As I sit in the cool, air-conditioned room of the Hotel EME
in Seville, situated right by the cathedral, I reflect on the last few days and
a fantastic, if not indulgent, cruise aboard Insignia.
Day One
It was an early start for the journey from Northampton to
London Stansted, as I arrived at 4 AM for fast track security and my forward
seat on the plane. We were all seated and ready to depart for Alicante, when
the announcement came to tell us we would have to stay on the plane and wait
for Julie. An audible sigh resounded around the aircraft as everyone realised
that instead of leaving at 6:35am we were now due to leave at 8:15am. However,
thanks to the very funny and entertaining hot tub salesman sitting next to me
regaling stories of his trade, the time seemed to fly by.
At last, it was time literally started to fly, as we took
off and landed in Alicante airport just over two hours later. I made my way to
a taxi transfer and joined the queue of around 40 Brits, which included mostly
men who were off to enjoy the sights of Benidorm as part of a bank holiday stag
weekend.
My taxi transferred me to the very pleasant looking dock and
I finally got a glimpse of my home from home for the next four days. There she
was in all her glory - Oceania Insignia.
I was taken through security and embarked. As a stepped
aboard this floating luxury to me like a country club hotel at sea, I was greeted
by smiling faces and a cheerful receptionist who gave me my key and directed me
to my cabin.
I flung
open the door, eager to see
what delights would await me, and I wasn’t’ disappointed. The cabin was very
spacious with a balcony, lots of storage space and a reasonably sized bathroom.
Well, I suppose you would have to call it a shower room, as there wasn’t a
bath. The shower was a touch on the small side, but I wasn’t sharing a shower
with any gorgeous officers! so wasn't a problem. I did, however, make the most
of the luxury Bulgari products for hair and body, and shower cap with a hair
toggle, both of which I thought were thoughtful additions.
The prestige bed and pillows was so comfortable and meant I
felt like I was sleeping on a cloud for the duration of the trip.
I made my way to the Waves bistro by the pool, to join my
colleague Sharon. Sharon had arrived earlier and so had already found an
enviable spot by the pool. She sat enjoying the sun and the alcohol free
cocktails that this all-inclusive ship had to offer.
There was so much great food on offer including tasty salads,
premium Angus steak beef burgers and even surf ‘n’ turf - plenty of choice and everything
was so tasty.
After lunch, and a quick power nap to set me up for the rest
of the evening, we met for happy hour in Horizons. This bar has a great view of
the front of the ship and the cocktails were definitely flowing. We then met
with Louise and Clive, who were hosting our group, and joined the rest of the
group to dine in Polo Grill. This speciality dining restaurant is inclusive in
your price when you sail with Oceania cruises. And what an experience it was. In
fact, the entire trip was an endless array of gastronomic delights.
Day Two
We arrived in Almeria, Spain and took a tour around the
city. During our explorations, we came across a small festival which brought
the streets alive with music and colour. A religious procession followed by
lots as the music, laughter and dancing continued. This was authentic Spain at
its best and so we decided to sit in a local street bar with a cold beer,
soaking up the atmosphere.
That evening, lobster was on the menu for me as we enjoyed
another delicious diner – this time in Toscana.
Day Three
On the third day, we docked in Gibraltar and, of course, we
took a tour to the rock and saw the monkeys. They were fascinating to watch. I
was not keen on the centre of Gibraltar, so I sat down to have a coffee in a
bar.
I paid the bill and left the coffee. Needless to say, I
found it as unpalatable as the square in which I was drinking it.
And besides, what was the point in sitting in such awful
surroundings when we had a beautiful luxury ship with good coffee and good food
waiting for us. In all honesty, there was no contest. So, I headed back on
board to make the most of what was on offer.
In the evening, I enjoyed an excellent show in which a great
violinist couple, Lazlo and Irene, delighted the audience with their exciting
and vibrant performance. Their energy on stage was infectious and a fabulous
evening was had by all.
Day Four
The ship sailed up the river to dock in the centre of
Seville. It was an interesting approach as we sailed through the draw bridge.
Disembarkation came all too soon, though, and I was very sad
to leave the ship. Sharon and I took a taxi to our hotel in Seville, the EME
Cathedral Hotel, where I currently sit writing this.
We were blessed to receive an upgrade and were escorted to
our wonderful room with its private terrace and hot tub, something which
immediately gave me flash backs to the salesman who provided me with an
entertaining start to my trip.
It was absolutely necessary to go to the rooftop terrace bar
overlooking the magnificent Seville Cathedral and have a Cava to toast the last
few days. We recalled the friends that we had made on this wonderful journey –
a journey during which we all fell in love with Oceania Cruises.
What a splendid end to a wonderful time on board Insignia
and the lovely welcoming team at the EME hotel in Seville helped us finish in
style.
Tracey Holt
