Review: Oceania Insignia July 15/18 (compared with Celebrity)

[SusieV]

Yes, this has been a long time coming, but I figured better late than never!

 

First, a little about us. My husband and I are in our thirties, and we booked this sailing for our honeymoon. We are experienced Celebrity cruisers and like the product but not the recent cutbacks, and we decided to take the step up to Oceania and see if we would prefer this line. 

 

Precruise:

We flew into LGA and stayed in Times Square so that we could see a show the day before we embarked. We both enjoyed Chicago, although I was horrified to be charged $10 for a hot dog from a street vendor. I didn't realize that prices were jacked that high in the tourist traps! Our hotel, Hyatt Centric Times Square, was comfortable and clean. We scored a great deal on Priceline, notwithstanding the $29 mandatory hotel fee.

 

Embarkation:

We arrived at the pier around 11:30am, which is normally when we try to board. We prefer having as much time on the ship as possible even if we have to wait in public areas. There was some kind of delay though, and we wound up standing in the terminal for over two hours. It wasn't the most pleasant start to our vacation, but once we were onboard having lunch at the Terrace Cafe with a glass of champagne, we were much more relaxed and happy! We had no issues carrying onboard a bouquet of fresh flowers and balloons that I had bought as a honeymoon gift for my husband, and ship staff offered to place it in our cabin while we were eating lunch.

 

Stateroom:

We stayed in cabin #4028, a handicapped accessible cabin in category G. We didn't require these facilities but when we requested a guarantee, this is what we were assigned. The cabin was spacious and comfortable. However, there were some maintenance issues that we experienced. There was a pipe that had burst next to our cabin and it was continually leaking through our carpet, which was cold and unpleasant. No one notified us about anything, they just put towels on our carpet. When we brought it up with the stateroom attendant, she explained the situation and told us that they would bring a fan whenever we were out of the cabin to try and dry it up. After three days in our ten day cruise, I asked how long this was going to go on, as it was unpleasant being in our cabin and getting wet feet. We were told that they didn't know and there was nothing else that could be done about it. Since it was our honeymoon and we did want to spend time in our room, we wrote a letter to the hotel director explaining the situation. Later that day, someone from the hotel department visited us and apologized for the inconvenience, but said that they had nowhere else to move us. He gave us a bottle of wine and $200 shipboard credit. It didn't alleviate the problem, but at least we felt that it was a nice gesture that showed understanding that this was dampening our trip a little (bad pun intended!).

 

Other than that, our cabin was kept clean and well supplied, and we didn't really have any noise issues. The room issue was still ongoing when we disembarked.

 

Dining:

My husband has severe allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, so dining is always an area of concern for us. We had our booking flagged and acknowledged by Oceania, and we also went to speak to the maitre d' at the beginning of the sailing to discuss my husband's issues. Normally we take set dining on Celebrity, so the waiters get to know us- this was our first time trying open dining and we were a little worried about it but hoping that all would be well.

 

There were definitely some hiccups. We had to wait for a very long time on the first night to confirm that the bread on our table was nut free, since the server didn't know. My husband was given menus to pre-order his meals without nuts, which was great, but they didn't give him dessert menus until we asked a few days later. Waiters kept offering him creme brulee since that was clearly nut free and he was hoping for more options than that. Also, despite all the precautions we took, nut products kept being brought to us- we even had peanut butter cookies sent to the cabin via room service one day! When we had dinner at Toscana, they brought out almond biscotti even after being advised of allergies. Afternoon tea was also a big headache. Many times, there were even nut products in the savories and sandwiches, let alone the desserts. My husband wasn't able to eat anything there because of fear of cross contamination. When we raised the issue, they did make him a special nut free dessert to have at tea, but he didn't get sandwiches or anything else.

 

It's not that there wasn't food to eat; it was just the constant stress of worrying that precautions were not being appropriately taken. That seriously detracted from our enjoyment of the food. While we did very much enjoy the quality and presentation of what we were served, it was obvious that food allergies were much more difficult to manage in the open seating type of environment or at least on this particular sailing.

 

We also found it a little odd that there were such large blocks of time where there was nowhere to get food other than via room service. We like to sleep in, and if we woke up around 9:45 or so, by the time we got showered and ready to go for the day, we couldn't get breakfast anywhere else. Similarly, if we went off ship during a port day and returned after 2pm, there wasn't anything available until dinnertime if you didn't want afternoon tea. We often like to grab a snack after a port day, especially if we have skipped lunch to go on tour. Room service was getting a bit repetitive for us at this point. We also like to stay out late in the evenings and like to be able to get a midnight snack from the buffet, but it closed at 9pm. None of these were much more than inconveniences, but we just found it surprising that nibbles of some sort wouldn't be available during the day.

 

We did find that the food quality on Insignia was most certainly a step above Celebrity and the other mass market lines that we've tried. It lived up to the hype!

 

Specialty Dining:

We very much enjoyed Toscana- I think our meals there were beyond exceptional. We received one meal at each restaurant as part of our booking, and were able to get one additional one at Toscana which was so worth it. We did not really enjoy the Polo Grill- the food quality there was not to our taste.

