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You'll be hard-pressed to find a crowded place onboard (except, perhaps, the buffet at peak mealtimes) -- and that can be both good and bad. If you're wondering what exactly an "ultra-premium" cruise ship is, look no further than Marina, the first new-build Oceania built back in 2011. If you ask for a single piece of toast to be well done, that is precisely what you will get.
Review: Oceania Riviera
Butlers, who service Penthouse Suites and up, leaned more formal, befitting their roles. Concierges, including those available to all passengers, calmly handled questions about, well, everything. A shoutout to the shore excursion desk, who fielded lots of questions and kept their cool.
Marina Inclusions
The passenger mix on Insignia is predominantly English-speaking -- about 85 to 90 percent American (depending on the itinerary), followed by Canadians and some Brits. A wider variation of cultures can be found on world cruises, and a slightly younger crowd sails the Caribbean itineraries. Overall, the essentials -- your room, the food, the surroundings, the crew -- are top-notch on Insignia, and a vacation with plenty of ports will distract from some of the gaps in programming. The ship has a lot of fans, and the contemporary, elegant look, outstanding dining and interesting itineraries will likely bring more into the fold. At 684 passengers, the ship is large enough to have most of the familiar attributes of a cruise ship, but onboard the environment is intimate -- and quiet. Passengers on Riviera are older -- expect most to fall into the 65-plus category, though the age skews younger when itineraries are shorter.
Insignia Review
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Riviera vibes like an adults-only ship, although children aged one-year-old and up are allowed to board. There are no kids clubs or programming and I didn’t see any little ones on my cruise. That's because there's never so much happening that attending a lecture or a game of shuffleboard would create a strain in a tight schedule. For many, that's a relief -- you can lie in the sun and sleep soundly at night knowing you only skipped golf putting.
How much does it cost to go on Oceania Riviera?
The variety of staterooms and suites do provide distinctly different experiences. Entry-level inside staterooms are but 174-square-feet yet still possess Riviera signatures, like a custom plush bed and granite and marble bath stocked with Bulgari toiletries. Veranda staterooms kick it up a big notch, with 291 square feet of space including a furnished teak veranda, and a larger bath.
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Where does Oceania Riviera sail from?
Most of them are American, with Canadians, Brits and Australians rounding out the mix, but passengers from many other countries often sail. You'll also find a few families onboard during the summer and around the holidays, when kids are free from the shackles of school. It’s astonishing that all complimentary restaurants use primo ingredients with abandon.
The passionate head sommelier explained each vintage and pairing in depth. Speaking of wine, I adored the bin finishing sheet added to restaurant wine lists; I found really good bottles at substantial discounts. On all ships, Oceania Cruises offers Go Green Tours, where cruisers engage with residents and businesses on conserving and sustaining surrounding environments. For example, in St. Kitts passengers may learn about hydroponic farming in rainforests, or in Athens, observe injured and ill sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation.
I tried, and liked, many new plant-based plates, such as power bowls with sea vegetables. Main restaurant Grand Dining Room felt as festive as specialty eateries and delivered sophisticated delicious plates night after night. Staterooms and suites were gutted during the recent redo, receiving a more modern design in tasteful neutral-driven brown and grey hues.
Oceania Insignia Dress Code
Menus are vast and balanced; even people who don't think of themselves as foodies will be happy with the selection. A recent renovation to Riviera updated some of the public areas and suite categories as part of the OceaniaNEXT program during an early 2019 dry-dock in Marseille. Its cabins are beautifully designed yet feel comfortable and sensible at the same time.
The notable exception is poolside, where there don't seem to be enough cocktail servers to keep up with passenger demand. As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel. Months later, I can still taste the illy crema, a frozen blend primarily of espresso and cream, at Baristas. I currently crave Waves Grill’s fragrant vanilla-forward milkshakes, and Wagyu burgers, their juices dripping down my hands. I see the tall chef in a tall toque expertly carving a crackling-skinned whole suckling pig at lunchtime in the Terrace Café.
It's the kind of ship where you can book an inside cabin, but still enjoy four specialty restaurants with no additional fees and never have to wait in a long queue. Where you can order a vegan smoothie or energy bowl after your morning workout, down wine during a cooking class and order multiple desserts after a long sea day of lying in the sun. The 1,238-passenger Riviera was built in 2012 and underwent a massive refurbishment in late 2022, including all staterooms and suites and many public venues.
Riviera hits the sweet spot for food and wine devotees, delivering exceptional cuisine, wine pairing extravaganzas, and culinary and vintner-driven shore excursions. The cruise line is at its best on longer itineraries, 10 nights and up; look for plenty of overnights and a minimum of sea days on many sailings. The line's culinary tours are not to be missed if you are interested in the interplay of food and culture, and appreciate small-sized tour groups. Polo Grill steakhouse’s bacon rolls were insane; don’t do as I did, which is eat the entire breadbasket before the big beefy main event.
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