Insignia Midnight Sun Cruise

[abc111]

We were on the Midnight Sun Cruise June 23 to July 10. We found the cruise disappointing. We had been informed of the problem with 2 engine generators and that some ports (including Stavanger) would be missed. We were NOT informed that the cruise along the ice pack and around Spitzbergen would not happen until we were on board. It was claimed that there was too much ice (isn't there always??). No mention was made of the engine problem bit I'm sure it was a factor.

 

For the most part, the ports were uninteresting. Bergen and Oslo were OK, but we had already been there (as had most of the passengers). The small towns (Harford, Christiansand, etc.) had little to offer beyond highly overpriced food and souvenirs.

 

The service was very good (BUT not excellent as in the past when staffing levels were higher). The food was typically excellent. One bad incident in Toscana: our dinner was served slowly and inaccurately-after 2 hours we had not received our mail dish. Others served by our waiter were fine. Finely the Maitre De woke u and apologized profusely, offering a difficult to believe excuse (injured chefs) and offered us another dinner with special dishes. Next day I was sick with a virus, as were several others in that dining room. After the special dinner a few days later, the maitre de was insisted that we rate the restaurant excellent on our questionnaire. This all left a bad taste!

 

The internet was slow and overly expensive (an old story). But there were plenty of ports with convenient wifi. The ship docked in Dover, which is inconvenient for Heathrow ( a 2+ hour taxi ride- the ship could not guarantee toi get us there on time).

 

Overall, a disappointing and often boring cruise.

[Mura]

It's certainly unfortunate that you didn't enjoy the cruise -- we did this cruise last year and it was marvelous, but we didn't miss any ports on our itinerary.

 

But to complain about docking in Dover because it's inconvenient to Heathrow is a bit surprising to me. It's not as if it's a surprise that Dover is the port since Oceania (and Renaissance before it) have long used Dover as the port for London. You would have had the same problem if they were docking in Southampton.

 

It's just part of your considerations in planning the cruise. It's not as if Dover is the only port that is not close to a major city.

 

Fortunately for us, whenever we have arrived or left from Dover, we use it as an opportunity to spend a few days in London ... or on occasion, even Dover itself.

 

Mura

[dwelsh]

Sorry to of your dissapointment with Insignia.

We had originally booked that itinerary but had to change to Marina's "Route of the Vikings," which, apart from lousy entertainment, was terrific.

Good point Mura about British ports, only the smallest of cruise ships dock in London proper. I'd rather go from Dover or Southampton to LHR than from the environs of Los Angeles to LAX!!!

[Mura]

As a native born Los Angelena who has been living in NYC for many, MANY years ... I agree about getting to LAX from the outer boros, as it were.

 

The problem is that when you are going to ANY major city, airports and seaports tend to be quite a distance away.

[spindrift]

abc111, I would talk to your travel agent because we received 2 notices about itinerary changes, and one from Oceania. We were aware of all the changes.

 

If you were to consider that you were going to ports to see what life is like in that area, you would not be bored. You saw the ports. Did you do any research on them before you booked the cruise? I have travelled throughout the world, and it is a delight to see places (many on this trip I had already been years ago) and the way people live.

 

I just think that when you book a trip, know where you are going and do your research.

 

I agree that Toscana was not the best. I, too, became ill about 4 a.m. after having had dinner in Toscana, and I advised the doctor. Fortunately I was okay after 24 hours, but this has never happened before. I was told that it was not likely that it was from the food in Toscana. I will tell you that I come from a healthcare background and it was the food, but remember, this can happen right here in our neighborhood and even our own kitchen. We did cancel our future reservations in Toscana and enjoyed wonderful dinners in Polo altho Tapas is our favorite on these ships.

 

In summary, sorry you weren't aware of your ports and their features. Try researching the ports in the future before you book.

[Mura]

Spindrift, your points are well taken.

