Cabin Inquiry: Insignia

[st5310]

We have just booked a back-to-back in July 2021 on Insignia and I have a question about the cabin we are interested in--#8001 (PH3).  My question is whether there is any difference between 8001 and 8003 with regard to location.  I'm guessing not much, if any, but if you have experience with this suite please share.

 

This will be our 2nd cruise on Insignia, our first back in 2018.  Thank you kindly.

[Flatbush Flyer]

17 minutes ago, st5310 said:

We have just booked a back-to-back in July 2021 on Insignia and I have a question about the cabin we are interested in--#8001 (PH3).  My question is whether there is any difference between 8001 and 8003 with regard to location.  I'm guessing not much, if any, but if you have experience with this suite please share.

 

This will be our 2nd cruise on Insignia, our first back in 2018.  Thank you kindly.

Oceania no longer uses the term "back to back."

 

There are "extended journeys" (multi-segments marketed as a single cruise with a single booking number) and "custom cruises" (unadvertised multi-segments joined by a single booking number) both of which represent consecutive segments. But, the importance of the distinction relates to the associated discounts/loyalty perks (search the several CC forum threads where we've discussed this in detail). So, the concept of B2B (back to back) really needs clarification when it comes to the "bottom line." And using the B2B term can only causes confusion at some point.

 

Over the past 18+\- months, Oceania has moved to not allowing multiple consecutive segments to be sold as separate cruises with separate booking numbers. As might be expected, some TAs have not "gotten the memo" and do make such bookings until corrected by the Miami O office. (One associated problem is that it took the IT folks some time to figure out how to allow website account registration of the "custom cruise" booking numbers (now operational).

 

Among other things, doing traditional "back-to-back" (w/ separate booking numbers) bookings can be problematic when it comes to things like PVSA requirements. And, as aforementioned, there are some Oceania loyalty perks vs fare discounts equations that can make for math challenges when itinerary length(s) are considered.

[st5310]

12 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Oceania no longer uses the term "back to back."

 

There are "extended journeys" (multi-segments marketed as a single cruise with a single booking number) and "custom cruises" (unadvertised multi-segments joined by a single booking number) both of which represent consecutive segments. But, the importance of the distinction relates to the associated discounts/loyalty perks (search the several CC forum threads where we've discussed this in detail). So, the concept of B2B (back to back) really needs clarification when it comes to the "bottom line." And using the B2B term can only causes confusion at some point.

 

Over the past 18+\- months, Oceania has moved to not allowing multiple consecutive segments to be sold as separate cruises with separate booking numbers. As might be expected, some TAs have not "gotten the memo" and do make such bookings until corrected by the Miami O office. (One associated problem is that it took the IT folks some time to figure out how to allow website account registration of the "custom cruise" booking numbers (now operational).

 

Among other things, doing traditional "back-to-back" (w/ separate booking numbers) bookings can be problematic when it comes to things like PVSA requirements. And, as aforementioned, there are some Oceania loyalty perks vs fare discounts equations that can make for math challenges when itinerary length(s) are considered.

Thank you for this, Flatbush Flyer, but I just wanted to know if there was a difference between cabins 8001 and 8003. 

 

[cruisingxpert]

[cruisingxpert]

8001 and 8003 will be the first 2 cabins after the portholes past the Bridge. Doubt there would be much difference between the 2 cabins.

Edited January 19, 2020 by cruisingxpert

[ORV]

I've been in 8001 on Regatta. It was fine. We spent 21 days from Tahiti to San Francisco. One of my favorites. You do get officers walking past there a lot. 

[DrHemlock]

We've stayed in both 8000 and 8002 on the opposite side of the ship.  If either of those is still available, here's why we think they're superior to 8001 and 8003.

 

The two you're considering are directly underneath the gym.  I've spent time in the gym and can imagine that the sound of exercise machines and various movement classes up there could travel down through the floor as people go whumpa-whumpa-whumpa with their feet or weights.  (N.B., I've no empirical evidence that this is the case.)  Suites on the even-numbered side are beneath the card room and internet room, which one would expect to be generally very quiet.  Our experience is that it's exactly that.

 

Also as ORV states above, the door at the front end of the odd-numbered corridor leads onto the bridge so you get officers frequently walking (and talking) back and forth as they enter and exit.  The corridor on the even-numbered side contains only officer/official guest staterooms, and it dead-ends into a solid wall.  No through traffic.

 

Either way, it's a terrific area to be in if you don't mind being close enough to the bow that there's a bit more motion than in the center of the ship.  You gotta figure there's even more motion for the folks on the bridge who are farther forward than you.  If you're reasonably good sailors, you won't have any problems.  And if you do...well...that's what ginger capsules, etc., are for.

[st5310]

58 minutes ago, DrHemlock said:

We've stayed in both 8000 and 8002 on the opposite side of the ship.  If either of those is still available, here's why we think they're superior to 8001 and 8003.

 

The two you're considering are directly underneath the gym.  I've spent time in the gym and can imagine that the sound of exercise machines and various movement classes up there could travel down through the floor as people go whumpa-whumpa-whumpa with their feet or weights.  (N.B., I've no empirical evidence that this is the case.)  Suites on the even-numbered side are beneath the card room and internet room, which one would expect to be generally very quiet.  Our experience is that it's exactly that.

 

Also as ORV states above, the door at the front end of the odd-numbered corridor leads onto the bridge so you get officers frequently walking (and talking) back and forth as they enter and exit.  The corridor on the even-numbered side contains only officer/official guest staterooms, and it dead-ends into a solid wall.  No through traffic.

 

Either way, it's a terrific area to be in if you don't mind being close enough to the bow that there's a bit more motion than in the center of the ship.  You gotta figure there's even more motion for the folks on the bridge who are farther forward than you.  If you're reasonably good sailors, you won't have any problems.  And if you do...well...that's what ginger capsules, etc., are for.

This is very good, DrHemlock, thank you.  Cabins 8000 and 8002 were not available so we had to switch to the other side.  I'm hoping the gym won't be crowded when we retire, so there should not be too much whumpa-whumpa-whumpa going on!

[bbwex]

We haven't been below the gym ever, but our first O cruise was in a cabin just above the lounge (where the evening entertainment is), and we were never bothered even on the nights where we did not attend the show.  I suspect that if you don't go to bed terribly early, the traffic in the gym will have slowed down.  My guess is that it would more likely be noisy in the early morning, but if you are going into port, you might well be up then anyhow.  Again, as was stated by another poster, this is empirical only as I have never had the cabin below the gym. 

[DrHemlock]

Yes, we were also in 6000 -- which may be the one bbwex refers to above -- on one cruise because 7000 and 7001 were already booked.  We could hear rehearsals in our cabin in the afternoon on sea days or when we returned to the ship by lunchtime.  It could make napping a bit difficult for this light sleeper, but it wasn't bad by any means.

 

On the other hand, being folks who enjoy happy hour at Horizons Lounge followed by a bottle of grape-based adult elixir with dinner -- and not being all that interested in O's entertainment offerings -- we were frequently off to dreamland by the time the evening's show began one floor below.  Never heard a sound.