Oceania Cruises

[jay-ell71]

Riviera.
We returned from our first Oceania cruise a week ago. We went to the Black Sea starting from Istanbul, Turkey and ending in Athens,Greece.
Unfortunately, due to the Troubles in Crimea and Ukraine the company had to cancel the ports of Yalta, Sabastopol and Odessa, ports we have visited before. We had booked this cruise after the changes were made, so no complaints there. A couple of the replacement ports were however, not the best so we stayed on board.
CHECK IN… We stayed overnight in Istanbul and had a taxi to the port, arriving at about 1.00pm. We had to show our passports and tickets to a port officer, outside the port gate and it was a bit of a scrum but after depositing our luggage and going to the ship’s check in desks in the (sort of) terminal, the procedure was quick and hassle free although we did have our our passports looked at, three separate times!! We were soon enjoying lunch in the buffet, which is very civilised as the food is served to you, no "elbows at dawn", no plates piled high. The waiters took your plate to your table for you. Tables are laid, drinks are served food is very good
THE SHIP.. Riviera is beautiful
The art work is throughout is interesting and eclectic. The furnishings and carpets are presented in delightfully soft colours, and in a variety of different styles.
There is plenty of space in the public areas. She is not small, but carries only 1200 passengers. (Compared with P & Os Aurora, which is the same size, and carries 1800 passengers.) so Riviera is never crowded. We could always find a sun lounger in the right place. Never a problem getting a drink at the pool bar, or in Baristas coffee lounge.
THE CABIN.. Ours was a balcony cabin on deck Seven Aft. Rather smaller than either Seabourn's or Regent’s equivalent cabin level, but adequate.There are of course much more spacious suites available. As a bonus we had a double depth balcony. More of that later. The drawers and cupboards were plentiful but not all at a convenient height for a little short person like me! The wardrobe doors were not very easy to access. The bathroom? Bijou. but very luxuriously appointed. with bath and shower over, shower cabinet with glass door, basin, good lighting, marble and mirror fittings. Super thick towels and nice toiletries. The good exceeded the not so good.
DINING…. The best cuisine at sea? Probably. The Grand Dining Room is very Grand indeed decorated in gold and cream with a magnificent large crystal chandelier in the ceiling. There is no fixed-time dining. The service was perfect for us, at proper dining speed. (some guests thought it was slow service) All the staff were attentive, they were well trained and charming. The restaurant Managers were on hand all the time and made sure everything ran smoothly. We are not wine connoisseurs and so had no complaints about the wine offered on the package. We were always able to have a table for two if we chose to.
There is no extra charge for dining in the alternative restaurants but you must book in advance. We ate in all four having made reservations on line prior to the cruise. They were all excellent. Afternoon tea was pretty good too, cakes and sandwiches served from trollies in the Horizon lounge. Difficult to resist.
The internet connection was the best we have ever had on a ship.
ENTERTAINMENT: This is more low key than on the main stream cruise lines, but there were several shows-- singing and dancing with a good backing band--- cooking demos, enrichment lectures, and tour presentations. Trivia quizzes, string quartet, pianist, and five piece group in many venues.
EXTRA NOTE.. A little anecdote to illustrate the care Oceania takes …… As mentioned before, our balcony was double depth. On the Interim Questionnaire, I wrote that the balcony furniture was rather small and the chairs did not recline. I suggested that on such a large balcony, a sun lounger might be nice. The next morning, a sun lounger appeared on the balcony, must have been delivered while we were having our dinner the evening before. That’s attention to detail, and proof that the questionnaire was not only read but acted upon without delay! (I did thank them very much for this; the lounger disappeared on the last day, so the next occupants of that cabin did not get this luxury!!!!)

The only criticism we have of Oceania Cruises, (apart from the mean balcony furniture), is the cost of the Tours. Very, very expensive. We only took one tour ( a boat trip along the Danube Delta) and it was only OK and not value for money. Even so we had an enjoyable time with our fun fellow passengers!!
Did we have a good cruise? Yes. Would be go with Oceania again? Definitely.

[GillD46]

A most interesting read as we are going on Riviera next month from Monte Carlo to Barcelona in a PH2.

In the main we are looking forward to it, though I do have some reservations, as I understand their own understanding of strict vegetarian diets leaves much to be desired. Tomato, cucumber and a cold ,microwaved, jacket potato is not my idea of a satisfactory dinner offering! Nor is using the same utensils for both meat and meat free dishes. However, we shall see.

Otherwise, your review is encouraging. Thank you for sharing.

[jay-ell71]

Gill.....I am sorry that I did not remember that you are vegetarian. I am pretty sure that there was always a vegetarian option on the MDR menu, but I admit I did not make a study of it. When we had our meal in Red Ginger we shared the table with others one of whom was vegetarian and she seems to have several choices throughout the evening. They are also very willing to adapt the choices for you. I cannot eat spicy, but my husband loves it so my dishes were free of spices. Unfortunately this made the food rather bland which is why it was my least favourite restaurant. I hope you will not be disappointed. I can't imagine they will offer you microwaved jacket potato!! The food is an important part of our cruising and we found the quality and variety on Oceania exceeded the offerings on the other luxury lines we have tried. Nevertheless, Seabourn is still my favourite line. The food is good enough, but the personal touch that Seabourn has makes it stand out from the others. Have a lovely time. Judith

PS A Penthouse suite will be very nice!!!