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

[Sthrngary]

2 hours ago, mauibabes said:

@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

@mauibabes Thank you for the kind words.  The ability to gain agreement with 4 people that are over 66 to 76 is a tough gig.  The Vista Cruise in October 2025 was because of itinerary.  It took a long time and many drinks so I did not lose my temper at my group.  I lost count of how many Big O martinis I had so that should tell you sometime. We got the deal offered on the ship.  My travel agency gives free gratuities and American Express Platinum is providing $300 of OBC per cabin, unless a sale happens the does not allow it.  You can be guaranteed I will be looking for sales hourly, but on this one, I don't think my odds are very good.  Still for me it is sport, LOL. 

 

HOWEVER, I will look at all the Allura offering so I am ready if an when an offer is given.  That was GREAT advice.  Thank you.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[PaulMCO]

@Sthrngary  good to hear all of your planning and questions went to good use.  Time to begin on your next adventure.

 

Very nice and balanced review.  Agree with your conclusion that the OC suite is the best when you can get a great deal, as we did on our last cruise.

[Vineyard View]

5 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@mauibabes Thank you for the kind words.  The ability to gain agreement with 4 people that are over 66 to 76 is a tough gig.  The Vista Cruise in October 2025 was because of itinerary.  It took a long time and many drinks so I did not lose my temper at my group.  I lost count of how many Big O martinis I had so that should tell you sometime. We got the deal offered on the ship.  My travel agency gives free gratuities and American Express Platinum is providing $300 of OBC per cabin, unless a sale happens the does not allow it.  You can be guaranteed I will be looking for sales hourly, but on this one, I don't think my odds are very good.  Still for me it is sport, LOL. 

 

HOWEVER, I will look at all the Allura offering so I am ready if an when an offer is given.  That was GREAT advice.  Thank you.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

So…you four are all traveling again in 2025?  I remember your comments on friends traveling together, and the back and forth we had with that. If the answer is yes, then that is outstanding. 
I really appreciated your review and riding along with you. Cheers to your great adventure! 

[APH17]

@Sthrngary thank you for your very detailed “word salad”. I have really enjoyed following your thoughts on your first O cruise as we will be doing our first in March next year. Hoping the experience on Regatta is as good as your Riviera cruise. Happy cruising!

[jw_406]

Sthrngary — By chance does your wife have straight gray hair to her shoulders? We were dining in Polo the same night your group did. The table near us was 2 couples and one of the gentleman looked similar to the picture you posted of yourself on this thread. 
 

Thank you for bringing us along on your journey! I’ve very much enjoyed your commentary, review, etc. Because I was sailing on the same cruise, you helped fuel my excitement. 😊

Edited November 23, 2023 by jw_406

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, jw_406 said:

Sthrngary — By chance does your wife have straight gray hair to her shoulders? We were dining in Polo the same night your group did. The table near us was 2 couples and one of the gentleman looked similar to the picture you posted of yourself on this thread. 
 

Thank you for bringing us along on your journey! I’ve very much enjoyed your commentary, review, etc. Because I was sailing on the same cruise, you helped fuel my excitement. 😊

@jw_406 Yes, that was us. Our guest has RED hair. Small world. 

[Jockocruiser]

16 hours ago, mauibabes said:

acquire 100 shares of NCLH, just for the $100-250 SBC you will get on every future NCLH line cruise

No, not good advice!

I bought 250 shares 2 years ago at $21 to qualify for that “benefit “!   O cancelled the departure.  (S. Amer. and they refunded; different times and management?)

 

I’m still holding and still underwater.  Very expensive SBC,

 

 

[Sthrngary]

12 minutes ago, Jockocruiser said:

No, not good advice!

I bought 250 shares 2 years ago at $21 to qualify for that “benefit “!   O cancelled the departure.  (S. Amer. and they refunded; different times and management?)

 

I’m still holding and still underwater.  Very expensive SBC,

 

 

@Jockocruiser and @mauibabes Thanks for both comments.  The real topic which is much more interesting is finding interesting ways to reduce your costs or gain OBC/Amenities yet not take away any value from your cruise.  I have known about the purchase of stock in NCL parent company for a long time to gain some OBC.  Not my approach but has worked for some and not for others. 

