I’ve had many people ask what cruise line we’re taking and what our ship life will be like. We opted for Oceania’s around-the-world cruise aboard the Insignia. Insignia was built in 1999 and was refurbished in 2018. It has the capacity for 670 guests (double occupancy) and 400 staff members. For comparison, the Carnival Splendor (which does a lot of Mexican and Caribbean cruises, including one we did) has a guest capacity of 3,012 with 1,150 crew. So, yes, we’ll be on a tiny, intimate ship with fewer total people on board than there are students enrolled in our kids’ high school. Oceania Insignia is 593.7 feet in length (Carnival Splendor is 951 feet), so again, smaller, but again with way fewer people.

The layout is pretty standard as far as cruise ships go. There are 11 decks, though passengers only have access to Decks 3-11. There are the usual things – dining room/restaurants/ cafés, boutiques, pool, hot tubs, spa, fitness center, library, casino, lounge, etc. Our staterooms are on the 7^th and 8^th decks. There is a self-serve launderette on the 7^th deck as well (though we get some laundry done for us while we’re aboard for this adventure, so this should only be needed occasionally, if ever).

Entertainment is fairly standard as well, though on a smaller scale than other larger cruise ships. There will be things like trivia and musical shows to entertain us, and they have a putting green, shuffleboard, and table tennis. The library is larger than most ships’ libraries, and there is a card room that holds various activities like Bridge or mahjong tournaments. (I’ve never played Bridge and am always willing to learn new games so this could be fun.)

There are some unique things about our ship though, at least compared to some other cruise lines and their ships. One is that there is afternoon tea served daily at 4pm. I’m not much of a tea drinker, but the whole deal is supposed to be quite lovely, with an 1800s British teatime vibe. The accompanying desserts are also said to be ones you shouldn’t miss and worth getting there early to experience. And who knows? Maybe I’ll wind up liking tea by the end of the trip. If not, I’m sure the bottomless sodas and included specialty coffees and smoothies will suffice.

Another unique element is the enrichment aspect of the cruise. Since this particular line / cruise caters to older people who want to experience the world, the cruise line incorporates guest speakers that could be historians or naturalists to share knowledge of the places we’re visiting. The nerd in me loves that there’s an educational side to the cruise, as this is a huge part of why I want to see the world and why I want the kids to see the world – to learn about the various cultures and experience something outside of our own comfort zones.

Of course, there are also some perks that we’ll have that will make us feel awfully spoiled. Supposedly we’re going to have 24-hour butler service, twice-daily maid service, room service anytime day or night, and a nightly turndown service with gourmet chocolates. I’m wondering if I can order a lullaby and bedtime story as well. That’s the gist. We’re bound to discover more once we’re aboard, but this is what we know about what’s in store for us. I’ll be sure to update more about what things are like on board later in the trip – to include the good, bad, and everything in between.