Oceania Insignia Cruise Review - June, 2023

[Smokeyham]

Hello,

Below is a review of our recently completed cruise aboard Oceania Insignia.  Please feel free to post here if you have any questions.

________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oceania Insignia Review

June, 2023

Cabin Class – B1 – Deck 6

 

We were on a 24-night cruise from Tokyo to San Francisco via the northern Japanese Islands, the Aleutian Islands, the Inside Passage and the Oregon and Washington coasts.

 

SHIP OVERALL

Overall, the ship is in very good condition.  However, she was built in 1998 (as the “R One” for Renaissance Cruise Lines), as such it is not surprising that there were some maintenance issues.  We had to call for assistance with three different issues with our air conditioning system and the toilets in a portion of the ship did not work on the last day.  Friends on board also shared a story of a delayed sailing due to an elevator issue.

 

JOURNEY

This was the final segment of an around the world cruise.  Of the approximately 600 passengers on board about half were Round The Worlders. We wondered if we would be welcomed or if we would feel a bit out of place.  We were doing this trip as part of our research for a possible round the world cruise in the future.  We found the other passengers to be very welcoming.

FELLOW PASSENGERS

We were told that the average age of the passengers on board was 70.  We found the passengers to be active, interesting, and well-travelled. 

 

DRESS CODE

Oceania has a “Country Club Casual” dress code and we found people generally held to that.  Some men wore a jacket to dinner but that was as dressy as it got.  I did not see anyone inappropriately dressed.

 

CABIN

Our B1 balcony cabin was very comfortable.  The beds were comfortable, and the mattresses had covers which were zipped together.  This meant that we did not feel the gap between them.  The cabin was tastefully decorated.  Before the cruise I was a bit worried that the grey color scheme would be drab, but we found it to be light and appropriate.  The cabin had a number of European and American plugs as well as USB sockets.  We did bring a European – American adapter and found that helpful.

There was plenty of hanging and shelf space.

 

The space under the bed would not accommodate my 28” suitcase but staff were happy to take and store that.  Cabin stewards were very attentive, and our needs were met. 

 

A small sofa was in the cabin and a stool was at the desk.  The stool was small and uncomfortable for longer sessions working a the computer, but space was limited in the area. 

 

Here is a link for a video tour: https://youtu.be/xhT3Ig6q8wI

 

BATHROOM
The bathroom was small but generally adequate.  The shower had glass doors but was very small.  Once inside the shower there was adequate room.

 

FOOD

One downside to being joining a segment of the round the world cruise, and also not being in a suite, was that we were at the bottom of the pecking order for getting reservations at the two specialty restaurants (Polo Grill [steakhouse] and La Toscana [Italian]).  Before the cruise we were only able to get a reservation for Polo Grill for 9:00 PM a few nights out, and that at a shared table.  We were able to change that to a 7:30 PM reservation once on board, but still at a shared table.   Friends we made on board (who were in a suite) invited us to join them at La Toscana.

Food and service at both specialty restaurants was very good.  There is no additional cost for these restaurants, but you do need reservations.

I very much enjoyed the Grand Dining Room (main dining room) and the service and food were very good.

I found the buffet a bit repetitive but was fine for some meals.  Dining at the outdoor Terrace Café on the stern was very pleasant.

 

Afternoon tea was nice in Horizons lounge though service could be a bit sporadic.

DRINK PRICES

Drink prices were high ($15 for a glass of Chardonnay – including tip).  For the amount we drink it was not worth getting the drinks package.   At the time of writing Oceania is switching their program so beer and wine will be included at lunch and dinner so that should help.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

We had a five day stretch at sea. This is unusual but was a good test of the on board entertainment.  The offerings varied in quality.  A magician, Greg Moreland, was excellent.  An on board comedian was OK but not great.  Singers were generally very good.   The enrichment speaker was energetic but was factually incorrect about some things and sometimes hard to follow. 

 

On board activities included the standards (putting course, spa, trivia, bingo) but also had magic lessons, art classes, a singing group for passengers, and photography classes.