 

Bars:

We booked the drink package, and certainly got our money's worth. The by the glass champagne was a pleasant surprise, and we found lots of different wines that we enjoyed. We found sommelier service to be a bit hit or miss though. Some days we had no issues getting drink refills and others it took a very long time to get served.

 

While bar service was generally very good, we did miss the specialty bars on Celebrity and the kind of service where staff learned our preferences and would customize drinks. It seemed that on Insignia, the menu was just the menu and the staff either wasn't interested in experimenting or that it's not permitted. We did like that everything on the menu was included with no upcharges though, that was a really nice benefit. We enjoyed sampling some fine cognacs and liquors that would have been an upcharge on Celebrity.

 

Entertainment:

While we didn't expect this to be Oceania's strongest suit, we were a little surprised by some of the actions that were chosen by management. We went to the parties and activities, and at times things were hopping and busy, and staff would shut things down. We attended karaoke in Horizons and the bar was packed, people were having fun and signing up, but after the one hour, they announced an end and within minutes the bar emptied out. We couldn't understand why, if people were having a good time and very minimal staff were needed to run the machine, that they wouldn't keep it going especially given how many people were buying drinks.

 

We definitely enjoyed the live music onboard, and partook as often as we could.

 

Disembarkation:

Smooth and easy. We were staying in NYC for a few days postcruise, so we stayed onboard right until the end. We had no difficulties finding our bags or getting off the ship.

 

General Comments:

Overall, we enjoyed the trip enough to sit down and make a list of pluses and minuses between Celebrity and Oceania. We came to the conclusion that there are things we enjoy on both lines. We did decide however that the level of concern we had about my husband's allergies and possible cross contamination was too much worrying to have on a vacation, and we found that it detracted from our overall experience a bit too much. We expect that we'll be returning to Celebrity as a result. Had things been handled differently? We really did enjoy Oceania. We cruise mostly for relaxation, bars, and good food, and definitely enjoyed the offerings on our cruise. We had purchased a future cruise credit and only recently decided to cancel it. 

[LHT28]

I usually get up late as well but Waves usually have  some breakfast items until 11 am..no hot food items on the R ships AFAIK

Waves are also open until 4pm daily

 

That is  not acceptable  about the cabin & the leak

they should have had something to vacuum up the water  & dry the carpet daily

JMO

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review and comparison!

[ABoatNerd]

Excellent review OP.

 

Enjoyed the compare and contrast in various segments of the cruise.

 

The handling of the water leak was not acceptable. Suggestion for the future, while aboard, get on the corporate web site and send an email with your concern (especially if the ship staff are not being responsive).  For example, on my last disappointing Oceania cruise, I got a call from guest relations about my concern within 45 minutes of sending the concern to Oceania Corporate.

 

Wishing you a safe dining experience on what ever cruise you take.

[Mura]

I don't have any food allergies but from what I have read here in the past, the usual procedure is to notify Oceania well in advance of any special needs.  Did you not do that?  (If you didn't know that's the usual procedure, of course, that would have been a problem!)  When they are alerted to a problem in advance, they provide you with menus (I believe a day or so in advance) and you can discuss items with the chef.  It's unfortunate that you had these various difficulties.

 

Mura

[SusieV]

10 minutes ago, Mura said:

I don't have any food allergies but from what I have read here in the past, the usual procedure is to notify Oceania well in advance of any special needs.  Did you not do that?  (If you didn't know that's the usual procedure, of course, that would have been a problem!)  When they are alerted to a problem in advance, they provide you with menus (I believe a day or so in advance) and you can discuss items with the chef.  It's unfortunate that you had these various difficulties.

 

Mura

HI Mura, of course we did. This wasn’t our first time cruising with severe allergies, just with O. We were in touch with them and they acknowledged his allergies months in advance. In addition, he did get dinner menus to order in advance, as I mentioned.

 

The biggest problems seemed to be avoiding cross contamination, and that even when we reminded our dining staff at each meal about the allergies, that there would still be issues. Lunch and afternoon tea tended to be more of a problem since nothing could be ordered in advance. It was too stressful to be constantly worrying about whether he’d accidentally be given something that could kill him. Having peanut butter cookies delivered to our cabin was just mind blowing.

 

i don’t think they handled our situation very well, and also didn’t adequately respond when we tried to improve matters.

 

 

[Mura]

In that case, I have to agree with you!  They certainly did NOT handle the situation as they should have.  I know it's no comfort for me to say "I've never heard of someone having these kinds of problems before"!

 

Mura

[wripro]

Why is any one so offended when someone criticizes their favorite cruise line? If you're upset about a post just ignore it, no need to tell anyone to shut up. ESPECIALLY  when the contents of the posts are mostly accurate.

[SusieV]

8 minutes ago, wripro said:

Why is any one so offended when someone criticizes their favorite cruise line? If you're upset about a post just ignore it, no need to tell anyone to shut up. ESPECIALLY  when the contents of the posts are mostly accurate.

Did I miss something? I didn’t see anyone getting offended or hostile.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, wripro said:

Why is any one so offended when someone criticizes their favorite cruise line? If you're upset about a post just ignore it, no need to tell anyone to shut up. ESPECIALLY  when the contents of the posts are mostly accurate.

