Semi-Live Review of Oceania Riviera November 9-19, 2023 from a New Oceania Guest

[Sthrngary]

7 hours ago, ToxM said:

What has surprised you?

@ToxM I am sorry.  I thought I responded but it was either deleted or never got posted.  Very hard to explain and answer your question.  I will try.

 

I was surprised at the fact that the furniture on my fantastic deck always gets put up just before we disembark.  I was on the NCL Joy, in the Owners Suite which is in the same place as the Vista Suite with the same size deck.  This was never the case however, it was a much larger ship.  I am not disappointed, it just was a bit of a surprise. 

 

I was thrilled that the energy level on the ship was much higher then I expected.  I am comparing this to a Crystal Cruise I did just when cruising started up again.  Now folks don't stay up late but they enjoy the show and the band in the Horizons most nights.  Folks dance, smile and have a good time. 

 

I am also surprised that Martini's is as uncrowded as it is.  I thought you would not even get a seat.  This is my favorite lounge PERIOD.

 

The Spa Deck with the Thermal Spa is one of my favorite places to go.  It reminds me of the Vibe Beach Club or the NCL Haven Sundeck without a bar.  

 

I was NOT surprised with my over all meal at Polo Grill.  So for me, with my prime rib being excellent, I was good.  My wife and guest did not like it so we cancelled our second reservation there. 

 

All in all, I am thrilled with Oceania but it is about what I thought.  It was the difference I was looking for and we will be booking another cruise while onboard.  That should say it all.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Sthrngary]

Rome, Italy:

 

Very unique experience.  For those interested, we took the bus from the port to the Train Station, 6 euros each.  We took the train to the Vatican, round trip was less then 10 euro's each I think.  We walked our legs off and instead of doing my plan which was to have lunch away from the Tourist area, all of our bodies hurt so we did a local place.  Wine was good, pasta was average at best, desert and coffee was over the top great. 

 

We get back to our suite, made a drink and just was quiet for a time to recharge after a very long day.  

 

No reservations for dinner to night and to be honest I may just skip dinner to get a burger and fries.  Lots of great food on the ship but sometimes, comfort food wins.  

 

I want to comment on a few things:

 

Lobster: Love the idea of having lobster but it is really not that great.  Usually over cooked and tough.  No big deal, I am a beef guy anyway.

Buffett: Better then some and a nice place if the weather is good so you can eat outside.  Really depends on what you get.  

Grand Dinning Room:  My favorite place for breakfast. 

Cookies:  I am not making a joke here.  I fully NOW understand what some folks said about the cookies being tasteless.  However, what they are is simply not sweet.  For me, I really like them with proves food is subjective.  

Butler:  Our butler is great.  He is one of the best I have ever had.  Quiet as a mouse, and everything gets done.  

Internet: I expected it to be awful and it has been good.  The Blue tooth in my room is excellent. 

Entertainment:  Hit or miss as I expected.  The Guest singer was great and her second performance it tonight. 

Cancelled PORTS:  We were NOT disappointed, LOL.  We are missing Florence due to weather and going to LA Spezia.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Cancelled PORTS:  We were NOT disappointed, LOL.  We are missing Florence due to weather and going to LA Spezia.  

 

Terrible to miss Florence.

 

Get yourselves to Cinque Terre if the weather is decent. It's quaint and charming and shouldn't be crowded at this time of year. You can do it on your own; loads of details on the Italy forum here on CC.

 

[Pandazoo]

Port intensive cruises are exhausting.  Glad you are relaxing on the ship.  Thank you for your reviews (have been following since the planning).  I think it is very nice of people to take the time to post while on their trips.  

[Tyskie]

3 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I am also surprised that Martini's is as uncrowded as it is.  I thought you would not even get a seat.  This is my favorite lounge PERIOD.

 

The Spa Deck with the Thermal Spa is one of my favorite places to go.  It reminds me of the Vibe Beach Club or the NCL Haven Sundeck without a bar.  

 

All in all, I am thrilled with Oceania but it is about what I thought.  

 

@Sthrngary

I must say, there were times in the evenings you couldn't get a seat at the Martini Bar - it was our favorite place too.  Glad you are enjoying the "O" martini.  Would you check to see if they will share the recipe?  We watched but haven't been able to duplicate.

 

The Spa Deck was lovely, quiet, comfortable.  I wish there was some kind of drink/snack service (ie Sanctuary on Princess).

 

Our itinerary was very port intensive - we found the entertainment more reserve.  Loved the piano player in Martini Bar, loved the music in Horizons (not that we often made it up that late).  Trivia was huge on our cruise, as I'm sure it is on yours. 

 

All in all, our trip was great but have no further bookings at this time.  Enjoying your posts each day, thank you!

 

[Sthrngary]

Pool day, thanks for all the help folks. Lovely cruise!!!

 

 

[SATaxman]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

Pool day, thanks for all the help folks. Lovely cruise!!!

 

 

Looks a little chilly.

 

[Sthrngary]

24 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

Looks a little chilly.

 

No, quite nice. I am a sweatshirt kind of guy. 

[SATaxman]

Just now, Sthrngary said:

No, quite nice. I am a sweatshirt kind of guy. 

Happy that your first O cruise has been wonderful. Ours was also last month.

[BSR]

26 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

Happy that your first O cruise has been wonderful. Ours was also last month.

Same here as we enjoyed our first time experience with O.

[shepherd really]

6 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Pool day, thanks for all the help folks. Lovely cruise!!!

 

 

How was the BMW driving course? The hat reminded me...

[Sthrngary]

12 hours ago, shepherd really said:

How was the BMW driving course? The hat reminded me...

It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was exciting and accelerating and scary. Thank you for asking.

[nancygp]

Gary,

 

hope all is fine….looking forward to more posts

 

Nancy

[govanguy]

On 11/16/2023 at 5:57 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Terrible to miss Florence.

 

Get yourselves to Cinque Terre if the weather is decent. It's quaint and charming and shouldn't be crowded at this time of year. You can do it on your own; loads of details on the Italy forum here on CC.

 

We made Florence from La Spezia when Livorno was cancelled. We contacted our excursion company https://www.italytours.eu  by WhatsApp  and they responded by sending the driver to La Spezia to pick us up for our trip.   Their communication was spot on . They phoned me and emailed with rearrangements.

A bit sneaky that Oceania notified guests of the change on the morning of the Civittavechia visit, after travellers to Rome had gone on their trips. 

Fortunately, we were staying onboard on the day and found the notification letter by our room on returning from a leisurely breakfast.

[MikeandBobNC]

@Sthrngary - Hi Gary.  I've been following your trip since your early planning posts.  I enjoy the detail you provide and totally understand your interest in detailed planning.  We are still 127 days out from our Vista cruise in March, but I have been planning since we booked in Dec 2022.  

 

I know you are doing independent tours rather than O excursions.  If you will, please let me know what you did in La Spezia, and if you enjoyed it, share any tour operator you used.  I am still trying to finalize our plans for that port.

 

Continue to enjoy your cruise.

[Sthrngary]

28 minutes ago, MikeandBobNC said:

If you will, please let me know what you did in La Spezia,

We stayed on the ship, so sorry.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[govanguy]

1 hour ago, MikeandBobNC said:

@Sthrngary - Hi Gary.  I've been following your trip since your early planning posts.  I enjoy the detail you provide and totally understand your interest in detailed planning.  We are still 127 days out from our Vista cruise in March, but I have been planning since we booked in Dec 2022.  

