Wonderful Ship - Bad ending

The Insignia is identical to the two Azamara ships. They all are intimate, small and provide excellent service. Perhaps Oceania offers just a notch above Azamara.

We enjoyed the bed so much that we ordered one for our home along with the pillows. We had the best nights' sleep at sea of any cruise. I have back issues and actually awoke in the mornings without pain! You can check out the bedding on their website. Our cabin, a balcony, was small as expected and was meticulously maintained.

The food.....it was excellent. Even in the buffet lobster was available for the meals we had there. The only disappointments were the cookies and caviar. Everything else was top notch and the buffet is really not quite that for you are served your food. My wife, a coffee drinker, said the coffee was the best she ever had. The dining tables are elegantly set. It was a pleasure just to walk into the restaurants. Speaking of which, the specialty restaurants do not charge extra. Isn't that refreshing! However, book them before you even board or as soon as you board or you will not be able to get in or be limited to a day and time. Some people we met had reservations for every night.

The Insignia is not for anyone looking to have a wild time. It is beautifully appointed, no formal wear nights (thank goodness), super library in case you forgot reading material and is a quiet ship. There are no hairy leg contests, photographers pestering to take your photos, or waiters doing the same with drinks at poolside. It is a reserved class act allowing you to simply relax and enjoy life. It certainly is not a ship for youngsters. The only item they might enjoy would be the pool.

As with Azamara, poolside lounges are at a premium on sea days. If you simply want to be out in the sun there are other decks available.

In our opinion, Oceania and the Insignia provide ideal and luxurious service well worth our travelling dollar.

We were docked in St. Lucia several days into the cruise when a fire on board took the lives of 3 people and terminated the voyage.

Oceania does  include air  in their pricing. Be advised this does not include transportation to and from the airport. On other lines we have traveled when we purchased air through them transportation to and from the ship was included or it was clearly stated it was an extra. This may be a petty item and we stumbled across it just two weeks from departure. My thought, Oceania, being an upper scale line, should include this in their pricing. Raise the price if necessary but cover it. I wonder how many unsuspecting passengers found out too late about this?

We boarded in San Juan. There was no one at the boarding ramp to help me board! I needed assistance and none was available or provided. A person not affiliated with the line walked by, saw my dilemma and provided the aid needed. This was the only lack of service we encountered.

We intend to sail with Oceania again.