Insignia review - 30/6 - 12/7 Istanbul to Venice

We have just returned from this cruise and as I gained a lot of help and information from people on this forum, I thought I would post a review as this may help or inform others. I understand there may be some who do not like Oceania being criticised and are very loyal to the line. All I can do is say how it was for us.

Although there is some criticism in this review there are also many positives. I am trying to give a balanced view. Anyway - here goes:-

Firstly a bit of background. We have been on many cruises before - mostly on Silversea, Regent and Seabourn. We are always up to try something new and this particular itinerary really interested us, so we thought we would give O a try, especially as we had heard such wonderful things about the line. We were therefore anticipating a good cruise with very interesting ports of call.

We arranged our own flights but the transfer arrangements from Istanbul airport were done by Oceania. This was done very smoothly and we were quickly on our way in a taxi to the port. Arrival was a bit confused and it was strange to do the check in before getting on the ship as we had usually (on other lines) done this on board. The staff at this point were helpful and efficient, but it did not feel very friendly and welcoming. We boarded the ship (it was about 2pm) and were told that we could access our stateroom straight away. This was good as we wanted to dump our hand luggage and get something to eat!!

We had a concierge level stateroom mid-ships on deck 7. I was expecting the room to feel a bit smaller than we had experienced on other ships, so the size was not a problem. Storage seemed badly organised and better use could have been made of the available space. However it was fine and the balcony was lovely. We were on the starboard side so we had a good view of Istanbul and indeed most of the ports we visited from this side of the ship. However my heart sank when I opened the bathroom door. I have never seen such a small bathroom and my heart sank to my feet when I spotted the wall mounted hairdryer. Fortunately I then found a hand held one in a cupboard so this was much better. The size of the bathroom remained a disappointment for us, together with the poor water pressure for the shower. If we sailed with O again on these smaller ships we would have to go for a PH cabin, I think.

We went up to the Terrace to have some lunch after purchasing the premium drinks package. A few glasses of champagne revived us after the journey although the food was not very inspiring and a lot of the 'hot' dishes were decidedly cool. This became a recurring theme throughout the voyage. More of that later.

The ship was full and there were a lot of children from babies in prams to teens. I have posted elsewhere about this but as a quick comment here I would confirm that they were all well behaved and caused no problems for us.

Staff

Most of the staff were wonderful, especially our room attendant (Jimmy). There were others who were cool and detached but all did their jobs efficiently. Our overall impressions was that there were not enough staff members around especially during meal times and this meant that the available staff were rushed off their feet, especially in the GDR. The first night we had problems getting refills of wine as the sommeliers were literally running about trying to serve everyone. Why they also had to fetch beers, soft drinks and other things that the wait staff could have done seemed strange to us and in fact one of them confirmed later in the cruise that this was a big problem for them and meant that they could not do their sommelier duties well. When we got back we looked at the guest staff ratios on all the other ships we had sailed on and this was the worst ratio, so our impression was right. It is also worse than the ratio on the bigger O ships.

Food and drink

We had heard wonderful things about the O cuisine and it had been touted as the best at sea. All I can say is that on this cruise that was not true for us. We had too many cold meals , too many things not cooked properly and too many bland, tasteless dishes. Yes, we asked for dishes to be heated up but this should not have been necessary and meant that sometimes one of us was eating whilst the other one was left waiting for the dish to come back. Not a good dining experience. To give you some examples of the problems we encountered - we had cold pizza, over easy eggs that were raw inside (you could drain of the egg white and whip them up for meringues) and beef burgers raw inside. We did give feedback to the cruise and to their credit they did try to improve things for us - the chef rang us and personally checked on two occasions how things were going. However cold meals continued especially in the Terrace at lunchtime and breakfast. After a few days of disappointments we tended to eat in the GDR because we could get hot dishes there more easily. The specialty restaurants were good in the main and we enjoyed our meals there. The staffing ratio was also better. However one night in Toscana we were not served very well by the sommelier who spent most of his time at one table talking instead of serving his tables.

On two occasions at lunchtime we could not get our customary champagne because they had none chilled! One of the beers (unfortunately the one my DH preferred), ran out half way through the cruise! And no it was not because he drank them all!! We also had to keep on top of some of the sommeliers to get refills of our wine when dining.

Itinerary

The itinerary was good and unusual. There were some highlights such as the overnight in Istanbul, the visit to Kusadasi (for Ephesus), the sail down the sea fjord to Kotor and the return to the Adriatic, Dubrovnik and the sail in to Venice. It was unfortunate that 2 very large cruise ships were also in the port at Dubrovnik as this made the town too crowded. One passenger told us that they saw fights for taxis to return from the town! Another problem was at Ravenna. This is a newish port some 20 minutes away from the town. O did provide a shuttle bus service but it did not start off very well and there was a huge queue waiting nearly an hour in the heat with no shade. Two buses then turned up but at least another bus load were unable to get on and they had to wait for one of the buses to return from the town. Taxis were few and far between. We did not do any of the Oceania excursions and organised some of our own. This worked out better for us and allowed us to target those areas we wanted to visit.