 

I know you are doing independent tours rather than O excursions.  If you will, please let me know what you did in La Spezia, and if you enjoyed it, share any tour operator you used.  I am still trying to finalize our plans for that port.

 

Continue to enjoy your cruise.

https://www.italytours.eu/shore-excursions/la-spezia-shore-excursions/

 

See post 214

[Sthrngary]

WARNING: Long and Detailed. Read at night when you can't fall asleep.

 

Hello Cruise Critic Friends:

 

I came on the Oceania Cruise board 1.5 years ago.  I wanted to make friends, which I did.  I wanted to learn, which I did.  I wanted to enhance my cruising experience with Oceania Cruises, which I did. I have an acquired taste, and I am fully aware of that. Yet, “It is nice when a plan comes together.”

This post will be on the Oceania and the NCL CruiseCritic.com Boards.  On NCL, I want to let my longtime cruise buddies that engaged with me on the “NCL Haven” to have my perspective on Oceania Cruises per their request.  For the Oceania Board, I want those that wanted a new person’s perspective on Oceania to have one that is based on a perspective of a lots of cruises and the last 10 years of cruising in the VIP section of Mainstream Mega Ships. 

 

I am writing this partially on the flight back home watching “John Wick 3”, the morning after I get home and two days after I am home.  A perfect approach to a review of sorts to allow one to remember it as it happened. 

 

“Let us begin.”

 

Review with the End in Mind: Writing with “End in Mind”.  For all those that say, my post is “Word Salad”.  You were RIGHT, however that is the way I write.  To honor you, here is my conclusion.  “I Love Oceania Cruising”.  For those that want the details, please read on. 

 

My thoughts are mostly good, with some areas of concern/improvement.  I believe in honest balanced reviews. My order is my own based on what comes to my mind first.  Full Disclosure, I had a few glasses of wine and now on my second cup of coffee Delta Airline Coffee so excuse the spelling and grammar.

 

Flying on the Day before the Cruise:  First, please always consider this if possible. We got lucky with NO air issues at all either way. That was a miracle.  My wife and friends all flew First Class Delta domestically and Delta One Suites for the long haul from JFK to Athens, Greece.  I used saved Delta Miles for myself, and I got lucky on inexpensive upgrades as they were made available for my friends. The Delta Suites were nice, but I like the older Delta One seats better on the return trip.  I don’t know why, but I was more comfortable on the return flight.  Although on the return, the seats, and areas around them were dirty, which is why we bring cleaning clothes.  Just my thoughts about the Delta One seats, not everyone.  This is from someone that has flown ALL his adult life. Was it better than coach or coach premium, YES but only at the right price.  Full fare, I say not in our future.

 

Hotel In Athens, Greece Day Prior to the Cruise: The “Hotel Grande Bretagne”.  I booked it directly with the hotel, it is cheaper than booking through Oceania by almost half.  Outstanding Hotel in every way.  The roof top bar/restaurant has the most spectacular views at night of all of Athens, Greece and for breakfast the same view in the daylight. Breakfast was amazing and the greatest way to start a vacation.  The best breakfast buffet I have ever had in my life and that is to say something. Plus, it was part of the room rate. 

 

Oceania Embarkment:  This was the first TEST of my experience with Oceania Cruises.  Security was as one might expect, awkward, a bit of a “Hurry up and Wait”. My approach for every cruise is to get onboard first (Based on Cruise Brand Rules), in this case 11:00 AM and this was NO difference.  I was in a “Vista Suite” and my Guests were in a “Penthouse (PH2)”.  Oceania let them check-in with us, which was nice.  I took my Suite Card pictures at home for check-in and NO pictures were needed at the port. That was a first for me and I noted it.  Quick easy and on board in less than 15 minutes.  Just like other brands, I got multiple emails to watch the safety video, which we did. My Vista Suite was ready immediately and the PH2 was ready at 12:00 PM.  I went straight to Muster, which was quick and easy, then to our Suite with our guest as one might expect.  To answer a few questions.  My key card for the Vista Suite was gold with a black edge.  The Penthouse card was all gold. To my NCL Haven Friends, you cannot put your carry-on’s, in your suite before they are ready on Oceania like you can in the Haven.  However, for this cruise anyway, the time you are asked to board, both staterooms were ready. I rate Embarkment a 9 out of 10.

 

Vista Suite:  Lovely suite but a “One and Done” experience for me.  A huge suite with a huge balcony that is half the front of the ship literally.  I rate the suite an “8 out of 10”.  The exercise room is a waste of space for us on a cruise.  The balcony furniture is pulled/tied down before the ship leaves a port which is a waste.  The in suite blue tooth Bose Music System worked perfectly and love that.  The Jacuzzi in the Master Bath was used a few times, and it was double sized and lovely.  The Jacuzzi outside was never used because the water was warm but not hot.  Before the Oceania CruiseCritic.com Police hit me up, YES, I told the right folks. The suite itself was nice but in the future, I will go for a PH or Concierge stateroom. I currently booked a Concierge Stateroom for an October 2025 cruise already. As some of you know, I got a very good deal on Vista Suite and it was worth every penny but still, for me not worth full retail.  The six bottles of spirits, the Bath Gift Box and the Oceania Gift Bag were a very welcome and nice touch.  A way to remember the suite. Before folks get confused, those gifts were only for Oceania, Vista, and Owners Suites.  This has been a topic of another blog here on CruiseCritic.com.  Embarkment lunch in the suite is ONLY offered to the Owners Suite which is an answer to another question recently asked.  Not an issue, not the way I wanted my first lunch to be on Oceania anyway. The Oceania Vista Suite is basically the same as the H2 Haven Owners Suite with Large Balcony on the NCL Joy, Encore or Bliss.

 

Butler: Rating 9 out of 10. He was GREAT, and I think his name was “Raj”.  No request was denied, extra specialty restaurant reservations were obtained, and changes of reservations were done within 15 minutes.  We never dinned in the suite at all but had coffee and Danish brought every morning from Barista’s at 07:45 AM. That was worth the price of admission.  To my NCL Haven Friends, this butler was the Real Deal butler and the NCL butlers, I have had many, cannot come close.  My guests, like so many new cruises that have never had a butler, did not take my advice, and utilize their butler except for complementary laundry services.  They lose, but I understand.  I did the same the first time I had a butler.  My wife and I did not have anything pressed (allowance of four items done within the first three days of sailing) and we only used two (2) of the three (3) bags of laundry.  The last morning, because of my mistake of missing the third bag, I was punished by doing two loads in the complementary laundry mat on deck 11. NCL Haven Friends, this is yet another difference with Concierge and above staterooms to have some complementary laundry however the laundry mat is available to every stateroom.

 

I did a Butler Letter which I have posted about online and given some samples.  It is something I have done for 10 years after being disappointed so many times with below average butlers.  Every single request was made with no further comment from me.  From extra lounge chairs on the deck, Nuts/Pretzels in the suite, Orange/Cranberry juice in the refrigerator and the type of soda’s we like.  One request was not large portion for snacks because I had wasted food.  All were honored. 

Our six (6) bottles of wine/spirits were delivered after the ship left the dock (Rules about delivery). The spirits were liter, which was a surprise. Before someone asked, those six (6) bottles come only with an Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suite not with a PH or lower. I took home in my luggage what we did not drink, I just unpacked what was left and put it in my home bar.  To my NCL Haven Friend.  Complementary Spirits and Mixers in your Haven Suite is limited to H2/Owners Suite and some of the larger suites on ships with no Haven areas.  They are NOT liters; they are 5^th on NCL. One more difference, if you have a drink package on Oceania, the room service or butler WILL bring those drinks to your stateroom complementary where in the Haven, there is a charge.  NOTE, the rules to which Oceania Drink package applies.  Do your due diligence, it will serve you well, especially if you have never cruised Oceania before.

