Smokeyham

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.

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.

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

Just an FYI that we found this cabin to be very quiet and convenient.

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.

Just got off the Oceania Insignia. The buffet was very casual. For dinner in the Grand Dining Room it was collared shirts and long trousers for men. Some chose to include a sports jacket. Didn't see people wearing sandals in the GDR.

Thanks for this straightforward answer. It is helpful to know what is actually happening on board to help make a decision as to whether or not a given cruise is a good choice.

Thanks everyone. It seems that the majority are in favor of going ashore. I could especially see that in ports where you opt to just walk around town as opposed to places where you are on an organized excursion.

For men who have been on a round the world cruise - Do you have get your haircuts on board or do you find a barber ashore? Haircuts on board seem expensive but having a haircut ashore would eat into precious shore excursion time.

I have a friend who met a guy on a cruise. By the end of the 7-day cruise she had moved into his cabin. They recently celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary!

Did you need an adapter from a European to an American socket?

Thanks very much!

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with Oceania Insignia Cabin 6057? I see it is right at the stairwell/elevators and is above a piano (deck 5) but assume these will have minimal impact? Thanks for any thoughts.

Hopefully now that cruising is well underway again we will start to see more stories here again. 😄

Hello, Can someone confirm if Uber or Lyft are available to take us to and from the Victoria BC cruise port to Butchart Gardens? The websites for both services give me error messages when I try to plan a journey in Victoria. Thanks,

It does look beautiful! I hope you have a chance to sail on her.

Thanks so much. I appreciate it and hope you have a great time in Egypt!

Thanks..... I will see if I can find that episode. I looked on the six seasons of her show that are available on PBS "Passport" but did not see it there. It does look amazing.

Just ran across a website for the historic Steamship Sudan. It looks fascinating. I also found one review on TripAdvisor. Has anyone taken a cruise on this ship?

Costs will vary depending on a number of factors. Factors can include your age, state (or country) of residence, the length and destination(s) of your trip. You'll need to use the calculator available on the different companies' websites to generate a cost estimate.

Thanks....... We will also likely be in a B Veranda so that is very helpful.

Thanks so much!

Hello, Can anyone tell me how many, and what type, of electrical plugs there are in an Oceania Insignia balcony cabin (American, European, USB)? Also, do you know if any of those are close to the bed (for CPAP use)? Thanks for any info.

That is very helpful. Thank you!

Can anyone tell me where the cruise ship docks, i.e. is it downtown or do we need to take a taxi/shuttle? Also, for those looking for some good guides/maps to Prince Rupert, the Visitor Guides on the website are very good: https://visitprincerupert.com/discover-prince-rupert/visitor-guides/