My husband and I sailed on Oceania's 1,200 passenger ship, The Riviera, from Barcelona to Rome for 10 days in late May 2015. It was our first cruise ever and it was utterly grand in every way. In retrospect we started right at the top! Prior to the cruise I read the Oceania forum here on CruiseCritic.com and learned a LOT of valuable information about what to expect. However nothing prepared us for the sheer fabulosity of Oceania's Riviera!

We stayed in Barcelona for several days prior to the cruise. After embarking on May 22, 2015, we visited Spain's Costa Brava (Palamos), Marseille where we toured Provence, the French riviera (St. Tropez, Cannes, & Antibes), Monaco (Monte Carlo), and then Italy where we toured Portofino, Cinque Terre, Florence & Tuscany. Finally we disembarked in Rome. I'll review ports elsewhere; this review focuses on the ship.

Overall Impressions: I highly recommend Oceania's Riviera for its luxurious and elegant ambiance; the fresh, top-notch and expertly prepared food & extensive wine selection; the many cozy corners (indoors and outdoors) throughout the ship; the pristine cleanliness of literally every space we saw; the Canyon Ranch Spa; the Culinary Center; and most of all, the service. The crew and staff were very friendly, welcoming, responsive, hard-working, competent and professional. They were outstanding in every way. Despite working long hours, they always greeted us with a smile. If you want to see excellence in action, observe the staff. Read more