 

First Day Lunch:  The Breakfast at our Hotel in Athens was one of the best I have ever had as stated above.  I had items I have not had in years.  I was not hungry for lunch on the ship, but we all chose to go to the Terrace Café’ (Buffet) not Waves as I originally planned.  I had a very small lunch which was from the Carving Station and was great quality.  My NCL Haven Friends, the Terrace Café’ is the buffet.  It is NOT huge, but unlike other ship Buffets, the quality was very good.  The closest I have ever gotten to this at sea was on Crystal Cruises with better bread on Oceania Cruise and better deserts on Crystal.  Please remember, it was still a buffet but a good one.  I knew we were going to dinner at the Toscana (Italian) for dinner.  This cruise for me was not an eat feast.  I had just lost lots of weight getting ready for the cruise so my stomach simply could not handle huge amounts of food.  We gave up quantity for quality. For a fat guy, that was a major change in my eating habits.

 

Brief Summary of Day One: After lunch we unpacked, which is the rule in my family and strictly enforces by my bride.  We all then went to the outside Spa Terrace where the Thermal Spa is located.  This was of great interest to me and an area I spent much time in during the cruise. My wife was impressed that all the of the spa amenities (outside of the Thermal Spa) were available for all.  She especially liked the heated tile lounge chairs.  This is part of your fare with Oceania for my Haven Friends information.   We then simply took a tour of this well-appointed ship (Riviera) which was just renovated less than a year ago.  We ended up in my Vista Suite, with drinks in hand, for the sail away.  What a view of Athens and our guests were beside themselves. Time to get ready for dinner and another drink (two or three). 

 

Food and Drink:  I will not share every aspect of the food we ate.  We all must realize food is relative to the person.  This will be a general overview only. Many others show pictures and comments. 

 

Specialty Restaurants:  All the Specialty Restaurants were excellent except the Polo Grill which I will share below.  The quality of the specialty restaurants, which are complementary in Oceania (Some Rules do Apply). For my NCL Haven friends, in my opinion Oceania Specialty Restaurants were much better, with the except for the steakhouse.  NOTE: Oceania Cruises gives four (4) guaranteed reservations pre-cruise (ten-day cruise), (Oceania, Vista and Owners Suites have 😎 and space available when on the cruise which differs from NCL that charge for Specialty Restaurant past the “Free at Sea” promotion.

 

Red Ginger (Asian fusion):  10 out of 10. Rated #1 by our entire group.  Service, quality of food and for me the only place I loved dessert, which was simple.  We have a special evening which I wrote about when a person from a table of 8 was screaming at his fellow table mates which made our dinner even more eventful.  As previously stated, “Dinner and a Show” not on the Oceania Currents (Daily Activity Sheet Name).  We went to Red Ginger twice.  I could eat there every night. 

 

Jacques (French): 9 out of 10. Rated #2 overall and again we ate here twice.  The entire staff treated us like rock stars, especially the host who is a super star. We wanted our friends to join our table for the second meal (Based on a Vista Suite) and it was always accommodated.  I think what made this restaurant special was the atmosphere.  It is gone on the new ships which I think is a loss and our next cruise is on the “Vista Ship” which means for us, no more Jacques. Sad about that.

 

Toscana (Italian): 8 out of 10. Rated #3 overall.  I like Italian food however we had several ports in Italy so simply no comparison.  I found the food Americanized but I like that so just understand.  It is not Italy, but It is good. No one in our group liked the olive oil cart except for the presentation by the great Vincenzo.  We skipped the second dinner. 

 

Polo Grill (Steakhouse): 5 out of 10. Rated #4 of the specialty restaurants. We did not like it as a group, so I cancelled my second reservation. My Prime Rib queen cut was really great but just warm like it was sitting under a heat lamp. The service was awful. We asked for water, wine, and drinks multiple times and to no avail. The plates were cold, the food was lukewarm and, as so many have mentioned, not cooked to the temperature requested. For a small steakhouse, all the food seemed pre-prepared so in some cases cold and just did not taste good.  Not everyone’s opinion on the ship is so relative to the person.   Before I get comments on this statement, “Yes I told the GM (Emma) and the Restaurant Manager”.  Both asked me to try it again and I smiled and just did not take them up on the offer. 

 

Normal Restaurants:

The Grand Dining Room: 7 out of 10. This is the Main Dining Room for my NCL Haven friends.  Our service was GREAT, but our dinner and lunch foods were average to below average.  HOWEVER, I ate breakfast with my friend every single day and we loved the breakfast.  The NCL Haven Restaurant is hands down much better than Oceania’s Grand Dining Room and there is no comparison. 

 

Waves Grille: 8 out of 10. This to most of us would be the Pool Grille.  The burgers and fries were really good. We ate here for several days lunch.  When the ship docked at 11:00 AM or later, we would eat on the ship.  The Terrace Café’s (Buffet) was just around the corner so LOTS of options. Interesting that they cook your burger to order and bring it to you.  To my Crystal Cruise friends, like what they did on Crystal however Crystal has a GREAT steak sandwich which still holds the price.

 

Terrace Café’ (Buffet):  7 out of 10. About what you would expect, but more than slightly better quality and service.  Some of my guests were picky, however I like the variety, quality, and service.  At dinnertime they sometimes had themes.  Yes, they will cook to order steaks, Lamb Chops, and Lobster Tails to order for you at night if not a theme night.  NOTE: On most all Lobster dishes, they were below average, over cooked, dry, and not worth the selection.  The only deviation was in Red Ginger which was really good. I only bring this up because it seems to be a hot CruiseCritic.com topic.  Again, to my Haven Friends, the lobster tails in the Haven Restaurant were always excellent and no comparison.  Just a FYI on that one.

 

Afternoon Tea in Horizons:  Excellent and I mean from start to finish.  Service, Food, and Music.  We only did it twice, but it is an experience I will not soon forget.  The tiny sandwiches were great. Busy trip or we all would have done it every day.  Take it from me, just do it and be open minded.

 

Executive Lounge: for Penthouse and above only.  Went twice.  Nice concept, simply NO need for it for my enjoyment.  Now with a Concierge Stateroom where you have no butler, they have a Concierge Lounge.  That will be a better option for that level of stateroom.

 

Snacks in the Room and Room Service:  Nice concept, did the snacks once in my suite and skipped them for the rest of the cruise except for the Chocolate covered strawberries.  All we wanted was a small bowl of pretzels and nuts. We did get the butler to give us Special Coffee with Danishes every morning from Barista’s. Our friends had breakfast the first day and it was less than good, so they skipped from that point forward.  You must take the good with the bad.  For my NCL Haven Friends, when you order room service breakfast, ALWAYS get it from the Haven Restaurant and you must ask your butler to do so.  That breakfast is usually very good.  That is a difference to note.

 

Bars:  We only went to Martini’s (10 out of 10) and the Pool bar (8 out of 10).  Martinis was our place and we tried lots of great drinks.  My favorite was “Big O” Martini.  Sorry to the CruiseCritic.com poster that asked me for the recipe. I did not find out how it was made, I simply forgot. We never went to the other bars except the pool bar. 

 

Barista’s (Coffee): 10 out of 10. The only place for a great coffee period.  For my Haven Friends it was always complementary.  Better than Starbucks on the NCL ships by far.  As mentioned, in the morning, before you go to breakfast, get your coffee at Barista’s then take it to breakfast.  Not my idea.  An idea I got from someone on this Oceania CruiseCritic.com Board.

