Riviera Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My wife and I were extremely pleased with our first experience with Oceania.  We picked this particular cruise because we liked the itinerary and the fact that we had an interesting stop each day.  We were not disappointed at all !!

The crew was extremely attentive and the food service was excellent variety options at all venus.  The menus in the specialty restaurants certainly at the highest standards.  I urge all travelers on Oceania to make their reservations for specialty restaurants long before departure to ensure you get what you want.

I would highly recommended the cooking classes that are highly interactive and well run.  

Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and clearly well rehearsed.  Similarly, leaving the ship each day was highly efficient.  

Our major disappointment was the entertainment that was clearly below the standards of a ship of this status.  We have found other ships with better shopping and more active casinos, but those activities are not our particular interests.  

The daily excursions were reasonable valued, but I would urge future passengers on this line (or any line line for that matter) to go to Trip Advisor and see what is available on your own as an alternative.  We did that with our stop in Monaco and found an outstanding private guide for the activities that we wanted rather than take just what Oceania could offer us.   

We have waited some time to take the cruise of our lifetime and we did a considerable amount of research prior to booking this cruise with Oceana.

The ports of call allowed easy access to some of the world's greatest treasures. Our tour of Pompei and Herculean were absolutely enlightening and tour guides were fabulous. The dress code was easily met with country club attire for the folks that do not care to eat in full formal dress. The restaurants were gorgeous and the food gourmet and delishous. All food, even the name restaurants, were included and with no extra charge. The O'life program makes tours free or less pricey, the Internet was free and gratuities were prepaid. All of this and no surprise charges!

Oceana is an excellent  choice for luxury cruises! 

This is our favorite cruise line thus far. The ship was beautiful and new. Precise attention to detail was noted except for internet access. Ours came with the package deal. Don't pay for it since it is practically non existent. The food was of excellent quality. The entertainment was fun, sometimes hokey, but still fun. The art work is unique. Take the time to explore the unusual theme throughout the ship. For example there is a painting of a burning ship in one of the lounges. In the foreground is a lifeboat with the ghost of a woman present. A bit discerning for a cruise ship!  

Announcements for the most part are not heard in the rooms, consequently we missed some important news. 

All in all, this is a great cruise ship.  Go for it. 

Favorite ports were Santorini and the Amalfi Coast.  Beautiful.  Great history in all ports.  Was sorry that we docked in Naples instead of Sorrento on such a beautiful, smooth sea day.....was not sure why the itinerary changed.  Food, wine, staff and accommodations all were excellent.

If you can imagine a dream come true, you will understand how it feels to cruise Greece, from Athens to Crete, with visits to the islands of Santorini, Katakolon and Corfu.  The cruise line Oceania's ship Riviera was my dream vessel.  Imagine a veranda stateroom with a shower and bathtub; breakfast en suite so my roommate and I were on time for our morning excursions or tours; back to the ship for a delicious buffet lunch in a Terrace restaurant, unless we preferred the Waves Grill.  We enjoyed elegant afternoon tea service in a beautiful Horizons lounge with live chamber music; stayed for cocktail hour (two for the price of one drink).  Later we relished magnificent cuisine in one of four specialty restaurants (French, Italian, East Asian, or Lobster/Steak Grill) or chose a Grand Dining Room banquet.  We liked meeting other interesting passengers at a shared table, rather than choosing to dine together. Then we attended an evening show of superb singing, dancing, costumes and sets in the main Lounge.  We also had the options of a library, computer room, pool/deck, spa and exercise equipment, concerts, dancing, bars, a casino and classes.  Everything was first class at competitive prices.  I asked servers and entertainers about their working conditions.  All of them praised the cruise line for treating them with consideration so they felt rested, well and happy to please us passengers.  The boarding procedures are so well organized that there were no lines or delays (unlike cruises I've taken where we stood in lines within airplane hanger-like sheds with thousands of others who were equally unhappy).  The Oceania mid-size ships are able to dock in or near unique ports and are ecologically less damaging to the ocean and coastal environments.  Wherever in the world you long to visit, I wish you my heavenly experience.  Barbara O'Farrell, NYC bo1@columbia.edu  (despite my 'retiree' message, I check email every day.) 

We had a great time on the ship, for the time that we spent on it.  We took excursions every day so most of our time was spent sleeping, eating, and walking off the ship. 

