oceania riviera cruises 2023

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Oceania Riviera

Cruise line Oceania Cruises

• Singapore (Singapore)
• Yokohama (Tokyo, Japan Kanagawa)
• Seattle (Washington)
• Hong Kong (China)

Oceania Riviera current position

Oceania Riviera current location is at Aegean Sea (coordinates 35.34558 N / 25.15227 E) cruising en route to Mykonos Island. The AIS position was reported 8 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Oceania Riviera

Oceania Riviera current cruise is 10 days, one-way from Barcelona to Piraeus-Athens . The itinerary starts on 11 Sep, 2024 and ends on 21 Sep, 2024 .

Specifications of Oceania Riviera

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Oceania Riviera Itineraries

Oceania riviera review, review of oceania riviera.

The 2012-built Oceania Riviera cruise ship is one of the fleet's newest , with sistership Marina . Both liners were constructed by Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard (in Genoa Italy ) and designed by the Norwegian marine architecture company Y&S "Petter Yran and Bjorn Storbratten".

The vessel (IMO number 9438078) is currently Marshall Islands /France- flagged (MMSI 538004353) and registered in Majuro .

A modified version of this design is Oceania's new ALLURA-Class represented by the ships  Vista (2023) and Allura (2025).

History - construction and ownership

Oceania Cruises is a US passenger shipping company and luxury travel brand owned by NCLH-Norwegian (shipowner), Between April 2007 and September 2014, the company (as part of "Prestige Cruise Holdings") was owned by Apollo Management LP - one of the world's largest private investment equity funds. Since September 2014, Oceania and the sister company RSSC-Regent are owned by NCLH - acquired at a total cost of USD 3 billion. Oceania ships offer luxury cruises with relatively shorter itineraries, as well as Around The World voyages up to 180 days in length.

The 1300-passenger ship Riviera was launched on May 11, 2012. MS Riviera's godmother was "Iron Chef" and Food Network star Cat Cora, a fitting choice for a cruise company that is aimed at enthusiastic foodies.

In February 2016, Oceania Cruises won six "best for" awards for the luxurious mid-sized mv Riviera, voted for by Cruise Critic readers. The sophisticated ship dominated by being voted for having the best service, dining, staterooms, public rooms and embarkation process on board. Not only this, but Oceania Cruises was also cited in the top 5 in an additional 3 categories. Oceania Riviera awards are in the following categories: Best Cruise Ship for Embarkation, Best Cruise Ship for Dining, Best Cruises Ship for Service, Best Cruise Ship Cabins, Best Cruise Ship Public Rooms and Best Cruises Overall. Riviera features the 5-star luxury that Oceania has always been well known for. The cruise ship reflects the line’s key pillars of service, comfort and the finest cuisine at sea.

Decks and Cabins

Oceania Riviera staterooms (629 total, in 17 grades) include 147 Suites, 444 Balcony, 20 Oceanview, 18 Interior. Most (94%) are the 240 ft2 / 22 m2 sized Balcony cabins. The largest passenger accommodations are the aft-facing Owners Suites (1335 ft2 / 124 m2 plus 665 ft2 / 62 m2 wraparound terrace).

The boat has 15 decks , of which 12 are passenger-accessible and 6 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Oceania Cruises Riviera ship offers four reservations-only restaurants, plus a buffet restaurant and casual snack spots. Speciality restaurants come with no additional charge but require reservations. The most high-profile of all is Jacques, the first restaurant ever created, on land or sea, by celebrity chef Jacques Pepin. Jacques is designed with the feel of a French bistro and focuses on traditional French cuisine. Other speciality restaurants include the Polo Grill steakhouse and the Mediterranean Toscana - both carry-overs from the earlier ships of the line, and Red Ginger, which is an excellent pan-Asian spot.

Follows the complete list of Riviera restaurants and food bars.

• Red Ginger (feng shui Asian specialty restaurant with a 5-course “tasting” and a la carte menu)
• Jacques (124-seat complimentary dinner restaurant, reservations-only; features French cuisine by chef Pepin)
• Grand Dining Room (complimentary 340-seat restaurant for open seating Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner; offers French-inspired dishes, and menus change daily)
• Ice Cream Parlor (on pool deck) offers favorite flavors (including from Humphry Slocombe) along with milkshakes and smoothies.
• Culinary Center (for cooking classes and demos; hosts the “Gourmet Explorer Series” which consist of 20 new cooking classes; there is also "La Technique" - an exclusive cooking class focusing on the techniques of master chef Chef Jaques Pepin.
• La Reserve (24-seat wine bar at surcharge; offers wine tastings and a 7-course dinner menu)
• Toscana (96-seat Italian fine dining restaurant, dinner-only, reservations-only, complimentary; offers traditional Italian cuisine)
• Polo Grill (96-seat Steakhouse restaurant, complimentary; reservations required)
• Privee (a limited capacity private dining room, between Toscana and Polo, 10-seat, charge $1000 for the entire room; features Chef’s Table and 7-course gourmet menu)
• In October 2015, Oceania announced its plan to combine the Toscana and Polo Grill speciality restaurants into a new venue - “Tuscan Steak”, with quality wood paneling decorated with platinum and silver. The gourmet dinner menu of the new restaurant includes items, such as “Bistecca alla Fiorentina”, “Maine Lobster & Shrimp Fra Diavol”, “Tuscan Porterhouse Steak”, and the signature pork chops of Oceania Cruises “Iberico de Bellota”. At the entrance, there is a wine cellar with a selection of fine wines.

During the ship's last refurbishments were introduced three new dining venues/options: Aquamar Kitchen, Ice Cream Bar (poolside) and Alfresco Pizzeria (at Waves Grill in the evenings).

Aquamar Kitchen is a wellness-themed dining venue (introduced on Oceania Vista in 2023). This signature restaurant is complimentary and without reservations. It offers wellness-inspired food and beverages including smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, mocktails (made with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Spirits), energy bowls, avocado toasts, salads, wraps, tuna tacos, chicken sandwiches, Oceania's "Impossible Burger".

The poolside Ice Cream Bar serves the gourmet Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream as well as milkshakes and smoothies.

Waves Grill is a casual fast-food bar serving the Pool Deck with made-to-order daily specialties and gourmet gelato/fresh-made ice cream. On offer are 20+ items, including burgers with sides of fresh-made salads, coleslaw, hand-cut fries, Surf & Turf Wagyu Burger, Philly Cheesesteak (hot sandwich) and cold sandwiches. In the evenings, Waves Grill transforms into an alfresco Pizzeria serving fresh-backed pizzas, grilled Italian specialties, salads, rosemary focaccia with burrata, and desserts like Nutella pizza.

Terrace Cafe & Bar is a complimentary, casual buffet restaurant open for Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner (daily changing menus), with both indoor and outdoor sitting. Terrace Bar also doubles as a small Pizzeria. In the evenings, Terrace Cafe transforms into "Tapas On The Terrace" restaurant serving traditional Mediterranean food. During dinner service, once per cruise, at Terrace Cafe opens the Indian Corner (themed food station offering 15 authentic Indian dishes).

Lido Buffet's Sushi Station offers 45 recipes, including two kinds of sashimi and uramaki, and three of nigiri, plus a daily vegetarian sushi.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Such as her sister ship Marina, Riviera cruise liner sports some of cruising's most palatial rooms, featuring furnishings from Ralph Lauren Home and layouts by Dakota Jackson of New York and S.B. Long designers of Greenwich, Connecticut. The cruise liner also has a Lalique-designed grand lobby, ten restaurants and many bars and lounges. Amenities include a full-service Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Bon Appetit Culinary Center (for demos and cooking classes), and the La Reserve by Wine Spectator wine bar lounge.

Follows the complete list of Riviera lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Riviera Lounge (main showroom/theatre for live evening entertainment and themed dancing parties; hosts daily trivia quizzes, lectures and presentations)
• The Casino (operates with USD bets; served by the Casino Bar)
• Martinis (a piano bar serving a variety of Martinis)
• Three Boutiques (duty-free perfumes, jewelry, Oceania-logo merchandise, clothes, gifts, convenience goods)
• Upper Hall lounge area (with grand piano for live performances; served by the Martinis Bar)
• Grand Bar (wine bar; hosts wine tastings; served by Baristas making complimentary illy beverages)
• Concierge Lounge (Concierge Level and Suite guests lounge)
• Executive Lounge (Concierge-Level Balcony and Suite guests)
• Artist Loft (educational center for Oceania Cruises’ enrichment programs)
• Oceania@Sea (24-hour Internet computer room; Private lessons/group classes are also provided)
• Pool area (with one swimming pool, two Whirlpools, sunbathing area and a Band Stand; served by the Waves Bar)
• Sanctuary (outdoor shaded area with loungers)
• The Patio (outdoor shaded lounge with chairs, daybeds, sofas)
• Baristas (patisserie/specialty coffee bar serving illy coffees, complimentary)
• Horizons (Lounge & Bar served by the Horizons Bar; has floor-ceiling windows, live entertainment, full bar; also serves Afternoon Tea; becomes a nightclub at night)
• Fitness Track (Power Walking/Jogging Track); Promenade (on Deck 6)
• The Library (1000+ books of which many port-destination guide books); Board Room
• Sun Deck (served by the Polo Bar; has sunloungers, showers, deck games - Shuffleboard, Golf Driving Net, 9-hole Mini-Golf putting greens, tennis court).

Aquamar Wellness Center (includes a Spa Terrace, Swimming Pool, 2x Spa Whirlpools/jacuzzis, Steam Rooms, Treatment Rooms, Styling Salon, Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Fitness/Gym, and Boardroom (cards playing and board games; Canyon Ranch Spa Club treatments include: Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Healing Energy, Body Wraps and Scrubs, Skin Care, Tanning, Massages and Exotic Treatments.), Aquamar Kitchen (restaurant)

Aquamar Kitchen (2024-added) is a signature restaurant with wellness-inspired menus. The breakfast menu includes smoothies, cold-pressed juices, energy bowls. The lunch menu includes avocado toast, popular salads and wraps, an Impossible Burger, yellowfin tuna tacos, a crunchy chicken sandwich. The beverage menu offers premium non-alcoholic wines from Pierre Zero (Pierre Zer's dealcoholized wines) and various mocktails made with Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits. Aquamar Kitchen is complimentary and reservations-free.

Itineraries

MS Riviera's itinerary program is based on seasonal Caribbean deployment with roundtrips out of PortMiami (Florida USA) . During summer, the ship cruises in Europe/Mediterranean with departures mainly from Barcelona , Civitavecchia-Rome , Venice , with Transatlantic crossings (RepositionCruises.com) on seasonal relocation.

In 2024, the ship started an inaugural season in Asia, operating voyages to ports in Arabia, India, Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, China and Korea. The Asian itineraries (25 total) ranged between 10-82 days. Departure ports included Abu Dhabi and Dubai (UAE), Mumbai (India), Singapore, Laem Chabang-Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (Korea), Yokohama-Tokyo (Japan).

Alaskan itineraries 2025

In September 2024 Oceania announced Riviera's first Alaskan deployment schedule for summer 2025 (May through September).