 

With Oceania for me, the lesson of getting the best value fare and OBC is a give and take.  The biggest lessons I gained was:

 

1. If at all possible, choose a older ship and since I like the 1200 guest ships, I have two to choose from.  When you do Vista or Allura you will pay a premium for being brand new. 
2. Choose a date that is just past Prime Season like I just did booking November 9, 2023.  The weather was still great but Oceania is more likely to have some sales.  My upcoming October 2025 date is in prime season so I don't expect a sale but thrilled if it happens.
3. With Oceania, what is posted if a sale happens, is not always the rate you get.  The Extraordinary Sale taught me that one. If you see a sale online, call for price adjustment or upgrade which ever you prefer. 
4. Study, Study, Study the beverage packages and how it effects you based on how you drink.  Where I insisted on the Premier Unlimited Package on my first cruise, knowing the 2/1 happy hours and the limited amount I drank and adding 6 bottles allowed per port to bring onboard.  Lots to think about. 
5. Leveraging your credit card perks like my AMX Platinum and making sure your agent can provide the benefits prior to booking.  Sometimes, as happened to me when Oceania has a sale, you need to choose the AMX Perk over the sale because you cannot double dip.  Simply use good business judgement. 
6. Book on your voyage so give it more thought pre-cruise because selecting a cruise while on a cruise is a tough gig.  Hard to gain consensus for adult children, when all you want to do is have "Afternoon Tea".  

 

I hope we all help each other gain the benefit of our respective experience in gaining value.  We will not agree with every ones approach but knowing it is possible is the real key.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[edgee]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

If at all possible, choose a older ship and since I like the 1200 guest ships, I have two to choose from. 

If you like the 1200 guest ships you have 4 to choose from...correct? Riviera, Marina, Vista and the upcoming Allura. Or am I misunderstanding you?

[pinotlover]

15 minutes ago, edgee said:

If you like the 1200 guest ships you have 4 to choose from...correct? Riviera, Marina, Vista and the upcoming Allura. Or am I misunderstanding you?

You misunderstood.

 

He stated that Oceania is still charging a premium for the two new A ships, so he can sail less expensively on an O Class ship.

[karscott]

>>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. 

 

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your detailed review and "cup half full" attitude, @Sthrngary. Thank you!

 

Do you happen to remember if the "2 for 1" happy hours were always scheduled at the same times each day on board? Or did they vary from one day to the next? We are sailing soon on Insignia and I'm curious.

 

 

[Sthrngary]

16 minutes ago, karscott said:

>>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. 

 

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your detailed review and "cup half full" attitude, @Sthrngary. Thank you!

 

Do you happen to remember if the "2 for 1" happy hours were always scheduled at the same times each day on board? Or did they vary from one day to the next? We are sailing soon on Insignia and I'm curious.

 

 

@karscott I don't remember but think it was just before and after dinner.  Lot's of folks took advantaged of it. Sorry I can't be more specific. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment

[MEFIowa]

Well, Southern Gary, Gina and I finally made it back after spending 3 great days and nights in Barcelona. Of course, she tested positive for COVID on the last day, but I didn't. Nor did I test positive when we retested today. Hope you guys had a great safe return.

[Sthrngary]

59 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Well, Southern Gary, Gina and I finally made it back after spending 3 great days and nights in Barcelona. Of course, she tested positive for COVID on the last day, but I didn't. Nor did I test positive when we retested today. Hope you guys had a great safe return.

@MEFIowa Well hello friend.  I enjoyed meeting you and your lovely bride on the sailing.  Love our conversations also.  So sorry about the covid-19 your bride caught.  Please keep us updated on her recovery.

 

You sir taught me a lot.  Every port I would buy my wife a bottle of two of wine for the stateroom.  I, like you find this fun and yes even a "Sport" of sorts.  Thanks for the idea and approach.  It made a difference.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[FetaCheese]

Hello my friend @Sthrngary.

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your live from, and review.  Was impressed that you've marked this Oceania cruise experience as your best cruise ever.

 

I appreciate you taking vacation time to keep all of us informed of your activities.

 

With 20,000 + views on this thread alone, you are a CC rock star!

 

Your choice of the Grande Bretagne was wise, especially since you really enjoyed all that it offered.  Definitely want to stay there next time in Athens.

 

Thanks again and welcome to the party!  I knew you would love Oceania.

Edited November 23, 2023 by FetaCheese
Addl info

[BSR]

13 hours ago, APH17 said:

@Sthrngary thank you for your very detailed “word salad”. I have really enjoyed following your thoughts on your first O cruise as we will be doing our first in March next year. Hoping the experience on Regatta is as good as your Riviera cruise. Happy cruising!

We took our first O cruise a couple of months on the Regatta and enjoyed the experience on a new cruise line. We are booked again on O for next year.

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

... You sir taught me a lot.  Every port I would buy my wife a bottle of two of wine for the stateroom.  I, like you find this fun and yes even a "Sport" of sorts.  Thanks for the idea and approach.  It made a difference. 

I did learn two very useful things travelling from Turkey to Spain...and all points inbetween on the Northern coast of the Med:

 

1. Wine was least expensive in Italy. And delicious. No matter how inexpensive. Even the E1.49 per bottle red!

2. I fell in love with European Brandy. The Serban (Vinjak) was the best, then the Spanish (Centenario), then the Greek (local Cretan brand all in Greek letters!).