 

However, I have some additional comments. When we had major itinerary changes on the November 2005 non-Libya cruise lots of people weren't aware until they boarded. True, in that case the changes were very last minute. Those of us who knew about the changes were active on the various internet lists. (At that time we didn't do Cruise Critic except occasionally -- most of the time I got my info from the yahoo board.)

 

But I was very surprised when we boarded in Barcelona that there were no notices in the reception area about the itinerary changes. They were fairly severe! If you had booked private tours in Casablanca or Valetta (just as two examples), you were in for some very rude surprises. And of course we didn't go to Libya at all.

 

Now, I would think that TAs would have notified their clients of the changes. But clearly they didn't. But in the non-Libya situation, I don't recall our TA notifying us -- and we have a super super TA. But, as I said, I knew because of my participation on the internet.

 

Yes, it's worth making a complaint to your TA in such a situation. But it isn't always their fault either. I don't know the specifics about the itinerary changes on the Midnight Sun cruise this year, other than that we saw posts here at Cruise Critic well in advance of the sail date.

 

Now, maybe the OP didn't do research on the ports ... but I have to agree that Kristiansand is not my favorite, and we've been there twice! It can be a pleasant day ... but it's not a super port.

 

On OUR Midnight Sun cruise last year, we had ports that for the most part were great. I wasn't happy about Murmansk but it wasn't horrible. Most of the Norwegian ports were fine, and we did have private tours booked in a number of them.

 

I'm just not sure we should criticize someone for not doing research when we don't know that research wasn't done.

 

And if several people were taken ill after meals in Toscana -- wow! I've never heard of that happening before but it does sound as if there was a problem in the kitchen.

 

Mura

[doubledobles]

We too are off the Land of the Midnight Sun cruise on Insignia. This was our 21st Oceania Cruise and we thought it would never end. It was boring and, to top it off, the entertainment was even more boring, except for the magician.

 

We used the internet very little, as it was down so much due to the fjords and locations.

 

We loved being back on Oceania but will never do that itinerary again.

[spindrift]

Oh my, I didn't mean to criticize by discussing port research. I, too, had been to Kristiansand before and Mura, you are correct, but again, being onboard O alone was wonderful (except for 24 hrs :rolleyes:). I had been to Kristiansund which is more north near Tromso (similar name except for spelling). THAT was a beautiful spot and we docked right in town (on Silver Cloud).

 

Altho some of the ports, such as Murmansk, aren't exciting or beautiful, I still find it interesting to see life as they see it. I found Murmansk somewhat depressing, but our guide was so thrilled to have us and talked about his life and staying in Murmansk. People and places around the world are such an education.

 

I am so sad for the wonderful people in Oslo. We had just been there. Never know what is going to happen around the world.

[Mura]

I confess to being taking somewhat aback by the most recent negative comments about this cruise. Heretofore I'd only seen generally positive reactions.

 

We did this cruise last year and loved it. We certainly didn't find it boring.

 

Some caveats -- the name was the same but there were already some port changes even before the generator problems were announced, so it wasn't exactly the same. Stavanger was one of the highlights for us so it is indeed a real pity that was dropped. We also have always enjoyed Hammerfest and Harstad, to name just two ... and I'm not sure if they were on this year's itinerary or not. But I think they were.

 

Kristiansand is a beach resort, not a metropolis. Even so it has its charms. We took the little trolley into town and walked around a bit. Entered the church to discover a chamber music recital under way (flute, violin and cello). Listened to the end, checked out the gorgeous fruit and vegetable market in the main plaza by the church and then caught a bus to the botanic gardens which are lovely. Took a cab back home and were very pleased with the day. It didn't hurt that the weather was gorgeous when we were there.

 

Murmansk. Well, it's not my favorite port but it just about met my expectations. Some people on our cruise thought we were only there so O could get cheap gas, but maybe we were there because there just aren't that many ports when you are so far north. No one that I know of considered getting a visa for only one port (now, had it been St. Petersburg ...) so we were dependent on ship's tours. Most of us got the idea when we couldn't find ANY tour agencies in Murmansk, and indeed the guide on our tour was a college student. His English was excellent and he knew is subject well. But it's not as if there is nothing to see there, even though the museum we visited is not going to make the Met or British Museum quake in their boots! I don't have to go back and now I can say I've been there.

