelled the Monaco excursions due to some conflict with a formula one electric car race, I was really disappointed since I had been looking forward to that one the most. I’d even read a book to study up on it in advance. But then we were able to schedule another tour that involves a hop on hop off bus (which my husband is NOT excited about) but I think will be even better, and we even get to spend time in the casino. 
 

That’s all I can think of at the moment. It’s just the first day but I hope this might be helpful for others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will be on Riviera May 7th in Ravenna…so following ! Thanks for taking the time to post!  Btw we have done the hop on hop off in Monte Carlo and enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s such a small place and it hits everywhere. You will enjoy it!

[DENIE]

10 hours ago, bbtondo said:

I'm thinking at taking the Aix en provence tour for the Marseille port.  Any opinions?

We are on the 6/15/2022 Riviera from Rome to Barcelona.  Opted for a Tours by Locals private excursion to Aix, which will include lunch and wine tasting.  This was based on opinions from others on this site as well as friends of ours.  We can't wait.

[Aknayt3393]

@djdobrott I have only seen all bar stools open at this point. So you should be fine unless they change things. The staff are really enforcing masks except when actively eating or drinking. I was concerned about the casino being safe because of comments on here, but my husband talked me into stopping this eve after dinner and we played roulette. We were the only ones at the table and everyone in the casino was masked even between sips of our drinks. I’m sure some people won’t appreciate that but it made us feel better about things. The casino did not have many people at all and it felt safe. We still have not heard of any Covid cases.|

[Aknayt3393]

Our tour to St Tropez went well today, And our dinner at Toscana was terrific. I think I still like Jacques better but it’s a close second. The raspberry tiramisu was incredible, and I normally don’t like tiramisu - this had no soggy cake layers but was just completely delicious. We’ve also been enjoying the wine sommeliers at each restaurant, super knowledgeable and personable.

 

I have to say social distancing is almost impossible on the Oceania tours, with close quarters on the tender and the line to get back on was a bit intense. I am guessing it might be worth it to explore private tour options just for that reason alone.
 

I think some people are starting to grumble about all of the precautions when we’ve had vaccines and boosters, but I continue to be vigilant because I have an elderly father with multiple myeloma. Also we met a couple on board who got Covid in January after having all of the available vaccines and boosters, and although he had fairly mild symptoms, she got very sick and possibly should have even been hospitalized. And these are people in their 50s.

Our butler surprised us with some canapés and chocolate covered strawberries when we got back from the tour. He is really trying hard and doing a great job. We are off to Florence tomorrow! 

[mauibabes]

Aknayt3393

OK, we will call it Jacques 1 and Toscana 1A.  Now we will need a report from your dinner in Red Ginger.  I have three MUST try items; Watermelon and Duck Salad, Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and the Rack of Lamb. This is not to say there are not many more outstanding dishes but these are FANTASTIC. Next trip to Jacques, share the Sea Bass in a puff pastry for 2. So many of the appetizers and entrees are Awesome as well. Back to Toscana, have an Appetizer or Entree size piece of Grandma’s Lasagna Bolognese. 
Polo, you are on your own but the Waldorf Salad, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Maine Lobster and … are pretty great too. 
Enjoy

Mauibabes 

[Kate-AHF]

9 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

...Polo, you are on your own but the Waldorf Salad, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Maine Lobster and … are pretty great too. 
Enjoy

Mauibabes 

 

I had the Waldorf salad at Polo last November - it's probably been 40 years since my last Waldorf salad.  I was so surprised at how very good it was.  Hoping that I can get it again on Sirena this fall, in the hybrid steak house/Italian restaurant.

[mauibabes]

Kate,

My DW’s FAVORITE 👍🤪

Mauibabes 

[Redtravel]

On 4/27/2022 at 12:58 PM, 1985rz1 said:

Aix is nice, but we found the Luberon really wonderful.  Marseilles is actually worthwhile if you get a good guide that takes to regions other than just the Old Port, but I would do the Luberon or Aix first.

Took that excursion.  Not a good choice.   Aix is a nice town.  Wish we had seen more.

[1985rz1]

7 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Took that excursion.  Not a good choice.   Aix is a nice town.  Wish we had seen more.

Our tour was with a private guide who was excellent. I was only referring to the region per se, not any  particular excursion,  Sorry that I was not clear in my posting.  I can't comment on the O excursion, having not done it.