 

PUBLIC SPACES

A lovely public area was the library, with nice “clubby” décor, a wonderful painted ceiling, and a good collection of books.  I also enjoyed the Horizons lounge, with a great view looking forward.  The theatre was also nice, but sight lines were a bit limited as the floor does not slope upwards.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This was our first small-ship cruising experience, having previously cruised with Princess, Holland America, NCL, and Carnival.  Definitely enjoyed the small ship experience as we got to know our fellow passengers, entertainers, and staff much better than on prior cruises.  The ship itself was also much easier to navigate.  

 

 

 

[loge23]

Just off the Regatta, also our first Oceania voyage with a fairly similar view as yours. I will post a recap shortly, as soon as we recover from the horrendous air trip home - nothing to do with the cruise, but if this were a Delta Airline board my post would R- rated!

[ORV]

Thanks for your review. A pretty much realistic portrayal of 
Oceania. 

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for the kind responses.  @loge23 - Looking forward to reading your review of Regatta.

[jonthomas]

On 7/23/2023 at 4:18 PM, loge23 said:

Just off the Regatta, also our first Oceania voyage with a fairly similar view as yours. I will post a recap shortly, as soon as we recover from the horrendous air trip home - nothing to do with the cruise, but if this were a Delta Airline board my post would R- rated!

 

will be on the regatta for 20 days in sept...looking forward to your review....

 

yes with todays flying being what it is, we dread it, especially to Europe took us a long time to recover from the last one...

[loge23]

I have just posted the complete review of our Jul 14th cruise on the Regatta in the Review (select the ship in the pulldown menu) section of this site. It may take a day or so before the site actually posts it. It's neither a rave or a pan, but I think you'll find a fair appraisal of our first experience on Oceania...and yes, I do recommend this line overall and we are booked for a another in February aboard the Vista - no flying!!

Happy cruising, folks!

[loge23]

Below is the link for my recent Regatta review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=aab11bc73e83527ed33c7d7501ac965edbabe2c6dc7b225c21bba26f94013b1579623a5c7e0780ac694cf56774bbe5ccb86beb66289cfd378889c258de08e30b

 

 

[LHT28]

21 minutes ago, loge23 said:

Below is the link for my recent Regatta review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=aab11bc73e83527ed33c7d7501ac965edbabe2c6dc7b225c21bba26f94013b1579623a5c7e0780ac694cf56774bbe5ccb86beb66289cfd378889c258de08e30b

 

 

"we only accessed the Terrace twice during our 7-day cruise and only perused the adjacent inside buffet a couple of times."

 

I am confused  did you eat in the Terrace or WAVES  which is sort of outside ?

[loge23]

5 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

"we only accessed the Terrace twice during our 7-day cruise and only perused the adjacent inside buffet a couple of times."

 

I am confused  did you eat in the Terrace or WAVES  which is sort of outside ?

We ate at the outside terrace grill twice, but only window shopped inside.

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, loge23 said:

We ate at the outside terrace grill twice, but only window shopped inside.

WAVES  Grill 

 

 

[ORV]

Yeah, I was a bit thrown off by the order and they bring it to your table bit. Terrace don’t do that. Makes sense now that I understand we’re talking about Waves. 

[AMHuntFerry]

2 hours ago, loge23 said:

Below is the link for my recent Regatta review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=aab11bc73e83527ed33c7d7501ac965edbabe2c6dc7b225c21bba26f94013b1579623a5c7e0780ac694cf56774bbe5ccb86beb66289cfd378889c258de08e30b

 

 

Hi, Thanks for doing a wonderful, thorough review. I think a lot of people will find it informative.

I noticed a couple of nitpicky corrections in addition to the already mentioned edits (you ate at Waves Grill and browsed Terrace Cafe)...not sure if you can edit or not.

Your cabin review is listed as Deluxe Ocean View (this is C1 or C2); you were in Concierge Veranda (A-category) according to your main review

The HOHO bus in Victoria covers only the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The full island is massive!

Like I said, nitpicky stuff. I'm glad you had calm seas; on our June cruise we had 2 nights where susceptible people turned green. If you have the option, we always take the last disembarkation time available; the crush seems to be mostly gone by then (I've seen the massive crowding while going from a Terrace breakfast to Baristas...ugh!), or if there are lines, people don't seem as anxious. Enjoy your next cruise on Vista!

[loge23]

15 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Hi, Thanks for doing a wonderful, thorough review. I think a lot of people will find it informative.

