Yesterday was another big day amongst the many we’ve had onboard Riviera. First, it marked the beginning of the 10-day countdown to Riviera’s Maiden Voyage. And it was also the day Riviera arrived in Monte Carlo, where the first guests embarked who will sail with us on Riviera’s Christening Cruise. It was such a pleasure to welcome them onboard to share in our celebration of Riviera’s debut.
As you’ve probably already guessed, this was another occasion calling for celebration. Horizons was hopping all evening long with a cocktail reception and the sail-away party. Carlito poured the champagne.
Senior Executive Chef Christophe Belin created an array of beautiful hors d’oeuvres and delicious pastries for the events.
Vice President of Sales & Marketing James Rodriguez (far left) and Vice President of National Accounts Nathan Hickman (far right) were two of the Oceania Cruises team members offering warm welcomes to our guests. 
Even though many guests had just arrived in Monte Carlo after long flights, the excitement onboard Riviera inspired everyone, and the celebration continued well into the evening.
Finally we all had to get some rest because today Riviera arrived the port of Marseille, where the grand Notre-Dame de la Garde Cathedral overlooks the yacht-filled harbor.
Marseille is a bustling modern city with a colorful past. Bold, contemporary buildings are going up throughout the city even as the historic 19th century facades are being restored. Marseille is also famous as the origin of that delicious Provençal fish stew, bouillabaisse, and as Daniela and I disembarked this morning, we had one thing on our minds – seafood!
You can tell the city is serious about fish just by some of the beautiful custom tableware we came across.
The sight of the escargot in the local market certainly whet our appetites.
We found a lovely café in no time and were soon enjoying a gazpacho appetizer before we moved on to our seafood entrée.
We decided crustaceans were the order of the day, and we were quite pleased when the server brought out the lobsters for us to make our selection.
It was a fantastic lunch in a beautiful city. The interesting thing is that despite how wonderful our day in Marseille was, I am still looking forward to our day at sea tomorrow so I can spend more time enjoying Riviera!
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wow lobster yummy i miss it,
Posted by: Estelita Sanchez | May 8, 2012 at 05:24 AM
I wish I was there - can't wait to be onboard soon!
Posted by: Name Jeni Schrimsher | May 7, 2012 at 06:50 PM