Entertainment

We tend to be early risers and therefore go to bed reasonably early. The one exception to this was on leaving Istanbul. We stayed up till gone midnight to witness the sail through the Dardenelles. Definitely worth seeing. I cannot comment on the entertainment as we did not go to any of it.

Overall impressions

Overall we enjoyed the cruise but were very disappointed with the standard of the food. Quality of the food was good - but the cooking of the food and the temperature of the food was a problem for us. We discussed this with other passengers and many also had problems similar to ours. The premium drinks package seemed like a good idea and we probably broke even, but it was such a nuisance to have your card taken every time. It also took a lot of time for the staff to keep doing this instead of just serving guests - there must be a better way. We would prefer it to be inclusive. So would we go with O again? - not sure. We may if the itinerary was good, but we would need a bigger cabin and bathroom and I would have to be convinced that the food issues had been addressed. In the meantime we will return to our more favourite lines where we have not had problems before. Of course they could have deteriorated in the meantime!!

Hope this is helpful to some.

Thank you for the review.

Thanks for the review. As someone who mostly sails Seabourn I have sailed on O several times and enjoyed it immensely but I would never sail inn anything other than a PH. Od course, this makes the cost about the same as Seabourn or Silversea once I factor in the beverage package and tips, which is why I keep returning to SB.

Thank you for your well balanced review.

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We too have sailed on Regent,Silversea and Seabourn. We have sailed on O's Riviera 3 times, which we thought was wonderful and we thought we'd try the Insignia, later this year. It's very disappointing to hear about the problems with service and the temperature of the food, especially as O pride themselves on the quality of the food, which to us includes the temperature.

Thank you for taking the time to post balanced views :)

Even on the O ships, the GDR is erratic. One reason we prefer the larger ships is the greater number of specialty restaurants.

Thanks for the honest review. We will see if the food and service on Regatta have slipped when we are back on board in 4 weeks.

Cheers,

Don

We were on the same sailing. Food is always such a personal experience and food temperature more so, and I did not have your experience. I thought the GDR food was better than usual ( I am not usually a big fan) and I found the service quite good, although some wait staff were less polished than others. My wife recorded a small number of menu misses, but I encountered none. On Oceania I always find the sommelier service slow and frankly think the drinks packages have done much damage to the wine list and service. I agree the specialty restaurants were good, and they were heavily booked, and I enjoyed Terraces for dinner on a few occasions (we usually lunched ashore).

This was the most diverse demographic I have seen with a broader spread of nationalities and a wider age diversity which I much preferred. The itinerary was first rate and Kotor and environs was marvellous, and for me the surprise port. Sailing into Venice is always magic.

In my view where O fell down was on organising shuttles to return to the ship in Dubrovnik. Many ships were in port and the return journey to the ship before an early sail away was chaotic. Ravenna was also a problem as they did not have enough shuttles early in the day and the wait was annoying . We grabbed a cab but even that required considerable patience under a hot sun. Entertainment was varied. At afternoon tea the string quartet was good, but I wasn't much taken with the only evening show I attended. Yeah I know all first world problems and in fairness I am not a big cruise ship show fan.

Serious maintenance was underway on the he last day which some might have found inconvenient but as we were in Venice most would have been ashore.

I loved the cruise. There are always shortfalls and I am constantly amazed how harsh the criticisms of cruise experiences are when compared to hotels. I felt pampered and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your detailed review. I agree about the bathroom shortfall, but was very disappointed to read about the food experience.

It now has been some years since we sailed on one of the smaller Oceania ships, but our experience on both Marina and Riviera have been excellent in the food department, so this is very disturbing news.

Always good to read a balanced review. Thanks tizwiz.

I wonder if O have ever done an analysis on the cost of staff servicing the one glass at a time drinks packages as against the possible cost of wastage by doing the same package by the bottle. Certainly would free up the staff.

Always good to read a balanced review. Thanks tizwiz.

 

I wonder if O have ever done an analysis on the cost of staff servicing the one glass at a time drinks packages as against the possible cost of wastage by doing the same package by the bottle. Certainly would free up the staff.

I don't think that it would matter, Oceania does not encourage passengers to pour their own wine, even if the bottle is table-side...

I think overall you posted it was your experience and that is what counts. You did a great job.

Thank you for your thorough and well written review. We will be on our first Oceania cruise, also on Insignia, in October after sailing on SS, Regent and Seabourn. I don't mind waiting for wine refills, but am definitely not a fan of cold or undercooked food. Hopefully those issues were aberrations and not problems that will continue.

We plan on purchasing the drinks package, and the card issue is one we are not familiar with. Sounds awkward, but guess it is better than wearing armbands!

We plan on purchasing the drinks package, and the card issue is one we are not familiar with. Sounds awkward, but guess it is better than wearing armbands!

Ain't it the truth?

We felt strongly that neck Tattoo's were the way to go

but Oceania was all "something, something, potential lawsuit, something, something risk of infection......

You know, the usual run around! :D

We plan on purchasing the drinks package, and the card issue is one we are not familiar with. Sounds awkward, but guess it is better than wearing armbands!