Excursions: We enjoyed all the excursions, we had large groups and small groups.  The small groups were worth the cash paid.  The organization of the process for exiting the ship was well organized and simple to follow.  One day my partner forgot his keycard and this is needed to exit the boat, the staff told us to go to reception, right there, and get a new card, instead of running to the room.  The guides on the buses were well versed and literally kept talking during most of the entire trip to inform us of information.  And the drivers, I am quite impressed of their ability to transit the streets and mountains.  When we return

Cabin (282' sq): The cabin was clean and tidy when we arrived, ready and setup for us.  Anastasia was our caretaker.  She and the team had everything clean and kept us well informed of the next days activities, along with some headlines around the world, you could even get full printed newspapers for a price.  The closets fit our luggage perfectly, two large 28" hard sided bags and two 22" carry on bags, there was ample space to unpack and store the bags.  The bed, I thought the bed was wonderful and the pillows were actually great for me.  I do not exercise much and we ended up walking on average 7mi a day, and every morning, I woke up renewed.

Eating: We ate breakfast and dinner everyday.  The buffet, and sitting outside while the sun rose was nice, the buffet was busy with the norms, and a special or two to be made to order.  We did end up the last 3 days to just eat at the grill, omelets and eggs made to order, with a few side to choose from.  One thing I would say is, for a Grecian Delight cruise, pick up some yummy fresh Greek yogurt instead of individual containers. Dinners were also exceptional.  I misread the website, and only reserved 1 single specialty restaurant.  We were able to get 2 of the remaining restaurants reserved, but missed Jacques.  Our 1st night was with Toscana, and the meat was great, they even had like 8-9 olives oil to pick from.  Polo, this was average, I should have gotten the Prime Rib, but my filet was just average.  We shared a table, and meeting the other people was fun.  But, Red Ginger was our favorite, delicious food, again we shared a table and the 2 people at our table we kept running into in various locations and shops.  The other nights we went to the Grand dinning room and had great 5 course meals.  On average we ended up spending 1.5-2 hours eating each night, if I would have made reservations I would have probably set them to 8pm, so we would have just finished eating at 10pm, when we needed to get up at 6am for out next excursion, it ended up better to go quite early.

You know, we really did not do that much else on the ship.  I need to learn to play bridge, as my partner plays and that would have been something to do on our early days back to the ship.

One last thing, this was my 1st cruise ever, so I really cannot compare to anything.  But time and time again from people who have cruised many times in the past, they kept telling me that I am getting spoiled with this cruise.  I was happy to be spoiled. 

My husband and I took this cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary.  We love to travel and have previously rented cars or taken trains and stayed in B&B's or used AirBNB to find housing.  However, we wanted a slightly easier way to travel this time so we chose to take a cruise.  We were at the concierge level with a balcony suite.  The Riviera was a stunning ship.  It was elegant and never felt crowded.  My husband and I are very active and in our early 50's. Needless to say, we were significantly younger than the average passenger on this ship.  We are independent travelers and did not do any of Oceania's shore excursions so we cannot comment on the quality of the shore excursions except for things we heard from other people on the ship.  

The cruise started in Athens.  We opted to pay the extra $350 air deviation fee so that we could stay a few extra days and choose flights that worked best for us.  We also did the $99 upgrade to Eurotraveler Plus.  Our flights were comfortable and we had great seats.  I would definitely recommend spending a little extra for the flexibility and comfort.

Our first stop was Santorini.  Unfortunately, 4 other ships were there at the same time.  We are early risers and were some of the first people off the ship, which was a brilliant choice.  The streets of Fira were empty when we first got there.  We wandered around for a little while and enjoyed the cool temperatures and quiet.  We had read about an amazing hike from Fira to Oia and decided to do this.  It was a 5-6 mile hike over the mountains which took us about 3 hours.  It was a little challenging but the views were incredible and we got a feel for the island.  This is definitely worth doing.  Unfortunately, when we finally arrived in Oia, it was wall to wall tourists.  We had lunch and grabbed an incredibly crowded bus back to Fira.  The wait for the line for the gondola was over 1 1/2 hours so we decided to walk down the donkey trail.  Be warned that Santorini can be EXTREMELY crowded.  Try going in as early as possible to enjoy the quiet and serenity of the island. 

