Insignia Review
Rating by category
Additional details
It is very difficult to take reviews on any subject and make a personal decision based on them. We are given an opinion from others based on their reviews/needs/rewards/expectations, and use them accordingly. If we try and decide based on good reviews, we will find ourselves reasons to pick the bad ones apart, and visa versa. Much of the decision is trying to find the middle ground because there may be many other factors you can't know about. Someone may give a glowing review because they got such a good deal that the cruise seemed almost a freebie, so they would obviously love it. Someone else may have been treated like royalty on another ship, and didn't feel they got the same on this trip. Someone else may love the cuisine on previous ships, and not love it on this one. The truth is that we are not all the same, with the same likes and dislikes. We may all make mistakes in our choices if we base them entirely on what others think because we are not those people. We have to choose something on what we hope is fact, to suit our needs and expectations.
Insignia may have a lower rating, and it could be said that this is only a few opinions based on about 2% of the travellers, but the fact is that Insignia is lower than even its sister ship Regatta, which is the same in almost every way.
We were on the transatlantic cruise from Malta to Miami Sept 12-29. It wasn't the best cruise we've had with Oceania that much is definite. It was different, and with a lot of problems.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean View
Cabins, well anyone having looked at reviews of Oceania know the cabins are okay but bathrooms are small. If you are big, the shower is going to feel small to you, enough said. If you don't feel you can handle it, don't go on this ship. Cabins are cleaned and redone every day, and our cabin stewardess and assistant were gems.
Port Reviews
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
Did a walking tour in Palma, that we found on the web. Palma provided a shuttle from the ship, and it drops you off near the Cathedral. Printed it out and followed it and it got us all around Palma. Lovely walk, and the city is lovely. Clean, large boulevards, with a spectacular cathedral and little side streets in the old town to wander through.
Cartagena (Spain)
Another surprisingly lovely port. You dock near the town, so can walk in easily. It has a fabulous Roman connection, with Museum and Roman ruins. And you can climb way up (or use elevator) to the Castillo for good views. There are lots of shops on pedestrian boulevards, and a very nice local crafts place just off the main drag that does fabulous local crafts. Sit in one of the cafes near the constitutional palace and people watch.