The Alaskan voyages were themed as:

• "Alaska Reflections" (8 days from Vancouver BC Canada  to  Whittier AK ) departure May 13th
• "Explorer's Alaska" (8 days Whittier to Vancouver) departure May 21st
• "Wilds of Alaska" (12 days Vancouver to Whittier) departure May 29th
• "Alaskan Accolades" (7 days Whittier to Vancouver) departure June 10th
• "Majestic Alaska" (9 days from Vancouver to  Seattle WA ) departure June 17th
• "Gems of The Last Frontier" (12-day roundtrip from Seattle) departures June 26th and July 17th
• "Wonders of Alaska" (9-day roundtrip Seattle) departure July 8th
• "Radiant Alaska" (10-day roundtrip Seattle) departure July 29th
• "Frontier Adventures" 10-day roundtrip Seattle) departure August 8th

Each voyage will be accompanied by a naturalist offering expert commentary on the diverse wildlife. The cruises will also offer a family-friendly experience with Oceania’s Alaska Explorer Youth Program, designed to engage children aged 5 to 12 with games, educational activities, and special Alaska-themed events.

Optional pre- and post-cruise land tours include the Discover Denali extension - a fully guided excursion through Denali National Park, with 2 full days to explore the unique destination and travel by scenic railcars.

Photos of Oceania Riviera

Oceania Riviera ship related cruise news

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Other Oceania Cruises cruise ships

• Oceania Allura
• Oceania Insignia
• Oceania Marina
• Oceania Nautica
• Oceania Regatta
• Oceania Sirena
• Oceania Vista

Oceania Riviera Wiki

Oceania Riviera ship is sister to the fleetmate ms Marina . The vessel was christened on May 11, 2012, in Barcelona. Her Godmother is the professional chef Cat Cora, the "Iron Chef" of America. Her Inaugural cruise was in the region of the Mediterranean Sea. It started in Italy (Venice) and ended ten days later in Greece (Athens).

The vessel (Fincantieri Sestri Ponente hull number 6195) is powered by four WARTSILA marine diesel engines (models 12V46C/2x12,6 MW and 8L46C/2x 8,4 MW) with combined output 42 MW. The combined propulsion power output is 30,3 MW (bow thrusters/2x2,2 MW, stern thruster/1x1,9 MW and FPPs/2x12 MW). The registered shipowner is NCL BAHAMAS LTD, while the current ship manager is RIVIERA NEW BUILD LLC.

On September 2, 2014, NCLH Norwegian purchased the company "Prestige Cruise Holdings" (owner of Oceania and RSSC-Regent Seven Seas ) for USD 3,025 billion, thus becoming the official owner of all vessels in both fleets.

The Apollo Group company provides all Oceania ships with the entire onboard hotel product and services. This includes administration, food staff (preparation and serving), housekeeping staff, also the vessel's provisioning and crewing. Other cruise lines served by Apollo are Thomson UK (Marella Cruises)  and RSSC-Regent .

Oceania Riviera refurbishments review

During the drydock refurbishment 2024 (April-May) were added two dining venues - Aquamar Kitchen (wellness-inspired, introduced with Oceania Vista in 2023) and the Pizzeria (alfresco restaurant serving Italian dishes including pizzas and burrata). The poolside ice cream parlor was expanded and now offers milkshakes and smoothies. During the drydocking were also renovated all Penthouse Suites (custom-crafted furniture, new closets and cabinetry, lighting, carpets, upholstery, more power outlets and USB ports), all cabin bathrooms (Italian marble, more drawers, oversized showers). All public areas were also renovated, including hallways, stairways, venues. The Martinis, Horizons, Dining Room, and the Library were updated with new carpets and upholstery. The steakhouse Polo Grill was revamped with new carpeting, window treatments, and pillowed-leather dining chairs.

The ship's drydock refurbishment in April 2019 (an OceaniaNEXT project) resulted in several deckplan changes (details to be announced soon). What is known so far is adding a new cabin category (Owner Suite) designed by Trevor R. Howells (Los Angeles-based interior design firm).

Owner Suites are 2-room cabins furnished with Ralph Lauren Home furniture. The color scheme is white-navy blue-camel-creme. Upholstery and fabrics are in melange (stripes and solids), with pops in silver-gold-metallic. The Suite's foyer features premium wood paneling and stone flooring (limestone, black cabochon). The in-cabin bar is mahogany and with a quartzite stone top.

The suite's living room has floor-ceiling windows, Grimaldi-weave sail white fabrics, self-playing piano (made from polished ebony-black hardwood), sectional sofa (with navy blue cushions), mahogany lounge chair. The suite's dining room has a Mayfair table and Barrett Medium Knurled chandelier (natural brass). The Master Bedroom has a King-size bed, Mayfair Bergere armchairs, nickel-trimmed lighting.

The Suite's wraparound balcony is premium teak-floored and fitted with custom-made (by Ralph Lauren) outdoor lounge furniture.

During drydock 2022 (Nov-Dec, at Chantiers Naval de Marseille ), all staterooms were fully refurbished, new culinary options were added. All public spaces (hallways, stairs, bars, lounges, dining venues/Grand Dining Room, Polo Grill) were also renovated, receiving new furnishings, fabrics, lighting fixtures, artworks, Tuscan marble. The hull's underwater portion was cleaned and repainted with AQUATERRAS (Biocide Free Self-Polishing Coating paint by Nippon Paint Marine Coatings Co Ltd/subsidiary of Japan's Nippon Paint Holdings Co Ltd).

Review: Oceania Riviera

What is the line?  Oceania Cruises

Name of ship?  Riviera

Passenger occupancy? 1,238

Itinerary? Venice to Athens

Riviera hits the sweet spot for food and wine devotees, delivering exceptional cuisine, wine pairing extravaganzas, and culinary and vintner-driven shore excursions. 

Start out with the big picture—what is this cruise line known for?  

Oceania Cruises maintains a strong focus on quality food and wine with complimentary specialty dining. Its loyal clientele, often younger than on luxury lines (Oceania Cruises is ranked premium, with luxury-level cuisine), love to eat and drink in style as they sail the globe. And sail the globe they do, as Oceania’s six ships cover more than 450 destinations. (Vista, Oceania’s newest and most glam ship, debuts in May 2023.) Port-intensive itineraries, including many late-nights and overnights. Among the well-maintained vessels, Riviera and twin Marina rank the largest, and arguably, the most stylish. The two were purpose-built for foodies, showcasing more dining choices and a Culinary Center offering hands-on cooking classes. 

Tell us about the ship in general  

The 1,238-passenger Riviera was built in 2012 and underwent a massive refurbishment in late 2022, including all staterooms and suites and many public venues. Its smart design emphasizes contemporary cool with lavish flourishes, like the Lalique-embellished grand staircase and gleaming Italian marble. Designed for foodies, this vessel lures connoisseurs with seven complimentary dining venues, mostly astonishingly good. Fares depend on the category of stateroom or suite booked, and can run from budget-minded to as pricey as a luxury line (with similar amenities.) Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center includes a large, well-equipped fitness center and features complimentary wellness lectures and fitness classes, a comprehensive list of treatments and medi-spa services. Come nighttime, passengers move between the casino, bars, and Riviera Lounge for primarily musical revues. 

Who is onboard?  

Riviera draws an active crowd of repeat guests, mostly American, who indulge well onboard and explore energetically ashore. While 55+ might cover the age range, I saw plenty of couples and groups of friends who looked younger. These cruisers are a friendly bunch and engage with other passengers in bars and lounges. Passengers definitely utilize the fitness center, although I always found a treadmill or free weights when needed. The jogging track draws many cruisers, too, if not to run, then leisurely walk at sunset. Complimentary classes, like yoga, do fill up. I packed casual-to-elegant country-club-ish attire, and fit right in. 

Describe the cabins  

Staterooms and suites were gutted during the recent redo, receiving a more modern design in tasteful neutral-driven brown and grey hues. Bathrooms were enlarged for all but the largest suites (Oceania, Vista and Owner’s), with passengers losing tubs but gaining oversized showers. The makeover also added better storage space, roomier closets and more USB outlets and power sources. 

The variety of staterooms and suites do provide distinctly different experiences. Entry-level inside staterooms are but 174-square-feet yet still possess Riviera signatures, like a custom plush bed and granite and marble bath stocked with Bulgari toiletries. Veranda staterooms kick it up a big notch, with 291 square feet of space including a furnished teak veranda, and a larger bath. Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms are the next notable level, providing a private lounge with a dedicated concierge, complimentary laundry and Grand Dining Room (main restaurant) room service. 

I stayed in a Penthouse Suite, the lowest suite level. I loved it. My 440 square feet included a dining table, spacious veranda and access to the Executive Lounge with its concierge and coffee, soft drinks and snacks. I only used the lounge once, but I really appreciated Penthouse amenities, like welcome Champagne, priority restaurant reservations and laundry service. I didn’t interact with my butler other than for breakfast room service, but I liked the idea of  having one. The biggest, fanciest suites are dubbed Oceania, Vista and Owner’s and grouped behind an etched glass door. Those lucky occupants wallow in more than 1,000 square feet and up, with media rooms, indoor and outdoor whirlpool spas and other luxurious appointments.  

Tell us about the crew  

Enthusiastic servers in lounges and restaurants were keen to please. I actually felt sad saying goodbye to a few. They struck the perfect chord midway between formal and casual. Butlers, who service Penthouse Suites and up, leaned more formal, befitting their roles. Concierges, including those available to all passengers, calmly handled questions about, well, everything. A shoutout to the shore excursion desk, who fielded lots of questions and kept their cool. I came away impressed with the sommeliers, too; they knew their wines and sometimes gently steered me to better selections than what I chose.

What food and drink options are available on board?  

The absolutely best aspect (besides the ports) of my sail was the food and wine. There are now seven venues; the newest (which I have yet to experience) is an al fresco trattoria and pizzeria. Reservations are needed for Toscana, Polo Grill, Jacques and La Reserve; passengers are promised at least one reservation in each (other than La Reserve) per cruise. Book as far in advance as possible; once onboard, add your name to waitlists to score additional bookings.

It’s astonishing that all complimentary restaurants use primo ingredients with abandon. You can indulge on lobster or aged prime beef every night. I tried, and liked, many new plant-based plates, such as power bowls with sea vegetables.  Main restaurant Grand Dining Room felt as festive as specialty eateries and delivered sophisticated delicious plates night after night.

I had my favorites. French restaurant Jacques presented exquisite onion soup. Polo Grill steakhouse’s bacon rolls were insane; don’t do as I did, which is eat the entire breadbasket before the big beefy main event. If Asian-fusion Red Ginger ever loses the lobster pad Thai, I think passengers (including me) would revolt. I often revisited Toscana, for its hand-fashioned pastas and rolling olive oil cart. What’s better than dipping fresh-baked focaccia into markedly different olive oils?  I barely went to the beautiful afternoon teas but when I did, the flaky scones made me swoon. La Reserve, the only fee-based eatery, offers multi-course meals with wine pairings. The Dom Pérignon six-course extravaganza was worth the decidedly steep $295 charge per person on my cruise; different vintages were paired with excellent cuisine and glasses were generously refilled. The passionate head sommelier explained each vintage and pairing in depth. Speaking of wine, I adored the bin finishing sheet added to restaurant wine lists; I found really good bottles at substantial discounts.       

Is there a spa on board and is it worth visiting?  

Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center is a rather glam and worthwhile destination for its vast array of services, from facials, detox wraps and massages to medi-spa. It offers complimentary fitness classes, like spinning and Pilates. The sauna and steam are open to any guest; no need for a treatment. Same goes for relaxing on heated ceramic loungers. Aquamar Spa Terrace features a thalassotherapy pool and whirlpools, open post-treatment or to spa-dwellers. The big adjacent fitness center offers the typical TechnoGym equipment like stair climbers, weight machines and treadmills. This spa also offers specific shore excursions dubbed Wellness Discovery Tours, like visiting hammams in port.

Activities and entertainment  

Riviera offers activities galore – even pickleball. My favorite was a hands-on cooking class with recipes from Red Ginger in the Culinary Center. Our chef instructor expertly demonstrated each dish and then we tried – and succeeded – in duplicating them at our well-equipped stations. In the Artist Loft, a resident artist displays his work and offers workshops. The big library tempts with diversified tomes and beckoning comfy chairs with ottomans. I saw lots of the same faces playing table tennis, paddle tennis, putting, croquet, bocce and shuffleboard. Some passengers attended port enrichment lectures. The pool and hot tubs stayed popular. Pre-dinner, I relished a talented female string quartet playing classical music in the Grand Bar, although the adjacent Martinis lounge was the busiest and buzziest. Post-dinner, I attended a musical show or two starring shipboard singers and dancers in the Riviera Lounge, which were okay, much like those on luxury lines. The casino was sometimes busy when I looked; with many early morning excursions, passengers tend to turn in early, although some head to Horizons for nightcaps and dancing to a live band. Props, too, to Riviera’s inclusiveness; my cruise featured an LGBTQI+ social evening.  

How was the experience for families?  

Riviera vibes like an adults-only ship, although children aged one-year-old and up are allowed to board. There are no kids clubs or programming and I didn’t see any little ones on my cruise.

Where did it sail and how were the excursions? Did anything stand out?  

My cruise sailed from Venice to Istanbul, with visits to Athens, Mykonos and Croatia’s Split and Rovinj. It’s a fairly common route with competition from other premium and luxury lines. Plentiful shore excursion choices meant choosing was challenging. My standouts were food and wine-driven. In Kusadasi, Turkey, when most visitors toured Ephesus, I joined a small group for a cooking demonstration and sumptuous Turkish lunch prepared by local cooks at a mountain resort hideaway. In Santorini, our guide whisked us to vineyards and wineries. How fascinating to learn how grapevines here thrive on dew alone, and that many island residents make wine with grapes grown in their backyards. 

Are there any stand out sustainability or green initiatives about this cruise?

On all ships, Oceania Cruises offers Go Green Tours, where cruisers engage with residents and businesses on conserving and sustaining surrounding environments. For example, in St. Kitts passengers may learn about hydroponic farming in rainforests, or in Athens, observe injured and ill sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation.

Anything we missed  

My food memories astonish me. Months later, I can still taste the illy crema, a frozen blend primarily of espresso and cream, at Baristas. I currently crave Waves Grill’s fragrant vanilla-forward milkshakes, and Wagyu burgers, their juices dripping down my hands. I see the tall chef in a tall toque expertly carving a crackling-skinned whole suckling pig at lunchtime in the Terrace Café. Long story short, the cuisine pretty much blew my mind.   

Finally, give a sentence or two on why the cruise is worth booking.

If you’re passionate about food and wine and exploring the world in style, you’ll love life onboard Riviera. 

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Riviera Cruise Ship

Oceania Cruises: FREE Drinks, WiFi, Excursion C...

Oceania Africa cruises from $4,199*

Oceania Cruises Mediterranean cruises from $2,599*

8 Ships in the Oceania Cruises fleet

Ship:  .

• Destinations
• Departure Ports
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Riviera Overview

Oceania Riviera truly is a home-away-from-home for her guests. From the second you step onboard, the elegant, residential design welcomes you onto the ship that will be your home for the duration of your luxury cruise with Oceania Cruises. Carrying on the Oceania tradition of a warm atmosphere, Oceania Riviera maintains the same casual ambiance, coupled with some features that make her stand out from the crowd. Hungry? Try one of six open-seating onboard restaurants! As for the onboard activities, Oceania Cruises’ dedication to encouraging lifelong learners is showcased in unique ways, such as art lessons in the Artists Loft, or a gourmet cooking class in The Culinary Center. If you’re ready to get your cruise plans in motion, call The Cruise Web at 1-800-377-9383 to speak to one of our expert cruise consultants about sailing aboard Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Riviera.

• Passenger Capacity: 1,250 (double occupancy)
• Year Built: 2012
• Last Refurbished: 2022

• Ralph Lauren Owner’s Suite Timeless. Classic. Glamourous. All three are words that can be used to describe Ralph Lauren and Oceania Cruises. The two icons come together to create the finest suite at sea. The all-new Owner’s Suites onboard Riviera are dressed to the nines, as Mr. Lauren would be, and decked out in Ralph Lauren Home products. As a final touch on the elegant suite, the pillows on the balcony are striped in red, white and blue, paying homage to “America’s designer.”  

• The Finest Cuisine at Sea Oceania Cruises is so steadfast in their belief that they provide the finest cuisine at sea, they even went and trademarked it as “The Finest Cuisine at Sea,” and that it is. From classic buffet style lunches (with the luxurious twist of lobster tail), to fine steak dinners at the Polo Grill, to the eclectic creations of Chef Jacques Pepin at his namesake onboard restaurant, Jacques, there is something for every foodie in your life onboard Oceania Riviera.  
• Polo Grill ( Sample Menu )- Timeless elegance is the theme at the Polo Grill, a classic steakhouse serving delicious, dry-aged, USDA prime beef at every meal. Open for dinner only. Reservations required.  
• Toscana ( Sample Menu )- Toscana can be easily translated to English: Tuscany. As soon as we hear that, mouths start watering thinking of the traditional, rich, family-inspired cuisine you can enjoy on the elegant Riviera. Open for dinner only. Reservations required.  
• Jacques ( Sample Menu )- Specially made for Master Chef Jacques Pepin, this is a quaint, Parisian-bistro inspired eatery with food so aromatic you can smell the slow-roasted poultry from the second you walk in. Carefully crafted classics, with that little Pepin spin, will make you want to cruise with Oceania again! Open for dinner only. Reservations required.  
• Red Ginger ( Sample Menu )- For a ship that is the epitome of understated elegance, Riviera’s Red Ginger brings vibrancy onboard with its décor and flavor-packed selections. Open for dinner only. Reservations required.  
• Terrace Café ( Sample Menu )- From breakfast to dinner, the Terrace Café is serving up tasty dishes, whether you’re a lover of lobster or simply craving pizza, you can find it on the menu at Terrace Café. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No reservations required.  
• Waves Grill ( Sample Menu )- Kick back in classic American style as you dine on juicy burgers, slow-smoked barbecue, and fresh, grilled seafood! Feeling fancy? Add some truffle fries on the side, you won’t regret it! Open for lunch and afternoon dining only. No reservations required.  
• La Reserve by Wine Spectator ( Sample Menu )- o Born from an exclusive partnership with Wine Spectator magazine, Oceania Cruises is happy to host a 6-course meal, coined the Dom Perignon Experience. Chef Marco Fadiga uses the finest champagnes from Moet and exclusive Dom Perignon vintages to curate a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic experience.  

• Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center Sit back, relax, and rejuvenate on Riviera ! The all-new Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center has a variety of high-end spa treatments available for guests.  

• The Culinary Center Once you’ve had the food onboard Riviera, you’ll never want to eat normal food again. Good thing you have a chance to take the tastes of Oceania Cruises home thanks to The Culinary Center, a fully stocked kitchen dedicated to teaching Oceania guests how to make that steak you had at Polo Grill or the salmon you loved at Red Ginger. The first of its kind, this center offers a variety of cooking classes!  

• Artist Loft From beginner to expert, the Artist Loft on Riviera provides a quiet workspace to paint, draw or work on your art. Lessons are available for all guests.  

• Bars & Lounges Are you looking for a relaxing night of good conversation with great friends? How about an eclectic, al fresco experience, sipping on gourmet, imaginative cocktails? From La Reserve to the Waves Bar, at least one of the seven bars onboard Riviera is bound to delight.  

• Boutiques Not one, not two, but three boutiques can be found onboard Riviera, carrying basic sundries, high-end designer garb, and Oceania Cruises merchandise. As always, shopping in the onboard boutique is duty-free!  

Riviera Cruise Destinations

Cruise with Oceania Cruises to exotic, historic and alluring destinations all over the world. Featuring longer itineraries, incredible extended overnight stays in the most intriguing destinations and the capability to visit smaller ports-of-call, Oceania really focuses on immersing each passenger in the destination. Discover unique cultures and special people in Africa. Kick back and soak in the tropics during a cruise to the Caribbean or South Pacific. Enrich your body, mind and soul with a voyage to the Mediterranean or Northern Europe. Choose Oceania Cruises, and anything is possible. Your World. Your Way. 

Views of the African wilderness will inspire you during a cruise to Africa, where you’ll be accepted by a kind and giving people with open arms.

Step away from your everyday life to embrace the beautiful wildlife and scenery that Alaska has to offer on an Alaska cruise vacation.

Be bold and try new and exciting things like exploring the Great Barrier Reef and learning the sport of cricket during a cruise to Australia and New Zealand.

Mediterranean

Travel through an intimate region full of fresh food and wine with a Mediterranean cruise vacation.

Repositioning

Discover everything a luxurious Oceania ship has to offer during a repositioning cruise, usually Transatlantic or Transpacific, with a few unique stops along the way.

Southeast Asia

Delve into the grandeur and mystique of Southeastern Asia’s ethereal temples and shrines, divine cuisine and captivating culture.

Transpacific

Cruise the Pacific in luxury with Oceania Cruises. Whether you're folding origami in Yokohama or soaking up the rays in Tahiti, it'll be an unforgettable cruise.

With the increased length of a Grand Voyage or a full World Cruise, you’ll find more time to explore the most special historical attractions around the world.

Riviera Departure Ports

Sail around the world in style with Oceania Cruises. With a handful of ships Oceania has itineraries leaving from ports across the globe. In Asia there are cruises from Papeete in the South Pacific and Hong Kong in China. In Europe, London, Copenhagen, Venice and Athens are key ports. Of course the Caribbean is always a popular itinerary with many of their itineraries leaving from Miami. If you are interested in an Oceania Cruise speak with one of The Cruise Web’s expert consultants, who can walk you through their itineraries and find a perfect match for your vacation criteria.

Cape Town, South Africa

See the beautiful sights of Cape Town, South Africa’s most visited city, which offers cruisers natural beauty, plentiful wine, historical significance and a sense of peace.

The near perfect days, beautiful scenery, pristine beaches and sparkling water offer the perfect backdrop for any dream adventure in Sydney, Australia.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sar, China

One of the world’s most exciting modern cities, Hong Kong offers a true East meets West experience where you can shop for traditional Chinese cure-alls and attend high tea all in the same afternoon.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is a unique city that blends its two distinct influences – from its founding as the Christian capital of Constantinople to the Ottoman ruled Istanbul. Today you can discover both eras and the modern beauty in this thriving city.

Singapore, Singapore

Southeast Asia’s most modern city, Singapore, also contains a lot of history and treasures from the past, along with a perfect tropical climate – all making Singapore a wonderful destination year round.

Bangkok, Thailand

A visit to Bangkok is a must as this city has a unique blend of old and new world attractions to keep visitors both enlightened and intrigued.

Learn about the Greek gods and the early philosophy of Socrates when you visit the incredible ruins left in Athens, Greece. At night, go out and take in the culture with the modern Athenians.

Bali, Indonesia

For decades Bali has lured visitors with its beautiful beaches, forests and mountains and a culture that is devoted to the arts.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a dazzling city where you might be overwhelmed at first by its modernity but will find lots of interesting subcultures in its various neighborhoods.

Auckland, New Zealand

The mild temperatures in Auckland enhance an outdoorsy cruise destination. Tour the many beaches, hike beautiful mountain ranges or just wander Auckland’s city streets.

Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia

This picture-perfect island is everything you ever dreamt of, from lush greenery inland and perfectly clear turquoise waters to the scent of gardenia from the coconut groves.

A cruise to Civitavecchia is a chance for you to hop a quick train to Rome and explore the enormous history through ruins, galleries and The Vatican museums.

Discover imaginative architecture, impressive Spanish dishes and beautiful excursions into nature when you cruise to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia.

Known as The Emerald City, Seattle is a beautiful, luscious city with incredible views of the Cascade Mountains and Elliott Bay. The city is full of activities for both water lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Whether it’s your cruise destination or a launching point, Vancouver is a beautiful destination in itself with a sophisticated downtown and lots of natural elements to explore.

Yokohama, Japan

See Japanese history in person as you discover Yokohama, Japan’s biggest port city, where the country was first opened to outside trade after more than 200 years of seclusion.

Whittier, Alaska

Experience the best of the Last Frontier in quaint Whittier, Alaska. Enjoy the clear water filled with salmon, red snapper and trout along with the freely roaming wildlife, all combining to make Whittier a treat to visit.

Trieste, Italy

Sit back and enjoy the sea breezes in Trieste, an Italian city that despite being close to Venice is more akin to Vienna, the capital of the Hapsburg Empire. 

Riviera Deck Plans

Riviera staterooms.

Balcony (B1)

Our Veranda Staterooms are the largest at sea. Featuring a comfortably furnished private veranda, our most requested luxury, each stateroom also includes a plush seating area, refrigerated mini-bar, spacious closet and a marble and granite-clad bathroom with a bathtub/shower and separate shower.

Balcony (B2)

Balcony (b3), balcony (b4).

Balcony (A1)

These beautifully decorated staterooms reflect many of the luxurious amenities found in our Penthouse Suites, including a private veranda, plush seating area, refrigerated minibar and an oversized marble and granite-clad bathroom with a full-size bathtub/shower and separate shower. Guests also enjoy access to the private Concierge Lounge featuring your own dedicated Concierge, magazines, daily newspapers, complimentary beverage and snacks.

Balcony (A2)

Balcony (a3), balcony (a4).

Wonderful sanctuaries unto their own, these staterooms boast beautiful designs and handsome furnishings that add to the serenity. Highlights include a spacious marble and granite-clad bathroom with a shower, as well as thoughtful touches such as a vanity desk, breakfast table and refrigerated mini-bar.

Oceanview (C)

These comfortable staterooms with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows feel even more spacious with the curtains drawn back and the ocean in full view. Features include a generous seating area, vanity desk, breakfast table, refrigerated mini-bar and a marble and granite-clad bathroom with a bathtub/shower and separate shower.

Conceived by the famed New York designer Dakota Jackson, each of the twelve Oceania Suites sprawls over luxury. These stylish suites feature a living room, dining room, fully equipped media room, large walk-in closet, king-size bed, expansive private veranda, indoor and outdoor whirlpool spas and a second bathroom for guests. Also included is access to the private Executive Lounge with magazines, daily newspapers, beverages and snacks.

Given their lavish interior design by Dakota Jackson and premier location overlooking the bow of the ship, the eight Vista Suites are in high demand. These suites (size depends on deck location) include access to the exclusive Executive Lounge as well as every imaginable amenity, such as a large walk-in closet, a second bathroom for guests, indoor and outdoor whirlpool spas and your own private fitness room.

Suite (PH1)

The elegant Penthouse Suites rival any world-class five-star hotel for comfort and beauty. Their design is ingenious, maximizing the generous space and featuring a dining table, separate seating area, full-size bathtub/shower and separate shower, walk-in closet and private veranda. Enjoy exclusive card-only access to the private Executive Lounge and the services of a dedicated concierge.

Suite (PH2)

Suite (ph3).

With rich furnishings from the Ralph Lauren Home Collection, each of the three Owner's Suites spans the entire beam of the ship. Boasting a large living room, king-size bed, two walk-in closets, indoor and outdoor whirlpool spas and a dramatic entry foyer with a music room, these suites also include exclusive card-only access to the Executive Lounge featuring a private library.

Photo Gallery for Riviera Cruise Ship

Elegant spaces and outstanding cuisine make Oceania stand out from the pack. Take a look at their ships and get a sense of the experience you could have on an Oceania cruise. 

Marina Pool

Martini Marina

Top 10 Riviera Cruises

• Riviera 10 NIGHT Mediterranean CRUISE Departing From Piraeus (Athens), Greece (Oct 2024)
• Riviera 10 NIGHT Mediterranean CRUISE Departing From Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy (Nov 2024)
• Riviera 27 NIGHT Africa CRUISE Departing From Barcelona, Spain (Nov 2024)
• Riviera 32 NIGHT Africa CRUISE Departing From Cape Town, South Africa (Dec 2024)
• Riviera 33 NIGHT World CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Jan 2025)
• Riviera 15 NIGHT Southeast Asia CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Jan 2025)
• Riviera 57 NIGHT World CRUISE Departing From Singapore, Singapore (Jan 2025)
• Riviera 42 NIGHT World CRUISE Departing From Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (Jan 2025)
• Riviera 18 NIGHT Southeast Asia CRUISE Departing From Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (Jan 2025)
• Riviera 24 NIGHT Southeast Asia CRUISE Departing From Tokyo, Japan (Feb 2025)

Learn More About Oceania Cruises

Accessibility

Learn about Oceania Cruises' handicap accessible cruise ships and accommodations for guests with special needs or disabilities.

Savor fine dining aboard Oceania Cruises, including Grand Dining Room, Jacques, Red Ginger, Polo Grill, Toscana, Terrace Café, Waves, Privee and La Reserve.

Entertainment

Enjoy Oceania Cruises' onboard entertainment, including theater productions, live music, casino games, wine and martini tastings and dancing.

Onboard Activities

Engage in Oceania Cruises' onboard activities, including the Bon Appétit Culinary Center, the Artist Loft art studio, card rooms, computer lab, pools, hot tubs and duty-free shops.

Service & Awards

Learn how Oceania Cruises takes care of your every need with an extensive list of onboard services. Plus, view Oceania Cruises' cruising awards.

Spa & Fitness

Unwind at Oceania Cruises' spa, salon, fitness center and workshops. Relax with massages, acupuncture, pedicure or personal training session.

Special Events

Immerse yourself in one of Oceania Cruises’ special event voyages, highlighting themed activities around cuisine, wellness and more.

Explore Oceania Cruises' deluxe staterooms, including Owner's Suites, Vista Suites, Oceania Suites, Penthouse Suites and Concierge-level Verandas, as well as balcony, oceanview and inside staterooms.

Youth Programs

Learn about cruising with children aboard Oceania Cruises. There isn't a formal youth program, but children ages 1-18 are welcome with an accompanying adult.

Cruise Type

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Oceania Riviera Review, July 2023

By PinonNoir , July 29, 2023 in Oceania Cruises

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" Thank you for sharing your review with everyone at Cruise Critic. Please consider submitting it to the site for publication as well: Click: Write a Review . "

PinonNoir was awarded the badge 'Great Review'

I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.

First the positives:

1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces.

2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded.

3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian!

4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here).

5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms.

6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly.

7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible.

8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)!

9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way!

10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".

Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:

1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.

2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!

3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!

4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.

5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.

6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?

7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.

8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!

9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.

10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.

Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!

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Thank you for your review. We travel O mainly for the food and hope it has not slipped too far.

This January on the Riviera it was amazing, but I don't eat any shellfish.

All up to who is the chef on board how staff interpret menus.

Last year 20.days on marina, the desserts were incredible in Terrace , half way staff changed, it became awful and saved me a lot of calories.

I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation. 

That is worrisome. 

Flatbush Flyer

13 minutes ago, PinonNoir said: I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.   First the positives:   1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces. 2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded. 3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian! 4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here). 5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms. 6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly. 7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible. 8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)! 9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way! 10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".   Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:   1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.   2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!   3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!   4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.   6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?   7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.   8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!   9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.   10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.   Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!  

Straightforward review with some excellent points.

FWIW: We’re currently on the last segment of the ATW (SF-NY) and I agree that the food service can have an occasional hiccup which I find is more an issue with newer staff.

As for the wifi dropping someone’s connection  “on purpose,” that’s usually intentional and due to a set inactivity limit (or possibly when you move from one “repeater” to another). IMO, it’s a good traffic monitor.  The dinner time “dress code” has gotten a touch lax (perhaps due to some ATW folks no longer seeing “specialty restaurants as “special”). And I wish they’d be a bit more consistent in enforcing some reasonable decorum. For men, a collared shirt and, at least, dockers and deck shoes wouldn’t kill anyone in terms of requiring them at dinner.

I agree with the Schott Zwiesel comment. That’s what we use at home.

20 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Thank you for your review. We travel O mainly for the food and hope it has not slipped too far. This January on the Riviera it was amazing, but I don't eat any shellfish. All up to who is the chef on board how staff interpret menus. Last year 20.days on marina, the desserts were incredible in Terrace , half way staff changed, it became awful and saved me a lot of calories.   I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation.  That is worrisome. 

I will say the best food on the ship was a Toscana special pasta that should be on the regular menu, and the key lime pie from Polo. Our butler was able to get us key lime pie on several occasions to match with a sauternes we had brought with us.  Really exceptional pie!

1 hour ago, PinonNoir said:   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.      

Thanks for your detailed review.  I am disappointed that your GDR breakfast was so crappy.  We will be on Riviera in September and the GDR has always been our favorite breakfast spot and a fine way to begin the day.  We hope that your experience was an anomaly.  Concerning the overall quality of the food, as others have said and we concur it does seem to have slipped.  Dress code is also loosely implemented and has been for years.  We do report our concerns to the General Manager, and have experienced prompt response and corrective actions when appropriate.

Thank You for a great review.

I have long lamented the lack of knowledge of the wine stewards. They are not Sommeliers and shouldn’t be referred to as such.   

I’m a Riedel man myself, but would gladly take your selection over what is currently used.

Our food experience over the last three cruises in the past nine months has been  a combination of excellent meals, mediocre meals, and the occasional poor meal. Truly a box of chocolates. We have essentially given up on lobster aboard ship. Our last attempt was on Vista in the Terrace. It was so overcooked it was inedible. Not even able to cut it with a steak knife. We heard reports the same as yours from the lobster in PG. We went to Maine last fall to eat lobster . Lots of food aboard ship, best to skip the lobster.

