Riviera Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Our Oceania cruise was a memorable vacation. This was our first trip to Europe and what a way to start. The Riveria is a wonderful ship and is easy to navigate as it isn't a mega size ship like my wife and I have been on before. We noticed workers painting and cleaning on the outside of the ship which shows the upkeep that they do during the trip. The dining experience lived up to its billing and we very much enjoyed the 4 specialty restaurants. The entertainment at night was good but not great. We played trivia several nights and met some nice folks who joined our team. We also  enjoyed taking one of the cooking classes that was offered. The fitness facilities were excellent, but due to the good weather I made more use of the outside track. The port itinerary was very good. We went into every port and did 3 of the port excursions that were offered. The port excursions we picked were handled well. We had trouble understanding one of the guides but she tried her best with the language. Our favorite ports were Monte Carlo, Portofino, Livorno, and Rome where we stayed over afte r the cruise. We liked Cinque Terre but it was a rainy day which we were told is common in that area. We agreed that we didn't have a chance to enjoy more of the amenities and activities that were offered on the ship due to the time we spent at each port. 

Oceania cannot be beat! It's food is delicious and the service is top notch! The staff treats you like royalty!

The ports we visited were great! We loved every minute of our getaway!!

Oceania Lines are one of the best to cruise.  The food was wonderful,, the service was terrific and the itinerary was perfect.  I was busy the entire time using Oceania destination excursions (all were very good) but was too tired to stay up for the evening entertainment! I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who is interested in ancient history.  We added 2 days at the end in Athens and saw the Acropolis and other classical ruins.  Just a delight.  The trip home was LONG so I would have appreciated at least a direct flight from Athens to Atlanta, which we did not get.  However, I'm resting at home now!

Oceania does a very good job of being a bit upscale without being stuffy. The specialty restaurants are just that "special".  The staff are all well trained and friendly. The cruise was on time to each port and  sail itself was very smooth.

We will choose Oceania in the future, they do it better than the cruise lines we have experienced in the past.

 In the future, I will choose to go to European cities during cooler weather.  July/Aug are too hot to fully enjoy the tours.

Friendly staff, well maintained ship with exceptional specialty restaurants. Tours ran from very good to poor. Oceania cancelled the Egypt itinerary because of unrest. Onboard entertainment varied from excellent to good. Onboard lectures were very good.  The only negative was the occasional noise from slamming doors and drawers. We complained and it seemed to reduce the frequency of the slamming. Never found this to be a problem on the other ships.

This our first ever cruise with Oceania > We enjoyed it tremendously. The ship is luxuriously and classily decorated with Lalique crystal in the main atrium. > > Our stateroom is spacious with both shower and bathtub. Our stateroom attendants are friendly and promptly responded to all our requests and needs > We were pleased to learn that there are self serve laundry facilities on board. There were no formal nights but people dressed up nicely and classily. > Food was excellent and abundant All the specialty dining restaurants are complimentary. The menu, the food selections, preparations ,and presentations made the restaurants and the main dining room worthy of five stars designation. My wife does think that some of the food was prepared a bit salty and i think the souffle desert should be available more than 2 times for the duration of the 15 nites . Food and food service had to be the hightlights of our voyage. > > The singers, dancers, musicians and orchestra on board are quite talented. The entertainment was classy and nice but we felt that it could be a bit more contemporary. Most of the songs and music were from the 60s and 70s !!! Probably because most of the passengers are fairly mature. The average age must be 65 plus. If you are younger than 50 you will definitely feel out of place. We are in our mid fifty. > > Our original itinerary includes Egypt and Tunisia but due to upheavals and security concerns those ports of call were replaced with greek Isles and Italy . While those are nice destinations we were still very much disappointed and mildly upset. > > Our disappointments were more than compensated for by the first class services we received from the staff. Everyone from the chefs to the waiters, waitresses, maitreD, spa and gym staff, the ship tenders staff, reception desk staff etc. were well groomed and attentive and made us feel important and welcome. > > To sum it up, our experiences with Oceania cruise was fantastic and tremendously satisfying. It was a classy voyage that we never before experienced. > The food, the staff, the crew, the service, the amenities, the facilities, the fellow passengers etc. provided us with many many pleasant memories and special moments. Throughout the voyage we felt comfortable and relaxed and were well taken cared of. Oceania gave us a classy cruise. We were not hustled for paid photos or paid drinks or paid extras or shopping like the other cruise lines. > > The downside now is that once we tasted this luxury experience it will be hard for us to go back to the Celebrity or Princess cruises. We are planning and saving for our next cruise with Oceania and are recruiting friends to join us. > Thank you Oceania and specifically the staff of Riviera

Very nice ports of call.  Oceania is an upscale cruise experience in all respects including food, service and entertainment.  Mostly older clientele are on the ship.

Specialty restaurants are excellent.  However, in the main dining room we did have a couple of service and food problems on 2 nights.