 

Spitzbergen was most interesting with a very excellent museum. I can't say I expected that!

 

I certainly don't expect everyone to have my same opinions about a port and, as I said, we didn't have the exact same itinerary. I think I'm glad we did this one in 2010 and not 2011 however ...

 

Mura

[LHT28]

We were also on the cruise last summer with Mura

..boring was not a word I would use to describe the trip either

 

I wonder what was expected of the ports :confused::confused: ..yes there were not any Diamond International or taxis trying to get you in the cab for a tour, no Carlos & charlies with cheap drinks

what there was were ports with wonderful views

 

For those that missed the Polar ice you can view our photos @

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2343288080101934561teEqnB

[b1brownfamily]

I've read with interest the negative reviews of this cruise. We would have liked to have had one or two days fewer at sea (if Stavanger had not been dropped, itinerary would have been just about right). However, we carefully researched every single port and set up or participated in CC member tours at several of them. I've just finished editing our pictures and am amazed at all we saw and did, from hiking in Kristiansand, Harstadt and behind the ship's dock in Honnigsvag, to kayaking Geirangerfjord (our only Oceania excursion), to an amazing private tour for 8 that took us from Geiranger to Hellesylt...to name just a few things. Yes, Murmansk was bleak and dismal, but my takeaway was an appreciation for the people who live there and were not blessed with our good fortune. We had wonderful food in the Grand Dining Room as well as in the specialty restaurants (though the service was spotty in the Polo for us). In general, it was a totally different trip for us...one we wouldn't do again just because there are so many other places we want to see, but definitely not one we regret taking.

[trina2]

I was also on the same cruise as OP and during the cruise, I never came across anyone who wasn't enjoying it, so I was surprised to see a thumbs down in the title.

 

 

There was only one port dropped (Stavanger), which was a little disappointing.

 

 

As to the Polar Ice Barrier, we did indeed see it (and crew retrieved ice). Until I saw the letter on the bed, I was unaware that there were plans to circumnavigate Spitzbergen – I thought we were just going to sail up to the Polar Ice Barrier (not through the ice, as we were not in an icebreaker), so no disappointment there. I, for one, was happy to forgo circumnavigation if it meant we would not get stuck or do damage.

 

Magdalene Bay (earlier that day) was spectacular!

 

Getting up at 3:30am to watch sunrise as we started our sail into Geirangerfjord was magical.

 

All the ports were exactly as we had expected – we researched them all beforehand to help decide on excursions etc. There was plenty to do and see in all the ports for the time allotted to them and in general, we wandered about ourselves or took public transport (trams in Oslo etc). Fish markets everywhere were fascinating and the little towns were picturesque (Murmansk, the exception)

 

We did do 3 ship excursions (Murmansk, Geiranger & North Cape) and while I would agree they were overpriced, they were thoroughly enjoyable.

 

The scenic drive up to North Cape was wonderful. Not even the thick fog up the top (so thick that when you got out of the bus, you had no idea which direction to go – the large building of Norkapphallen was invisible until you got within 3 feet!) spoiled the fun, searching for the Children of the Earth monument. Bonus: when you did stumble upon them, there was not another person in sight – so you could take your time photographing them from every angle. On a clear day, that could be a problem.

 

I can’t imagine there being a higher staff ratio as there were only 590 (I think) passengers on board. We found the service excellent and the staff delightful (with the exception of the Maitre D’ from Toscana*)

The food was excellent, though we found the Polo Grill to be overrated – the steak I had in the GDR was better and cooked to perfection (steak in Polo Grill tended to be overcooked – if going by their description on their menu)

 

*Only negative was the Maitre D’ from Toscana whom we found to be annoying and unprofessional: he called out orders to staff from one end of the restaurant to the other; made mistakes seating guests then blamed the waiter and even the guest! ; twice, he decided to take our order (without writing it down), then blamed the waiter serving it when it was wrong (this happened at other tables too); coughed into his hand and then handed out menus without washing/disinfecting his hands; then chased after guests all the way to the elevators asking for favourable comments on the survey.

