Perfect Cruise for High Expections

Item: Riviera
Rating: 5
Author: belair333

Riviera Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

belair333

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 33

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night Glamorous Riviera (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 04, 2017

Ship: Riviera

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7003

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 years ago

Review summary

This Med cruise was wonderful. Our AA cruise specialist, Jeremy, was very attentive and guided our selections for a beautiful on board experience. Notifications and reminders were helpful. Embarkation went smoothly and ahead of schedule. On board, the Oceania crew and staff were fabulous. Rooms were clean and comfortable and we enjoyed our large balcony. Committment to excellence was very apparent... from the housekeeping personnel, to the venue servers, to an outstanding evening in La Reserve, a seven course dinner with wine pairings... which was overseen personally by the senior executive chef... and was our favorite evening. Gourmet food, informative cooking classes and wine tastings aboard were excellent. The only downside were the Oceania cruise excursions. 2 of 3 were sub par due to audio issues... couldn't hear half of what was said. The excursions we booked on our own via the Internet were 100% better in quality and price.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Good mix for different interests. Golf, cooking classes, bingo, trivia, kareoke, ping pong, etc.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Probably more personal taste, but the 4 shows we attended were okay. Not sensational. However, we were on Oceania for the culinary experience. Only 1 show at 9:30 each night. The bar venues had a nice mix of live music... piano, string quartet, lounge singers, etc. These were very nice.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Great pesonal service, friendly staff, many of whom went above and beyond to please.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Great cabin. We choose the lower level, 7, because the for and aft cabins had larger verandas with chaise lounges. Great stewardess!

Ship tip

Book all specialty dining venues to include La Reserva! Great cuisine.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5

We stayed 3 nights before the cruise. Booked a great 4 star hotel and did tours.

Thumbs Up 4

Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy

5 out of 5

Booked a private car and toured Tuscany... 2 wineries with tastings and lunch... fabulous day

Thumbs Up 4

Portofino, Italy

3 out of 5

Had to divert to Genoa. Bad ship excursion.

Thumbs Up 0

Monte Carlo, Monaco

5 out of 5

Booked our own excursion. Eze was great and the views of the harbor were beautiful. Definitely go to Old Town... fun.

Thumbs Up 1

St. Tropez, France

5 out of 5

No tours... just explored and shopped

Thumbs Up 1

Marseille (Provence), France

5 out of 5

Go to Cassis on a market day. Beautiful

Thumbs Up 2

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

Bad ship excursion in AM... but rebounded in the PM by walking, shopping, and having a beer and a pizza along La Rambla.

Thumbs Up 4

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

Took AM ship excursion around the island... mostly on the bus. Not too bad. Lots of nice shops in the port city.

Thumbs Up 0

Amalfi/Positano, Italy

5 out of 5

Cancelled our ship tour. Partnered up with another couple, took a ferry to Positano and had a fabulous time. Picturesque. Took a taxi up to the top and dined at La Tigliata. Breathtaking views from way above Positano.

Thumbs Up 4