First Cruise Ship Experience
Riviera Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean
8 Night Coastal Hideaways (Barcelona To Rome)
Sail date: April 25, 2015
Ship: Riviera
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9057
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
We enjoyed our first cruise ship experience. We are scuba divers and have been on several Live Aboard Dive Boats and have sailed Live Aboard Catamarans for 7-10 days in the Bahamas, BVI's, Winwards. Now that we are retired, we thought it was time to try a Cruise and opted for the Western Mediterranean. We selected Oceania Riviera because it was a "high" end mid level capacity ship. We were somewhat disappointed that the majority of passengers were in jeans and casual clothes vs. the advertised "country club" style of dress. Also, we are 67 and felt like the young people on board. The Oceania Shore Excursions were pricey considering that the size of the groups were 20 to 30 including people who had considerable physical limitations. Three of our scheduled tours were cancelled due to windy and rainy weather, which we were not informed of until 30 mins before departure. Very little attempt was made to let passengers know how they could replan the excursions once on land (e.g. trains, taxis). The morning muster for shore excursions was very chaotic and prolonged. In regards to the cabins, I particularly appreciated the full size tub with extra shower and the lighted dressing table/desk mirror plus the stand alone magnifying mirror. There was more than sufficient closet and drawer space. However, I saw little value to paying the extra cost for Concierge Level Cabin. The lounge was extremely small and the Concierge Support hours were very limited. The advertised "Early Boarding" for Concierge Level was afforded to all passengers. The Specialty Restaurant reservations were limited but were at 2/3's capacity at all times. The staff was very committed and provided excellent service.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Very little advantage to Concierge Level Veranda over standard Veranda. I recommend standard Veranda or upgrading to a Penthouse Suite. Room service is exceptional and I highly recommend, especially for breakfast.
Ports of call
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands
La Spezia (Cinque Terre), Italy
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy