On the Insignia Now

Day 2 of a 10-day New England/Bermuda. A few early thoughts, if I may.

My reference points are the floating behemoths of Royal Caribbean and celebrity (mostly), so please keep that in mind as I run through a few observations. The Guest Services desk, the lobby and other parts of the ship remind me of an older, but deluxe hotel lobby. There, we purchased the Prestige Select beverage package and began taking advantage almost immediately. Terrace cafe was open and we availed ourselves of the eclectic buffet. Wine and Pina Coladas were ordered (DW and I are traveling with another couple). Except for the chewy roast beef, everything was exceptional, especially the hamburgers which are never good on a ship (always pre-cooked and left to sit under a lamp). These burgers were excellent, no doubt because they were cooked to order. I also liked that the food was ladled by the staff, rather than allowing people to handle the utensils. Contrary to some comments, to us the Terrace did not feel crowded or chaotic, but again, my buffet experience has been with Windjammer—Royal Caribbean’s signature buffet which on embarkation day is a zoo.

Our first dinner was in the GDR. This is a lovely venue and it never felt crowded or frenetic and the noise was minimal (I thought the acoustics were great). The dinner service is anytime dining which may account for why it did not get over-crowded while we were there. It had the feel of an upscale restaurant on land. Three of us selected the Beef Bourguignon, and one had the salmon, both off the Jacques Pepin section of the menu. All of us were impressed. And the food arrived hot, in case anyone was wondering. Service was energetic, friendly and the food was delivered with alacrity. One member of our group has food allergies, and the dining room manager verified this personally. Hyperbole aside, that could have been the best main dining room experience we have ever had aboard any ship.

We are in a Penthouse Suite, PH3. Absolutely no noise on night one and the ship was not rocky. The suite is fine, but I do miss the larger bathrooms in the Royal Caribbean Grand Suites. Still there is not much else we miss on Royal Caribbean as this cruise has been superior. We have a ways to go and stuff may happen, but for now, the Insignia has delivered as advertised.

This sailing is probably typical of Oceania passengers... friendly, affable, well heeled, but not pretentious. Dress has been casual, perhaps not quite country-club, but I noticed no glaring fashion faux pas. A handful of children here and there, but the preponderance of the clientele is adults over 60 and probably most of them are beyond 70.

This is not the start of a daily diary, but if further observations come hither I'll be delighted to share. If you have a question that I can help answer while I'm onboard feel free to ask.

Thanks for posting. I hope you find time to share more of your impressions and experiences as your cruise proceeds. We’re sailing on the Insignia less than 3 months and this will be our first Oceania experience.

Wishing you smooth sailing......

We were on the same cruise as you are currently on,

from July 15-25. I completely concur with your observations. This was a very relaxing itinerary, with sea days well-paced. Yes, the food is delicious, but make sure to leave room for high tea on some of the days. For us, it was our 9th Oceania cruise and we continue to think that they are the best ~ at least for our travel style. Continue to enjoy.

Harriet

If you enjoy fresh Maine lobster be advised that the ship usually loads out in Bar Harbor and has a lobster event in the Terrace the following evening.

If you enjoy fresh Maine lobster be advised that the ship usually loads out in Bar Harbor and has a lobster event in the Terrace the following evening.

I was wondering if they did that. Our cruise in 3 weeks stops in Portland rather than Bar Harbor. I assume they can pick them up there instead.

When we were on Anthem of the Seas (Royal) they also picked up fresh lobsters in Maine. They made it seem like it was special for our cruise but I later learned that they always did it when they stopped in Maine (we had stops in both Portland and Bar Harbor).

Yes, the food is delicious, but make sure to leave room for high tea on some of the days.

Just so people are not disappointed it is not really High tea but Afternoon Tea

Lovely atmosphere

On longer cruises they do put on an extravagant Tea on one of the days

Thank you for the great post, st5310! I really enjoyed it and it helped me feel the excitement of our cruise next month on the Insignia.

Thanks for 'taking us along'...my friends Bill and Arlene are on board, and saw them waving to me, as you passed by the PortNY webcam, yesterday.

Today, I noticed you guys sailed thru the Cape Cod Canal...how cool was that?

Another benefit of being on a smaller ship...:cool:

You mentioned how good the burger's were...were they cooked on a real grill, or on a flat griddle? Makes a big difference to my taste...

Enjoy your cruise...appreciate any thing I can learn about my 'home' for next January thru July...;):)

Thanks for 'taking us along'...my friends Bill and Arlene are on board, and saw them waving to me, as you passed by the PortNY webcam, yesterday.

Today, I noticed you guys sailed thru the Cape Cod Canal...how cool was that?

Another benefit of being on a smaller ship...:cool:

 

You mentioned how good the burger's were...were they cooked on a real grill, or on a flat griddle? Makes a big difference to my taste...

 

Enjoy your cruise...appreciate any thing I can learn about my 'home' for next January thru July...;):)

It's a real grill, Bob... Pretty sure you'll like them.

Thanks for 'taking us along'...my friends Bill and Arlene are on board, and saw them waving to me, as you passed by the PortNY webcam, yesterday.

Today, I noticed you guys sailed thru the Cape Cod Canal...how cool was that?

Another benefit of being on a smaller ship...:cool:

 

You mentioned how good the burger's were...were they cooked on a real grill, or on a flat griddle? Makes a big difference to my taste...

 

Enjoy your cruise...appreciate any thing I can learn about my 'home' for next January thru July...;):)

I believe all cooking appliances are electric. But it is a big flat surface.

I believe all cooking appliances are electric. But it is a big flat surface.

