Oceania Insignia Review: 25 Days to the Amazon

We spent 25 days aboard Oceania Insignia, sailing from Miami through the Caribbean and deep into the Amazon River to Manaus, Brazil—and back again. In this complete Oceania Insignia review, we share what it was really like cruising aboard this 670-passenger R-class ship. We examine the ship’s condition, our inside cabin, service, dining, entertainment, excursions and the unusual realities of cruising the Amazon—including water conservation, limited laundry and what the river was actually like. There was plenty to love, including Oceania’s food, the relaxed small-ship atmosphere and a bucket-list itinerary that felt like two cruises in one. But we also encountered neglected areas of the ship, exceptionally slow dining-room service and one surprisingly poor interaction. At the end, we reveal our three biggest positives and three biggest disappointments—and explain why, despite its faults, we still highly recommend this way of experiencing the Amazon. Our cruise cost approximately $418 per day for two people, including beer and wine at lunch and dinner, onboard credit and excursion credit. Was Oceania Insignia worth the price? Watch our complete review to find out. Chapters 00:00 Our 26-night Amazon adventure 00:44 Getting to Oceania Insignia 02:53 First impressions of the ship 05:52 Our inside cabin 08:32 Service aboard Insignia 09:19 Oceania dining and food 10:53 Entertainment and activities 13:19 Cruising the Amazon River 15:10 Amazon ports and excursions 16:48 Caribbean excursions 17:22 Our three disappointments 18:25 Our three favorite things 20:14 Final verdict #OceaniaInsignia #OceaniaCruises #AmazonCruise Our Recommended Cruise Gear OREI American to European Plug Adapters—Many cruise ships are equipped with 220 European plugs, which are useless unless you have the correct adapter. These are the essentials we pack in our bags every time we cruise or travel to Europe. They come in an affordable six-pack which you can find at this link: https://amzn.to/44ixS0U Strongman Tools Strong Magnetic Hooks—A couple of these 6-pack sets of hooks are always with us when we cruise. Each individual hook can hold up to 30 lbs of weight and is ideal for hanging coats, hats, and the shelves described below. Get your set of these useful magnetic hooks at this link: https://amzn.to/3UDrVbJ Whitmor 5 Section Closet Organizer—Unfortunately, drawer and shelf space are sometimes limited in some cruise cabins. That’s why we always bring at least one of these inexpensive closet organizers, which gives us plenty of room for our folded clothes. We typically use a couple of magnetic hooks, as described above, to hang these from the ceiling in the corner of our room. Here’s the link where you can get yours: https://amzn.to/3w3GvQn Our Recommended Camera Gear DJI Osmo Pocket 3--You’ll usually see Tracey using this in almost all of our videos. Love this wonderful, small, and versatile camera. Basic Camera: https://amzn.to/3UDJJDF Creators Combo: https://amzn.to/4beP6OP GoPro Hero12—This is the best action camera we’ve ever used. Whether taking videos on the Zodiacs in Antarctica, snorkeling in Papua New Guinea, or scuba diving in Bonaire, this camera is always in our hands. Find the link to get yours here: https://amzn.to/3UkTcy1 Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap—If you still carry a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, as Jan does, this is the perfect strap to use. What's great is that this fully adjustable strap can be configured to be worn across your body, distributing the weight of your camera across your back rather than your neck. Additionally, it provides a bit more security when traveling through high-risk pickpocket areas. Get your Slide Lite Strap here: https://amzn.to/3xW6pWR As Amazon Affiliates, we earn from qualifying purchases.