 

Mini Bar in the Suite:  Soft drinks, water and juices are complementary.  When you arrive, you are given one bottle of VERY NICE real French Champagne.  NCL Haven Friends, not sparkling wine.  Real Champagne.  Gone day one and was very good. It was nice not to have the Room Seward must take all the stuff out of the stateroom on day one because they were all for sale.  Just an appreciated difference.

 

Drink Programs/Packages: If I ever get an Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suite again, I will NOT get the upgraded drink unlimited drink program called the Prestige Package.  Waste of money under those circumstances. However, for all other staterooms, it suited me nicely.  For my NCL Haven friends, Oceania recently changed their fee fare structure, so everyone has a Wine/Beer and Champagne at ONLY Lunch and Dinner which is in all fare.  To upgrade to unlimited with spirits, it is $30.00 a day, per guest.  Also note that Oceania has two, “2 for 1” happy hours a day so if you just have an occasional drink, review the programs carefully.  On my last cruise on NCL, the White Wine was horrible.  I mean really bad even with the NCL upgraded Premium PLUS Drink Program.  The White Wine on Oceania was very good.  Also different from NCL.  Oceania allows you to bring on board 6 bottles of wine or spirits.  Every port, I bought one or two bottles of wine for my wife for the Suite.  I like the ability to bring wine/spirits on board like the “Old Days”.  The only deal is if you take your wine to dinner, there is a cork charge but no charge if you drink your wine in your stateroom. Do your due diligence, you will thank me. NCL benefits are different so again, do your due diligence.

 

Water On Board: 9 out of 10. Excellent reusable, sustainable and refillable.  What a great idea and no plastic bottles. At first, I did not think I would like this.  From the first drink, it was just fine.  I think the system is called Vero Water.  Oceania gives you two stainless steel containers to take with you to the ports.  Nice touch and nice when you get home also. This has a cost on NCL even in some Haven.  Notice the small items that are different which is what my Haven friends wanted too here.

 

Entertainment: 6.5 out of 10

NCL wins hands down, no contest so if you want that kind of entertainment, skip Oceania.  No Go-Cart Tracks, NO wall climbing, NO Virtual Reality, NO Lasor Tag, and NO water slides.  The Shows were Hit and mostly misses.  The Guest Singer was GREAT but only did two (2) shows.  Just like food, subjective. The piano player in Martini’s was very good, every night.  The strings were very good every time they played. The house band at the pool and Horizons late night (not very late) was always very good. You have options, choose wisely.

 

The Cooking Classes: 9 out of 10. I loved it and my wife was so/so on it.  One interesting fact.  We learned that when using Rose, use a tiny amount.  If you use too much, it tastes like dish soap.  I bought a bag of cookies at a bakery at one of the ports.  It tasted like dish soap.  We both immediately knew why, and the cookies got tossed.

 

Onboard Internet: 7 out of 10. Sometimes good and sometime well you know.  We are on a cruise ship.  Stay home for great internet.  I upgraded our Internet to Streaming for a bit more once onboard.

 

Casino: Small, casual and for me profitable.  I waited until the last night.  I check my account for how much was on it which is my judge for how much I must win.  My wife bought a purse onboard, and we had the upgrade to the internet.  I NEVER take my wife to a casino because she makes me nervous when I gamble.  I won all the money in 10 minutes plus extra for lots of extra tips.  Then I walked away a winner.

 

The Vista Suite: 8 out of 10.

For my NCL Haven Fans, the Vista Suite I stayed in was very close to the Haven (H2) Owners Suite with Large Balcony on the NCL Joy, Encore, and Bliss.  The difference as I shared before was, they pulled the outdoor furniture before departing.  On NCL, they never did that.   

 

The Vista Suite was HUGE, the deck was half the front of the ship with an outdoor hot tub which we never used.  A four-person dining table outside which we used once, was a nice touch.  Blue Tooth throughout the suite from your phone which was very easy to use and great sound through Bose Speakers was awesome.  The master bathroom was huge with a supersized Jacuzzi.  Second FULL bathroom which I used all the time was as you enter the room.  The makeup area was in the corner of the bedroom.  The beds were fantastic. Really best at sea so far.

 

Great Room again was huge with a dining room table for four.  NCL Haven fans, you can order from ANY Specialty Restaurant through your butler with Penthouse or above any dinner time.  This gives Penthouse or above the ability to have specialty restaurant every single night.  That, my friends, is a nice perk and since it is complementary, better than the NCL Haven.

 

Talking about perks.  We got three gifts for the Vista Suite which is not available for Penthouse or below.  1) A huge gift box of high-end toiletries.  Super nice. 2) A very high-end beach bag with Oceania Branded hats, towels, and other things. 3) On the last day, which I think everyone gets two metal Oceania luggage tags. If you are in a high-end Suite, leave room in your luggage for all the stuff.

 

The downside was the bedroom temp was super cold for a couple of days which I finally got fixed.  Some folks have a hard time with the “Home Automation” Lights.  I have these at home, so it was easy for me. The table lamps in the main great room need to be turned off by hand.  The room is very loud when they dock, especially early.  There is a sour smell when they leave the port like they are emptying the black tank.  Neither last long but it was noticed. The deck is impossible to use due to wind while sailing.  The exercise room which is gone from the new ships is a waste of space on this ship. 

 

As I said above, “One and Done” unless I get a crazy deal again.  If so, I will opt for an Oceania Suite which has a deck on the side and a TV room. The bigger the suite is not always better.  The Penthouse suites are excellent and larger than most NCL Haven Suites at 440 sf.  Save the money is my opinion in the future. Don’t want a butler, go down one category to a Concierge Stateroom, which is lovely.

 

Transfers:  I did not use Oceania for transfers. At first it was a little scary, but it all worked out. All were done online, pre-paid, and the services were reasonable, on-time and professional. I hate Cruise Brand Transfers with the buses and waiting for those that are late so why not do it yourself. Google Search is our friend.  Another word of advice.  I asked both hotels what they charged for the same service, and it was usually four times more than what I paid. Do a little research. 

 

Ports & Excursions:

As many of you know, I did a lot of preparation before traveling.  I did NOT want to do Oceania, Air, Hotel or Excursions.  All of which for me and my way of traveling was correct and now confirmed.  It also saved us a lot of money in all categories. 

 

We did the “Hoop on Hoop Off” buses and trains.  Had a list of 8 places to go in each port but only did two. The key is we made the choice based on how we felt, so we were in complete control.  Never rushed off the ship or rushed to get back on.  I always had the best way to get from the cruise ship to City Central.  We stayed in a hotel the day before and the day after the cruise, which made the experience that much better. 

 

If you want my thoughts on each port, it really won’t matter to you.  Every port is to your taste on what you want to do.  I will say, if you have mobility issues, skip the walk through the Sistine Chapel. When possible, get your attraction tickets online and have it on your phone.  Saves time and in some cases money.  This includes train or bus tickets.  Make sure you can cancel them if the port is cancelled, which happens all the time.

 

Getting Off the Ship the Last Day:

Smooth sailing ALL the way.  We had a great breakfast at the Grand Dining Room.  Waited until 08:30 AM.  Walked off, got help with our bags and got in a Taxi Van super quick which I pre-ordered online.  No fuss, no muss.  Straight to the "Hotel Arts Barcelona" a Ritz Carlton Hotel which was lovely.