I agree

the grill is a flat grill

You can have an electric char-griller....it doesn't have to be 'fried' on a flat griddle. Most cruise ships that I have sailed on have these electric char-griller's in their upscale steakhouses, that give that 'flame-broiled' smoky taste and grill marks to steaks that I love...

You can have an electric char-griller....it doesn't have to be 'fried' on a flat griddle. Most cruise ships that I have sailed on have these electric char-griller's in their upscale steakhouses, that give that 'flame-broiled' smoky taste and grill marks to steaks that I love...

That may be so but I believe the R ships have flat griddle type at Waves

Ask your friends onboard to go have a look & ask what type of grill they use :rolleyes:

Thanks for posting your views on Insignia. We are on her next month and cannot wait. This will be our 2nd with Oceania, 1st one on Serina which we loved.

Everything we ate in the GDR, lunch and dinner were wonderful. Red ginger was our fave speciality restaurant. I loved the surf and turf sandwich at Waves. Like you I loved that the staff dished out your food in buffet.

OMG my mouth is salivating at the thought of it. roll on 3rd Sept.

You can have an electric char-griller....it doesn't have to be 'fried' on a flat griddle. Most cruise ships that I have sailed on have these electric char-griller's in their upscale steakhouses, that give that 'flame-broiled' smoky taste and grill marks to steaks that I love...

Bob.... it is very possible to get a char on a flat-top range or cast iron frying pan... Its all about temp and getting it high enough. You can do the same if you preseason the meat, get it to room temp and the resulting sear has a great taste. The burger meat they use on O is the best quality.. I get them to cook it on the rare side 115F To me beef is 115 rare, 125 med Rare 135 Med and 136 ruined... might as well eat cardboard. ( learned this at CIA her in St Helena) The line cooks all have temp probes Skip the cheese just mayo or aoli ( they have a garcic/ginger aoli for the fish ask for it.

For the technique look up Snake River Ranch beef ( the best in the USA, not cheap but its all Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora, use at their top places....

OP, thank you for your reports. We are on board after your cruise.

Dan, I think I’ll try a burger with the Aioli. It sounds good, even with the added ginger.

Bob.... it is very possible to get a char on a flat-top range or cast iron frying pan... Its all about temp and getting it high enough. You can do the same if you preseason the meat, get it to room temp and the resulting sear has a great taste. The burger meat they use on O is the best quality.. I get them to cook it on the rare side 115F To me beef is 115 rare, 125 med Rare 135 Med and 136 ruined... might as well eat cardboard. ( learned this at CIA her in St Helena) The line cooks all have temp probes Skip the cheese just mayo or aoli ( they have a garcic/ginger aoli for the fish ask for it.

For the technique look up Snake River Ranch beef ( the best in the USA, not cheap but its all Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora, use at their top places....

Dan,

I don’t hesitate to have my steak medium rare but not so with burgers as they are ground beef. At very reputable establishments where I can be sure of freshness and good hygiene I would have my burger med rare but most places I think it’s safer to have it medium to medium well (not that I like it better that way but it’s safer).

What do you think?

The burgers in Terrace Cafe are cooked on a grill, not a flat griddle. Haven't been to Waves yet. For those sailing Insignia for the first time, note there is no Red Ginger or Jacques Pepin restaurants. Items from their menus are available in the Grand Dining Room, however.

Last night we dined in the Polo Grill, O's signature steakhouse. The ambience, food quality and service lived up to my expectations. We ordered two filets, one rib-eye (me), one prime rib. No glitches and all were prepared as we had requested. The steaks were as good as just about any steakhouse we've been to (e.g. Ruth's Chris, Berns, etc.) and my friend's prime rib was spectacularly delicious--cooked medium rare, lots of flavor and cut like butter. Sides were excellent as well, featuring the usual suspects--baked potato, asparagus, cream spinach, etc. For me, Polo Grill far outclasses the Chops Grille steakhouse we've been accustomed to on Royal.

The Prestige Select beverage package is working out beautifully. The card does have to be handed over to the waiter, but it’s returned posthaste and there is no signing required (tips already included). The pours have been fine and we have had no complaints about the selection available to us. Three of us are scotch drinkers and as long as Johnnie Black is on the menu we’re content.

Afternoon tea is delightful. Lots of treats from the mobile tray are offered, but for us it’s all about the clotted (or clouted) cream that comes with the scones. The tea is not fresh-brewed, but comes in packaged bags that include a wide variety, from Earl Grey to mint, to chamomile, to decaf.

I love the the serene atmosphere of this ship. Quiet, with an ambience conducive to contemplation, reading, crosswords, and conversation. No announcements. No hype. No auctions. And no screaming kids towed by flustered parents. Definitely my speed.

Thank-you for your updates. :)

Thank you for the updates - please keep them coming.

Glad that the experience seems to be living up to your expectations so far - let’s hope it remains so.

The burgers in Terrace Cafe are cooked on a grill, not a flat griddle. Haven't been to Waves yet.

The grill in the Terrace is a newer addition

I did not know they did burgers there we usually go to WAVES

Don’t miss the observation lounge on deck 10. Forget the exact name. Great place to watch the sunset going home from Bermuda. Very quiet in the evening and the bar is open.

Don’t miss the observation lounge on deck 10. Forget the exact name. Great place to watch the sunset going home from Bermuda. Very quiet in the evening and the bar is open.

Horizons

Don’t miss the observation lounge on deck 10. Forget the exact name. Great place to watch the sunset going home from Bermuda. Very quiet in the evening and the bar is open.

Thanks, Westyone. Discovered Horizons early on and I agree.

And no screaming kids towed by flustered parents. Definitely my speed.

Have you taken photos of any menus or dailies? Did you do a Meet & Greet? If so, when? And was the muster drill at 5:15, or earlier?