Kudos to the rest of the staff in Toscana who had to put up with him and fix his errors and maintain their professionalism. Because we had reservations in conjunction with others, we had to endure him on 3 separate occasions, and so his joke of putting down a plate with 1 grain of rice or piece of gnocchi, wore a bit thin. Didn’t mean to make this paragraph so long – it’s just that I had nothing else to complain about! :p

 

While I would never consider returning to Murmansk, I do not regret the experience. The sail in was interesting with all the abandoned wrecks/submarines etc. Having travelled to Russia before (and not just to the rich cities of SP and Moscow), I was still unprepared for the immense scale of depressing Soviet architecture and the realisation that it would be a long time before Murmansk would be “rebuilt”. As our student guide put it: there is nothing as permanent as temporary housing.

 

Docking in Murmansk, watching the crew struggling with getting the gangway over the railroad tracks was also interesting. Stray dogs (happily, they all looked well-fed) watched the crew heaving on the ropes and decided to help them by pulling on the tapes that were connected to the welcome/barrier posts, bringing them down, much to the annoyance of the Russian officials. :D And then finally, the storming of the ship by at least 30 officials, to be wined-and -dined ;) (oops, I mean... to clear the ship). Amazingly all 30-odd officials stayed on board until it was time to set sail again (though only 2 officials were needed to check our passports etc when we reboarded)

 

To Lyn and Mura: the 2011 cruise was, in our opinion, wonderful and not in the least bit boring or disappointing (even the loss of Stavanger was quickly forgotten once we got over the original disappointment long before the actual cruise)

 

As to would I do it again? Yes, but only after I have run out of new places to go.

[Paulchili]

 

The scenic drive up to North Cape was wonderful. Not even the thick fog up the top (so thick that when you got out of the bus, you had no idea which direction to go – the large building of Norkapphallen was invisible until you got within 3 feet!) spoiled the fun, searching for the Children of the Earth monument. Bonus: when you did stumble upon them, there was not another person in sight – so you could take your time photographing them from every angle. On a clear day, that could be a problem.

 

This is what I call making lemonade out of lemons - good for you! With an attitude like this you'll never have a bad cruise (wish more of us could be like this).

Thank you for this well balanced report.

[LHT28]

To Lyn and Mura: the 2011 cruise was, in our opinion, wonderful and not in the least bit boring or disappointing (even the loss of Stavanger was quickly forgotten once we got over the original disappointment long before the actual cruise)

 

As to would I do it again? Yes, but only after I have run out of new places to go.

I am glad you enjoyed the cruise

We really enjoyed ours last year

I even liked Murmansk just wish we could have seen more of it

not all ports are pretty & easy to navigate but that is what make them different

 

I would do the cruise again in a heartbeat

 

Lyn

[raffeer]

Trina2- Lovely review. Thanks for posting.

[spindrift]

Trina2, what a wonderful review, and I agree about Toscana. We cancelled our rezies there after the first visit, which I became ill at 4:00 am after having been there (this was our 2nd night onboard). The doctor dismissed my comments about my having just eaten in Toscana and then became ill, but he quickly understood when I told him I am "retired healthcare."

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and as you, we would do it again when we have completed other trips. I did a similar trip to the North Cape with my Mother many years ago on Silver Cloud, and that, too, was a real delight.

[cathi]

Don't you love it when someone post a negative with their 1st post??!!! So who on board told him about CC???

[Paulchili]

Don't you love it when someone post a negative with their 1st post??!!! So who on board told him about CC???

 

I agree.

Unfortunately it's human nature - people are much more likely to speak up (post) when they have complaints than when they are satisfied.

Sad but true.