 

At all ports we always left the ship one hour after it arrived to miss the crowd.  Worked great. Just a thought if you are doing your own excursions vs. using Oceania.

 

Conclusion: Cruise 9 out of 10

Cruises are what you make of them.  Smile, have a good attitude and make it fun for the crew.  Yes, you heard me right, make it fun for the crew and your time will be so much better.  I was having such a good time, on day two, I went to say hello to “Emma” the General Manager and said thank you.  She always said hello when she saw me on deck. 

 

Did things go wrong, YES. Where there some misses at meal, YES. Was the entertainment always great, NO.  Where there are a few issues with my suite, YES.  Did any of it matter so much that my cruise was negative, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Attitude is everything.  Did my group get loud, make fools out of ourselves from time to time, YES.  Did we get some looks from some of the other Guests, YES. Then they came and joined us and were welcomed. Were some folks inappropriately dressed for some restaurants, YES.  Did we dress correctly, YES.  Did it affect our enjoyment that others dressed too casually, NO.  This is Oceania not Queen Mary.  I mean NO disrespect by that statement.  Just the way I feel.  To each their own and let it be like “water off a duck”.

We booked two cabins on a cruise onboard the Oceania Vista ship, Concierge Stateroom for October 2025.  I will watch sales, for a four-category upgrade or other special promotions.  This time, I think that won’t be an option because the date is in October vs. November.  However, I will watch for it.  The onboard special was 5% off for booking so far in advance (2025).  $400.00 off the stateroom price which goes up with each category above.  $250.00 per stateroom of On-Board-Credit and for this upcoming sailing the “Simply More” program with two (2) device internet, Lunch/Dinner Wine Package and I think $600.00 per stateroom excursion credit.  My travel agent had a special so this time, she will pay gratuities, which is nice.  The reduced deposit was $250.00 per person, which was also nice.  Please remember, for ANY cancelation, the new Oceania policy is you will be charged a $150.00 cancelation fee NO exceptions.

 

A side note and not meant to be advice for anyone.  I gave a donation to the “Crew Cruise Fund”, gave extra to my favorite bartenders/servers.  I took care of my butler and room Seward with extra.  The amounts were personal, but I am very generous to those that treat my party nicely.  You do you.

This was my favorite cruise of ALL time.  My wife had a great time, which is not always the case.  For the first time, we saw places that we had never really seen before.  First real port intensive cruise ever and in the Mediterranean.  Very different and interesting for both of us.  Our friends were completely blown away. 

 

The proof is we booked another cruise onboard. I will answer any questions you have but I was obviously very detailed.  Hope for those that wanted details, I did not disappoint. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[Vallesan]

28 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

WARNING: Long and Detailed. Read at night when you can't fall asleep.

 

Hello Cruise Critic Friends:

 

I came on the Oceania Cruise board 1.5 years ago.  I wanted to make friends, which I did.  I wanted to learn, which I did.  I wanted to enhance my cruising experience with Oceania Cruises, which I did. I have an acquired taste, and I am fully aware of that. Yet, “It is nice when a plan comes together.”

This post will be on the Oceania and the NCL CruiseCritic.com Boards.  On NCL, I want to let my longtime cruise buddies that engaged with me on the “NCL Haven” to have my perspective on Oceania Cruises per their request.  For the Oceania Board, I want those that wanted a new person’s perspective on Oceania to have one that is based on a perspective of a lots of cruises and the last 10 years of cruising in the VIP section of Mainstream Mega Ships. 

 

I am writing this partially on the flight back home watching “John Wick 3”, the morning after I get home and two days after I am home.  A perfect approach to a review of sorts to allow one to remember it as it happened. 

 

“Let us begin.”

 

Review with the End in Mind: Writing with “End in Mind”.  For all those that say, my post is “Word Salad”.  You were RIGHT, however that is the way I write.  To honor you, here is my conclusion.  “I Love Oceania Cruising”.  For those that want the details, please read on. 

 

My thoughts are mostly good, with some areas of concern/improvement.  I believe in honest balanced reviews. My order is my own based on what comes to my mind first.  Full Disclosure, I had a few glasses of wine and now on my second cup of coffee Delta Airline Coffee so excuse the spelling and grammar.

 

Flying on the Day before the Cruise:  First, please always consider this if possible. We got lucky with NO air issues at all either way. That was a miracle.  My wife and friends all flew First Class Delta domestically and Delta One Suites for the long haul from JFK to Athens, Greece.  I used saved Delta Miles for myself, and I got lucky on inexpensive upgrades as they were made available for my friends. The Delta Suites were nice, but I like the older Delta One seats better on the return trip.  I don’t know why, but I was more comfortable on the return flight.  Although on the return, the seats, and areas around them were dirty, which is why we bring cleaning clothes.  Just my thoughts about the Delta One seats, not everyone.  This is from someone that has flown ALL his adult life. Was it better than coach or coach premium, YES but only at the right price.  Full fare, I say not in our future.

 

Hotel In Athens, Greece Day Prior to the Cruise: The “Hotel Grande Bretagne”.  I booked it directly with the hotel, it is cheaper than booking through Oceania by almost half.  Outstanding Hotel in every way.  The roof top bar/restaurant has the most spectacular views at night of all of Athens, Greece and for breakfast the same view in the daylight. Breakfast was amazing and the greatest way to start a vacation.  The best breakfast buffet I have ever had in my life and that is to say something. Plus, it was part of the room rate. 

 

Oceania Embarkment:  This was the first TEST of my experience with Oceania Cruises.  Security was as one might expect, awkward, a bit of a “Hurry up and Wait”. My approach for every cruise is to get onboard first (Based on Cruise Brand Rules), in this case 11:00 AM and this was NO difference.  I was in a “Vista Suite” and my Guests were in a “Penthouse (PH2)”.  Oceania let them check-in with us, which was nice.  I took my Suite Card pictures at home for check-in and NO pictures were needed at the port. That was a first for me and I noted it.  Quick easy and on board in less than 15 minutes.  Just like other brands, I got multiple emails to watch the safety video, which we did. My Vista Suite was ready immediately and the PH2 was ready at 12:00 PM.  I went straight to Muster, which was quick and easy, then to our Suite with our guest as one might expect.  To answer a few questions.  My key card for the Vista Suite was gold with a black edge.  The Penthouse card was all gold. To my NCL Haven Friends, you cannot put your carry-on’s, in your suite before they are ready on Oceania like you can in the Haven.  However, for this cruise anyway, the time you are asked to board, both staterooms were ready. I rate Embarkment a 9 out of 10.

 

Vista Suite:  Lovely suite but a “One and Done” experience for me.  A huge suite with a huge balcony that is half the front of the ship literally.  I rate the suite an “8 out of 10”.  The exercise room is a waste of space for us on a cruise.  The balcony furniture is pulled/tied down before the ship leaves a port which is a waste.  The in suite blue tooth Bose Music System worked perfectly and love that.  The Jacuzzi in the Master Bath was used a few times, and it was double sized and lovely.  The Jacuzzi outside was never used because the water was warm but not hot.  Before the Oceania CruiseCritic.com Police hit me up, YES, I told the right folks. The suite itself was nice but in the future, I will go for a PH or Concierge stateroom. I currently booked a Concierge Stateroom for an October 2025 cruise already. As some of you know, I got a very good deal on Vista Suite and it was worth every penny but still, for me not worth full retail.  The six bottles of spirits, the Bath Gift Box and the Oceania Gift Bag were a very welcome and nice touch.  A way to remember the suite. Before folks get confused, those gifts were only for Oceania, Vista, and Owners Suites.  This has been a topic of another blog here on CruiseCritic.com.  Embarkment lunch in the suite is ONLY offered to the Owners Suite which is an answer to another question recently asked.  Not an issue, not the way I wanted my first lunch to be on Oceania anyway. The Oceania Vista Suite is basically the same as the H2 Haven Owners Suite with Large Balcony on the NCL Joy, Encore or Bliss.