Oceania stopped enforcing the dress code pre Pandemic. Some like to push the limits. A child’s game.

Barrista on the Vista is tremendous. I wish they could/would upgrade the other ships to its standard.

The skipping of ports is a major issue with us. We cancelled a 35 day cruise on O because of the games they played with cancelling ports on two straight cruises. This is a new development we are watching closely. This issue takes on additional significance because of the new SM program. Will cruisers eat the credits for SM tours planned for missed ports that can’t be rebooked? 

Thanks for the detailed review.  We were on The Riviera in April and enjoyed the cruise. Never sat foot in the MDR but maybe just as well according to you. Definitely enjoyed room service breakfast brought by our butler every morning. We had excellent food every meal but did not have lobster. 

Did not notice anyone wearing, horrors of all horrors, jeans but not important to us. 

Thanks for the review.  We will be on Riviera in March in Japan.  Just off the Vista in June.  We would agree that the food ranged from great to good.  We had a couple of not so good meals.  I had lobster in PG which was terrible.  Inedible.  Took three bites and knew it was bad.  My stomach reminded me just how bad a few hours later.  No more lobster ships for me!

Barristas was fantastic! Room service breakfast on our veranda was a great way to start the day.   

All in all, a fantastic cruise on a beautiful ship.  Looking forward to the next one...

Stemware matters!! 🥂 🍷 🍸 🍺

I am very concerned to read that Toscana was the best of the restaurants.  We really dislike Toscana - portions are too large and food too "Italian American" for us.   Hopefully the overall standards will improve as time goes on.   If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

7 minutes ago, Hambagahle said: I am very concerned to read that Toscana was the best of the restaurants.  We really dislike Toscana - portions are too large and food too "Italian American" for us.   Hopefully the overall standards will improve as time goes on.   If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

Not all “American” food is that bad. We also like to eat Italian food while in Italy and French in France. Sorry, Swiss food wasn’t our favorite. But we have some fine American food here too and not just corned beef and muffins. Unfortunately, no food on any ocean liner can compete with local cuisine, especially the “fine dining” anywhere on land, but the food is not the main reason for us to go on the cruise.  

That being said, we always were satisfied with Oceania offerings. It wasn’t perfect all the time in all restaurants in the past, always depended on the ship and the chef who was in charge of the particular restaurant. We also noticed some inconsistency on our last cruise in April, but we are optimistic that it’ll improve going forward to match the overall Oceania standards.

I hope you are right.   I lived in the US for a long time (20+ years) - unfortunately not in your part of the country which I like a lot!  And I do know that there are some excellent restaurants etc there.  It is just that here we can't get English muffins and corned beef hash and I love them both!

"Swiss" food - ours is a country of four linguistic and cultural regions with four very different cuisines and lots - hundreds - of regional dishes.  Like all countries some things are better than others!  the Italian speaking region (and the north of Italy) has far better food than what we experienced in Toscana.  And one evening there we were with the GM so presumably they did their best.  Portions were far too big (though we asked for small) and the tastes just weren't there either.  So we crossed it off the list.   We make the reservations and then tell the butler they are his.  (Which usually makes him happy!).  We love Red Ginger and Polo and have had some excellent meals in the MDR.   So I am crossing fingers that in another 9 months Vista's chefs will have "found their way" !!

5 hours ago, mexicobob said: Did not notice anyone wearing, horrors of all horrors, jeans but not important to us. 

Actually my comment was more of curiosity regarding dress code enforcement. I would prefer to wear jeans myself, but opted to remain respectful to the code. I'd be happy if they changed the rule to allow clean un-torn jeans. We are spending three extra weeks in Iceland and I'd have preferred to not have to pack dress pants that I won't use the rest of the trip.

1 hour ago, Hambagahle said: If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

Wait, English Muffins are an American invention?  I'm happy to say I had them most mornings for breakfast, so they remain available.  I can't comment on corned beef hash...not my thing. Hell, just the name is off-putting!

Update: I forgot to mention disembarkation issues.

The last day on the ship they have you head to the gangway in a color coded system, supposedly to make it more orderly. We were one of the last groups called, and I expected since we were called that the gangway wouldn't have much of a line. Wrong!  Holy crap, what a cluster-truck!  The line stretched back to the lounge!

We were in no hurry as we figured we couldn't check into our hotel right away, so we took a seat and waited the line out. Twenty minutes later the line was down to two dozen people, so we joined in.

When our number was called we were relaxing in Terrace Cafe, and could have spent at least 15 more minutes there without issue. Who is making the call on when they call the next batch for disembarkation?  They do this at the end of EVERY CRUISE, so you think they'd have it figured out by now. We are fairly fit so standing for 20 minutes wouldn't have been a huge issue, but there were people with walkers and canes in that line the entire time. 

Last note, twice while disembarking they stopped the line to get somebody in a wheelchair off...and this is a VERY slow process.  I think it took 10 minutes both times, with people clustered up behind them waiting to get off.  Simple rule, people in wheelchairs get off last. That may sound harsh, perhaps even ageist, but you are inconveniencing dozens of people for one person.  If there is a line at disembarkation, wheelchairs should wait it out.  Ok, putting on my flame retardant suit!

Thanks for review, boarding Riviera 8/5. Who was the band ? Not the ship band but the other one.  We like Sync Session band.

QuestionEverything

Thank you OP for your excellent review.

We sail on our first O cruise in early August on Insignia from Iceland.

We cruise for the ports.

I am well aware of O's legacy of being the cruise line with the most missed ports - O is on probation with us and how they deal with with port certainty will determine if, if we book O again.

The utterly disgusting O maneuver regarding your lost port has been entered into my O file. I have passed it to my TA who is very well connected. I trust you can use a credit card dispute to get your $2,000 returned to you. That O decision would be enough for me to Cancel O permanently. 

12 hours ago, jonthomas said: …..I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation.  That is worrisome. 

Perhaps you are unaware that missed/changed ports cost O $ expenses not passed on to passengers.

In addition to man-hours for renavigation and possible added fuel costs, there are the expenses associated with logistical changes (some $ commitments for a missed port must still be honored) and then there are the added cost of the new port (tugs, longshoremen, etc). Remember too the unanticipated costs of extra  F&B service when the ship misses a port.  None of those costs are passed on to you.

No ship’s Master or Chief Engineer wants any itinerary change.

Just a note on disembarkment. This is the same as embarkation. It matters little how much planning Oceania puts into planning those two events. Oceania’s customers ignore the instructions. They get into line when and where they feel like regardless of any announcements the CD may be making. They will line up, with luggage, in front of the elevators completely blocking them. They don’t care! If a mob is unruly, outside of extraordinary measures, there is little an organization can do. Unruly is a polite word for the situation. We typically board late and disembark late in the processes. Avoid the mob.

Depending upon the port facility, Oceania  normally allows those with mobility issues to disembark in Deck 4 away from the main crowds. The CD typically makes announcements directly them to Deck 4, but whoever listens to the CD on Oceania? Small group! 

14 hours ago, PinonNoir said: I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.   First the positives:   1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces. 2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded. 3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian! 4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here). 5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms. 6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly. 7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible. 8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)! 9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way! 10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".   Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:   1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.   2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!   3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!   4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.   6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?   7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.   8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!   9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.   10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.   Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!  

@PinonNoir  The word for the day is a balanced honest review.  These come in different forms.  The first is someone who has cruised the brand before and has a foundation of what to expect. The second is someone who has never cruise before and this voyage is a step up in cruising class.  No foundation above Mainstream Cruising.  The Third is someone who has cruise Ultra-Luxury and compares every aspect of any other brand based on the Ultra Luxury Experience. 

Your review falls into category #1.  You had a foundation of knowledge and you compared the reviewed experience to past experience. Very helpful both the Pro/Cons.  New cruisers to Oceania like myself have no foundation of knowledge from real experiences. What we do with reviews like yours is learn from them.  

Will we have lobster, yes but we will not on the last night.  If it comes out tough, will we be upset.  No, we knew that was a possibility when we ordered it.  Learned Behavior. 

Missed Ports are a thing.  Seems like to new folks a high likely hood of happening.  If it does happen, will we be disappointed, sure.  But knowing what we know now, we logically know it could happen.  If it does not, it exceeds our expectation. 

My point is, by knowing the down side, even if the experiences are debated by others on the same sailing, gives new people to Oceania, a frame of reference.  Don't do this, watch out for this,  let people all get off the ship on the last day and simply enjoy a longer lunch on deck if you can spare the time.  

"A cruise with NO issues does not exist.  If you know what some of the controllable issues are, you can avoid them.  That makes for a cruise with LESS issues."

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Perhaps you are unaware that missed/changed ports cost O $ expenses not passed on to passengers. In addition to man-hours for renavigation and possible added fuel costs, there are the expenses associated with logistical changes (some $ commitments for a missed port must still be honored) and then there are the added cost of the new port (tugs, longshoremen, etc). Remember too the unanticipated costs of extra  F&B service when the ship misses a port.  None of those costs are passed on to you. No ship’s Master or Chief Engineer wants any itinerary change.

Yes I am definitely unaware of any of this. With over 50 cruises all over the world with celebrity, have never missed a port. Did private tours,  never had to cancel. Only one with RCL, missed Nasau, got a goodies basked delivered to stateroom.

2 hours ago, Plainfred said: Thanks for review, boarding Riviera 8/5. Who was the band ? Not the ship band but the other one.  We like Sync Session band. thanks.

I can't answer about the band. We went to a comedy show one night and that was it. When you dine with a group of 10 dinners tend to go quite late.

2 hours ago, QuestionEverything said: The utterly disgusting O maneuver regarding your lost port has been entered into my O file. I have passed it to my TA who is very well connected. I trust you can use a credit card dispute to get your $2,000 returned to you. That O decision would be enough for me to Cancel O permanently. 

I filed a claim with my credit card, and their initial response was "no".  I plan on filing an appeal, just haven't had time to do so yet. Thanks though!

34 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Yes I am definitely unaware of any of this. With over 50 cruises all over the world with celebrity, have never missed a port. Did private tours,  never had to cancel. Only one with RCL, missed Nasau, got a goodies basked delivered to stateroom.

Missing a port was a first for me.  I've been on 5 cruises before this one and hit every port. Hell,  I was in the Navy and we never missed a port!  We missed two on this cruise. Two days in Faroe Island, and one day in Eskifjordur, Iceland. 

The second one the Captain said it was too rough to use the tenders  I call bull pucky on that one as well, the seas were calm outside the fjord, I can't see how it's worse inside. This Captain is so risk averse I'll bet he wears two condoms. I should find out his name so I can ensure he is not on any future cruises I might select.

BTW, our Butler told us they missed 3 ports on the prior cruise. I guess I should be thankful it was only 2?

6 hours ago, PinonNoir said: Wait, English Muffins are an American invention?  I'm happy to say I had them most mornings for breakfast, so they remain available.  I can't comment on corned beef hash...not my thing. Hell, just the name is off-putting!

"English muffins" are definitely an American invention.  The English have "muffins" but they are very different.  Corn beef hash is absolutely delicious and normally served with a poached egg on top.  And ketchup.  In fact it is the only thing I use ketchup with!   It is a breakfast dish...like the English muffins.  We cannot get either here and importing meat is illegal.  I can (and do) import Thomas' English muffins but it costs me a lot !!

