Are the bathrooms really that small?

[Laszlo]

My wife and I are really considering booking the Insignia for July 2021 for Bermuda. I've watched  a few YT videos and read a lot of reviews on the ship. A lot of the written reviews seem to have one thing in common, the bathrooms are tiny. The shower is too small, the toilet is too tight. This has me wondering what a balcony cabin will be like. I'm 6'4 and 230lb.....am I going to fit Lol

[Flatbush Flyer]

27 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

My wife and I are really considering booking the Insignia for July 2021 for Bermuda. I've watched  a few YT videos and read a lot of reviews on the ship. A lot of the written reviews seem to have one thing in common, the bathrooms are tiny. The shower is too small, the toilet is too tight. This has me wondering what a balcony cabin will be like. I'm 6'4 and 230lb.....am I going to fit Lol

The R ship bathrooms are not huge. But, IMO, they are fine for anyone who is not morbidly obese. 

The head is a standard sized marine toilet. Thanks to the Oceania NEXT renovations, shower curtains have been replaced with a shower door. The new sink and storage configuration is a better fit.

[DrHemlock]

Seconding Flatbush above.  FWIW, I'm 6'1" and 170.  The shower is okay (just...as long as you don't drop the soap) and the commode requires sitting slightly side-saddle, but it's all doable.  You will find it more difficult than I do.  Perhaps someone more your size will reply with a more accurate assessment.

 

In the end, the question is how much more are you willing/able to pay for a bigger, nicer bathroom?  The R-class (Insignia) penthouses are nice and so are their bathrooms. 

Edited September 28, 2020 by DrHemlock

[RetiredLifer]

I agree with everything Flatbush Flyer posted.  I am 6' 4" and 195lb and find they work for me just fine and we have taken many extended cruises on the R ships.  Then again I grew up using outhouses and being third in line for the Saturday night bath water which was heated on the kitchen stove.  Never spend much time in them.🙂

[njhorseman]

I disagree with what has been posted. At 6' 4" 230 lbs you're going to find using the bathroom uncomfortable at best. There won't be enough room for you to sit straight on the toilet and you may have to let a shoulder sort of hang out of the shower. 

Edited September 28, 2020 by njhorseman

[Laszlo]

36 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

I disagree with what has been posted. At 6' 4" 230 lbs you're going to find using the bathroom uncomfortable at best. There won't be enough room for you to sit straight on the toilet and you may have to let a shoulder sort of hang out of the shower. 

Thanks, that's too bad

[ORV]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

I disagree with what has been posted. At 6' 4" 230 lbs you're going to find using the bathroom uncomfortable at best. There won't be enough room for you to sit straight on the toilet and you may have to let a shoulder sort of hang out of the shower. 

While what you say is true it is doable. I'm a little shorter and a little wider than OP and find that while I experience exactly what you say I can tolerate it and deal with it. I am quite agile for a large person and I have no mobility issues. 

29 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Thanks, that's too bad

If you really want to go I wouldn't let that keep you from doing it. You want to see small? Book an Amtrak sleeper. Now there's a toilet that's basically unusable. 

[azdrydock]

We have been on the Azamara R's. Other then decor and shower door there is little difference. Comedian devoted his entire routine to the bathroom.

 

How does a heavy person get into the bathroom? .........One cheek at a time

 

Why do they always stop in Greenwich? .......... To pick up some UK phone booths to change into bathrooms

 

You don't need safety bars in the shower  because it is impossible to fall.

 

The Airlines love R cruisers because the never complain about the airplane bathrooms.

 

When the ship docks everyone gets off to use the porto potty in the visitor center.

 

They upgraded the shower line so you can now dry both socks at once.

 

The audience sitting on the sides with an angle view are comfortable because they had practice sitting on the commode.

 

They cancelled his second show that night and the next morning we saw him on the dock with his luggage waiting for a Taxi.

 

 

 

 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

While what you say is true it is doable. I'm a little shorter and a little wider than OP and find that while I experience exactly what you say I can tolerate it and deal with it. I am quite agile for a large person and I have no mobility issues. 

If you really want to go I wouldn't let that keep you from doing it. You want to see small? Book an Amtrak sleeper. Now there's a toilet that's basically unusable. 

I agree that it's "doable", particularly on a short cruise such as the 7 night Bermuda itinerary Laszlo is considering...but why would someone booking an an upmarket cruise experience like Oceania's want to inconvenience themselves in that way? 

 

I took a 22 night cruise on Insignia in a balcony cabin...after having experienced what the R ship balcony bathroom is like on a shorter Azamara cruise, and I ended up asking myself what I was thinking when I booked the longer cruise . I know what I was thinking in terms of it being an itinerary I wanted to do, but if I had to do it over I would have upgraded to a penthouse suite. And as much as I'd like to do an ATW there's no way I would do it in an R ship balcony cabin or lower...but a suite for that cruise costs more than I'd be willing to pay.

 

On the other hand the bathrooms on the "O" ships are quite nice and spacious, so I'm sure Oceania management knows that the 'R" bathrooms are one of the  weakest points of that class ship. Otherwise why would they have paid the money it must have cost to build the "O" bathrooms?

