Next morning we shopped for take aboard cruise wine (3 bottles allowed per cabin for in-cabin consumption :)) and called Uber with our package and bags in tow. 15 minutes later, we were at Pier 88 and walking through the smoothest cruise ship embark we’ve ever experienced.
Once on board, we went up to the 9th deck and ate lunch in the Terrace Cafe while we waited for our room to be ready. Included in our Welcome Aboard package was a letter detailing among other things, that our room would be ready for us at 1pm. It was really nice to have the early boarding option (11am) since that meant we weren't twiddling our thumbs after having to check out of our hotel. We went right from Check Out to Check In if you will... And in addition to this convenience was being able to eat lunch and have a glass of wine while waiting for your room to be ready.
Our lunch in the Terrace Cafe was our first Oceania "buffet" experience - hmmm - they cook risotto to order in a buffet line? Are those lobster tails? Yes, we were learning to readjust our buffet "grazing" expectations.
Once on board, we went up to the 9th deck and ate lunch in the Terrace Cafe while we waited for our room to be ready. Included in our Welcome Aboard package was a letter detailing among other things, that our room would be ready for us at 1pm. It was really nice to have the early boarding option (11am) since that meant we weren't twiddling our thumbs after having to check out of our hotel. We went right from Check Out to Check In if you will... And in addition to this convenience was being able to eat lunch and have a glass of wine while waiting for your room to be ready.
Our lunch in the Terrace Cafe was our first Oceania "buffet" experience - hmmm - they cook risotto to order in a buffet line? Are those lobster tails? Yes, we were learning to readjust our buffet "grazing" expectations.
Our room was ready as promised at 1pm. Once we were in, we were unpacked in 30 minutes flat. Walking in with your luggage eliminates the wait for your bags to arrive.
Our cabin was my first "Suite" experience aboard any cruise ship - #8043 - officially designated as "Penthouse Suite" but in actuality the lowest of the three suite categories aboard Oceania - plenty of room and closet space but a single sink bathroom.
The skyline of New York City and Manhattan for our sail away was beautiful - a great back drop to the start of our cruise.
Our cabin was my first "Suite" experience aboard any cruise ship - #8043 - officially designated as "Penthouse Suite" but in actuality the lowest of the three suite categories aboard Oceania - plenty of room and closet space but a single sink bathroom.
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| Live Orchid and Complimentary AMEX Champagne |
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| View towards our balcony |
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| Couch and Make up Table |
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| Beautiful Bed with the best sheets ever |
The skyline of New York City and Manhattan for our sail away was beautiful - a great back drop to the start of our cruise.
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| Manhattan Skyline |
Once we were unpacked, we did a “walk about” top to bottom, end to end (fore and aft) of Insignia. Really nice size, not too big, not too small. Our cabin on 8 deck two doors down from the aft (rear) stairway was perfect. 9 deck is home to the Terrace Cafe, Waves, and the pool deck. Meanwhile, the Grand Dining Room was three decks down aft on deck 5. After we were unpacked and before sailaway, we met our Butler Rony for the first time.
Butler? What's a butler do on a cruise ship? As Rony would explain over the next few days, he serves as our advocate and counselor on services aboard the ship to make our cruise memorable. We'll get used to this but we don't really want to get too spoiled, do we?
We left Dock 88 about 5:30pm - pretty windy still - but the sky was mostly clear and the temperature was beautiful. Our cabin was on the starboard side so we knew we'd be passing the Statue of Liberty as we sailed down the Hudson - the sun setting and providing a back light just as her lights came on - absolutely beautiful; night falling as we passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and out into the Atlantic enroute Bermuda.
Butler? What's a butler do on a cruise ship? As Rony would explain over the next few days, he serves as our advocate and counselor on services aboard the ship to make our cruise memorable. We'll get used to this but we don't really want to get too spoiled, do we?
We left Dock 88 about 5:30pm - pretty windy still - but the sky was mostly clear and the temperature was beautiful. Our cabin was on the starboard side so we knew we'd be passing the Statue of Liberty as we sailed down the Hudson - the sun setting and providing a back light just as her lights came on - absolutely beautiful; night falling as we passed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and out into the Atlantic enroute Bermuda.
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| New Jersey Shoreline |
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| Her lights came on as we sailed by |
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| Verrazano Narrows Bridge |
Our first dinner in the Grand Dining room was excellent - even the arrangements for eating in the dining room were a new experience for us. There aren't set dining times on Oceania Insignia - you go down to dinner when you feel like eating and they cook your food when you order it so it really is a "when you want it" experience rather than having "Anytime" dining on the regular cruise lines we travel. When you select or are given "Anytime" rather than Early or Late seating, this usually means you wait, "every time", so we never recommend this selection when folks are traveling most cruise lines. As we would find out over the next few days, we had to reset a few expectations with respect to dining on cruise ships.
We went to sleep on our first evening to the gentle rocking of pretty good Atlantic seas - 10-12' - but even though Insignia is a bit smaller than the ships we've cruised on over the past several years, her stabilizers do a great job of attenuating the motion. Dreaming of sea days and golf in Bermuda...
We went to sleep on our first evening to the gentle rocking of pretty good Atlantic seas - 10-12' - but even though Insignia is a bit smaller than the ships we've cruised on over the past several years, her stabilizers do a great job of attenuating the motion. Dreaming of sea days and golf in Bermuda...
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