I have recently returned from a 5 night cruise on Oceania Insignia and one word sums it up, Wow.
This was my first time sailing on Oceania and the whole experience was exceptional. My colleague Danielle and I flew to Bordeaux to meet the ship and were met with a seamlessly smooth embarkation. We had a B1 Verandah Cabin on Deck 6 which was good size with plenty of storage space although the bathroom was fairly small but supplied with lovely Bvgari toiletries.
As we didn’t embark till 7pm it was time to get ready and head to the Grand Dining Room on Deck 5. This was a beautiful, light and spacious room and as Oceania is well known for the food it was second to none. The staff in the dining room were also very attentive and nothing was too much bother for them. Every day inside the daily newsletter there was the evening menu to look at so you could look over all the choices before hand.
After Dinner we headed to the Horizon Lounge which is situated on Deck 10 and is one of the entertainment venues. This is where the evening entertainment was held and also in the Insignia Lounge on Deck 5. Horizons had Happy Hour from 5pm-6pm and 10.30pm-11.30pm every night where you could have 2 for 1 drinks served by the fantastic bar staff who knew what everyone’s drink was after the first night especially Ryan who became out personal barman for the cruise. All soft drinks and teas and coffees are included
The ship was in port overnight in Bordeaux so we decided to have a lie in and order room service for Brunch. This is available 24 hours a day and like all the other service on the ship was great. The food arrived freshly prepared and piping hot. Breakfast Service is also complimentary every day in the cabin if you didn’t want to go to the dining room or the Terrace café.
The ship carries 684 passengers and feels more like you are in a Grand Country Hotel rather than being on a ship. There was a very relaxed feel about everything but this didn’t take away the feeling of elegance. There are 342 Suites onboard of which 70% have a Verandah and 400 staff to look after all your needs.
The entertainment onboard was very good too and as we were heading to Ireland the featured a St Patricks day in June evening with “5 O Clock Somewhere Duo” who sang lots of Irish Songs and also Irish Comedian Billy Boyle. The duo performed again on another night and did a lot of more up to date music while playing lots of various instruments. I have to say they were both brilliant singers and very talented musicians.
The Insignia Production cast were also very good with the 2 male and 2 female lead vocals having incredible voices. The performed twice during our 5 night cruise and did an Acoustics Session Evening of pop music over the last 4 decades with songs from Billy Joel. Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and many more. The other production that they did was Broadway in concert singing songs from a lot of the lasts shows.
Insignia Lounge
The quality of the entertainment was in keeping with the whole quality experience that you receive from Oceania.
I also have to mention the lovely Lisa Clarkson who was our host on board Oceania for all the care and attention she gave us while we were on board and making sure we all had everything we needed. This was truly memorable experience and one I will remember for a long time