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by njhorseman

[Laszlo]

44 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

I agree that it's "doable", particularly on a short cruise such as the 7 night Bermuda itinerary Laszlo is considering...but why would someone booking an an upmarket cruise experience like Oceania's want to inconvenience themselves in that way? 

 

BINGO, Yes my wife and I could do it but we are paying a premium, a balcony on the Bermuda cruise is running about $4500 for the week. We could easily sail the Gem in a mini suite that has a real Spa for a cheaper price. Granted their will be 2700 people on the Gem vs 700. Its not a deal breaker, just something will need to think about

 

 

[susiesan]

The difference in price on Bermuda cruises from the least expensive verandah cabin to lead expensive penthouse is $800 per person. is it worth $1600 just to have a bigger bathroom for only 7 days?  Only you can decide.

[Redtravel]

We have sailed on Azamara and Oceania R ships several times.  Those bathrooms are small.  The shower is tight. You might still choose Insignia.  Going to Bermuda, the smaller ship can sail into Hamilton. So if you want to sail to Bermuda, go on Insignia.  The bigger ships cannot fit in Hamilton. 

[CintiPam]

Yes, the bathrooms really are that small.  And we have not sailed on an “R” Oceania ship since Marina debuted in 2011 (but definitely not because of the bathroom size.) Yet we have sailed several times since then with Azamara, most recently four years ago when we sailed in a regular mid-ships veranda cabin on Azamara Quest’s all Norway two-week itinerary.  (Unlike Oceania at that time, it did not proceed on to any “Putinland,” Russia being on my spouse’s political NOGO list after Putin’s adventures in the Crimea.)

 

The bathroom size simply was not a big deal to us.  We do not spend much time there. On that Norwegian itinerary I spent my daylight ship time on my veranda viewing the most exquisite vistas I ever have experienced.  
 

I am using probably too many words to say that IMO it really a personal decision regarding how much the bathroom size will affect your cruising experience. You will fit but indeed will have to sit a bit sideways to use the toilet and be careful not to drop things on the shower floor when taking your shower.  How aggravating will that be for your spouse and you?

Edited September 29, 2020 by CintiPam

[alcpa1]

The convenience of docking in the middle of Hamilton is worth sailing on the Insignia.

We have done Azamara too and while not having sailed on the Oceania R ships we do have several booked in a balcony cabin.

Yes, the baths are small but we have had smaller believe it or not. 

Back to Bermuda....the midtown Hamilton dock will save you literally hours so you can tour and enjoy.

We wouldn't hesitate to book another Bermuda cruise on any R class ship in a balcony cabin. My DH may not have been blessed with your 6' 4" inches but his girth seems familiar.......Enjoy

[MBMGWM]

We sailed on the Regatta on a 12 night Alaska itinerary several years ago.  My DH is an ex-offensive lineman and is 6'5" and weighs more than you do.  We had an oceanview porthole cabin, so I'm not sure if the bathrooms are similar to those in a balcony cabin.  While the bathroom was a bit tight, he did not complain and didn't have any trouble using the shower or the facilities.  

 

I hope you will be able to cruise and have a lovely time in Bermuda!

 

 

Edited October 4, 2020 by MBMGWM
added a few words

[NoWhiners]

The showers are small but still usable. I see it as an inconvenience for 15 minutes a day, the toilet might be a tad more difficult.

 

But here's a thought. If you can't fit in the shower or don't want to fight it, you can use the showers up off the gym (I forget which deck that is). They are bigger. DH did this on our last O cruise. It worked out very well--I got the bathroom to myself and he liked using the locker room showers, since he went to the gym late each afternoon. The locker room also has a steam room, cold towels (which are great after a hot excursion!), cold drinks, all the towels you need, disposable razors, and Q-tips. This is all free and included, so why not use it!

 

PS: The women's locker room is just as nice!

Edited October 4, 2020 by NoWhiners
add info

[Issyalex]

My hubby is 6’2” and approx 18stone (252 lbs) and has never complained about the shower or toilet being too small. It’s not as anyone is spending hours in the bathroom room every day. Having the shower door will make a difference. 
 

We’ve sailed on a couple of other ships with bathrooms just as small. We just accept it as it’s only for a week or two.

[BitburgBoy]

We sailed on theRegatta and my comment on the bathroom was “I had to step out of the bathroom to change my mind”. 

[Mura]

I always complained about the veranda cabin bathrooms going back to Renaissance days.  I'm not tall but I am wide, and I found the shower a problem.  And sitting on the loo could also be a problem.

 

So we upgraded ourselves over time to at least a PH and sometimes more.  But usually a PH.  But a few years ago we were booked in a PH on Nautica and we got a downsell offer to a B2 (later upgraded to a B1) which we couldn't pass up -- it paid for our next cruise on Insignia a few months later in a VS.  Suddenly the bathroom really didn't bother me, even though I'd become used to much larger facilities.  I did have a rule of thumb:  I could stand in front of the sink and put my arms out.  My left arm would just about hit the shower "door" and by right arm would be over the commode.  I could dry myself with my towel, but it WAS tight.

 

Not un-doable, however.

 

People who advise you not to drop the soap in the shower in these cabins is absolutely right!!  That may be the biggest problem.

 

I think OP's problem might be more his height than anything else.

 

Mura