 

Butler: Rating 9 out of 10. He was GREAT, and I think his name was “Raj”.  No request was denied, extra specialty restaurant reservations were obtained, and changes of reservations were done within 15 minutes.  We never dinned in the suite at all but had coffee and Danish brought every morning from Barista’s at 07:45 AM. That was worth the price of admission.  To my NCL Haven Friends, this butler was the Real Deal butler and the NCL butlers, I have had many, cannot come close.  My guests, like so many new cruises that have never had a butler, did not take my advice, and utilize their butler except for complementary laundry services.  They lose, but I understand.  I did the same the first time I had a butler.  My wife and I did not have anything pressed (allowance of four items done within the first three days of sailing) and we only used two (2) of the three (3) bags of laundry.  The last morning, because of my mistake of missing the third bag, I was punished by doing two loads in the complementary laundry mat on deck 11. NCL Haven Friends, this is yet another difference with Concierge and above staterooms to have some complementary laundry however the laundry mat is available to every stateroom.

 

I did a Butler Letter which I have posted about online and given some samples.  It is something I have done for 10 years after being disappointed so many times with below average butlers.  Every single request was made with no further comment from me.  From extra lounge chairs on the deck, Nuts/Pretzels in the suite, Orange/Cranberry juice in the refrigerator and the type of soda’s we like.  One request was not large portion for snacks because I had wasted food.  All were honored. 

Our six (6) bottles of wine/spirits were delivered after the ship left the dock (Rules about delivery). The spirits were liter, which was a surprise. Before someone asked, those six (6) bottles come only with an Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suite not with a PH or lower. I took home in my luggage what we did not drink, I just unpacked what was left and put it in my home bar.  To my NCL Haven Friend.  Complementary Spirits and Mixers in your Haven Suite is limited to H2/Owners Suite and some of the larger suites on ships with no Haven areas.  They are NOT liters; they are 5^th on NCL. One more difference, if you have a drink package on Oceania, the room service or butler WILL bring those drinks to your stateroom complementary where in the Haven, there is a charge.  NOTE, the rules to which Oceania Drink package applies.  Do your due diligence, it will serve you well, especially if you have never cruised Oceania before.

 

First Day Lunch:  The Breakfast at our Hotel in Athens was one of the best I have ever had as stated above.  I had items I have not had in years.  I was not hungry for lunch on the ship, but we all chose to go to the Terrace Café’ (Buffet) not Waves as I originally planned.  I had a very small lunch which was from the Carving Station and was great quality.  My NCL Haven Friends, the Terrace Café’ is the buffet.  It is NOT huge, but unlike other ship Buffets, the quality was very good.  The closest I have ever gotten to this at sea was on Crystal Cruises with better bread on Oceania Cruise and better deserts on Crystal.  Please remember, it was still a buffet but a good one.  I knew we were going to dinner at the Toscana (Italian) for dinner.  This cruise for me was not an eat feast.  I had just lost lots of weight getting ready for the cruise so my stomach simply could not handle huge amounts of food.  We gave up quantity for quality. For a fat guy, that was a major change in my eating habits.

 

Brief Summary of Day One: After lunch we unpacked, which is the rule in my family and strictly enforces by my bride.  We all then went to the outside Spa Terrace where the Thermal Spa is located.  This was of great interest to me and an area I spent much time in during the cruise. My wife was impressed that all the of the spa amenities (outside of the Thermal Spa) were available for all.  She especially liked the heated tile lounge chairs.  This is part of your fare with Oceania for my Haven Friends information.   We then simply took a tour of this well-appointed ship (Riviera) which was just renovated less than a year ago.  We ended up in my Vista Suite, with drinks in hand, for the sail away.  What a view of Athens and our guests were beside themselves. Time to get ready for dinner and another drink (two or three). 

 

Food and Drink:  I will not share every aspect of the food we ate.  We all must realize food is relative to the person.  This will be a general overview only. Many others show pictures and comments. 

 

Specialty Restaurants:  All the Specialty Restaurants were excellent except the Polo Grill which I will share below.  The quality of the specialty restaurants, which are complementary in Oceania (Some Rules do Apply). For my NCL Haven friends, in my opinion Oceania Specialty Restaurants were much better, with the except for the steakhouse.  NOTE: Oceania Cruises gives four (4) guaranteed reservations pre-cruise (ten-day cruise), (Oceania, Vista and Owners Suites have 😎 and space available when on the cruise which differs from NCL that charge for Specialty Restaurant past the “Free at Sea” promotion.

 

Red Ginger (Asian fusion):  10 out of 10. Rated #1 by our entire group.  Service, quality of food and for me the only place I loved dessert, which was simple.  We have a special evening which I wrote about when a person from a table of 8 was screaming at his fellow table mates which made our dinner even more eventful.  As previously stated, “Dinner and a Show” not on the Oceania Currents (Daily Activity Sheet Name).  We went to Red Ginger twice.  I could eat there every night. 

 

Jacques (French): 9 out of 10. Rated #2 overall and again we ate here twice.  The entire staff treated us like rock stars, especially the host who is a super star. We wanted our friends to join our table for the second meal (Based on a Vista Suite) and it was always accommodated.  I think what made this restaurant special was the atmosphere.  It is gone on the new ships which I think is a loss and our next cruise is on the “Vista Ship” which means for us, no more Jacques. Sad about that.

 

Toscana (Italian): 8 out of 10. Rated #3 overall.  I like Italian food however we had several ports in Italy so simply no comparison.  I found the food Americanized but I like that so just understand.  It is not Italy, but It is good. No one in our group liked the olive oil cart except for the presentation by the great Vincenzo.  We skipped the second dinner. 

 

Polo Grill (Steakhouse): 5 out of 10. Rated #4 of the specialty restaurants. We did not like it as a group, so I cancelled my second reservation. My Prime Rib queen cut was really great but just warm like it was sitting under a heat lamp. The service was awful. We asked for water, wine, and drinks multiple times and to no avail. The plates were cold, the food was lukewarm and, as so many have mentioned, not cooked to the temperature requested. For a small steakhouse, all the food seemed pre-prepared so in some cases cold and just did not taste good.  Not everyone’s opinion on the ship is so relative to the person.   Before I get comments on this statement, “Yes I told the GM (Emma) and the Restaurant Manager”.  Both asked me to try it again and I smiled and just did not take them up on the offer. 

 

Normal Restaurants:

The Grand Dining Room: 7 out of 10. This is the Main Dining Room for my NCL Haven friends.  Our service was GREAT, but our dinner and lunch foods were average to below average.  HOWEVER, I ate breakfast with my friend every single day and we loved the breakfast.  The NCL Haven Restaurant is hands down much better than Oceania’s Grand Dining Room and there is no comparison. 

 

Waves Grille: 8 out of 10. This to most of us would be the Pool Grille.  The burgers and fries were really good. We ate here for several days lunch.  When the ship docked at 11:00 AM or later, we would eat on the ship.  The Terrace Café’s (Buffet) was just around the corner so LOTS of options. Interesting that they cook your burger to order and bring it to you.  To my Crystal Cruise friends, like what they did on Crystal however Crystal has a GREAT steak sandwich which still holds the price.