The next stop was Katakalo (Olympia).  Katakalo is charming and Olympia (where the olympics first started) was very interesting.  

We stopped in Corfu next.  We decided to rent a car and drive over to the other side of the island.  The island is beautiful.  Renting a car is a great way to get around UNTIL you get into Corfu Town, then it can be a little harrowing.  

Montenegro was our next stop - and one of our favorite.  We got up early and sat on our balcony as we floated through the 17 miles of beautiful mountainous scenes.  The old city of Kotor is charming.  We hiked the 1300+ steps up the mountainside to the old fortress.  Again, we were some of the first people off the ship and hiked this in the cool morning.  It is well worth doing and the views are spectacular.

I was most disappointed in Split, Croatia.  This was my own fault because I had expected the most out of this stop and should have researched it further.  The old city was charming but small.  The city of Split is crowded and the area around the old city is crazy.  There is a beautiful, large park/open space that overlooks the city and we should have gone for a hike there but we were tired and a little grumpy so we went back to the ship after wandering for a few hours in Split.  

Venice was next.  We fell in love with Venice.  We were the first people off the ship and walked into town.  We took a Vaparreto (public water transportation) up the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco.  Again, the streets were empty and we were some of the first people in the Piazza.  We tracked our steps and ended up walking over 10 miles that day - needless to say - our feet were killing us!  So we hung out in the hot tub after dinner.  It was beautiful to sit in the water, under the stars.  

The next stop was Ancona, Italy.  It rained for most of the day but we got a few hours of light rain and some sun and were able to wander around.  Unfortunately, it was Monday and everything was closed so we could only look but not enter any museums or churches.  

Our final stop was Bari, Italy.  I had the lowest expectations about this stop because I had read some negative comments but we ended up enjoying Bari immensely.  It had a wonderful walled city that people actually lived normal lives in.  Once again, we were some of the first people off the ship and as we wandered through the streets, we came upon people having breakfast in their kitchens and hanging out laundry.  It was charming and was the least touristy of the stops.

We viewed the cruise as a way to comfortably get from one place to another.  We did not really partake of any of the entertainment because we wanted to be rested and ready for the next day of touring, so I can't comment on the quality of the entertainment.  On our day at sea, we had access to a quiet deck in the Canyon Ranch Spa and spent the day there.  My husband had an excellent massage as well. 

Oceania is most known for it's food and the food was fantastic.  We loved dining al fresco and ate most of our meals on the back of the ship at the Terrace Cafe.  We discovered that they serve the same food at the Terrace Cafe that they do in the Grand Dining Room.  Although it is a buffet, it is elegant and the staff is very attentive.  We loved sitting outside and watching the sunset every night and watching the moon rise over the horizon.  We ended up canceling 2 of our 4 speciality restaurant reservations because we loved sitting out there so much.  We did eat at the Red Ginger and the Polo Grill and the food was amazing.  However, we still preferred the charm of sitting outside, on the back terrace more.  

We are not heavy drinkers so we opted to use a little of our on-board credit for alcohol.  The basic drinks were reasonable and the daily drink specials ran about $6.50 so we could have a few drinks daily and not break the bank.  The cruise line also permitted us to bring wine on board.  We bought local wine and beer at several ports.  Although Oceania has a 3 bottle limit - this was not enforced.  We did not abuse this benefit but it permitted us to try local wines and beers at our leisure.   

The staff was lovely and very attentive without being intrusive.  I would recommend the Concierge level because of the access to the Concierge Lounge, the free unlimited internet, the access to the Canyon Ranch deck amenities and the size of the room.  We chose Level 4 but were upgraded to Level 3.  We were on the 9th floor, towards the back.  This was perfect for us.  We used the laundry a few times. It is $2 for each token - you need 1 for the washer and 1 for the dryer.  

We had $1100 of on-board credit and had to find things to spend money on because we didn't end up using most of it.  My husband had a great massage.  The cruise line automatically takes out $16/day per person for tips.  We ended up purchasing some great gifts and I got an Italian purse that I would never had bought.  

The embarkation and disembarkation process were flawless.  We had no real issues or complaints about anything and thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and plan to take another Oceania cruise at some point in the future.  