Also, at the end of the cruise Oceania seemed in a hurry to get you off the ship by having your luggage on your bed the day before docking and having breakfast service stop early with the last time to leave your room being 8am.

This was our first time on Oceania and I missed some of the aspects featured on other cruise lines; for instance, professional photographer photo-ops (not the cheesy pirate costume ones though) and dining with the same waiter each night so he can learn your personal preferences. The staff was amazing with service and friendliness and the food quality/presentation was great.

This particular route was very good and most ports had plenty to do nearby or on excursions. I typically do 50% cruise line excursion and 50% on my own. Both were successful except in St Tropez where taxis were impossible to find. I really wish there had been a sea day for rest midway through as I have a difficult time "wasting" a port day by hanging out on the ship. Most of our excursions allowed us to sleep in until 8am and meet by 9am, which was nice. There are several tender ports which are a pain as Oceania tends to prioritize disembark of their excursion guests leaving independents waiting for a tender seat (this didn't cause any major issues, just show up early). I really wish in Livorno that the port departure time was later than 8pm- Most try to do Pisa & Florence in the 12hr stop and it is a rush. I hired a taxi for the day and did the main Florence museums with plenty of time though. 

Overall, VG cruise and VG cruise line. 

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.

WE HAD BEEN LOYAL CELEBRITY CUSTOMERS (CRUISERS) FOR MANY YEARS.  BEFORE LAST WINTER CRUISING SEASON (2014) OUR AGENT TINA LA RUSSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE CRUISE ON OCEANIA CRUISE LINES.   WHAT AN EXCELLENT RECOMMENDED THAT TURNED OUT TO BE.  CHRISTINE AND I ARE NOW SOLD HOOK, LINE AND SINKING ON OCEANIA CRUISE LINES.  THE DINING ON OCEANIA IS EXCEPTIONAL, FROM THEIR "SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS" (SIX NIGHTS), TERRACE CAFE'S EVENING STEAKS AND LOBSTER TAILS (ALL YOU CAN EAT)ON THE STERN TERRACE, GRAND DINING ROOM AND THE GREAT MENU SELECTION AT THE WAVES CAFE.  FOR A MIDSIZE SHIP "THE RIVIERA" PRESENTS A VERY NICE ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGE.  THE CANYON SPA AND FITNESS CENTER IS ONE OF OCEANIA'S BEST FEATURES, I'M A WORKOUT FANATIC AND UTILIZED THE FITNESS CENTER, SAUNA AND STEAM BATH FREQUENTLY DURING THE CRUISE.  I HAVE ONLY SAILED THE CARIBBEAN ON OCEANIA AND HAVE FOUND THE ITINERARIES  VERY DIVERSIFIED,  BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPLORING OTHER AREA OF PLANET EARTH.  THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE RIVIERA'S OFFICERS, CREW AND STAFF IS OVER THE TOP, BEST ON THE SEAS.  DURING THIS CRUISE WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE WINE AND RUM TASTING.  I WOULD BE REMISSED IF I DID NOT MENTION THE BARISTA, WHICH I VISITED TWICE DAILY, AND THE SPECIAL AREA OF DECK 14 FORWARD WITH LOUNGE RECLINERS AND HYDRO WHIRLPOOL.  SINCE ARRIVING HOME I CAN'T WAIT TO START PLANNING OUR NEXT CRUISE ON OCEANIA.  THANKS AGAIN, TO THE OFFICERS, CREW AND STAFF OF RIVIERIA AND OUR AGENT TINA FOR POINTING US TOWARD OCEANIA.

WARM REGARDS,

  MR. & MRS PAUL C. PRETTYMAN, JR.      

 There are many words that could be used to describe the Riviera but "elegant" captures it best. Not an intimidating elegance but rather a quiet 5 star hotel elegance. Right from the start my wife and I knew this cruise would be different from anything we had experienced in the past. After being on board for only an hour I wondered if everything I was experiencing was as it appeared. I began looking for flaws; there had to be flaws. Sorry, I'm a sceptic by nature. I wondered, was the entire staff as friendly as the members we met when we boarded the ship? Was the entire ship as clean as it appeared on the surface? Would the food on the entire cruise be as good as what we were served at the Welcome Lunch? By the end of the cruise I had my answers. Yes! Yes! and Yes! The staff, the cleanliness and the food all combined to bring back memories of my early days of cruising when cruise ships were more than floating motels serving cafeteria style food to passengers whose main goal was to consume voluminous amounts of alcohol. 

It was truely wonderful. The ship is beautiful. The food was excellent wherever you chose to eat. Hard to get a bad meal.

The service was first rate with very friendly crew. On the last night after the show, the crew stood in the hallway and applauded the passengers and thanked them for coming. I've never felt so welcome. Our cruise director was so great. She was very friendly, helpful and available.

  The ports were so beautiful that I took over 900 pictures. Everything from embarkation to going home was handled so well.

My wife was skeptical if Oceania was worth the extra money. She is a believer now as well.

Great job Riviera!!!! Hope to see you again!

The ship was a good size, only 1250 people, and easy to get around. Food was excellent, only had one meal I did not care for. Service overall was excellent, only a couple of people were below standard. At least 70% of the guests were 60 years and above, though a few children were on board with their grandparents. However, there is nothing for children to do other than the pool, ping pong, and board games.

We had a balcony cabin on deck 8 and it was perfect. Plenty of room. And being able to open the door to let in the sea breeze was great.  Full size tub, shower stall, sink and toilet in bathroom. The tub space took up some of the storage areas, but we were still able to store 2 peoples clothes by using the drawers at the desk. Holland America and Celebrity have a lot more storage. Suitcase just fit under the bed. Plenty of hangers. The beds were very comfortable. If you are allergic to down, then ask for different pillows and comforters right away. Our cabin stewardess was excellent and worked around our meal times and plans.

Eating is flexible dining and worked well. We had 4 free nights at the Specialty restaurants, ate in the Grand dining Room 3 times, and upstairs in the Terrace cafe 3 times. A very good selection at the cafe and you could eat outdoors. The sushi was fabulous and always fresh. Croissants made on board and were very flaky and light. Free water and soda at all times. In port, they have free water available to take off the ship.

The library was quite large and had a good selection. Spa very nice, the sauna, steam rooms and hot beds were free. Use of the outdoor spa area and thalosotherapy pool was complimentary if you had a treatment done that day.

Did not use the Casino, but it was average size with slot machines and a few tables.

The ports of call were good, but you need to get out and around the islands to really get the feeling. We just walked around town which was easy to do.

There is not much to do on board compared to Celebrity or Holland America. A few lectures, and of course bingo. The trivia contests were at the same time as Afternoon Tea, so we missed the activity. Afternoon Tea was lovely, with a good string quartet playing for the hour. A nice selection of pastries and savories.

Only tendered at St. Barts. The seas were a bit rough, so it went a lot slower than normal. But the island is beautiful.

Pool is average size, and only filled up on the last 2 sea days.

The only other disappointment was that the shows were at 9:45pm, which was way too late. A couple of nights they had one at 6:30pm, but we were eating dinner.

The art work on the ship is very modern and disconcerting, especially when you see the old masters on Holland America.

Embarkation was easy, got off the shuttle from the hotel, (we came down the day before), waited in line 5 minutes, then got our documents and we were onboard by 1pm. Rooms were not ready until 3pm, so we ate lunch and relaxed at the pool. Our bags were waiting for us when we got to the room.

Disembarkation was easy too. You sign up to let them know what time you want to leave, then wait for the announcement in one of the lounges. Left at 8am, easy to go through Customs and find our bag. There was a screwup with the shuttle company we had booked to take us to the airport, so climbed on another one. Got to the airport in plenty of time to catch an 11:45am flight.

But overall, we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We went to rest and relax, and that is exactly what we did.

We had a fabulous time. The only issues were rude concierge and reception staff. 

We were disappointed that we were not able to dock in Monte Carlo as well. 

Excellent ship, excellent cabin, excellent service,excellent food. We want to acknowledge Oxana in the restaurant as an outstanding staff member who was friendly and professional. The one negative was the disembarkation process, which we found to be poorly handled. The notice did not provide information on where to assemble, and as the PA system does not project into the cabin (which it should), passengers did not know where to go. Instructions should be precise and helpful.

It was pretty much as we expected. The ship was beautiful. The staff and food was excellent. The entertainment was disappointing to say the least. Also felt there was a lack of upbeat music or entertainment poolside. This cruise definetly caters to an older crowd. A bit boring for younger people.

This is the most luxurious cruise we have ever been on and the crew the friendliest we have encountered. Service was a 10. Not as much entertainment as some of the larger ships. Food was fabulous.

This was my second Oceania cruise ... and I was not disappointed. Being part of the Inaugural cruise year for the Riviera, everything was fresh and new on board. Staff consistently positive and attentive. Cruising later in the year (Oct-Nov) presented weather challenges in the Med and Adriatic seas. Decisions were made correctly by the Captain not to dock or tender because of rough waters, and the ship staff rallied immediately with worthwhile alternative choices. Enjoying the first ship to offer cooking at sea classes was totally fun and informative (and delicious)! Evening theater events that I did attend were entertaining. Alternative dining was wonderful, and each venue offered delicious fare. I won't hesitate to cruise with them again in the future when interesting itineraries and my schedule meet!

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The ship was beautiful, the dining rooms all great as was the service. The few faults was the tender to leave the ship in Molnte Carlo. Passengers had to wait while staff unloaded supplies. On the return to the ship the tender would not start. Both delays caused more than l.5 hours of our time