Almost Live from Riviera

[Tyskie]

@ORV

Thank you so much for your experiences on Oceania & Riviera

Safe travels today!

[ORV]

I’ll think this over and give some final thoughts in a day or so

[Sthrngary]

2 minutes ago, ORV said:

I’ll think this over and give some final thoughts in a day or so

@ORV I would like to personally thank you for your ongoing review, attitude and efforts.  Your cruise was not perfect you always was fair with your comments.  You took the time during your vacation to allow all of us to join.  You knew we all really needs to feel like we were right there with you.  

 

I hope you have a save journey home and remember this cruise with fond memories. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[ORV]

Just to sum things up. I had a good time, I saw no downgrade in service from Oceania cruises past. The food as always ran from excellent to ok. Biggest dropoff I would have to say was Red Ginger. I ate there twice and the tempura was excellent, but the meat dishes I had weren't that great. I had the Bulgogi and the Penaeng. The meat on both was a bit fatty and the Penaeng wasn't really to my liking. I didn't eat in Polo this trip. Ate in Jacques twice. Both times were excellent, pork chop once & filet the other time. Toscana was also very good. I ate breakfast every morning in the GDR except for the disembarkation day. Service couldn't have been better in the GDR at breakfast. I had a lot of different options and enjoyed most of them.  We had dinner at least one night in there and it was also very good. 

 

I know that there are some other reviews on this trip where there are some real unhappy people with what happened on the change in itinerary. Here is my viewpoint on this. I originally had scheduled a trip on Riviera in Jan just to get away from the cold. It was a Caribbean trip, and I didn't really care where it was going. I had to cancel it and reschedule due to some medical issues. The time period on this cruise worked out best for us. I have been to Bermuda 3 or 4 times and I wasn't taking this trip to necessarily go to Bermuda. So, my perspective on the change and substitutions are going to be different than others. FWIW, I've been to worse ports than Jacksonville. I can see where others can be annoyed about what occurred. I'm not weighing in on what could or couldn't have been done. Just like many things, I'm not in charge. I was just along for the ride. It wouldn't have made me mad either if Oceania would have, or would offer some concessions for what occurred. But I don't feel they are obligated to. At best it would be a goodwill gesture, but considering the current situation I can see how the company needs to watch every dollar. I do feel sorry for those that were first time cruisers with Oceania or those that had their heart set on going to Bermuda. 

 

Just my .02. Oh, and I got to spend some time with some of my favorite cruise partners. 

[Woofa]

Just a quick question as I read about possible port changes.  As someone with no real cruising history I can only guess but I feel like if the ship is in the Caribbean there are many port options within a relatively small area all of which are used to getting cruise ships.  While I understand and agree that Oceania should be more transparent and make an immediate announcement to the entire ship when determining a port will be missed...and I feel like Oceania should have people onboard who are available to answer questions from cruisers even though many may be upset..and I feel like the cruise director should have some onboard activities ready to substitute in for those looking for something even though in general I feel like Oceania is more a line for people who do not want or need additional activities...I do wonder how many real options they have for changing ports from a place like Bermuda which is basically near nothing.  Even if a few other ports exist, I assume such rerouting is difficult at best when having to do this on the fly.  I also would assume such immediate changes in docking may be very expensive (and in a post civic world we understand cruise lines may not always have good options.)

Just wondering what more experienced others feel.

Please do not take this as I saying those with complaints should not be.  We have seen multiple complaints on multiple cruises from experienced cruisers and experienced CC posters whom I believe do not fly off the handle.  I am just trying to understand how things work so I can temper my expectations when making future cruise choices.

Thank you.

[LHT28]

I just will comment on the port issues

It is not like a land trip where if you cannot make the city on the itinerary you can stop at another one

With ships & other ports  they cannot just rock up & dock  they have to get permission based on availability  to be able to dock

We have missed ports & sometimes the  ship is able to get into another port & sometimes not

Cruising is  no guarantee  of making to to the ports they list  this has always been the case & more so now a days with so many ships  out there than say 10 yrs ago

weather is a big factor  as well as unrest in some Countries

I am now  the type  that "go with the flow" I do not plan mush in ports  I have list of things to do IF we do make the port

This is just me

YMMV

 

[MEFIowa]

7 minutes ago, Woofa said:

...As someone with no real cruising history I can only guess but I feel like if the ship is in the Caribbean there are many port options within a relatively small area all of which are used to getting cruise ships.  While I understand and agree that Oceania should be more transparent and make an immediate announcement to the entire ship when determining a port will be missed...and I feel like Oceania should have people onboard who are available to answer questions from cruisers even though many may be upset. And I feel like the cruise director should have some onboard activities ready to substitute in for those looking for something even though in general I feel like Oceania is more a line for people who do not want or need additional activities...

Every circumstance is unique.

 

On both of our cruises in the Caribbean (Bermuda isn't in the Caribbean), first on Riviera (Western--12/2021) and then on Sirena (Eastern--11/2022), we each missed one stop. On the first, the private island in the Bahamas had waves too high to tender. That was up to the tendering people on the island who made the call. On the 2nd cruise we had to drop off a sick passenger on the Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata, on the way down. Took hours in the harbor trying to use our own tending boat to get him ashore. Captain announced that our first scheduled stop, St. Kitts, was cancelled and we booked down to St. Vincents. Added a sea day. (And on the first, off Key West in 2021, we had a sick elderly pax taken off the ship by a small USCG patrol boat. Little thing circled for an hour or so as they tried to get him and the nurse off.)

 

I self-hosted, with the CD's approval and PA announcement, my own Veterans' event in Martinis on the unscheduled sea day. We had about 25 attend. So pax can take up some of the slack, if they think there is slack.

 

And, yes, they did try to "schedule" activities for the new sea day. I don't cruise for the ship but mainly for the ports, so they weren't much to me. I enjoy the comics and guest lecturers. Bean bag toss, putt-putt golf, bridge, needlepoint, trivia, etc. not so much. So also spent some time around the pool on that extra sea day.

[1pinehurst]

On 3/18/2023 at 10:12 AM, MEFIowa said:

Didn't read about or hear about any such "1st Timers Party" on Sirena (11/18-28/2022). There was the Repeater Party for 2nd and more timers. So must be real new? Or something the captain did to appease pax on this cruise for some reason?

 

[1pinehurst]

We had an invitation for a first timers party on our cruise from Barcelona to Miami on the Marina Nov ,19, 2022. We did not attend mainly because we had the drink package.