Our original cruise had been drastically changed because of Covid, so we opted out. We booked back-to-back cruises, 20 days total, primarily because we wanted to relax, enjoy the sun, and enjoy good food. We accomplished the first two objectives, but not the third. We are gourmet cooks at home, and are very selective about the quality of the food we buy. I hope that the problems we encountered with the food were temporary supply change issues that will correct themselves in the near future. Before I book another Oceania Cruise, I will pay close attention to comments about the food.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Because of the required testing at the port, checkin was about 3 hours, mostly spent on-line waiting to get the test. No seating is provided, so if you have a problem standing, request a wheelchair.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTING. We booked Oceania because it advertises “best food at sea.”. Not true! The Terrace Cafe at lunchtime looked like re-cycled leftovers some days. Even at dinner on occasion. It is too obvious that they are cutting costs on foods. Even in the specialty restaurants there were problems with the quality or the preparation — like overcooked or undercooked lobster! Tough steaks. Tough veal cutlets. Dover Sole was fabulous.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Great fun on days at sea. Significantly cut back on days in port.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
If there were 10 stars, I would rate them all at 10!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything is immaculate and well-maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I actually like an ocean view room without a balcony. There is nothing to obscure your view. The bathroom was beyond what I expected: extra long bath tub and a separate stall shower .The room was very well maintained and immaculate!
Ship tip
Free Guest laundry on every floor — they even provide the soap! So pack 1/3 third of what you normally would
The earliest you can realistically expect to get off the ship is 8:30, and it has to do with the hours that Customs and Immigration work. I would not recommend making return flight reservations from Miami Int’l Airport that depart before 11:30
I was on the riviera dec 13-23 and thought the food was amazing!!! Check in & testing took half hour for us. It was so fast and seats to sit and wait for results. We loved waves grill, terrace cafe & all the 4 main restaurants we had reservations for. I had one issue with Red Ginger- too hot and spicy- but that was just because I can’t do hot/spicy foods and they replaced my entree within 20 minutes and it was wonderful! My husband had no issues and loved all the food. It was amazing! Plus no kids & no long lines. Food was hot and fresh and served within a reasonable time. The staff, crew and food is the reason we’ll be cruising with Oceania again.
We were on a 10-day Dec13-23 on Riviera. I mostly agree with your review but believe some improvements have been made. Covid testing took about 20 minutes and was conducted inside a large tent with plenty of seating. No lines and no waiting. After results were received, we sat in the terminal for about 15 minutes prior to boarding. The food in the Terrace Cafe was very good. We had one bad experience with chewy lobster and tough steak in Red Ginger one evening and tough lobster in Grand DR another evening, which concerned us. The executive chef tracked us down the next day for more information about those meals. Lobster at Waves and Jacques was great, as was all the other food we had. Staff was wonderful and ship clean, as expected. We will gladly sail Oceania again.
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