Oceania Cruises is commonly referred to as having the “finest cuisine at sea” and we are pleased to say that this is definitely the case!
Our Sovereign sales team members, Rebecca and Rose, were able to experience this first-class cuisine first hand on their most recent cruise on the luxurious Insignia. They were amazed by the Oceania Cruises experience onboard and discovered some of the popular port-intensive itineraries that Oceania have to offer.
Rebecca and Rose have kindly discussed their experience below in a joint review of the ship:
Sailing out of Bordeaux on the Insignia was amazing. At the time of sailaway, we were relaxing in the Horizon lounge enjoying a few cocktails looking out onto Bordeaux. This view was spectacular and its safe to say we had the best seats in the house whilst the ship was leaving Bordeaux.
The best way to describe the Insignia is that it is similar to a luxurious, country styled hotel. Her decks are resplendent in the finest teak, custom stone and tile work. Picasso paintings are all around the ship along with other great sculptures. The art masterpieces really compliment the surroundings to create a casual, sophisticated elegance.
We dined in each speciality restaurant, none of which had any cover charges which was fantastic! Our favourite restaurant was the Polo Grill. The steak in this restaurant was USDA Prime and dry-aged for 28 days to enhance tenderness and flavour. They also have a great selection of sea foods if you fancied the delicious Surf & Turf option. The design of the Polo Grill was like a typical steak house with white linen tablecloths, dark wood furnishings and grand leather burgundy chairs.
On our first night we ate in the Toscana which is a Italian restaurant. They use custom-designed Versace china cutlery and the food is fantastically prepared and empathises the essence of Tuscany. Our favourite dish was the ‘Gnocchi di Patate al Pesto’ (Hand-Rolled Potato Dumplings in a Creamy Pesto Sauce). This emphasises just how incredible the food really is on Oceania and supports their tagline of having the “finest cuisine at sea”.
The Waves Grill is a great place to have lunch, especially if your sat by the pool enjoying the sunshine. They have a great selection of gourmet burgers & hot dogs. If you fancy something a little healthy they have a selection of smoothies to enjoy with a wide range of different fruits to choose from.
In terms of décor, the design of the grand dining room has to be our favourite with rich woods, designer tapestry fabrics and oversized armchairs. You can eat here for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no reservation required. The menu changes on a daily basis with a healthy Canyon Ranch Spa option too.
If you’re not one for dressing up in the evening then the Terrace Café is a lovely dining option, the selection of buffet food served is amazing from freshly cooked lobster to lamb chops prepared to order. You are also able to eat here for breakfast and lunch which gives guests a great variation in places to dine onboard.
In regards to our accommodation, we were lucky enough to stay in a concierge stateroom located on deck 7 which gave us private access to the Canyon Ranch Spa private terrace. This is a lovely place to go and relax on a sea day if the sun is shining. The stateroom itself was a very generous size as it was spacious and also luxurious. We loved having our own private balcony and watch the world go by.
A great place to go for after dinner drinks is the Martinis Bar, they have live music, quizzes and various other entertainment. We were particularly impressed with the drinks menu here as it boasted numerous cocktails for us to choose from. The cocktails were very satisfying and lived up to our high expectations.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Insignia, everything from the cuisine, accommodation, entertainment and service were all perfect. We are keen to share our experience with every guest that we speak to and we are hoping to travel on this ship again in the future.