Enjoyed every aspect of the cruise. Embarkation and disembarkation most efficient I have ever experienced. The ship was spotlessly clean. All members of staff were were friendly and helpful. The food and service were first class. Excellent choice for ports of call and of course the weather was superb. Best cruise ship I have ever sailed on. I have previously sailed with Cunard, P&O, NCL and Royal Caribbean.

Enjoyed every aspect of the cruise. Embarkation and disembarkation most efficient I have ever experienced. The ship was spotlessly clean. All members of staff were were friendly and helpful. The food and service were first class. Excellent choice for ports of call and of course the weather was superb. Best cruise ship I have ever sailed on. I have previously sailed with Cunard, P&O, NCL and Royal Caribbean.

The Oceania "Riviera" was well kept.  There was no rust in sight.  The food could not have been any better.  It was a trip of a lifetime.

The onboard wi-fi left something to be desire.  When it was working it could be used to send text messages, but not photos.  Internet searches were slow.

We went on many shore excursions and enjoyed them all but the one to Florence was special mostly due to our guides  knowledge and personality.My wife and I enjoyed our time together as we were able to spend quality time together and enjoy each others company.I would recommend this cruise line to all my friends as it was the best overall cruise we have been on.

We have been on 18 cruises with 7 different cruise lines.  We have experience!

The itinerary, room attendants, service, accommodations, and dining were excellent.

Unfortunately we encountered 2 negatives, which significantly decreased our rating for this cruise.  We took 6 excursions, all sponsored by the Oceania Riviera. On 3 excursions the guide was either inaudible, or even worse, not able to speak fluent English.  The other major issue for us was the timing of the daily evening show/production.  Normally, on other ships, there are 2 show times to accommodate all guests.  On this cruise, only one show time, at 9:45 PM, which is too late for us.  Maybe okay for night owls.     

First time on Oceania cruise line , very nice ports differentes from other cruise lines 

I would recommended to couples and families , very good food 7 stars rate

my favorite port was Portugal fell in love with the place and the people ❤️😍

The ambiance and services were exactly as on previous Oceania cruises, excellent. Unfortunately, the wine prices and  off shore tours were seriously overpriced and some tours were not up to expectations. A 4 hours tour should not be 2.5 hours substance with one hour shopping or 2 hours "on your own" for $ 169.  Separate shopping tours could be organized to those so inclined.

Quite nice  I think the majority of folk would love this ship and the destinations.  I am trying to make 150 characters  because no one wants this review if I don't.

Sometimes being accommodating is not enough.   this should be enough

I highly recommend the Oceania Exclusive Excursions!  The personal attention to detail made it not only an excursion, but a personal experience! Their tour guides were so informative and all spoke English. The food on board was impeccable! The staff was so friendly and always smiling. I don't think I could ever go on a cruise with any other cruise line other than Oceania after this!

Great itinerary. Best food on the seas and a beautiful ship. Still waiting to hear from Oceania about a terrible shore excursion (if they sell it they should warranty it )

Fantastic Cruise,  exceeded all expectations, from Ports to accommodations, and service.   Luxury Only agent was extremely helpful in planning and setting up the cruise and associated transportation.

Loved sailing on the ocean.  Service was unbelievable.  Staff was very responsive to all my needs.  Liked restaurant choices.  Don't know how much more I need to say in order to submit review.

Horrible cruise/infected with norovirus from the 2nd night out. Found out Riviera has been subjected to 6 outbreaks of norovirus since Nov.: 3 reported to CDC because of percentage level and 3 unreported.  No forewarning of this situation and no apology from captain all during the 14 days of infection.  Venues (library, guest laundry, fitness center, culinary center and Artists Loft) all closed due to

contamination; however never closed casino as that is a money maker.  Ship was

negligent in not properly disinfecting the premises and not accepting responsibility for this outbreak.  Sanitation processes while onboard were a joke: crew running around with buckets of disinfectant which apparently was not working because people kept getting sick.  Over 200 "reported" cases of the virus and many more not reported because people were so disgusted with the response from crew.  Service and food quality blatantly inferior to previous cruises and attributable to new management under Prestige Holding which has also taken over NCL....and brought Oceania down to level of NCL with lousy food and inferior service/noticeable from day one.  Will never sail on Oceania again and had originally intended to book a cruise to Alaska...not with you!!