Insignia

[4hsfriends]

I was wondering why Insignia is not listed under the Oceania fleet? I'd like to read about what the ship has to offer. Where do I find out more information?

[LHT28]

She offers the same as the two other R-ships Regatta & Nautica

 

She is currently leased by Hapag LLoyd to return to the Oceania fleet in April

 

 

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/insignia/default.aspx

Edited November 15, 2013 by LHT28

[roothy123]

Insignia is going into drydock when she's returned (now sailing as Columbus 2 for Hapag Lloyd). It's my understanding that part of the refurbishment will include creation of a grill for dinner on the Terrace, similar to what Marina and Riviera have. At the grill, you can get chops, chicken, fish, often lamb chops or steak, grilled veggies, and usually some kind of carb like a potato. The meat is grilled to your specification. You can also go around the "buffet" (I say buffet, but most of the food is served rather than set out for you to help yourself) if you'd like to add something to your plate. We love eating on the Terrace, and are looking forward to the addition of the grill on Insignia.

[GeorgesGal]

We are really looking forward to the addition of the grill to the Terrace buffet. Surf and turf sandwiches for lunch - or just surf or turf - all the yummy selections found on Marina. Can't wait till September 6........ and sailing on another of these wonderful R ships.

 

Donna

Edited December 18, 2013 by George'sGal

[JimandStan]

all the yummy selections found on Marina

 

Don't set yourself up for a disappointment. The R ships are getting Grill Stations in the Terrace Cafe but nothing near as extensive as the set up on Marina and the Riviera.

 

There just isn't room-

[roothy123]

We are really looking forward to the addition of the grill to the Terrace buffet. Surf and turf sandwiches for lunch - or just surf or turf - all the yummy selections found on Marina. Can't wait till September 6........ and sailing on another of these wonderful R ships.

 

Donna

 

Well, I just realized I wasn't too clear about just what "grill" I was talking about, and maybe you're talking about Waves. I could be mistaken, but the "grill" I meant is a small one at the back of the Terrace area, before you go to the outside area (all ships, big and small) and it will be open for dinner only, I believe. At least that's how it is done on Marina. With 1200 pax it works, although you often have to wait 5-10 minutes in line, but it's worth it. (We eat there a lot, as we love eating outside, and love the informality of eating on the Terrace. However, I get a little tired of trolling for food there, and I sometimes wonder what the servers think as I walk round and round looking at everything!) But I digress...But in any case, maybe you were talking about the grill called "Waves" on Marina and Riviera which serves surf and turf sandwiches and the like. I don't remember if the R class ships have Waves, as the last couple years we have ended up on Marina.

 

I'm also looking forward to getting back to an "R" ship, although I DO love Marina, too. We generally pick our cruises by itinerary, and for the past 2 cruises, the ones we've chosen have been on Marina. This year, the Lisbon, Madeira, Spain and Canary Islands cruise on Insignia in late August really jumped out at me, so we will be on Insignia. The smallness of the ships is great, and with the addition of surf and turf (or salmon or filet mignon) at dinner, there is yet something else to love about those "R" ships!

[pacheco18]

Don't set yourself up for a disappointment. The R ships are getting Grill Stations in the Terrace Cafe but nothing near as extensive as the set up on Marina and the Riviera.

 

There just isn't room-

 

I asked about the r ship grills when speaking to the executive chef here on riviera

The menu will be less extensive BUT there will be lobster tails

That's good enough for me

[roothy123]

That's good to hear, although sometimes lobster on a cruise ship (even an Oceania one) is a tiny bit disappointing compared to a nice, fresh lobster cooked at a lobster pound in Maine! (Maybe I should switch to that fall in New England/Canada cruise......)

 

Of course, the "Maryland" crab cakes are a tad disappointing to this Marylander, too. I keep thinking I should bring a little container of Old Bay Seasoning.....

 

I'm getting hungry now, so off I go to the kitchen to find myself some lunch! It will certainly NOT be lobster, crab, Mahi Mahi or Cubano sandwich a la Waves!

[GeorgesGal]

I asked about the r ship grills when speaking to the executive chef here on riviera

The menu will be less extensive BUT there will be lobster tails

That's good enough for me

 

Laraine, Thanks for your input and first-hand knowledge! I knew I had read somewhere that the new grills would be similar to, but smaller than, the Waves Grill on Marina and Riviera.

 

Donna

[JimandStan]

Laraine' date=' Thanks for your input and first-hand knowledge! I knew I had read somewhere that the new grills would be similar to, but smaller than, the Waves Grill on Marina and Riviera.

