O-Class (Riviera) versus R-Class (Sirena) Veranda Staterooms: Prefer the O but pleasantly surprised by the R

[MEFIowa]

Now that I've got recent experience, I can opine on Riviera's A4 (12/21 W. Caribbean cruise) versus Sirena's B2 (11/22 E. Caribbean cruise) veranda staterooms. Both port side. First (9136) was far aft and the second (6012) was far forward, above the Lounge.

 

OVERALL: While I prefer Riviera's room and Riviera overall, mainly for the various size improvements in certain places & spaces and the 2 extra specialty restaurants, wife and I BOTH pleasantly surprised at how close Sirena came to feeling like Riviera.

 

GENERAL SPACE: Wife and I were both pleasantly surprised that the smaller room on Sirena just didn't feel or seem that much smaller.

 

SHOWERS: I'm 6' 2" and about 180 or so pounds. Yes, Virginia, the shower in Riviera is a bit bigger and easier to use; however, I quickly learned how to use the double shower doors on Sirena to be able to use the shower quickly and efficiently. By the end of the cruise, I'd mostly forgotten about the issue. (Was nice being able to watch the flat-screen TV while on the toilet in Sirena. Odd, but nice.)

 

CLOSETS: Riviera's are bigger but not by that much and not such that we really noticed or complained.

 

SPACE BETWEEN BED AND WALL: Of course, just a bit bigger in Riviera, and the only issue, a minor one, is that the flat-screen TV on Sirena does sit across the foot of the bed from about the 40% width of the queen-size bed. So the space narrows a bit there.

 

NOISE: No problem in either. DID notice the Lounge noise only once, the last night out when the band may have been cranking out their energy. BUT... there were serious sight/sound issues on Sirena that limited some shows early in the cruise (e.g., the comic had to perform early in the cruise impromptu because the sound system was working properly). The O Life speaker couldn't use the projector for one of her lectures, but she went ahead and just did it without the slides or the music that accompanied some of them.

 

VERANDA: We did NOT notice any serious difference in useability or functionality. So even if Sirena's may be smaller, they felt identical.

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MISC SHIP COMPARISON ASIDES:

 

POOL: No contest here, Riviera's is much larger. Sirena's is much smaller and one can hardly "swim" in it. I just mainly stood in it, since it is 5' 6" max depth with small length and width dimensions.

 

BARISTA'S: Riviera's (deck 14) is far more conveniently located than Sirena's (deck 5).

 

LIBRARY: I preferred Sirena's. It just seemed a wee bit classier, with the nice "wrap around", essentially being where Barista's is on Riviera.

 

[LHT28]

What is an O Life Speaker?

 

They have a TV in the bathrooms ???

[MEFIowa]

21 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

What is an O Life Speaker?

Dr. Anita Gonzalez (PhD) gave 5 lectures in the Sirena Lounge. Tied to the Caribbean, her academic specialties, and her family history (Cuban, Floridian & Bahamian). From her intro slide. On the days she could show the slide.

Edited November 30, 2022 by MEFIowa
Added clarification, misspelled name.

[MEFIowa]

6 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

They have a TV in the bathrooms ???

On Sirena in my room (6012) I could watch TV while sitting on the toilet. Just had to leave the bathroom door open. Seat angled near perfectly for the placement of the TV on the wall. Was nice for those times my wife was out of the room doing her thing. And if she came back, she merely opened the cabin door, walked inside, and closed the bathroom door. Could NOT see the TV while doing same on Riviera in room 9136.

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, MEFIowa said:

Anita Gonzales (PhD) gave 5 lectures in the Sirena Lounge. Tied to the Caribbean, her academic specialties, and her family history (Cuban, Floridian & Bahamian). From her intro slide. On the days she could show the slide.

Thanks

 Did not know they had "O Life " lecturers

[MEFIowa]

8 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Thanks

 Did not know they had "O Life " lecturers

Since you seemingly are often a stickler for immaculate details on so many of my posts, from the Currents from the cruise:

 

"9:30 am OLife Enrichment Speaker Series with Dr. Anita Gonzalez ... Sirena Lounge (5)"

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, MEFIowa said:

Since you seemingly are often a stickler for immaculate details on so many of my posts, from the Currents from the cruise:

 

"9:30 am OLife Enrichment Speaker Series with Dr. Anita Gonzalez ... Sirena Lounge (5)"

As I said  I did not know they had O Life Lecturers

I have not sailed  in a couple of years  & they did not  have  them  then

 

 

[AMHuntFerry]

Re: the showers size...Giving your height/weight will be really helpful for people who are trying to figure out if they will fit. My spouse kept making fun of my "military showers" since I kept turning the water off so I could soap up without rinsing right away. My adaptation to the weird shape was to stand with a shoulder toward the water which is 90° from my norm; it kept my elbows from banging into walls.

[Redtravel]

While we have sailed many times on R ships ( on Azamara and Oceania), we prefer O ships.  The only thing better on R ships is the location of baristas. Love the deck 5 location.  Love being able to get a coffee quickly after embarking at ports.  After our last cruise on Sirena, my spouse decided not to book on R ships again.  We don’t even look at R ship cruises.

[shank63]

We have cruised on Riviera, Marina and Sirena and generally agree with MEFlowa’s comments.  Veranda size on the O ships is a slight advantage, especially in the bathroom, but adequately comfortable on Sirena for us.  The major advantage on the O ships is the additional specialty restaurants.  However, the size, layout and overall feel of Sirena is an intangible that we find pleasing enough to return for a future cruise.  As both the O and R ships have good points, our first priority is the itinerary, the ship is secondary as long as it is Oceania.