I noticed a couple of nitpicky corrections in addition to the already mentioned edits (you ate at Waves Grill and browsed Terrace Cafe)...not sure if you can edit or not.

Your cabin review is listed as Deluxe Ocean View (this is C1 or C2); you were in Concierge Veranda (A-category) according to your main review

The HOHO bus in Victoria covers only the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The full island is massive!

Like I said, nitpicky stuff. I'm glad you had calm seas; on our June cruise we had 2 nights where susceptible people turned green. If you have the option, we always take the last disembarkation time available; the crush seems to be mostly gone by then (I've seen the massive crowding while going from a Terrace breakfast to Baristas...ugh!), or if there are lines, people don't seem as anxious. Enjoy your next cruise on Vista!

Thanks. Can't edit once it has been posted. I have no idea why they listed us as 20 something years old, or in a Ocean View stateroom, but I'll take the former - probably hit the wrong button. We were in a Concierge room as indicated. 

The Terrace Grill thing was from a staffer who referred to the outside grill as noted, it stuck -potato/potatto.

Ah yes - it's Vancouver Island, Victoria is the city. Good tour though.

Thankful for the calm seas, I understand the Regatta doesn't do rough waters well.

 

 

[Smokeyham]

3 hours ago, loge23 said:

Below is the link for my recent Regatta review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=aab11bc73e83527ed33c7d7501ac965edbabe2c6dc7b225c21bba26f94013b1579623a5c7e0780ac694cf56774bbe5ccb86beb66289cfd378889c258de08e30b

 

 

Thanks for your very thorough review.  You said "Viking Ocean (which we both agreed is a better line overall)."  Can you provide a bit more information about why this is so? 

 

We are thinking of trying them out but were a bit put off by how much higher the prices are.  For comparison our Oceania Insignia 24-day trip was $342/day per person while a comparable cabin for a Viking 2-week trip is $696/day per person.

 

[loge23]

5 minutes ago, Smokeyham said:

Thanks for your very thorough review.  You said "Viking Ocean (which we both agreed is a better line overall)."  Can you provide a bit more information about why this is so? 

 

We are thinking of trying them out but were a bit put off by how much higher the prices are.  For comparison our Oceania Insignia 24-day trip was $342/day per person while a comparable cabin for a Viking 2-week trip is $696/day per person.

 

Subjective opinion of course. VO is more expensive for sure and their booking policy demands payment far in advance of the cruise date. We thought that a similar category room (Deluxe Veranda = Concierge Veranda) offered a larger room with a much larger bathroom. Amenities were similar. The price difference you stated would be a no-brainer for me - I'd take Oceania for that reason, VO isn't that much better!

Overall, the cuisine was close, but the VO's regular DR fare was a step up. On the other hand, the Regatta's two specialty restaurants (Polo & Toscana) slightly surpassed the offerings from the Chef's table and Manfredi's on VO. Oceania also takes the gold for their wine list and by-the-glass wine selections. We don't usually use the buffet, but the World Cafe on VO was a better option than the Terrace Cafe - and the Terrace Cafe was nothing to sneeze at either!

VO offered a little better entertainment, including a robust lecturer lineup. 

Overall, close, but imo just a little better - maybe on the strength on the room & bath.

We're booked on the Vista in a Penthouse Suite in Feb. - bigger room and bath; that may change my opinion as it stands now.

 

 

[Smokeyham]

31 minutes ago, loge23 said:

Subjective opinion of course. VO is more expensive for sure and their booking policy demands payment far in advance of the cruise date. We thought that a similar category room (Deluxe Veranda = Concierge Veranda) offered a larger room with a much larger bathroom. Amenities were similar. The price difference you stated would be a no-brainer for me - I'd take Oceania for that reason, VO isn't that much better!

 

Overall, the cuisine was close, but the VO's regular DR fare was a step up. On the other hand, the Regatta's two specialty restaurants (Polo & Toscana) slightly surpassed the offerings from the Chef's table and Manfredi's on VO. Oceania also takes the gold for their wine list and by-the-glass wine selections. We don't usually use the buffet, but the World Cafe on VO was a better option than the Terrace Cafe - and the Terrace Cafe was nothing to sneeze at either!

