Oceania Cruises

I flew out to Bordeaux with a work colleague from Birmingham on the 5th June to board the Oceania Insignia for a 5 night sailing. Our flight landed at lunchtime but the ship did not arrive into the port until several hours later so we had an enjoyable afternoon meandering along the promenade with numerous stops for refreshments. Despite neither of us speaking much French we were able to get a taxi from the airport to the port with a non English speaking driver thanks to the Google translate on our phones. This also proved invaluable on several other occasions during our trip. First lesson learned - It is no longer necessary to book transfers with an English speaking driver at an inflated cost as long as you have access to Google. Once the ship had arrived and completed docking we were able to board, there was no rush as we were staying in port until the following afternoon, however the embarkation process was quick, and very straight forward. Once checked in we were helped with the luggage to our balcony suite up on deck 7, from where we had a fantastic view of Bordeaux. I must say it was a relief to finally be able to leave our bags. The suite itself was of an average size and comparable in size to a balcony cabin on most mainstream cruises, it was however very tastefully decorated and there was ample storage. As well as the hairdryer on the wall in the bathroom ( does anyone ever actually use those ) there was a normal hand held one in the drawers. The bathroom again was a similar size to most on cruise ships but the luxury toiletries added that special touch. After unpacking and freshening up we went down to the main dining room for our first of many delicious meals on board. The al a carte menu in this restaurant changes each day but with a few staple dishes such as a New York strip steak being on permanently. This was what I opted for on the first evening and it was out of this world. You could tell that as well as being cooked by a top chef the actual quality of the food was outstanding. Due to a long day of travelling and a meal of over indulgence we felt wiped out after our meal and so decided to call it a day and get some sleep ready for the days ahead. The following morning we decided that having seen Bordeaux the previous day we would spend our time taking a tour of the ship and all it had to offer which was quite a lot for a small ship. As well as the main dining room there are 2 speciality restaurants, a buffet restaurant and a poolside grill. There is a lovely spa with a gym – which I only used once, but I did think about using it more! There was a theatre which is small compared to the ones on many of the newer ships but more than big enough for the number of passengers that she carries and there was a different show on every night as well as lectures taking place in there during the day. If you wanted a quieter venue there is a well stocked library and the way it is furnished makes you feel like you are sat in a cosy living room at home. The ship also has an internet café, a card room with board games and jigsaw puzzles and a casino. Plenty to keep everyone amused. Up on the top decks you could play crazy golf, walk around the track or simply lie back on one of the very plush sun loungers round the pool - even on sea days there are more than enough to accommodate everyone on board, or sip a cocktail of the day in one of the Jacuzzis. We interspersed our tour of the ship by stopping in each of the bars for a drink as we passed through and each time the bar staff could not have been more friendly. Despite being a small size ship there was as much choice of drinks as on any of the larger ships. At lunch time we ate in the buffet restaurant which has an alfresco area where we sat looking out in the sunshine. Again you would never think you were on a small ship, there was certainly nothing small about the food choice on offer. Later that evening we met up with other travel agents and our hosts from Oceania in the horizons bar – a lovely area with panoramic views across the front of the ship, a great place for pre dinner drinks. This is also the place where they serve a traditional afternoon tea each day and then late into the evening it hosts live music and a disco. Following drinks and introductions we headed off to the Italian restaurant for our evening meal. The menu in here stays the same each day with just one speciality dish which can change daily. We sat at a table for 10 and most people ordered something different, from Steak, to Veal, to pasta or pizza, and I don’t recall anyone sending anything but empty plates back. The food was so good that even when you felt full you had to keep going until the plate was empty – not good for the waistline. We awoke the following morning in Lorient and took the complimentary shuttle bus into the town centre, where we spent several hours wandering around the shops and small marina. Once back on the ship we had lunch at the poolside grill where even the burgers are made from wagyu beef. The evening meal was taken in Polo the Steakhouse where I went for the traditional surf and turf, and it was the best I have ever eaten. Apparently they have their own farm for the beef and even have their own oyster farm, and when you taste the food the difference is so obvious. The following day was a sea day so I went to the gym and then we went to the games room and attempted a jigsaw – it was still unfinished when we left the ship. The afternoon was spent sunbathing around the pool with a few cocktails followed by afternoon tea. Our final day was in Belfast where we had booked an 8 hour excursion to Giants Causeway and a city tour . The guide gave us a commentary the whole way with lots of interesting information on history, politics the troubles of the recent past and everyday life as it is now. As we drove across Ireland I was amazed at the beautiful scenery, far nicer than I had expected. Our last evening we ate outdoors from the buffet restaurant and chilled out ready for our journey home the following morning. To summarise the Oceania Insignia whilst being a small ship is very cosy and friendly and still retains lots of facilities that the bigger ships offer but without the queues. The staff are all extremely friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble for them, again because there are less passengers on board the staff get to know them and their requirements. Our hosts from Oceania treated us very well and created a good atmosphere between all the agents from different companies and it was a pleasure to be on board with them. They got the mix just right in that we were able to experience the ship as a normal passenger would enabling us to pass this on to potential customers in the correct way, but also holding a presentation for us with lots of information about the company and its other ships which I found very useful. The strap line for Oceania is “ finest cuisine at sea” and I can 100% verify this.

Iglu Cruises booked a cruise from Copenhagen ending in Stockholm at the end of August for us. They arranged flights, hotels, transfers and the cruise at an excellent price. We stayed in Copenhagen before the cruise for two nights and at the end of the cruise in Stockholm for two nights. All arrangements worked perfectly the transfers were trouble free as were the flights and the cruise was excellent. Oceania Cruises was by far the best cruise line we have used, the service was excellent with very friendly and helpful staff. Food, entertainment and organisation on the ship was faultless. Iglu staff and document excellent with friendly and efficient staff dealing with any queries we had. So good that we have arranged another holiday with Iglu in January 2017.