Oceania Cruises

MV Insignia

Rating: Submit your review here Operator: Oceania Cruises Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1998 / 2008 Length / Tonnage: 592 / 30,277 Number of Cabins / Passengers: 340 / 684 Officers / Crew: International / International Operating Area: Mediterranean, Transatlantic, Caribbean, The Americas

Deck Plans Deck Eleven Deck Ten Deck Nine Deck Eight Deck Seven Deck Six Deck Five Deck Four Deck Three Deck Legend

She originally entered service as the R1 for Renaissance Cruise Lines and began sailing for Oceania Cruises in November of 2003.

A tour the public areas, start at the highest point on the ship, Deck 11 which features a large sun deck forward. At the front of the sun deck, overlooking the bow, are private cabanas.

On deck 10, overlooking the stern, are two restaurants. To port is Toscana, a Tuscan inspired venue, and to starboard is the Polo Grill, a formal steakhouse. Forward of the two restaurants is the ship's well stocked library with over 2,000 books and periodicals. At the front of this deck is Horizons lounge. This lounge offers 180 degree views out of the forward facing windows. Afternoon tea and wine tasting are held here as well.

Moving down a deck to deck 9 you will find the Terrace Cafe at the stern. By day it offers casual atmosphere and buffets as well as pizza. By night it turns into Tapas on the Terrace, a Tapas restaurant with an international flavor. Forward of the restaurant is Waves Grill which is a casual grill featuring burgers, BBQ and seafood. Forward of Waves is the pool area, featuring a main pool with two hot tubs on either side. Forward of the pool is the ships spa. The Oceania Spa by Mandara has all the features you would expect of a state-of-the-art spa on land. A feature to note is the private, open-air Thalassotherapy pool.

Deck 8 features Balcony suites and ten inside cabins.

Deck 7 is the Concierge level. This deck is all cabins.

Deck 6 has all cabins, with the ones amidships being obstructed by the life boats.

At the stern of deck 5 is the Grand Dining room. This grand room is modeled after a European, 5-star hotel restaurant. All the menus are designed by world renowned chef Jacques Pepin. Forward of the Dining Room is the Grand Bar. This cozy bar is a perfect place for pre-dinner drinks. Forward of the bar is the upper hall, which is part of the main reception hall, featuring a grand staircase and adorned with artwork. Moving past the Hall are little shopping boutiques. Forward of the shopping area is Martini's which, as you might expect, is the perfect place to get a martini. On the other side of Martinis is the Casino. At the very front of the ship is the ships main lounge featuring a stage and dance floor.

Deck 4 includes the bottom floor of the main reception hall. At the base of the staircase is the reception. Also found here is the private concierge. The deck also features outside cabins as well as the medical center.

The last passenger deck is deck 3. Here there are outside cabins and also the tender embarkation areas.

Dining in all restaurants is done in an open seating fashion. This means no set times or places or tablemates. Famed chef Jacques Pepin is Oceania's Executive Culinary Director.

The main restaurant is the Grand Dining Room. The Grand Dining Room exudes a warm, convivial ambiance. This is luxury on a grand scale, but approachably so. Tables are set with Versace bone china, sparkling Riedel crystal, gleaming Christofle silver and fine cotton linens. Hand-painted frescoes adorn the domed ceiling. Service from the formally attired wait staff is impeccable, as they serve an astonishing variety of French-inspired Continental dishes, course after course.

Alternate Restaurants:

Toscana - Many of the recipes used to create the authentic Tuscan dishes in Toscana have been handed down from generation to generation, coming from the ship's own Italian culinary staff. Similarly, the sommeliers are from long lines of wine-producing families, so they inherently know the characteristics of each vintage and can suggest a wine that perfectly complements your meal. Presented on elegant, custom-designed Versace china, each dish exemplifies the essence of Tuscany.

Polo Grill - A triumph of elegance, the restaurant possesses a gracious, traditional atmosphere, courtesy of its crisp, white linen tablecloths, dark-wood furnishings and supple, high-back leather chairs. The Hollywood legends, whose black-and-white photographs grace the walls, would clearly feel at home in the Polo Grill.

Tapas on the Terrace - Each evening, the alfresco dining area of the Terrace Cafe becomes Tapas on the Terrace with a sumptuous buffet. Here you will enjoy dining under the stars, specialty cocktails and a menu of authentic tapas, paellas and other flavorful regional specialties from Spain and the surrounding Mediterranean. The buffet allows Guests a bountiful selection of traditional favorites including carefully prepared entrees, salads, soups, and tantalizing desserts to finish.

Waves - The casual ambiance of the Waves Grill, which occupies a spacious, shaded corner near the swimming pool, belies its tasty luncheon menu. Come straight from lounging about in the sun, or for a quick meal between tours, and dine from a menu of gourmet burgers, tangy barbecue and succulent seafood. It's an open galley, so you can watch the chefs grill each delectable item to order, while you select side dishes such as healthy, garden-fresh salads and crispy, hand-cut fries. For a grand finale, savor a cup of creamy gelato, a bowl of homemade ice cream, or a hand-dipped, made-to-order milkshake.

There are a total of 342 Guest Staterooms and Suites including the following: 4 Owner's Suites
6 Vista Suites
52 Penthouse Suites
104 Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms
66 Veranda Staterooms
83 Ocean View Staterooms
27 Inside Staterooms

Sixty-eight (68%) of her staterooms have private terraces. Cabins range in size from 160 for a standard cabin, to 322 square feet for a Penthouse Suite, to 962 square feet for the six Owner's Suites.

Suites - The luxurious Owner's, Vista and Penthouse Suites are spacious retreats with lavish amenities including Butler Service, Private Teak Verandas, and more.

Veranda Staterooms - Watch the ever-changing panoramas while comfortably seated in your own private veranda from one of Oceania's exquisitely appointed veranda staterooms.

Oceanview and Inside - Thoughtful amenities such as their exclusive Tranquility Bed encourage total relaxation in an Inside or Ocean View staterooms.

Like many premium lines, Oceania caters to those that are looking for a way to see the world in luxury, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg for line like Crystal and Silversea. In general, Oceania does not cater to kids or young families. A lot of the passengers are retirees.

Oceania sails all ships to Europe in the summer. European sailings range from western Mediterranean to Northern Europe/Scandinavia, to the Greek Isles and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The winter program for Insignia features South America itineraries.

Exterior & Interior Images
Insignia at Sea	Insignia at Sea
Card Room	Grand Bar
Grand Staircase	Polo Bar
Polo Grill	Insignia Lounge
Library	Polo Grill
Upper Lobby	Beauty Salon
Gym	Insignia Lounge
Reception Lobby	Martini's Bar
Suite Bedroom	Suite Living Room