Henry 

Did I miss the post  where they were told to shut up?

I think most  that posted agree  that the problems were  not acceptable 

 

 

 

[LHT28]

I am surprised  they did not offer to make DH  something  for  Tea time that was safe  for him 

I have seen  others with allergies  catered to

If you cruise again with open dining  just ask to be seated in the same section  every time so the wait staff  get to know you & the allergy situation

 A friend  has a peanut allergy  but tree nuts are far more  problematic  as they are many

he always  asks at meals if  there is  any peanut product  in the food item before ordering

But  they could use walnut oil in some dishes which would be  dangerous for your DH

Sounds like  it was basly handled all round

[SusieV]

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I am surprised  they did not offer to make DH  something  for  Tea time that was safe  for him 

I have seen  others with allergies  catered to

If you cruise again with open dining  just ask to be seated in the same section  every time so the wait staff  get to know you & the allergy situation

 A friend  has a peanut allergy  but tree nuts are far more  problematic  as they are many

he always  asks at meals if  there is  any peanut product  in the food item before ordering

But  they could use walnut oil in some dishes which would be  dangerous for your DH

Sounds like  it was basly handled all round

I was surprised too, especially when we asked for them to make something he could have. They made him one nut free key lime cheesecake and he was brought a slice of that every time we came to tea. When they brought over sandwiches and my husband asked what he could have, he was told they were all made together so nothing was safe. Several days had nutella sandwiches or PBJs. That part was frustrating, because I don't understand why it would be so difficult to have a tea plate made and set aside for him, especially since we came to tea most days.

 

Yes, so many items had nuts in them! Obviously because the food budget is higher and nuts are delicious and expensive, but it made dining a much riskier experience for us as my husband's allergies are so severe.

 

I thought we did everything that we could possibly do to ensure safety but it was most certainly the most stressful cruise in that regard, for us.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, SusieV said:

I was surprised too, especially when we asked for them to make something he could have. They made him one nut free key lime cheesecake and he was brought a slice of that every time we came to tea. When they brought over sandwiches and my husband asked what he could have, he was told they were all made together so nothing was safe. Several days had nutella sandwiches or PBJs. That part was frustrating, because I don't understand why it would be so difficult to have a tea plate made and set aside for him, especially since we came to tea most days.

 

 

 

I agree

why not make a  little sandwich plate  in a "clean"  area 

it would not take much to do that ..they cater to GF people all the time

 

[Mura]

That's the thing, Lyn.  People who are vegans or have celiac disease -- or any number of other problems that are manageable -- don't seem to have a problem with accommodations to the dishes.  But someone with a severe nut allergy doesn't deserve consideration?

 

At least the worst didn't happen, but their experience was certainly impacted negatively -- so much so that they won't return.

 

It's not a good business practice to lose passengers when you don't have to!

 

Mura

 

[babysteps]

As a gf eater, I would say tea-time is the least predictable dining experience, followed by wine tastings that come with food.

 

I haven't ever been glutened on O, but there have been (not many, but a few) times with limited or no easy-to-access gf choices.  Overall restricted dining on O is much easier than independent land tours, where you get to explain yourself at each meal.  But it certainly isn't as easy as cooking at home, where you can control everything.

 

For tea time on O, it seems to depend a lot on which ship (or who is in charge of the tea things kitchen?) - I have had experiences from "no, we have nothing to offer that is gluten free" at one tea to (on a different ship) "just a moment, let me get you something" followed by several additional "here are some gluten free items, what would you like" ...  So as a restricted diner, ymmv a *lot* for tea.

 

Wine tastings with food are also a bit tricky, and typically reserved ahead (only) a few days. I end up talking to several people ahead of time - the somm with whom we made the initial reservation, and then the dining reservations desk, and then called someone in dining/beverage to confirm, then showed up early and self-identified.  Sometimes everything is all set, other times there is a bit of a scramble. They are capable of "getting it", but the restricted dining protocol doesn't seem to typically include events that are not in a dining room at meal time.

Edited November 24, 2018 by babysteps

[LHT28]

56 minutes ago, babysteps said:

As a gf eater, I would say tea-time is the least predictable dining experience, followed by wine tastings that come with food.

 

 

Nut free  is more problematic  than GF   as they use  nuts in a lot of the dessert offerings

[babysteps]

On 11/24/2018 at 12:28 PM, LHT28 said:

Nut free  is more problematic  than GF   as they use  nuts in a lot of the dessert offerings

Too true. 

 

Not to mention use of peanut oil.  Not sure if O uses nut oils, but if you are nut free it can be tricky to know what is *truly* nut free.

[Redtravel]

You are not alone. I also cannot eat nuts. I am used to asking servers if the item has nuts. Most servers are caring and bring nut free items. Some are lazy or unaware that nuts are in some items. I was amazed at how few items at afternoon tea had nuts. I was okay with the plain scones.  Desserts at dinner were mostly fresh fruit and ice cream.  I am used to being restricted when ordering desserts. Celebrity does a better job at offering a variety of items nut free. Next cruise we are back on Celebrity.