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• Oceania Cruises

Oceania Riviera Review, July 2023

By PinonNoir , July 29, 2023 in Oceania Cruises

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I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.

First the positives:

1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces.

2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded.

3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian!

4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here).

5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms.

6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly.

7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible.

8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)!

9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way!

10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".

Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:

1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.

2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!

3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!

4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.

5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.

6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?

7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.

8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!

9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.

10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.

Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!

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Thank you for your review. We travel O mainly for the food and hope it has not slipped too far.

This January on the Riviera it was amazing, but I don't eat any shellfish.

All up to who is the chef on board how staff interpret menus.

Last year 20.days on marina, the desserts were incredible in Terrace , half way staff changed, it became awful and saved me a lot of calories.

I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation. 

That is worrisome. 

Flatbush Flyer

13 minutes ago, PinonNoir said: I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.   First the positives:   1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces. 2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded. 3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian! 4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here). 5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms. 6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly. 7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible. 8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)! 9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way! 10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".   Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:   1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.   2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!   3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!   4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.   6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?   7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.   8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!   9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.   10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.   Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!  

Straightforward review with some excellent points.

FWIW: We’re currently on the last segment of the ATW (SF-NY) and I agree that the food service can have an occasional hiccup which I find is more an issue with newer staff.

As for the wifi dropping someone’s connection  “on purpose,” that’s usually intentional and due to a set inactivity limit (or possibly when you move from one “repeater” to another). IMO, it’s a good traffic monitor.  The dinner time “dress code” has gotten a touch lax (perhaps due to some ATW folks no longer seeing “specialty restaurants as “special”). And I wish they’d be a bit more consistent in enforcing some reasonable decorum. For men, a collared shirt and, at least, dockers and deck shoes wouldn’t kill anyone in terms of requiring them at dinner.

I agree with the Schott Zwiesel comment. That’s what we use at home.

20 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Thank you for your review. We travel O mainly for the food and hope it has not slipped too far. This January on the Riviera it was amazing, but I don't eat any shellfish. All up to who is the chef on board how staff interpret menus. Last year 20.days on marina, the desserts were incredible in Terrace , half way staff changed, it became awful and saved me a lot of calories.   I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation.  That is worrisome. 

I will say the best food on the ship was a Toscana special pasta that should be on the regular menu, and the key lime pie from Polo. Our butler was able to get us key lime pie on several occasions to match with a sauternes we had brought with us.  Really exceptional pie!

1 hour ago, PinonNoir said:   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.      

Thanks for your detailed review.  I am disappointed that your GDR breakfast was so crappy.  We will be on Riviera in September and the GDR has always been our favorite breakfast spot and a fine way to begin the day.  We hope that your experience was an anomaly.  Concerning the overall quality of the food, as others have said and we concur it does seem to have slipped.  Dress code is also loosely implemented and has been for years.  We do report our concerns to the General Manager, and have experienced prompt response and corrective actions when appropriate.

Thank You for a great review.

I have long lamented the lack of knowledge of the wine stewards. They are not Sommeliers and shouldn’t be referred to as such.   

I’m a Riedel man myself, but would gladly take your selection over what is currently used.

Our food experience over the last three cruises in the past nine months has been  a combination of excellent meals, mediocre meals, and the occasional poor meal. Truly a box of chocolates. We have essentially given up on lobster aboard ship. Our last attempt was on Vista in the Terrace. It was so overcooked it was inedible. Not even able to cut it with a steak knife. We heard reports the same as yours from the lobster in PG. We went to Maine last fall to eat lobster . Lots of food aboard ship, best to skip the lobster.

Oceania stopped enforcing the dress code pre Pandemic. Some like to push the limits. A child’s game.

Barrista on the Vista is tremendous. I wish they could/would upgrade the other ships to its standard.

The skipping of ports is a major issue with us. We cancelled a 35 day cruise on O because of the games they played with cancelling ports on two straight cruises. This is a new development we are watching closely. This issue takes on additional significance because of the new SM program. Will cruisers eat the credits for SM tours planned for missed ports that can’t be rebooked? 

Thanks for the detailed review.  We were on The Riviera in April and enjoyed the cruise. Never sat foot in the MDR but maybe just as well according to you. Definitely enjoyed room service breakfast brought by our butler every morning. We had excellent food every meal but did not have lobster. 

Did not notice anyone wearing, horrors of all horrors, jeans but not important to us. 

Thanks for the review.  We will be on Riviera in March in Japan.  Just off the Vista in June.  We would agree that the food ranged from great to good.  We had a couple of not so good meals.  I had lobster in PG which was terrible.  Inedible.  Took three bites and knew it was bad.  My stomach reminded me just how bad a few hours later.  No more lobster ships for me!

Barristas was fantastic! Room service breakfast on our veranda was a great way to start the day.   

All in all, a fantastic cruise on a beautiful ship.  Looking forward to the next one...

Stemware matters!! 🥂 🍷 🍸 🍺

I am very concerned to read that Toscana was the best of the restaurants.  We really dislike Toscana - portions are too large and food too "Italian American" for us.   Hopefully the overall standards will improve as time goes on.   If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

7 minutes ago, Hambagahle said: I am very concerned to read that Toscana was the best of the restaurants.  We really dislike Toscana - portions are too large and food too "Italian American" for us.   Hopefully the overall standards will improve as time goes on.   If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

Not all “American” food is that bad. We also like to eat Italian food while in Italy and French in France. Sorry, Swiss food wasn’t our favorite. But we have some fine American food here too and not just corned beef and muffins. Unfortunately, no food on any ocean liner can compete with local cuisine, especially the “fine dining” anywhere on land, but the food is not the main reason for us to go on the cruise.  

That being said, we always were satisfied with Oceania offerings. It wasn’t perfect all the time in all restaurants in the past, always depended on the ship and the chef who was in charge of the particular restaurant. We also noticed some inconsistency on our last cruise in April, but we are optimistic that it’ll improve going forward to match the overall Oceania standards.

I hope you are right.   I lived in the US for a long time (20+ years) - unfortunately not in your part of the country which I like a lot!  And I do know that there are some excellent restaurants etc there.  It is just that here we can't get English muffins and corned beef hash and I love them both!

"Swiss" food - ours is a country of four linguistic and cultural regions with four very different cuisines and lots - hundreds - of regional dishes.  Like all countries some things are better than others!  the Italian speaking region (and the north of Italy) has far better food than what we experienced in Toscana.  And one evening there we were with the GM so presumably they did their best.  Portions were far too big (though we asked for small) and the tastes just weren't there either.  So we crossed it off the list.   We make the reservations and then tell the butler they are his.  (Which usually makes him happy!).  We love Red Ginger and Polo and have had some excellent meals in the MDR.   So I am crossing fingers that in another 9 months Vista's chefs will have "found their way" !!

5 hours ago, mexicobob said: Did not notice anyone wearing, horrors of all horrors, jeans but not important to us. 

Actually my comment was more of curiosity regarding dress code enforcement. I would prefer to wear jeans myself, but opted to remain respectful to the code. I'd be happy if they changed the rule to allow clean un-torn jeans. We are spending three extra weeks in Iceland and I'd have preferred to not have to pack dress pants that I won't use the rest of the trip.

1 hour ago, Hambagahle said: If not - well as long as they have English muffins and corned beef hash for breakfast I will survive.  (Those two things are my favourite American foods and we can't get them in Europe!). 

Wait, English Muffins are an American invention?  I'm happy to say I had them most mornings for breakfast, so they remain available.  I can't comment on corned beef hash...not my thing. Hell, just the name is off-putting!

Update: I forgot to mention disembarkation issues.

The last day on the ship they have you head to the gangway in a color coded system, supposedly to make it more orderly. We were one of the last groups called, and I expected since we were called that the gangway wouldn't have much of a line. Wrong!  Holy crap, what a cluster-truck!  The line stretched back to the lounge!

We were in no hurry as we figured we couldn't check into our hotel right away, so we took a seat and waited the line out. Twenty minutes later the line was down to two dozen people, so we joined in.

When our number was called we were relaxing in Terrace Cafe, and could have spent at least 15 more minutes there without issue. Who is making the call on when they call the next batch for disembarkation?  They do this at the end of EVERY CRUISE, so you think they'd have it figured out by now. We are fairly fit so standing for 20 minutes wouldn't have been a huge issue, but there were people with walkers and canes in that line the entire time. 

Last note, twice while disembarking they stopped the line to get somebody in a wheelchair off...and this is a VERY slow process.  I think it took 10 minutes both times, with people clustered up behind them waiting to get off.  Simple rule, people in wheelchairs get off last. That may sound harsh, perhaps even ageist, but you are inconveniencing dozens of people for one person.  If there is a line at disembarkation, wheelchairs should wait it out.  Ok, putting on my flame retardant suit!

Thanks for review, boarding Riviera 8/5. Who was the band ? Not the ship band but the other one.  We like Sync Session band.

QuestionEverything

Thank you OP for your excellent review.

We sail on our first O cruise in early August on Insignia from Iceland.

We cruise for the ports.

I am well aware of O's legacy of being the cruise line with the most missed ports - O is on probation with us and how they deal with with port certainty will determine if, if we book O again.

The utterly disgusting O maneuver regarding your lost port has been entered into my O file. I have passed it to my TA who is very well connected. I trust you can use a credit card dispute to get your $2,000 returned to you. That O decision would be enough for me to Cancel O permanently. 

12 hours ago, jonthomas said: …..I have also noticed that O skips, shortens, misses more ports than any other line we have been on, without compensation.  That is worrisome. 

Perhaps you are unaware that missed/changed ports cost O $ expenses not passed on to passengers.

In addition to man-hours for renavigation and possible added fuel costs, there are the expenses associated with logistical changes (some $ commitments for a missed port must still be honored) and then there are the added cost of the new port (tugs, longshoremen, etc). Remember too the unanticipated costs of extra  F&B service when the ship misses a port.  None of those costs are passed on to you.

No ship’s Master or Chief Engineer wants any itinerary change.

Just a note on disembarkment. This is the same as embarkation. It matters little how much planning Oceania puts into planning those two events. Oceania’s customers ignore the instructions. They get into line when and where they feel like regardless of any announcements the CD may be making. They will line up, with luggage, in front of the elevators completely blocking them. They don’t care! If a mob is unruly, outside of extraordinary measures, there is little an organization can do. Unruly is a polite word for the situation. We typically board late and disembark late in the processes. Avoid the mob.

Depending upon the port facility, Oceania  normally allows those with mobility issues to disembark in Deck 4 away from the main crowds. The CD typically makes announcements directly them to Deck 4, but whoever listens to the CD on Oceania? Small group! 

