Oceania Riviera in Japan – Discovering a Premium Experience – Part I

Oceania Cruises and I have had a somewhat curious relationship over the years, but many of the quirks that used to be frustrating points seem to have been eliminated and I have luxury-leaning clients that love the product on its newer ships.  So it is time to take a realistic look at the Oceania Cruises experience!

Oceania Cruises has, for me, as its strongest point, some of the most creative and interesting itineraries offered by any cruise line. This has always been, for me, its most compelling offer. 

In addition to creative itineraries, Oceania pitches itself as having, “The Finest Cuisine at Sea”.  While I am going in considering it a bit of puffery, I am hoping “the walk is fairly consistent with the talk”.  However, there is also La Reserve by Wine Spectator which offers a few different pairing menus, obviously including wines, during the cruise. At $180 per person, it is not for everyone, but I intend on experiencing it to see if it truly offers up “the finest cuisine at sea”.  

Part of my mission is to see how Oceania measures up against true luxury products (should this be included in the category) and if not, is it worth the compromises it may present. 

For me, an itinerary that caught my eye is the Oceania Riviera March 20, 2024, Roundtrip Tokyo twelve-night sailing. This cruise is roundtrip Toyko and hits both the “must do” cities and some of the less popular ones; a really nice balance. But there is only one sea day (though, curiously, the online itinerary shows three…if you don’t look closely), so early nights will probably be the rule; the small cost of a very interesting intensive itinerary:

• Wednesday, March 20 – Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
• Thursday, March 21 – Nagoya, Japan
• Friday, March 22 – Kochi, Japan
• Saturday, March 23 – Kagoshima, Japan
• Sunday, March 24 – Nagasaki, Japan
• Monday, March 25 – Busan, South Korea
• Tuesday, March 26 – Hiroshima, Japan
• Wednesday, March 27 – Beppu, Japan
• Thursday, March 28 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean
• Friday, March 29 – Kyoto (Kobe), Japan
• Saturday, March 30 – Kyoto (Kobe), Japan
• Sunday, March 31- Shimizu, Japan
• Monday, April 1 – Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan

As Japan – and Asia overall – is becoming more popular I am also utilizing this cruise to expand my knowledge, so I can be most effective in guiding my clients. In 2015 I went to Kyoto (one of my favorite cities anywhere), Osaka (an amazing food scene), and Nada, but Japan is a very complex and diverse country.  There is so much to experience and understand culturally, culinarily, politically, and historically.  In fact, so much so that I feel like I am only first immersing myself.

I will be starting my journey flying in Tokyo. There are two airports, Narita and Haneda, with the latter being very close to the city and the former being about 45 minutes away, so be aware when booking your flights. (While it is perceived that flying to Asia is an act of endurance, for me it is actually a shorter journey than flying to Europe!)  

Upon arrival, I will be spending four days in Tokyo staying at the Tokyo EDITION hotel (a luxury Marriott property) in a Premier Tokyo Tower view room.  Tokyo is huge, even compared to New York City and each “city” within Tokyo has its own vibe, so to maximize my time, I will be using two different local guides to assist me on Days 2, 3, and 4; both “going local” and historically understanding Tokyo. I also fully expect to be out and about in the famous and integral Toyko nightlife!  (My son spent a summer in Tokyo, so I have had some assistance from him!)

After Tokyo, there is a 40-minute drive to the Oceania Riviera in Yokohama.  Oceania Riviera is one of Oceania Cruises’ larger ships, with 1,250 guests, entering service in 2012 and then undergoing a major refurbishment in December 2022 including new furnishings, restyled bathrooms, adding outlets and USB ports, refreshing most public areas, and adding a new alfresco trattoria/pizzeria. 

Oceania Riviera will be the largest cruise ship (most people too) I have cruised on in over a decade…and there have been quite a few experiences in that past decade-plus.  One thing I will be focusing on is not whether it is different – clearly, it will be – but how much of a difference will it actually make. I have many clients that in their minds the issue is the number of passengers on a ship, rather than how (or if) that increase in numbers truly affects their cruise and travel experience. (And, of course, techniques to lessen or eliminate any impact.)

Oceania Riviera’s refurbishment was intended to somewhat bring her in line with Oceania’s newest ships, the Oceania Vista (2023) and the Oceania Allure (2025).  (Oceania Riviera has a sister ship, Marina, which had a lesser refurbishment in 2021. Oceania also has four smaller, older former R-ships, which I will not more than occasionally mention in these articles.) 