 

Terrace Café’ (Buffet):  7 out of 10. About what you would expect, but more than slightly better quality and service.  Some of my guests were picky, however I like the variety, quality, and service.  At dinnertime they sometimes had themes.  Yes, they will cook to order steaks, Lamb Chops, and Lobster Tails to order for you at night if not a theme night.  NOTE: On most all Lobster dishes, they were below average, over cooked, dry, and not worth the selection.  The only deviation was in Red Ginger which was really good. I only bring this up because it seems to be a hot CruiseCritic.com topic.  Again, to my Haven Friends, the lobster tails in the Haven Restaurant were always excellent and no comparison.  Just a FYI on that one.

 

Afternoon Tea in Horizons:  Excellent and I mean from start to finish.  Service, Food, and Music.  We only did it twice, but it is an experience I will not soon forget.  The tiny sandwiches were great. Busy trip or we all would have done it every day.  Take it from me, just do it and be open minded.

 

Executive Lounge: for Penthouse and above only.  Went twice.  Nice concept, simply NO need for it for my enjoyment.  Now with a Concierge Stateroom where you have no butler, they have a Concierge Lounge.  That will be a better option for that level of stateroom.

 

Snacks in the Room and Room Service:  Nice concept, did the snacks once in my suite and skipped them for the rest of the cruise except for the Chocolate covered strawberries.  All we wanted was a small bowl of pretzels and nuts. We did get the butler to give us Special Coffee with Danishes every morning from Barista’s. Our friends had breakfast the first day and it was less than good, so they skipped from that point forward.  You must take the good with the bad.  For my NCL Haven Friends, when you order room service breakfast, ALWAYS get it from the Haven Restaurant and you must ask your butler to do so.  That breakfast is usually very good.  That is a difference to note.

 

Bars:  We only went to Martini’s (10 out of 10) and the Pool bar (8 out of 10).  Martinis was our place and we tried lots of great drinks.  My favorite was “Big O” Martini.  Sorry to the CruiseCritic.com poster that asked me for the recipe. I did not find out how it was made, I simply forgot. We never went to the other bars except the pool bar. 

 

Barista’s (Coffee): 10 out of 10. The only place for a great coffee period.  For my Haven Friends it was always complementary.  Better than Starbucks on the NCL ships by far.  As mentioned, in the morning, before you go to breakfast, get your coffee at Barista’s then take it to breakfast.  Not my idea.  An idea I got from someone on this Oceania CruiseCritic.com Board.

 

Mini Bar in the Suite:  Soft drinks, water and juices are complementary.  When you arrive, you are given one bottle of VERY NICE real French Champagne.  NCL Haven Friends, not sparkling wine.  Real Champagne.  Gone day one and was very good. It was nice not to have the Room Seward must take all the stuff out of the stateroom on day one because they were all for sale.  Just an appreciated difference.

 

Drink Programs/Packages: If I ever get an Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suite again, I will NOT get the upgraded drink unlimited drink program called the Prestige Package.  Waste of money under those circumstances. However, for all other staterooms, it suited me nicely.  For my NCL Haven friends, Oceania recently changed their fee fare structure, so everyone has a Wine/Beer and Champagne at ONLY Lunch and Dinner which is in all fare.  To upgrade to unlimited with spirits, it is $30.00 a day, per guest.  Also note that Oceania has two, “2 for 1” happy hours a day so if you just have an occasional drink, review the programs carefully.  On my last cruise on NCL, the White Wine was horrible.  I mean really bad even with the NCL upgraded Premium PLUS Drink Program.  The White Wine on Oceania was very good.  Also different from NCL.  Oceania allows you to bring on board 6 bottles of wine or spirits.  Every port, I bought one or two bottles of wine for my wife for the Suite.  I like the ability to bring wine/spirits on board like the “Old Days”.  The only deal is if you take your wine to dinner, there is a cork charge but no charge if you drink your wine in your stateroom. Do your due diligence, you will thank me. NCL benefits are different so again, do your due diligence.

 

Water On Board: 9 out of 10. Excellent reusable, sustainable and refillable.  What a great idea and no plastic bottles. At first, I did not think I would like this.  From the first drink, it was just fine.  I think the system is called Vero Water.  Oceania gives you two stainless steel containers to take with you to the ports.  Nice touch and nice when you get home also. This has a cost on NCL even in some Haven.  Notice the small items that are different which is what my Haven friends wanted too here.

 

Entertainment: 6.5 out of 10

NCL wins hands down, no contest so if you want that kind of entertainment, skip Oceania.  No Go-Cart Tracks, NO wall climbing, NO Virtual Reality, NO Lasor Tag, and NO water slides.  The Shows were Hit and mostly misses.  The Guest Singer was GREAT but only did two (2) shows.  Just like food, subjective. The piano player in Martini’s was very good, every night.  The strings were very good every time they played. The house band at the pool and Horizons late night (not very late) was always very good. You have options, choose wisely.

 

The Cooking Classes: 9 out of 10. I loved it and my wife was so/so on it.  One interesting fact.  We learned that when using Rose, use a tiny amount.  If you use too much, it tastes like dish soap.  I bought a bag of cookies at a bakery at one of the ports.  It tasted like dish soap.  We both immediately knew why, and the cookies got tossed.

 

Onboard Internet: 7 out of 10. Sometimes good and sometime well you know.  We are on a cruise ship.  Stay home for great internet.  I upgraded our Internet to Streaming for a bit more once onboard.

 

Casino: Small, casual and for me profitable.  I waited until the last night.  I check my account for how much was on it which is my judge for how much I must win.  My wife bought a purse onboard, and we had the upgrade to the internet.  I NEVER take my wife to a casino because she makes me nervous when I gamble.  I won all the money in 10 minutes plus extra for lots of extra tips.  Then I walked away a winner.

 

The Vista Suite: 8 out of 10.

For my NCL Haven Fans, the Vista Suite I stayed in was very close to the Haven (H2) Owners Suite with Large Balcony on the NCL Joy, Encore, and Bliss.  The difference as I shared before was, they pulled the outdoor furniture before departing.  On NCL, they never did that.   

 

The Vista Suite was HUGE, the deck was half the front of the ship with an outdoor hot tub which we never used.  A four-person dining table outside which we used once, was a nice touch.  Blue Tooth throughout the suite from your phone which was very easy to use and great sound through Bose Speakers was awesome.  The master bathroom was huge with a supersized Jacuzzi.  Second FULL bathroom which I used all the time was as you enter the room.  The makeup area was in the corner of the bedroom.  The beds were fantastic. Really best at sea so far.

 

Great Room again was huge with a dining room table for four.  NCL Haven fans, you can order from ANY Specialty Restaurant through your butler with Penthouse or above any dinner time.  This gives Penthouse or above the ability to have specialty restaurant every single night.  That, my friends, is a nice perk and since it is complementary, better than the NCL Haven.

 

Talking about perks.  We got three gifts for the Vista Suite which is not available for Penthouse or below.  1) A huge gift box of high-end toiletries.  Super nice. 2) A very high-end beach bag with Oceania Branded hats, towels, and other things. 3) On the last day, which I think everyone gets two metal Oceania luggage tags. If you are in a high-end Suite, leave room in your luggage for all the stuff.

 

The downside was the bedroom temp was super cold for a couple of days which I finally got fixed.  Some folks have a hard time with the “Home Automation” Lights.  I have these at home, so it was easy for me. The table lamps in the main great room need to be turned off by hand.  The room is very loud when they dock, especially early.  There is a sour smell when they leave the port like they are emptying the black tank.  Neither last long but it was noticed. The deck is impossible to use due to wind while sailing.  The exercise room which is gone from the new ships is a waste of space on this ship. 

