Vista Suite

[nearly there]

We just returned from the Athens-Barcelona cruise on the Insignia. Hopefully, I'll find time in the near future for a longer review, but I did want to share our impressions of our Vista Suite (6002). Both the size and layout of the suite were excellent. It was lovely having a proper dining table, 2 televisions and a separate sleeping area. The bed was incredibly comfortable and the bed linen and towels were very luxurious. The storage space was amazing, especially in the bathroom which seemed to have a perfect place for everything. As opposed to some comments in a previous thread, we loved having the "guest bath" and didn't particularly mind climbing into the tub to shower; however I can see that someone with even very minor mobility problems could find that climb somewhat difficult. Also, on a positive note, we were not at all bothered by noise from the Insignia Lounge below us, something which I was somewhat concerned about prior to our cruise.

 

However....there were 2 issues which did bother us and which I think anyone booking this suite should be aware of. Firstly, while the balcony was wonderfully large, there was absolutely no shade on it. Sailing west in the Med in August, meant that you would have to be a true sun-lover (and want to fry) to use the balcony between about 12 noon and 7 PM. I spoke to our butler about getting a parasol or some kind of sun shade and his reply was that this was impossible for safety reasons. He said he knew for sure that the chief safety office would not allow it, as other passengers had made the same request on previous sailings. I certainly can understand that it would not be possible to have any kind of parasol when the ship is moving, and indeed, it isn't necessary, as the breeze on our 1 sea day, made the balcony quite pleasant, but I don't really understand why some kind of sun protection can't be offered when the ship is docked in port.

 

Secondly, and more disturbing, was the noise and vibration that awakened us very early each morning as we docked. On our first morning, we were so startled that we nearly jumped out of bed as it felt as if our whole suite was about to detach itself from the rest of the ship. On subsequent mornings, we at least knew what to expect and on some mornings I managed to fall back asleep. The worst mornings were the 2 days at tender ports; the sound and movement of the anchor being lowered was quite extreme. Not having to wake up early is one of the real treats for me when I am on vacation and being awakened between 6 and 7AM most mornings was not fun! We certainly didn't let this spoil our vacation, but I do think that Oceania ought to point out this problem when selling their second most expensive suite. I wonder if this problem only happens on deck 6 or if the Vista suites on deck 7 suffer similar noise and vibration.

 

Finally, just to add that my brother and family were on the cruise with us and had an Owner's suite. For the relatively small difference in price, we think that the Owner's suite was far superior and well worth the extra cost.

[isabella52]

:) which OS did your brother have? I have booked 6088 on Nautica & would love to talk to someone who has been in an OS on 6 - also am wondering about port vs. starboard?

[cruzemaven]

The 7th deck vista suite vibrates slightly less then the cabin beneath. Our friends were in your cabin on the Athens to Athens cruise 2 weeks ago...and she had things fall out of her closet when docking or anchoring. Passengers who want to sleep past 7:00 should avoid these rooms. We are early risers and were up and about before the shaking and the rattling would start. The best place to be when docking or leaving port was outside on the balcony...the vibration was not as bad there. I would definitely stay in the Vista Suite again. I liked it even better than the owners suite that we stayed in last year...for one simple reason...there was more daylight hitting the vanity table area and easier to see oneself in the mirror to apply make-up. I found the vanity area in the Owner's Suite was too dimly lit. I also found the water pressure in the shower to be superior in the Vista Suite. Last summer the pressure in the Owner's Suite was awful...the water just trickled out...we complained constantly but they couldn't fix it. Hopefully, it's much better now...as we are booked in an Owner's Suite in December.

[nearly there]

:) which OS did your brother have? I have booked 6088 on Nautica & would love to talk to someone who has been in an OS on 6 - also am wondering about port vs. starboard?

 

I think my brother was in 6091, can't remember if it was port or starboard. I know that he thought it was much better to be in an OS on 6 than on 8. He had been in an OS on 8 on a previous cruise and thought that there was quite a bit of noise from deck 9 above because of furniture being moved morning and evening.

 

No complaints from him about the water pressure, so maybe it's been fixed.

[cruzemaven]

We were on deck 8 and you do here the chairs scraping above you at some point. So, I would opt for deck 7 or 6 in the owner's suites.