Oceania has definite classes on its ships with Owners, Vista, and Oceania Suites having many similar options, but a few less as one moves down. Penthouses have fewer amenities but retain the use of 24-hour butler service. While complimentary laundry is nice, it limits it to three bags and each bag can have no more than 20 items. Both limitations at those price points seem inappropriate. (Bring enough underwear or use the launderettes.). Suites and Concierge staterooms also have access to dining reservations before the rest of the ship and private lounges (no alcohol, though).

Speaking of dining, Oceania Riviera has seven primary dining areas. While the Grand Dining Room has open seating, as do Terrace Cafe (with a buffet) and Waves Grill (the pool/pizzeria venue), the four specialty restaurants: Polo Grill, Toscana, Red Ginger, and Jacques (Jacques Pepin branded venue) all require reservations. (You are given one for each restaurant, but suites and concierge have access weeks before the rest of the ship, so in most instances, I found the best times aren’t available.)

As I mentioned, there is a premium dining venue, La Reserve by Wine Spectator. There is a six-course Dom Perignon Experience, a seven-course La Cuisine Bourgeoise, and a six-course The Odyssey menu.  I plan on experiencing the latter two, as the premium to drink champagne rather than the cuisine, just doesn’t excite me.

There is also a cooking class and I will try out the Passport to Asia experience. 

Oceania Cruises is working through its transition from what it called O’Life (where you received a varying amount of onboard credits to put towards onboard charges and shore excursions) to its new program called Simply More.  I see Simply More as a version of Oceania’s big sister, Regent Seven Seas’, approach of everything (here “most”) being “free”…when nothing is actually free as you are paying for it.

To put things into perspective, before I delve into Simply More, Regent Seven Seas offers a similar cruise at about the same time.  The least expensive suite for this luxury experience offered by its sister brand on the sold-out cruise with fewer guests was $20,600 cruise only, total for two.  On Oceania Riviera, the price is $20,400 and there is availability. When you add the extra costs to best align the products (beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities, etc.) there seems to be something of note, but if you are in a stateroom, the price disparity disappears with a nice standard veranda stateroom costing $13,600, total for two; a significant difference where accepting the extra charges seem to provide a better value proposition.

Simply More is promoted as 

• Free Roundtrip Air (You can take a credit and better control your air)
• Free Airport Transfers (Group transfers only)
• Free Shore Excursions (A curated group, but more robust ones are available for purchase)
• Champagne, Wine & More (A curated list available at lunch and dinner only)
• Free Gourmet Dining (As before, most all dining venues are at no extra charge)
• Free Unlimited Wi-Fi (Standard speed and only one device)

I have purchased the Prestige Select Beverage Package, providing me an open bar experience, at a cost of $896 for my twelve-day cruise. I will also be purchasing a second Wi-Fi package so that I can operate my phone and laptop at the same time. Upgrades on the Wi-Fi are expensive! It costs $9.99 a day for WaveNet Prime (higher speeds and bandwidth) and $24.99 or $34.98 per day for a second device.  This is another $420 for my purposes. In short, for about $1,300 per person, you can make your beverage and Wi-Fi experiences top-notch. 

I am not a fan of included excursions, regardless of lines, as generally, they are not the best excursions, and if you are like me – more independent and wanting more in-depth experiences – you are paying for something you won’t use and if you do, you may feel underwhelmed. 

However, I do feel I am required to experience a few to fairly evaluate them…and hopefully, be surprised. Unfortunately, this has been a source of real frustration.  I have attempted to book Oceania tours for months and, with few exceptions, have been faced with waitlist or sold-out messages. I even have a booking that says, “Booked. Waitlisted.”  So, it appears I have only one short Oceania excursion booked, but I am curious to see how many of my waitlisted tours eventually become available.  (I have used this frustrating situation to see how well Viator and Tours by Locals work in Japan. More on that in another article!)

My daily experiences will range from wandering towns, to culinary tours, to ancient onsens (hot mineral water baths), to more organized historical and cultural affairs. And, of course, each city/town in Japan is markedly different – ranging from ancient temples to beautiful nature views to different cuisines – which makes it all the more interesting and exciting.

As I started this article, the fact that Oceania Riviera offers such an in-depth itinerary with plenty of time in each port, is its greatest strength…and isn’t that why most of us travel?

Next up: Getting there and Tokyo!