 

Donna[/quote']

 

To be clear, Waves hadn't entered into the equation.

We were discussing the coming addition (in 2014) of grill stations inside the Terrace Restaurant(s) of the smaller ships.

[roothy123]

To be clear, Waves hadn't entered into the equation.

We were discussing the coming addition (in 2014) of grill stations inside the Terrace Restaurant(s) of the smaller ships.

 

Thanks for clarifying that, as I was talking about the grill inside the Terrace! I can't even remember at this point if Regatta and the other small ships have Waves - do they?

[pacheco18]

Thanks for clarifying that, as I was talking about the grill inside the Terrace! I can't even remember at this point if Regatta and the other small ships have Waves - do they?

 

Yes

Find the photo. Lol

[roothy123]

Yes

Find the photo. Lol

 

Thanks. Yep, I saw the photo, but Waves looks the same on each ship, so.....

[orchestrapal]

Thanks. Yep, I saw the photo, but Waves looks the same on each ship, so.....

 

And that's just why we feel so at home from ship to ship. :D

[JimandStan]

And that's just why we feel so at home from ship to ship. :D

 

Like all ships in the Oceania fleet, the R ships have a Waves Bar at the forward end of the Pool enclosure, and a Waves Grill at the aft end.

[LHT28]

I have not been on an R-ship since 2010 ...did they upgrade the Waves grill to look like the O class ships?

 

If not then the Waves grill does not really look like the photo Jim posted so maybe that is why Roothy missed it

 

Lyn

[Mura]

We were on Regatta in August 2011 and Waves looked the same as it always did. Which, yes, is different from the "O" ships version.

 

Are they plans afoot on the upcoming renovations to make Waves look more like the "O" ship versions? Seems to me (as with other spaces) that there really isn't room to do so.

 

Seems to me that on the "O" ships there's a lot more space for the "salad bar" portion of the space than there is on the "R" ships.

 

Maybe the next re-do of the "R" ships can "stretch" them ... I remember that NCL's DREAM (no longer in their fleet) was a "stretched" version ... but I don't know how much space was added in the "stretching" process.

 

Besides, I always have visions of the ship collapsing just where it was stretched!

 

(Then again, if such a thing were possible I'd like to think they'd only be adding maybe 20 feet of space for Waves ...)

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Maybe the next re-do of the "R" ships can "stretch" them ... I remember that NCL's DREAM (no longer in their fleet) was a "stretched" version ... but I don't know how much space was added in the "stretching" process.

 

Mura

 

OH NO

That was our 1 and only NCL cruise on the DREAM ..it should have been call the nightmare

Our cabin was ahead of the dining room so you had to go through the dining room to get there

People would make nasty remarks as we went ahead of the line so we could go change for dinner, thinking we were butting in

 

Lyn

[Mura]

Oh my, Lyn, that would be awful! I agree!!

 

When did you do that cruise? We booked the DREAM after Ren went bust. It replaced what was supposed to have been a Hong Kong-Singapore cruise with a Buenos Aires-Valpo cruise.

 

We had lots of Ren survivors on the cruise. I just know that Howard and I kept saying "but Ren did it better". If I wanted to plug in my computer in our cabin I had to unplug the TV. And we had a mini-suite that was comparable to a PH on the "R" ships.

 

When we were at the buffet the crew would prepare a tray for you ... taking much longer than if you did it yourself.

 

The cruise itself in terms of ports and such was fine. But we weren't that happy with the ship itself ... and if we'd encountered your problems with walking to your cabin, oh dear.

 

So forget I made the suggestion! :)

 

Mura

[orchestrapal]

We were on the Dream(not so much) on our first cruise in an Owners Suite on the top of the stretched section of the ship. Aside of it being an NCLcruise one could not tell that the suites were an addition, well done!

[Mura]

Very interesting! We had booked what I thought was a suite, but we only booked a month before sailing and so most likely the larger ones were gone. So I was disappointed in our "suite" which really wasn't. But I saw one of the real suites that was occupied by a friend of ours that we met on the cruise and that was easily twice the size of ours.

 

And she was traveling alone!

 

Our section of the ship was supposed to be non-smoking but someone in a nearby cabin definitely WAS smoking. Our cabin stewardess told us the smell was overwhelming inside the cabin. I got the feeling she didn't feel comfortable in reporting the occupant ... but somebody must have because it very suddenly stopped.

 

Mura

 

Oh dear, sorry for having gotten so off-topic. I will refrain henceforth ...

Edited December 25, 2013 by Mura