[edgee]

20 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@mauibabes Thank you for the kind words.  The ability to gain agreement with 4 people that are over 66 to 76 is a tough gig.  The Vista Cruise in October 2025 was because of itinerary.  It took a long time and many drinks so I did not lose my temper at my group.  I lost count of how many Big O martinis I had so that should tell you sometime. We got the deal offered on the ship.  My travel agency gives free gratuities and American Express Platinum is providing $300 of OBC per cabin, unless a sale happens the does not allow it.  You can be guaranteed I will be looking for sales hourly, but on this one, I don't think my odds are very good.  Still for me it is sport, LOL. 

 

HOWEVER, I will look at all the Allura offering so I am ready if an when an offer is given.  That was GREAT advice.  Thank you.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Interesting that you are getting both Amex $300 benefit and prepaid grats. My TA gives free grats on most O cruises which are arranged through their consortium. (Signature, I believe). However with them, $300 Amex benefit is not combinable with prepaid grats.. They give me $300 Amex benefit only on occasional O cruises where pre paid grats are not offered by their consortium or when I cruise Regent where gratuities are included, so not an issue. Since my TA also offers a rebate check in advance of the cruise as well as great service, I always feel well taken care of, though.

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, edgee said:

Interesting that you are getting both Amex $300 benefit and prepaid grats. My TA gives free grats on most O cruises which are arranged through their consortium. (Signature, I believe). However with them, $300 Amex benefit is not combinable with prepaid grats.. They give me $300 Amex benefit only on occasional O cruises where pre paid grats are not offered by their consortium or when I cruise Regent where gratuities are included, so not an issue. Since my TA also offers a rebate check in advance of the cruise as well as great service, I always feel well taken care of, though.

@edgee You maybe right.  My agent was on a Virgin Cruise when she got my paper work so i will confirm on Monday.  If they are not combinable, it would seem the gratuities would be the way to go.  Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[APH17]

8 hours ago, BSR said:

We took our first O cruise a couple of months on the Regatta and enjoyed the experience on a new cruise line. We are booked again on O for next year.

That’s good to know. It will be the longest journey on the smallest ship we have ever cruised with.

[Harry Lake]

7 minutes ago, APH17 said:

That’s good to know. It will be the longest journey on the smallest ship we have ever cruised with.

We went to Antarctica on a 400 passenger ship. And sailed the Norwegian coast on a 100 pax ship (and it didn't have stabilizers) )

[Twiga]

@Sthrngary:  I have greatly enjoyed your posts on this topic!  I am so happy that you loved your cruise and Oceania.  While your posts are very detailed and thorough, they are definitely not "word salad," which is defined as “a jumble of extremely incoherent speech."  Your posts are definitely not incoherent.  I appreciate the considerable amount of time and thought you put into them.  You have provided much useful information for both new and experienced cruisers.  Thank you, Gary! 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Twiga

[Sthrngary]

12 minutes ago, Twiga said:

@Sthrngary:  I have greatly enjoyed your posts on this topic!  I am so happy that you loved your cruise and Oceania.  While your posts are very detailed and thorough, they are definitely not "word salad," which is defined as “a jumble of extremely incoherent speech."  Your posts are definitely not incoherent.  I appreciate the considerable amount of time and thought you put into them.  You have provided much useful information for both new and experienced cruisers.  Thank you, Gary! 

@Twiga Thank you for your kind words.  My goal was to give insight for those in the future to enhance their cruise experience. I know it is not "Word Salad".  More like "Cesar Salad" made table side. Thanks again, I enjoyed the process.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[GeezerCouple]

Just now, Sthrngary said:

@Twiga Thank you for your kind words.  My goal was to give insight for those in the future to enhance their cruise experience. I know it is not "Word Salad".  More like "Cesar Salad" made table side. Thanks again, I enjoyed the process.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

Agreed, not word salad!

 

However, how about something like an "Executive Summary" for those of us with, uh, limited attention spans? 😉 

That would truly be appreciated... the real highs/lows/etc.  Maybe a few bullet points?

 

Thanks!

 

GC

[Sthrngary]

Thank you everyone for your kind words and responses to my reviews both live and after the fact.  If you have any specific question, feel free to ask them.  I will respond if you put @Sthrngary at the being of your question.

 

I am finalizing a posting similar to the one I did the the NCL Haven.  Instead of cutting and pasting it, I will put an attachment on the new topic with the PDF for download.  It is Long, really long and the PDF has a Table of Contents to go to the spot that would suit the reader best. I call it, "The Secrets of Cruising Oceania Cruises" Similar in name and content to what I did for the NCL Haven 5 years ago.  The stream is as active today as when it was posted.  I hope everyone likes it. It is based on what I want to know if I am considering Oceania.  I will make some mistakes but I know the Oceania Faithful will correct me which is important to keep accuracy. 

 

Thanks to everyone again, signing off this topic for now.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.