14 hours ago, PinonNoir said: I recently wrote a review about our stateroom experience on our Riviera cruise, and I wanted to write a review about our cruise experience overall.  This was our third Oceania cruise, so we had some experience and expectations going in.  I will try to remain balanced in my review.  We just disembarked 9 days ago, so I'm writing this while my memory is fresh.   First the positives:   1. The multitude of restaurant options is great.  There is something for everybody, and for a 12 day cruise it was nice to be able to eat in a variety of spaces. 2. The ship has a lot of common spaces to enjoy, and none of them felt overly crowded. 3. The Barista's spot makes excellent coffee....the best on the ship in our opinion.  We were regulars there.  Really fantastic...even staffed by an Italian! 4. The Oceania staff is excellent.  They always seem to go above and beyond with limited exceptions (sticking to positives here). 5. The ship was clean everywhere we went, including common area bathrooms. 6. Embarkation went smoothly, and we were in our stateroom quickly.  Our luggage showed up fairly quickly. 7. It seemed that the Bridge crew went out of their way to sail in such a manner as to keep the ship's movements minimized as much as possible. 8. We had dinner in Privee 3 times, and two of those times were outstanding (remember, this is the positives)! 9. Our Butler and support staff were top notch, cordial, professional and just outstanding in every way! 10. Fellow passengers all seemed to be well seasoned travelers, with mostly positive attitudes.  This is important to us.  We hate being around people who are "fun vampires".   Ok, now the negatives...which I'm going to be as honest as possible about.  I am not piling on here, just telling it like it is:   1. The food has slipped.  We noticed this in pretty much every restaurant, with the possible exception of Toscana.  However, on our last night , we ate in Toscana, and I ordered a Maine Lobster dish.  It was bad...very fishy...as if the lobster was way past it's prime.  I returned it immediately and ordered another pasta I had ordered previously, and it was of course excellent.  Why did they serve lobster that was unworthy of an Oceania customer?  It was really bad!  This is my last night on the ship, and it remains a solid memory.  Bad form.   2.  The wifi.  Holy mother of God what in the world is Oceania doing with this wifi?  I could hear my old 4400 baud modem clanging away as I tried to log in, but the wifi on the ship was no match for my 4400 bauds!  I write a travel blog for fun....and I couldn't even upload a photo without waiting an hour!  Fortunately we were near land on occasion and I could use my international plan to do some work, but I'm still a week behind thanks to their "Pony Express" wifi!  We had two "at sea" days due to canceled ports of call (coming up on #3), and I can't tell you how many hours I wasted trying to write one blog post!  Also, when you are logged in, you get logged out repeatedly.....over and over....never for more than a few hours at a time.  It was a constant struggle, almost like they would log you out on purpose!   3. Ok, here is a rant with a conspiracy theory.  Our ship pulled into the Faroe Islands, turned around in the harbor about a dozen times, very slowly, and then abruptly left.  The Captain said it was due to weather, but it was sunny and calm.  We were supposed to be there for two full days, and I had a private excursion planned (for 10 people) that I ended up losing over $2000 on.  A week prior to this the Faroe Island populace had a pilot whale hunt where they killed a bunch of them in front of another cruse ship.  It's my firm belief that Oceania Corporate told the Captain to pull into harbor, make a big show of the fact we were there, and then depart, sending a political message.  The company I was working with on the excursion advised me they had no idea why the Captain didn't dock, as the weather was calmer than usual.  If Oceania wants to take a political stance with the Faroe Islands, fine, but don't impact my cruise experience!  I was really looking forward to this port!   4. We had a habit of getting iced tea every day at the Waves Bar by the pool.  Our last day on the ship, we stopped by the bar and there was nobody there, during their opening hours.  We went up to Horizons to see if they could help us.  They told us they didn't have iced tea, go back to Waves Bar.  When we told them nobody was there, they said "oh well".  This was a group of 3 guys at the bar.  W T F?  This is not the service we have come to expect from Oceania!  One of these guys should have said "what is your stateroom number, I'll get some and bring it to you!"  I think the fact it was the last day on board lended itself to staff taking a lazy attitude towards the customers...."oh well, they are about gone, I'm done hustling for these guys".  I hope that's not the case, but it sure seemed like it.   5.  The Grand Dining Room.  We ate here for breakfast one time.  Once!  The food was cold, the coffee was cold, the service was terrible...and it wasn't even crowded!  Again, W T F?  Why is the service in the main dining establishment on the ship so crappy?  How can it be that hard to bring warm eggs from the kitchen to the table?  We ended up eating 10 of 12 breakfasts in our suite.   6. The "internet guy".  This guy had the worst attitude on the ship.  We couldn't get logged into the wifi (not that it was worth logging into) on our first day so we went to see him on our second day.  He really doesn't want to be there.  After taking care of us he walked away, and there was somebody waiting behind us.  We realized his "working hours" had ended at the same time he took care of us, so screw that guy behind you, he can wait until tomorrow.  Again, W T F?   7. The Best of Oceania!  One of the 3 nights we ate in Privee we picked the "Best of Oceania" dining menu.  It was terrible.  Every dish was lackluster.  It's been too long to remember details at this point, but the entire group of 10 was disappointed.  If you do Privee, stick with the Polo and Toscana menus.   8. The "Sommeliers".  The wine people on the ship, while they are nice, don't know how to pour wine in equal servings.  Now I know pouring one bottle for 10 people is difficult, but this is likely a common occurrence and it should be practiced. We always ended up with one person who had almost twice as much wine as another, and with high end wines and high end enthusiasts, this is not a fun vibe!   9. Dress code.  I know the dress code says no jeans to dinner, or around the ship after dinner, but this code is broken so often without consequence that I wonder why it's the dress code?  I would prefer to wear jeans every day....just my thing, but I didn't.  Kinda weird to see what was accepted in the restaurants in the end.  Maybe just allow jeans?  I know, you purists out there want us all in tuxedos.   10. Stemware.  Ok, this is just going to be me most likely, but stemware matters.  Double the amount of decent Pinot Noir glasses you currently carry.  Schott Zwiesel makes some excellent Pinot glasses that are actually made with Titanium, and they are super hard to break.  I know, these are my daily drinkers at home, and I've barely broken any over the last 15 years!  Buy a bunch of these so your high end red wine drinkers are happy.   Ok, I think I've mentioned everything here.  I'll have my wife review tomorrow....she has the good memory in the family...and will add anything she brings up.  Again, thanks for reading!  

@PinonNoir  The word for the day is a balanced honest review.  These come in different forms.  The first is someone who has cruised the brand before and has a foundation of what to expect. The second is someone who has never cruise before and this voyage is a step up in cruising class.  No foundation above Mainstream Cruising.  The Third is someone who has cruise Ultra-Luxury and compares every aspect of any other brand based on the Ultra Luxury Experience. 

Your review falls into category #1.  You had a foundation of knowledge and you compared the reviewed experience to past experience. Very helpful both the Pro/Cons.  New cruisers to Oceania like myself have no foundation of knowledge from real experiences. What we do with reviews like yours is learn from them.  

Will we have lobster, yes but we will not on the last night.  If it comes out tough, will we be upset.  No, we knew that was a possibility when we ordered it.  Learned Behavior. 

Missed Ports are a thing.  Seems like to new folks a high likely hood of happening.  If it does happen, will we be disappointed, sure.  But knowing what we know now, we logically know it could happen.  If it does not, it exceeds our expectation. 

My point is, by knowing the down side, even if the experiences are debated by others on the same sailing, gives new people to Oceania, a frame of reference.  Don't do this, watch out for this,  let people all get off the ship on the last day and simply enjoy a longer lunch on deck if you can spare the time.  

"A cruise with NO issues does not exist.  If you know what some of the controllable issues are, you can avoid them.  That makes for a cruise with LESS issues."

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Perhaps you are unaware that missed/changed ports cost O $ expenses not passed on to passengers. In addition to man-hours for renavigation and possible added fuel costs, there are the expenses associated with logistical changes (some $ commitments for a missed port must still be honored) and then there are the added cost of the new port (tugs, longshoremen, etc). Remember too the unanticipated costs of extra  F&B service when the ship misses a port.  None of those costs are passed on to you. No ship’s Master or Chief Engineer wants any itinerary change.

Yes I am definitely unaware of any of this. With over 50 cruises all over the world with celebrity, have never missed a port. Did private tours,  never had to cancel. Only one with RCL, missed Nasau, got a goodies basked delivered to stateroom.

2 hours ago, Plainfred said: Thanks for review, boarding Riviera 8/5. Who was the band ? Not the ship band but the other one.  We like Sync Session band. thanks.

I can't answer about the band. We went to a comedy show one night and that was it. When you dine with a group of 10 dinners tend to go quite late.

2 hours ago, QuestionEverything said: The utterly disgusting O maneuver regarding your lost port has been entered into my O file. I have passed it to my TA who is very well connected. I trust you can use a credit card dispute to get your $2,000 returned to you. That O decision would be enough for me to Cancel O permanently. 

I filed a claim with my credit card, and their initial response was "no".  I plan on filing an appeal, just haven't had time to do so yet. Thanks though!

34 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Yes I am definitely unaware of any of this. With over 50 cruises all over the world with celebrity, have never missed a port. Did private tours,  never had to cancel. Only one with RCL, missed Nasau, got a goodies basked delivered to stateroom.

Missing a port was a first for me.  I've been on 5 cruises before this one and hit every port. Hell,  I was in the Navy and we never missed a port!  We missed two on this cruise. Two days in Faroe Island, and one day in Eskifjordur, Iceland. 

The second one the Captain said it was too rough to use the tenders  I call bull pucky on that one as well, the seas were calm outside the fjord, I can't see how it's worse inside. This Captain is so risk averse I'll bet he wears two condoms. I should find out his name so I can ensure he is not on any future cruises I might select.

BTW, our Butler told us they missed 3 ports on the prior cruise. I guess I should be thankful it was only 2?

6 hours ago, PinonNoir said: Wait, English Muffins are an American invention?  I'm happy to say I had them most mornings for breakfast, so they remain available.  I can't comment on corned beef hash...not my thing. Hell, just the name is off-putting!

"English muffins" are definitely an American invention.  The English have "muffins" but they are very different.  Corn beef hash is absolutely delicious and normally served with a poached egg on top.  And ketchup.  In fact it is the only thing I use ketchup with!   It is a breakfast dish...like the English muffins.  We cannot get either here and importing meat is illegal.  I can (and do) import Thomas' English muffins but it costs me a lot !!

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Find a Cruise on Riviera

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Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 233 guests have reviewed Riviera , giving it a rating of 4.2 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Itinerary, Ship and Service were all impeccable !

Jul 20th, 2024

The cruise with Oceania Riviera was an incredible experience. All went well, unforeseen weather issues were dealt with in expedite form, food was always a gourmet experience and shore excursions were fun and efficiently held. All in all I just have to say we can’t wait for the next cruise with Oceania !

Traveler Type

1 cruise (first)

A Delightful 10 Day on The Riviera

Jul 13th, 2024

We are not cruisers however Oceania will see us again. They do a very nice job.

2-3 cruises

Far East Adventure

May 11th, 2024

Overall, an excellent cruise offering a unique itinerary exemplified by diverse cultural experience and supported by superb onboard hospitality. Do take note of the need for advance planning when coursing distant seas, as communications are limited and at times - unavailable. Therefore, it is advisable to have all visas, entry permits and personal finances in order prior to sailing.

4-6 cruises

Joyful Japan cruise

Apr 26th, 2024

Oceania delivered one of my memorable cruise journey/experience with friendly services, quality food and well design /organized excursions. I'd already booked my next cruise with Oceania for my 2025 trip.