Edited April 28, 2022 by 1985rz1

[ORV]

41 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Took that excursion.  Not a good choice.   Aix is a nice town.  Wish we had seen more.

You must have had a bad guide, we loved our excursion to that area, it was a private excursion with just 4 of us. 

[chloemonkey]

2 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Aknayt3393

OK, we will call it Jacques 1 and Toscana 1A.  Now we will need a report from your dinner in Red Ginger.  I have three MUST try items; Watermelon and Duck Salad, Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and the Rack of Lamb. This is not to say there are not many more outstanding dishes but these are FANTASTIC. Next trip to Jacques, share the Sea Bass in a puff pastry for 2. So many of the appetizers and entrees are Awesome as well. Back to Toscana, have an Appetizer or Entree size piece of Grandma’s Lasagna Bolognese. 
Polo, you are on your own but the Waldorf Salad, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Maine Lobster and … are pretty great too. 
Enjoy

Mauibabes 

It never ceases to amaze me at how varied our tastes are.....as other than the Watermelon Salad, we could not find anything that was better than our local chinese/thai restaurants. HATED the Sea Bass in puff pastry.......but did love the Grandma's Lasagna Bolognese!  Guess one out of three or so's not bad!  Only goes to show you that we all enjoy different food choices....so no one should be discouraged OR totally convinced by posts....as it is all so subjective.

We do agree that Oceania as a whole has some of the best cuisines at sea.....but also agree with other posts that we are not talking Michelin Stars for heaven's sake.....

[Traveller94]

4 hours ago, Aknayt3393 said:

Our tour to St Tropez went well today, And our dinner at Toscana was terrific. I think I still like Jacques better but it’s a close second. The raspberry tiramisu was incredible, and I normally don’t like tiramisu - this had no soggy cake layers but was just completely delicious. We’ve also been enjoying the wine sommeliers at each restaurant, super knowledgeable and personable.

 

I have to say social distancing is almost impossible on the Oceania tours, with close quarters on the tender and the line to get back on was a bit intense. I am guessing it might be worth it to explore private tour options just for that reason alone.
 

I think some people are starting to grumble about all of the precautions when we’ve had vaccines and boosters, but I continue to be vigilant because I have an elderly father with multiple myeloma. Also we met a couple on board who got Covid in January after having all of the available vaccines and boosters, and although he had fairly mild symptoms, she got very sick and possibly should have even been hospitalized. And these are people in their 50s.

Our butler surprised us with some canapés and chocolate covered strawberries when we got back from the tour. He is really trying hard and doing a great job. We are off to Florence tomorrow! 

We are still trying to determine our day in Saint Tropez. About how long is the tender ride? Was it fairly smooth and easy? Would you mind telling us what tour you took and which sights you enjoyed? Do you think it would be a good DIY port or is a tour (Oceania or private) the best bet. We’ll be here on my birthday, so there’s a lot of pressure to choose right! Thank you so much for your live report!

[su-arizona]

Don't remember how long the tender ride was, but I do have photos of the Riviera from the fort above St Tropez, and it is not far from the port.  The town is not large, and easy to navigate on your own.  Lots of shops and restaurants.  We had a nice day wandering from the port to the fort, stopping for a wonderful lunch of moules along the way.  Didn't feel we missed anything by touring on our own...

[DENIE]

29 minutes ago, su-arizona said:

Don't remember how long the tender ride was, but I do have photos of the Riviera from the fort above St Tropez, and it is not far from the port.  The town is not large, and easy to navigate on your own.  Lots of shops and restaurants.  We had a nice day wandering from the port to the fort, stopping for a wonderful lunch of moules along the way.  Didn't feel we missed anything by touring on our own...

Good to know!  On our 6/15/2022 Riviera cruise, we are doing this same thing in San Tropez.  We have a pretty busy itinerary, so felt this would be a good day to do our own thing.

[Traveller94]

1 hour ago, su-arizona said:

Don't remember how long the tender ride was, but I do have photos of the Riviera from the fort above St Tropez, and it is not far from the port.  The town is not large, and easy to navigate on your own.  Lots of shops and restaurants.  We had a nice day wandering from the port to the fort, stopping for a wonderful lunch of moules along the way.  Didn't feel we missed anything by touring on our own...

Thanks for the confirmation that it can be an easy and fun day on our own!

