We are a couple in our mid to late fifties having cruised on many different lines with thirty plus cruises under our belt, we were highly anticipating this cruise as it was a visit to the "Holy Land". We cruised on the Oceania Riviera last December in the Caribbean and had a great cruise and became converts! Our go to cruise line has been Celebrity for years but Oceania has got it figured out! There is no comparison necessary, Oceania takes it to a new level! How both Riviera and Marina ships which are almost identical in every way could be so different blows my mind. We were happy with the Riviera last December but after cruising for 15 days on the Marina...my goodness, the food, service, management and staff are to be congratulated on the job they are doing. The restaurant staff as well others on board new our names by the second day. Always greeting us with professional courtesy. The wine stewards, even if they were not serving us would come up to us and greet us as they remembered us the night before in the restaurant. The Phillipino and Indonesian staff are the best, always greeting us with a smile and politeness seldom experienced. If there was an issue, they quickly corrected it. The staff and management on this ship could not do enough to make sure everything was right. There was also a lot of South American hosts and wine stewards that were simply awesome! The ironic part to this cruise was the heavily anticipated visit to Israel which we have been trying to visit for the last several years. It actually turned out to be the disappointment of all the ports. We enjoyed, Sicily as usual, Cypress, Rhodes, Malta for Gozo and Palma de Majorca. The only port we missed due to high swells was Gythion. The weather was excellent throughout the cruise, very comfortable, not short weather but light clothes was all you required. Great touring weather. We enjoyed all the specialty restaurants, favorites being Jacques and Toscana with Red Ginger and Polo Grill very close. We only ate in the main dining room for dinner twice, one night was great the other a disappointment. Breakfast was always excellent in the main dining room as well the occasional lunch. It is befitting of a dining room in some 5 star hotel in Europe..simply beautiful. The Terrace Cafe and Wave Grill was always very good. The ship has a capacity of 1250, but the ship only had approximately 1000 persons on board. The ship has been maintained well however the rooms are in need of a refreshing as wear and tear is somewhat noticeable. We would certainly consider a Penthouse suite next time as the extra space would be welcomed especially in the clothes closet as in the staterooms it is an annoyance trying to access and move around. Cabin stewards were pleasant and were efficient. Concierge was helpful to us and followed up when there was an issue. The gym and spa area were excellent with sauna and steam rooms. Never busy, the Terrace deck was a private sanctuary which we enjoyed! The only difference with this private enclave is the Riviera has an Infinity type therapy pool as opposed to the Marina with two separate whirlpools. We enjoyed La Reserve by Wine Spectator, Food wine pairing event one night. The Odyssey menu, we had tried this on the Riviera and was blown away and the repeat experience lived up to our original encounter. A special treat for sure! All in all a great cruise, one of our best! Looking for our next Oceania cruise or two for next year. Enjoy!