VO offered a little better entertainment, including a robust lecturer lineup. 

Overall, close, but imo just a little better - maybe on the strength on the room & bath.

We're booked on the Vista in a Penthouse Suite in Feb. - bigger room and bath; that may change my opinion as it stands now.

 

 

Thanks for the additional information.  We may look at them down the road not at the price differential we are seeing right now.  As you also say, the requirement that the final payment be made so far in advance is also off-putting.

[jonthomas]

I have said this many times on other sites.

We were on the Viking Star in march/April. Will not sail V again. Food didn't compare to O, unless you were drinking all the time, then nothing mattered. Service was good. No incentive to do any activities. Nice ship, but they rarely opened the roof, even though very calm seas, hence the centre of ship and pool area very hot and muggy.

 

Anyways,  that's our opinion and those we met that were not liquored up.

[ORV]

4 hours ago, loge23 said:

Subjective opinion of course. VO is more expensive for sure and their booking policy demands payment far in advance of the cruise date. We thought that a similar category room (Deluxe Veranda = Concierge Veranda) offered a larger room with a much larger bathroom. Amenities were similar. The price difference you stated would be a no-brainer for me - I'd take Oceania for that reason, VO isn't that much better!

Overall, the cuisine was close, but the VO's regular DR fare was a step up. On the other hand, the Regatta's two specialty restaurants (Polo & Toscana) slightly surpassed the offerings from the Chef's table and Manfredi's on VO. Oceania also takes the gold for their wine list and by-the-glass wine selections. We don't usually use the buffet, but the World Cafe on VO was a better option than the Terrace Cafe - and the Terrace Cafe was nothing to sneeze at either!

VO offered a little better entertainment, including a robust lecturer lineup. 

Overall, close, but imo just a little better - maybe on the strength on the room & bath.

We're booked on the Vista in a Penthouse Suite in Feb. - bigger room and bath; that may change my opinion as it stands now.

 

 

You can take this for what it's worth, as I've never been on Viking. BUT, to be fair to Oceania if you are going to compare the Viking Ocean to Oceania you might want to wait until you've been on an O ship or the new Allura class.  Then I think you'll have a more apples to apples comparison. 

[Twiga]

On 7/25/2023 at 12:44 PM, loge23 said:

Thankful for the calm seas, I understand the Regatta doesn't do rough waters well.

 

 

We have been on the Regatta (and other Oceania R ships) in rough waters and they did very "well."   I would like to know where you got your understanding from that "the Regatta doesn't do rough waters well"?  

[cayman09]

We were on Regatta for 18 days in the South Pacific skirting a cyclone that actually prevented us from stopping at Vanuatu even for a humanitarian mission. We didn't feel much of anything aboard Regatta, she did just fine in those waters.

[loge23]

16 hours ago, Twiga said:

We have been on the Regatta (and other Oceania R ships) in rough waters and they did very "well."   I would like to know where you got your understanding from that "the Regatta doesn't do rough waters well"?  

From here, on this site. This is from the site review:

Cons

In rough seas, movement is quite noticeable

[LHT28]

34 minutes ago, loge23 said:

From here, on this site. This is from the site review:

Cons

In rough seas, movement is quite noticeable

I guess it depends on their location onboard

I cannot sit in the lounge or Horizons closer to the front

But  we usually have a cabin mid ship or aft  &  there is some motion  in heavy seas  but the O class ships  are the same

 

[AMHuntFerry]

It also depends on your sensitivity. We are lucky not to be affected by motion at any location on the ship (except for feeling like we were going to roll out of bed one night on Riviera deck 7). On our June Regatta cruise there were many sick people on 2 nights/mornings as evidenced by the sick-bags set out by the elevators (and other evidence). The motion on our September Regatta cruise was even more pronounced. If you are not subject to queasy tummy or balance issues, the motion is really fun.

[Smokeyham]

On 7/25/2023 at 9:40 AM, loge23 said:

Below is the link for my recent Regatta review.

 

http://click.email.cruisecritic.com/?qs=aab11bc73e83527ed33c7d7501ac965edbabe2c6dc7b225c21bba26f94013b1579623a5c7e0780ac694cf56774bbe5ccb86beb66289cfd378889c258de08e30b

 

 

Very helpful review.  Thanks for writing that!