[TERRIER1]

6 hours ago, DENIE said:

Good to know!  On our 6/15/2022 Riviera cruise, we are doing this same thing in San Tropez.  We have a pretty busy itinerary, so felt this would be a good day to do our own thing.

First time there with Oceania we took their hilltop villages tour and it was very nice. The tender ride is short - perhaps 15 minutes. Second time we walked around town,  then through the cemetery and found this lovely cove Plage des Graniers and a beach bar. The town is very walkable on your own.

[djdobrott]

16 hours ago, Aknayt3393 said:

@djdobrott I have only seen all bar stools open at this point. So you should be fine unless they change things. The staff are really enforcing masks except when actively eating or drinking. I was concerned about the casino being safe because of comments on here, but my husband talked me into stopping this eve after dinner and we played roulette. We were the only ones at the table and everyone in the casino was masked even between sips of our drinks. I’m sure some people won’t appreciate that but it made us feel better about things. The casino did not have many people at all and it felt safe. We still have not heard of any Covid cases.|

Thanks so much for respond back. Masks aren't an issue for our group. We live in Palm Springs and Los Angeles and just lost our mandate a month ago.

I was on a River Cruise out of Amsterdam last month (masks were not being enforced) and came home and tested Positive for Covid and had a bit of a rough go of it.  Personally I don't mind the masks if it creates an environment that keep the crew and guests safe and the ship still operating. 

[Aknayt3393]

@Traveller94I think you’ll have an awesome time on St Tropez for your birthday! The tour was nice for us but not sure I’d necessarily recommend it or do it again but I think it was fun in part because we ended up having some friends also on the tour. The bus ride back to the ship was along the coastline, a bit harrowing with the narrow winding roads but the guide was able to share a lot of the history of the area. It was a long tour though. 

[Aknayt3393]

We spent our day today in Florence, on the Oceania Uffizi tour. Our guide was fantastic, the best yet I think. And we had a fun group of 10. Florence was super crowded with it being nice sunny weather after what had evidently been a very rainy period, along with a couple years of Covid. I managed to work in some shopping and our group had a very nice lunch in a local restaurant, a prix fixe menu that was really good. I was able to see some incredible art that I had only studied in art lit in college, in particular Primavera by Botticelli, one of my favorites. 
 

I managed to sleep on the shuttle both coming and going, 1.5 hrs each way. Our schedule has been crazy but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to see these incredible places. I’m looking forward to our one at sea but it’s already filling up with a spa appt, cooking class, and red wine challenge we were talked into but I think will be fun.

 

We had dinner in the grand dining room for the first time and it was good, not like Jacques but no complaints. I had the sweet bbq pork chop but it wasn’t even close to what I had in Jacques. There was an Italian themed dinner going on in the Terrace buffet that I had been looking forward to but when I looked at the menu it didn’t look like the Italian I was hoping for. Definitely more sophistication than my taste could accommodate. It’s also going on tomorrow so I might be brave and try it, or even better see if we can get Jacques through room service. 

 

I haven’t made it back to the shows yet simply because there aren’t enough hours in the day. We did listen to the string trio this eve as we walked through Martinis but we didn’t stay as I was ready to get back to our room and crash. 

 

I did hear something today about there being just 500 not 600 people on the ship as we had been told. And I have attempted to inquire about Covid cases but no one seems to know anything. I’m sensing an attitude of people just wanting to not think about it at all, wanting to escape the reality of it while on vacation. But I will report anything I do hear about so others at home can make informed decisions. I keep imaging I might have a scratchy throat but nothing comes of it and I know I’m just being paranoid. 
 

So far so good, and it’s Rome first thing in the morning. It will be another long tour day but I am excited to see Rome for the first time. 
 

[Aknayt3393]

One more thing, if you go to the Monte Carlo casino, make sure to take your passport. Evidently there were a number of very unhappy Oceania passengers who were turned away because they weren’t told of this requirement. We had tickets but didn’t end up using them. Enough people complained that they were refunded $20, in shipboard credit. 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Aknayt3393 said:

One more thing, if you go to the Monte Carlo casino, make sure to take your passport. Evidently there were a number of very unhappy Oceania passengers who were turned away because they weren’t told of this requirement. We had tickets but didn’t end up using them. Enough people complained that they were refunded $20, in shipboard credit. 

Usually if  your passport is needed ashore it is noted in the Currents the night before  the port

Do they not still do this ??