I think the wristbands would be a good idea ..then those that have such an issue showing their cards could just relax as the staff will see the wristbands without disturbing the passengers :D

Works at the land based A.I. ..why not on the ship :confused:

I don't think that it would matter, Oceania does not encourage passengers to pour their own wine, even if the bottle is table-side...

I think pouring from a bottle beside a table would take a lot less time than taking the order, going to the bar, finding the wine, pouring two glasses, taking them back to the table then perhaps taking the card - especially if it is done three or so times during a meal.

Thanks for the report!

Ain't it the truth?

 

We felt strongly that neck Tattoo's were the way to go

but Oceania was all "something, something, potential lawsuit, something, something risk of infection......

 

You know, the usual run around! :D

:) Neck wouldn't work; too much hair.

I am on nautica now and just got off regatta less than 4 weeks ago

Food was just fine on regatta. I did not eat in GDR but terrace and specialties were up to snuff

So far on nautica I have eaten in GDR terrace and Toscana. All good

Ask another passenger and u will get a different opinion. Guarantee it.

Don't let a single negative opinion about the food deter you from sailing Oceania

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Thanks for your great review. Will be boarding Insignia in Sept and will report back about food temps, etc.

Only thing I don't get about your review concerning the size of the bathroom - and others with the same complaint - is that the bathrooms are functional. They have the requisite accommodations for their purpose from our experience on two Azamara R ships and from O's Regatta. Yes, in my own home, I like my luxury appointments, but on a ship, I'd rather the space be pared down and put into the stateroom itself. JMHO, there it is.

Donna

We were on the same cruise.You spoke for all of us.The food was a disappointment.Our last cruise was on Azamara and the food was way better.

The first 2 nights our service in Main dining room was awful,we requested a table on the other side of room and had wonderful service with Scott .

The organization in Ravenna was really bad.Our tour times were changed from 9.30 to 1.30.We were told taxis would be available,there were not.You had to call for one.There was one shuttle bus into town…..not nearly adequate for so many people.

The ports were wonderful,but O was not as it was two years ago.

We were on the same cruise.You spoke for all of us.The food was a disappointment.Our last cruise was on Azamara and the food was way better.

The first 2 nights our service in Main dining room was awful,we requested a table on the other side of room and had wonderful service with Scott .

The organization in Ravenna was really bad.Our tour times were changed from 9.30 to 1.30.We were told taxis would be available,there were not.You had to call for one.There was one shuttle bus into town…..not nearly adequate for so many people.

The ports were wonderful,but O was not as it was two years ago.

I just returned from my first cruise on Azamara Quest and was going to post a review of Azamara versus Oceania (sailed 6 times Oceania and have a grand voyage coming up) but was afraid I would be flamed so I didn't. I totally understand food is subjective but there are a lot of other variables that aren't like shuttles and other services. I like Oceania and will continue to travel with them again but I really enjoy Azamara for their service etc. It makes life and traveling so much easier.

I just returned from my first cruise on Azamara Quest and was going to post a review of Azamara versus Oceania (sailed 6 times Oceania and have a grand voyage coming up) but was afraid I would be flamed so I didn't. I totally understand food is subjective but there are a lot of other variables that aren't like shuttles and other services. I like Oceania and will continue to travel with them again but I really enjoy Azamara for their service etc. It makes life and traveling so much easier.

Maybe you can post it on the Azamara boards :D

We will be taking our 2nd Azamara (Quest) shortly - so I would be interested in your experiences.

Enjoyed your review, thanks for your honesty.

I wonder if some of these issues on this one particular cruise had to do with the fact that, in June, Insignia had just come out of refurbishment after being loaned to Hapag Lloyd for a couple years. I suppose new crew had to be recruited, and perhaps with more experience and training, things are better. Also, Oceania constantly changes some of the ports on its itineraries to keep us loyal Oceania travelers happy, and to provide some unique visits that no other cruise lines provide. I've cruised on a big line that just does the same itineraries over and over again, and yes, they pretty much seem to have things like shore excursions and shuttles (when offered, which is certainly not always) down pat. However, I don't want to go back to the same places, even if everything is perfect, so I am grateful there are cruise lines like Oceania which are always going somewhere new. (My cruise on Insignia in 3 weeks goes to 2 Canary Islands and it is the only cruise I could find, at least for the rest of the year, that visits one of those islands. I know I'm going to love it, but if I have to wait for a shuttle instead of taking a cab (or waiting for a cab) at least I will have had the pleasure of visiting a place where few cruisers go.)

I cannot afford Silversea or the other lines mentioned, and probably would find them too formal anyway, so I will stick to Oceania. I haven't been disappointed so far, so it is obviously the line for me. However, thanks for your review just the same. I read a lot on Cruise Critic, and all reviews and comments, negative or positive, bring me closer to knowing more about Oceania,the other lines, and the ports that the cruise lines visit - and that in itself is a good thing! (By the way, I have drooled over the Istanbul to Venice cruise for a couple years now. The pictures I see of Kotor are enchanting, and I have never been to Istanbul or Venice, so I really want to go to both of them.)