 

As I said above, “One and Done” unless I get a crazy deal again.  If so, I will opt for an Oceania Suite which has a deck on the side and a TV room. The bigger the suite is not always better.  The Penthouse suites are excellent and larger than most NCL Haven Suites at 440 sf.  Save the money is my opinion in the future. Don’t want a butler, go down one category to a Concierge Stateroom, which is lovely.

 

Transfers:  I did not use Oceania for transfers. At first it was a little scary, but it all worked out. All were done online, pre-paid, and the services were reasonable, on-time and professional. I hate Cruise Brand Transfers with the buses and waiting for those that are late so why not do it yourself. Google Search is our friend.  Another word of advice.  I asked both hotels what they charged for the same service, and it was usually four times more than what I paid. Do a little research. 

 

Ports & Excursions:

As many of you know, I did a lot of preparation before traveling.  I did NOT want to do Oceania, Air, Hotel or Excursions.  All of which for me and my way of traveling was correct and now confirmed.  It also saved us a lot of money in all categories. 

 

We did the “Hoop on Hoop Off” buses and trains.  Had a list of 8 places to go in each port but only did two. The key is we made the choice based on how we felt, so we were in complete control.  Never rushed off the ship or rushed to get back on.  I always had the best way to get from the cruise ship to City Central.  We stayed in a hotel the day before and the day after the cruise, which made the experience that much better. 

 

If you want my thoughts on each port, it really won’t matter to you.  Every port is to your taste on what you want to do.  I will say, if you have mobility issues, skip the walk through the Sistine Chapel. When possible, get your attraction tickets online and have it on your phone.  Saves time and in some cases money.  This includes train or bus tickets.  Make sure you can cancel them if the port is cancelled, which happens all the time.

 

Getting Off the Ship the Last Day:

Smooth sailing ALL the way.  We had a great breakfast at the Grand Dining Room.  Waited until 08:30 AM.  Walked off, got help with our bags and got in a Taxi Van super quick which I pre-ordered online.  No fuss, no muss.  Straight to the "Hotel Arts Barcelona" a Ritz Carlton Hotel which was lovely.

 

At all ports we always left the ship one hour after it arrived to miss the crowd.  Worked great. Just a thought if you are doing your own excursions vs. using Oceania.

 

Conclusion: Cruise 9 out of 10

Cruises are what you make of them.  Smile, have a good attitude and make it fun for the crew.  Yes, you heard me right, make it fun for the crew and your time will be so much better.  I was having such a good time, on day two, I went to say hello to “Emma” the General Manager and said thank you.  She always said hello when she saw me on deck. 

 

Did things go wrong, YES. Where there some misses at meal, YES. Was the entertainment always great, NO.  Where there are a few issues with my suite, YES.  Did any of it matter so much that my cruise was negative, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Attitude is everything.  Did my group get loud, make fools out of ourselves from time to time, YES.  Did we get some looks from some of the other Guests, YES. Then they came and joined us and were welcomed. Were some folks inappropriately dressed for some restaurants, YES.  Did we dress correctly, YES.  Did it affect our enjoyment that others dressed too casually, NO.  This is Oceania not Queen Mary.  I mean NO disrespect by that statement.  Just the way I feel.  To each their own and let it be like “water off a duck”.

We booked two cabins on a cruise onboard the Oceania Vista ship, Concierge Stateroom for October 2025.  I will watch sales, for a four-category upgrade or other special promotions.  This time, I think that won’t be an option because the date is in October vs. November.  However, I will watch for it.  The onboard special was 5% off for booking so far in advance (2025).  $400.00 off the stateroom price which goes up with each category above.  $250.00 per stateroom of On-Board-Credit and for this upcoming sailing the “Simply More” program with two (2) device internet, Lunch/Dinner Wine Package and I think $600.00 per stateroom excursion credit.  My travel agent had a special so this time, she will pay gratuities, which is nice.  The reduced deposit was $250.00 per person, which was also nice.  Please remember, for ANY cancelation, the new Oceania policy is you will be charged a $150.00 cancelation fee NO exceptions.

 

A side note and not meant to be advice for anyone.  I gave a donation to the “Crew Cruise Fund”, gave extra to my favorite bartenders/servers.  I took care of my butler and room Seward with extra.  The amounts were personal, but I am very generous to those that treat my party nicely.  You do you.

This was my favorite cruise of ALL time.  My wife had a great time, which is not always the case.  For the first time, we saw places that we had never really seen before.  First real port intensive cruise ever and in the Mediterranean.  Very different and interesting for both of us.  Our friends were completely blown away. 

 

The proof is we booked another cruise onboard. I will answer any questions you have but I was obviously very detailed.  Hope for those that wanted details, I did not disappoint. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

So pleased your overall experience was good!

We love Oceania, doing our 10th in January.

We’ve not been on huge ships with a ‘Haven’ or similar but for us we like the ‘small ship’ experience.

Thank you for your feedback it was really useful.

[dlhamlten]

Sthrngary :

 

Thank you for the time and thoughts you put into your review.  It was fair and balanced and useful for our upcoming Oceania cruises.  

[shepherd really]

Your "not overly" verbose 😁review was an enjoyable read.  

 

Thank you for taking the time to share it.

[mauibabes]

@Sthrngary

Welcome to the O FAMILY of happy travelers. It has been great following your adventure, your planning is amazing and it lead to great success 🙏😇👍

We found Oceania in 2007 and have never looked back. We keep dragging our friends along with “Try it you’ll like it” and lo and behold, they did and they have not left the “family”. Since you booked Vista, let me suggest you use the 45 day post sailing Oceania discount offer that will come to book a trip on Allura. She will include all the Vista goodies and enhancements and SIMPLY MORE, to steal a line. There are refinements coming for Allura so you might as well ENJOY the latest and greatest. 
 

If you want another great trip idea, book a January or February 2025 cruise on Marina down thru Antarctica. She gets her Update in May so would be all spiffy for you. It’s an AMAZING trip, DW’s #1.

I know a lot of first timers were and are interested in your experience and as an O lover ❤️, we are so glad the staff on Riviera did not let you down. She is definitely a favorite in the fleet for us. Now the Loyalty Club is in play, next milestone, Silver and Free Gratuities! Then Platinum and a Free 14 day cruise 🤪🙏👍🛳️🥂🍷🥃❤️ Next smart move and I am NOT giving investment advice, acquire 100 shares of NCLH, just for the $100-250 SBC you will get on every future NCLH line cruise. 😇

Mauibabes

[AMHuntFerry]

@Sthrngary I just wanted to let you know that you brought a smile to my face many times and quite a few giggles/chuckles. The best thing I read was the obvious child-like joy you brought to your friends...what a great gift to them and yourself. Now to plan the next adventure...! 😉

[CruiserFromMaine]

@Sthrngary thanks for your well-done and thorough postings! 

[Sthrngary]

41 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

@Sthrngary I just wanted to let you know that you brought a smile to my face many times and quite a few giggles/chuckles. The best thing I read was the obvious child-like joy you brought to your friends...what a great gift to them and yourself. Now to plan the next adventure...! 😉

@AMHuntFerry I have two years and I am a little Burn out on the whole planning thing.  Give me a few day, weeks or months and I will be back in the mind space again.  Maybe next time when I say, "We will NOT eat near and attraction my group will listen to me."  Who knows.  Just kidding to my lovely bride, NOT.  Thanks for the kind words.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.