Oceania…our new favorite cruise line.
Riviera Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 22
10 Night Enticing Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 14, 2023
Ship: Riviera
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
My wife and I have not been big cruisers. However, we both hope that is about to change as we have just retired. Over the past 30 years this was just our seventh cruise. We have sailed on everything from Carnival to Crystal. We both agree that Oceana hit that sweet spot. The size of the ship was perfect ,the people on the ship both other passengers and crew were great. And the food? Wonderful. That being said, there are always some Sour Puss you find anywhere. And cruising is no exception.Ran into a few entitled people but the VAST majority of people were just like us. Happy and feeling blessed that we are on such a special cruise line.We had a very happy 10 days. Before getting off the ship we booked another cruise on Oceana. This one it’s two years from today on the Marina to Antarctica!! I can’t believe I just typed that. Antarctica? Well, when you find the ship you are comfortable with and made great memories on, we both said let’s go for it! Should be fun. Come join us!Embarkation
Easy.Our boarding time was noon and on the ship enjoying lunch by 12:30. Greeted warmly throughout.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We ate a all four gourmet specialty restaurants.Our favorite was Red Ginger.We are still dreaming about the miso glazed sea bass.Crazy good.Everything about that dining experience was excellent,including the best black tea during and after dinner.Great service.
Toscana had excellent Italian. Osso bucco for me, and veal for my wife.Really nice pasta and service as well.Polo Grill was great for steak and lobster.Can’t forget about the lobster bisque!Jacques,while very good all round,was our least favorite. I had the huge cut of prime rib(a little dry) and my wife had a veal dish that was very good.The star of the show was the French onion soup!This meal took 2 1/2 hours. It’s not like we were in a rush,but still…
The Grand dining room was truly grand. Never had a bad meal. Sometimes we ate at the two top and sometimes we joined other cruisers which was fun. Service was always excellent! For breakfast we had room service four times and enjoyed the Terrace cafe four times.Speaking of terrace cafe,you could always find,if you wanted,very healthy items for breakfast or dinner.Waves grill was always good for a quick bite.
Now I’m saving what could have been my favorite thing to eat for last.The pizza,served only at dinner,at Waves grill.We never knew about it until day 8.After eating high end gourmet food sometimes you just want something “normal “.This pizza,a Peroni beer and Caprese salad really hit the spot.
Onboard Activities
Saw the comedian twice in the very comfortable Rivera theater.Very funny. Pool area was nice. Never felt crowded. Outside spa area also very nice and never crowded. Played in four blackjack tournaments,and one poker tournament. Also had fun being with other guests playing bingo(corner!), name that tune and some trivia. All fun things to do plus you get to meet some really nice people. Our cruise Director, John, was funny and informative. He set the bar for others in my opinion.
Entertainment
Comedian was very good in the Riviera theater. That’s the only show we watched there.From talking to others, the stage shows were good as well and well attended.
Service and Staff
All friendly and professional. Very hard-working!
Ship Quality
Absolutely spic and span. No complaints. I only wish that the ship had a deck that completely wrapped around. We still found ourselves looking at the map on the ship so we wouldn’t get lost even after five or six days. But that’s on us and our shrinking gray matter.
Cabin / Stateroom
All very comfortable. My wife and I both love what they did during the dry dock. What they did to the bathroom was a game changer after hearing posts pre-drydock. We had an A2 category room #10099. Never saw the concierge so wondering if getting a concierge is worth it. Probably the best thing was that it gave us unlimited access to the spa area with very nice loungers and large hot tub. The room was always spotless. Also the bed was very comfortable.
Ship tip
Make sure to book the specialty restaurants as soon as you can.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
My wife stayed on the ship while I went exploring on my own.The island festival,San Sebastian was in full swing which really made for a lot of fun. Great music, great food and great people watching! Even got a haircut from a barber who couldn’t speak one word of English. Yep, I’m adventurous. After a couple of hours made it back to the ship and relaxed around the pool. Another great day.
Took a catamaran to Nevis for a tour of the island and two hours at a beach. Unfortunately, it poured down rain during the beach time.We had a fun and very enthusiastic guide who loved to sing.
Outstanding!Walked the storefronts for about an hour before our four hour catamaran adventure. The two people on board running the excursion were great! We made one stop for an hour to snorkel and swim to a beach. Made a number of friends on this excursion as we were all having a great time! A beautiful day on a beautiful island. Highlight of our trip.
Love Miami. Arrived two days early to take advantage of the weather. Had lunch one day in Little Havana Plus a wonderful dinner at River oyster restaurant. Stayed at the Hilton hotel about 5 miles from the port. Taking Uber was a breeze.
Took a taxi to a “beautiful tropical beach”.We got the tropical part but the beach part was a bummer.
Disembarkation
All very easy and orderly. The only problem was at terminal J there is only one elevator down to the luggage so you get quite the bottleneck.No big thing.