Not up to our expectations - many disappointments

Apr 5th, 2024

Though we used to be great fans, we were very disappointed in Oceania and details on this cruise. Japan is not as US friendly as most ports we have visitied and you must have your passport with you all the time. The language barrier made it difficult, and there is a LOT of walking. It does appear they have reevaluated the tours and the walk ratings have been changed since we booked them. Japan is interesting and I got some great photos. Riviera did not meet our expectations overall, and though similar ship, it does not compare to our prior experience on Marina, which we loved.

would be wonder except the embarkation

Mar 8th, 2024

with problem of not received embarkation changing (Oceania has my phone # and email address) I will have to think twice to sail with Oceania in the future.

Good cruise except 2 countries were omitted from the itinerary that was very disappointing, we would not have done this had we known Bahrain and Oman were going to be omitted.

Jan 1st, 2024

The specialty restaurants were very nice with a wide selection of food, the ship was nicely decorated for Christmas which was nice for people spending it onboard, the computer assistant was very knowledgeable, They gave us the wrong departure time and we missed our flight and had to buy new tickets for $2800 that left us very unhappy ! Oceania owes us for those tickets. It resulted in 2 days to get home, an overnight in London at our own expense. Horrible!!

Disappointingly cut out stops

itinerary curtailed to eliminate more than half the original stops. Ended up spending 2 days at sea sailing around in circles in the Persian Gulf. Substitute beach stop on Sir Bani Yas was quite unsatisfactory, offering little more than a beach

Singles/Friends

Bait and Switch itineraries, boring, horrible food, and rude management

Dec 28th, 2023

We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Before we booked, we already weren't impressed about Oceana but our "personal concierge" booking agent as they call it, reassured us that this ship was the finest quality of luxury, dining, etc. He was so friendly and “call me anytime attitude”, until we called and asked for a refund and wanted to cancel the cruise because they cut out half of our ports, then he was cold, indifferent and rude. It was a 10 day cruise. My husband and I chose this line, because it would have given us 4 more new countries. We were supposed to see UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. A week before the cruise, they told us they were cutting out the last two ports and used the excuse of the "Israeli war". Total excuse. They just wanted to save money. As soon as we boarded, we were met by a lady and her husband who said they were already on the ship for I think 20 days and quickly confirmed that they "baited and switched" her itinerary also. She was 9 days "at sea" because the captain refused to go to port. When concerned customers tried to talk with the manger about this, they were told the manager was too busy to speak to them. She also told us that another couple demanded to speak with the Captain to ask why their itinerary had been changed and when finally granted an audience with the Captain, he essentially said, shut up or get off my ship, so they got off. The lady also told me that the Captain had told her that he would remove her from the ship if she kept talking to guests about the “bait and switch”. Seriously. From our experience, I can confirm the management was impatient, rude and unhelpful when asked about anything. The staff was pleasant, but they were very annoying and wanted to “overserve” and were very “hovering”. I couldn’t get coffee by myself and walk to a quiet nook to sip it to wake up without being assaulted by at least 10 staff insisting they carry my coffee. The ship was NOT elegant. It was frumpy. Our AC in our room never worked properly so the room was stuffy and hot the entire time. The bed was saggy and uncomfortable. The food was DEFINITELY NOT “fine dining”. It was subpar, tasteless cafeteria food. I could barely find anything to eat that was edible. They even served “mashed potatoes” that were rehydrated flakes and overly watered down. Disgusting. Their “desserts” were inedible. Nasty quite frankly. I am 57 and my husband is 61 and we were almost the youngest people on the ship. Most of the cliental were in their 80s. The “activities” were crossword puzzles, shuffle board, mahjong. When I attempted to use the fitness room to stretch and do Pilates, I was rudely told that I had to leave because they were about to start a “seminar”. Two old ladies showed up because they were bored. The ship has been hawking antiaging pain management “seminars” to get them to buy their crap. One lady told me she had to pay $90 for a bottle of supplements. Can you imagine? You’ve got a captive audience that is 90 percent very elderly people and you try to rip them off by promising “anti aging benefits”. It was such a horrible cruise, that my husband and I decided to get off early and return home for Christmas.

European Cruise on Riviera

Nov 27th, 2023

We will always probably cruise on Oceania, but it definitely felt less high end this time around vs. our last cruise in 2022. The cruise ship director didn't seem as engaged, the entertainment was subpar, the art classes were not appealing at all (the artist made the classes nearly impossible to attend), the butlers weren't as attentive, and especially the staff was all around less helpful and keen to be there.

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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Oceania Cruises’ Riviera set to sail Alaska in 2025

Post date: Sep 17 2024

Date: Sep 17 2024

By: Travelweek

MIAMI — Oceania Cruises’ 1,250-passenger Riviera will sail its first season in Alaska in 2025.

Riviera will offer a variety of itineraries ranging from seven to 12 days that depart from Seattle, Vancouver and Whittier. Each itinerary features both lesser-known ports like Homer, and also iconic ports such as Sitka, and Juneau.

Each sailing also features a naturalist on board to offer expert insights into Alaska’s biodiversity, covering everything from whales to bears and seals.

Passengers have the option to include a pre- or post-cruise land program where they’ll have the opportunity to explore even more of Alaska.

“We’re thrilled to bring our 1,250-guest Riviera to Alaska for the very first time,” said Frank A. Del Rio, President, Oceania Cruises. “Our elegant, ultra-premium small-ship experience offers the perfect juxtaposition to Alaska’s outdoor adventures, and with Riviera being 30 to 50 percent smaller than other premium cruise lines sailing in the region, we’re able to bring our guests to lesser-known, more remote ports, for a true immersion into this fascinating destination.”

He added that Alaska is a perfect destination for multi-generational gatherings. Oceania Cruises’ Alaska Explorer Youth Program is available on all voyages in the region in  2025. Designed for children between the ages of 5 to 12 years old, the program will include games, activities, and Alaska-inspired special events.

Tags: Lead Story, Oceania Cruises

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Russian Company OIIAI

Brief profile.

active International

Facts to Consider

For two years in a row, the organization suffered a loss (in 2023 – 223 million RUB).

There are enforcement proceedings in the bailiff database

There are 3 more firms at this address.

The organization is the founder (co-founder) of a mass media

This is an international organization.

show 3 more positive facts

Complete Profile

• 1. General Information
• 2. Registration in the Russian Federation
• 3. Company's Activities
• 4. Legal Address
• 5. Owners, Founders of the Entity
• 6. OIIAI CEO
• 7. Entities Founded by Company
• 8. Company Finance
• 9. Timeline of key events
• 10. Latest Changes in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE)

General Information

Full name of the organization: OBEDINENNYI INSTITUT IADERNYKH ISSLEDOVANII

TIN: 9909125356 (region of TIN receipt – Other territories including the Baikonur cosmodrome)

KPP: 501063001

PSRN: 1035002200221

Location: 141980, Moscow Oblast, Dubna, ul. Zholio Kiuri, 6

Line of business: Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (OKVED code 72.19)

Organization status: International, active

Form of incorporation: Intergovernmental international organizations (code 40001 according to OKOPF)

Registration in the Russian Federation

The tax authority where the legal entity is registered: Mezhraionnaia inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby №12 po Moskovskoi oblasti (inspection code – 5010).

Registration with the Pension Fund: registration number 060008000376 dated 24 February 1992.

Registration with the Social Insurance Fund: registration number 503001125150301 dated 29 June 2001.

Company's Activities

The main activity of the organization is Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (OKVED code 72.19).

Additionally, the organization listed the following activities:

The organization is included in the Roskomnadzor registry of registered mass media as a founder (co-founder) of the following media:

OIIAI holds licenses entitling to carry out the following activities:

Legal Address

OIIAI is registered at 141980, Moscow Oblast, Dubna, ul. Zholio Kiuri, 6. ( show on a map )

The following organization are also registered at the following address (including liquidated organizations):

• TOO "NA "EDFURS" (liquidated 07/26/2017)

Owners, Founders of the Entity

There is no data on the founders of OIIAI as of 09/19/2024 in the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities. The previous founders were:

The head of the organization (a person who has the right to act on behalf of a legal entity without a power of attorney) since 20 January 2021 is director Trubnikov Grigorii Vladimirovich (TIN: 501002711975).

Previously the organization was managed by (director of the institute from 04/28/2012 until 01/20/2021 * ).

Entities Founded by Company

Currently OIIAI is listed as a founder in the following organizations:

• OOO "DVIN" (Moscow Oblast, Dubna; 10%; 10 thousand RUB)
• OOO "NPO "ATOM" (Moscow Oblast, Dubna; 47 million RUB)

Previously the organization was listed as a founder in:

• SNT "KOSMOS" (Moscow Oblast, Taldom, d. Novotroitsa) - until 12/31/2021
• NP "MITSNT SNG" (Moscow Oblast, Dubna) - until 12/15/2021
• AO "MINTS" (Moscow Oblast, Dubna; 65.05%; 7.1 million RUB) - until 01/03/2022
• LIMITED LIABILITY CORPORATION "CYCLON" (LLC "CYCLON") (Moscow Oblast, Dubna; 300 thousand RUB) - liquidated 01/12/2015
• "DUBNA-DETECTORS" LTD (Moscow Oblast, Dubna; 2 thousand RUB) - liquidated 08/02/2018

Company Finance

In 2023, the organization received the revenue of 1.5 billion RUB, which is 231 million RUB, or by 18.3 %, more than a year ago.

As of December 31, 2023, the organization's total assets were 127 billion RUB This is 12.7 billion RUB (by 11.1 %) more than a year earlier.

The net assets of OIIAI as of 12/31/2023 totaled 125 billion RUB.

The organization is not subject to special taxation regimes (operates under a common regime).

The organization had no tax arrears as of 05/10/2024.

Enforcement proceedings

In relation to a legal entity, the database of the Federal Bailiff Service contains the following enforcement proceedings as of 10/13/2024:

Timeline of key events

• is no longer listed as the founder in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• PRAVITELSTVO RESPUBLIKI ARMENIIA is no longer listed as the founder in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• PRAVITELSTVO RESPUBLIKI BOLGARIIA is no longer listed as the founder in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• Legal address – Moscow Oblast, Dubna, ul. Zholio Kiuri, 6 .
• Information about the founder was entered – .
• Information about the founder was entered – PRAVITELSTVO RESPUBLIKI ARMENIIA.
• Information about the founder was entered – PRAVITELSTVO RESPUBLIKI BOLGARIIA.

Latest Changes in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE)

• 05/25/2024 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).
• 05/01/2024 . Representation by the licensing authority of information about the grant of a license.
• 02/10/2024 . Representation by the licensing authority of information about the grant of a license.
• 11/02/2023 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).
• 08/16/2023 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).
• 08/14/2023 . Provision by the licensing authority of information on the assignment of a previously issued license number in ERUL.
• 08/02/2023 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).
• 07/21/2023 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).
• 07/17/2023 . Recognition of an entry made in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities in relation to a legal entity, containing information received from another body, invalid on the basis of a message received from the specified body.
• 07/13/2023 . Submission by the licensing authority of information on the renewal of documents confirming the existence of a license (information on the renewal of a license).

* The date of change in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities is shown (may be different from the actual date).

The data presented on this page have been obtained from official sources: the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE), the State Information Resource for Financial Statements, the website of the Federal Tax Service (FTS), the Ministry of Finance and the Federal State Statistics Service.

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