Aboard the Oceania Insignia – Introduction and Overview of the Ship

On the road again … or actually, on the sea again, on a cruise from San Diego to New York aboard the Oceania Insignia, with stops in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, a transit of the Panama Canal, Columbia, Grand Cayman, and Miami.  I’m doing this one solo, confident that I’ll meet interesting fellow travel aficionados and perhaps make some new friends, as often happens on these trips.

This is my first cruise on Oceania.  I’ve heard rave reviews about the company, and they offer an itinerary that will bring me to several places I’ve never been.  Even better, Oceania sets aside a few staterooms for solo travelers, without the punitive single supplement charged by most other cruise lines.  (More on my stateroom in a moment.)

One final plus:  because the cruise leaves from San Diego, I was able to come in a few days early and catch up with my wonderful friends Andy and Char, who live just north of the city in La Jolla.   I’m fortunate to have known Andy for 40 years and Char almost as long; we’ve traveled together several times (and will do so again in September), shared a few thousand laughs, and – this is key – had any number of memorable meals.

Three of those meals came in the past 24 hours:  (1) lunch at The Fishery (5040 Cass Street, Pacific Beach, 858-272-9985), where the fish is ultra-fresh and the food is deliciously prepared and fairly priced; (2) dinner at Solare, an Italian restaurant at Liberty Station in Point Loma (2820 Roosevelt Road, 619-270-9670), where the staff is marvelously friendly, the butternut squash soup was revelatory, and my pasta was cooked to perfection; and (3) breakfast at Sugar and Scribe (7660 Fay Ave., La Jolla, 858-274-1733), a bakery/brunch spot with mouthwatering pastries and classic brunch offerings.

With my body and soul suitably nourished, Andy dropped me at the cruise ship terminal at 11:30, and despite a line of around 25 people, I was on board by noon.

Among oceangoing vessels, the Insignia is on the smaller size, with fewer than 700 passengers.  There’s one big dining room, a buffet restaurant, a couple of specialty restaurants (which I’ll try later in the cruise), a standard-issue pool deck, and several nicely appointed lounges.   

There’s also a well-stocked library and a gym with cardio equipment and dumbbells.

The size, layout, and amenities are similar to what I’ve seen on Azamara. The only significant difference is that Insignia, unlike Azamara’s ships, has a small casino. Many people enjoy slots and such, but I’ve never been attracted to casinos – I figure driving in the DC area provides enough gambling for one lifetime. 

And now for the stateroom.  As expected, the cabin is small, but there’s plenty of storage space, a bathroom that is adequate despite being somewhat narrower than my arm span, and – Hosanna! – shower doors rather than a clingy plastic curtain. 

The stateroom is billed as “Solo Oceanview.”  Alas, the “Oceanview” label is a bit fanciful.  My window looks directly into one of the ship’s lifeboats, but in fairness to Oceania,  if I bend down and peer through the lifeboat, I can sort of discern the water and sky. 

While I’d love to have more of a vista, it’s not a big deal.  I’m rarely in my cabin other than to sleep, and at least, unlike an inside cabin, I can tell whether it’s day or night.

I’m finishing this post on the first of two sea days to begin the cruise.  I’ll be back after our visit to Cabo San Lucas on the 6^th.