First, a warning. As I was walking home to my apartment in downtown Seattle from the Ovation of the Seas docked at Pier 91, I was listening to, People We Meet On Vacation, one of the audio books I’d downloaded for my trip. Poppi and Alex, two fictional strangers who were carpooling home to a shared small town in Ohio from school in Chicago identified only one thing that they agreed on during their hours-long car ride: how irritated they got when people referred to ships as “she.” Well I’ll tell you right now, I refer to ships as “she.” Always have, always will. And I refer to towel animals as “he.” If my feminization of the Ovation of the Seas and masculinization of Buster, Cody, Biscuit, Honey Bear, and Cliff (I also name all my towel animals) bothers you, well read on at your own risk!
You should also know that I’m relatively new to Royal Caribbean. While I have over 20 cruises under my buffet pants (I’ve never met a belt that could survive past my embarkation day lunch), I only have one prior cruise on Royal. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but my best guess is because Royal Caribbean ships always looked so fun. And I’m really not that much fun. *Shrug.*
But alas, I scored a phenomenal last minute deal on the Ovation of the Seas’ final Alaska sailing of 2021 and spent the few days between booking and boarding repeating the following affirmation to myself in the mirror: You sang Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You” at Chinese karaoke once, further deteriorating Chinese/American relations and shattering every window in Beijing – YOU’RE TOTALLY FUN! Plus you only threw up once that time you went zip-lining! Cruise ship surfing is TOTALLY FOR YOU!”
So off I went, dressed for snowmageddon (what, it was Alaska in October and I chill easily) and ready for some FUN!
First a few basic facts: As a quantum-class ship, Ovation of the Seas belongs to the 3rd largest class of cruise ships in the world! In other words, she’s (see, told you) a big-ass ship and the largest ever to sail to Alaska. She (sorry, not sorry) entered service in 2016 and currently summers in Alaska and winters in Australia. And, let me tell you, she’s a gorgeous ship! I’ll get into the details about what I loved about her and a few things that left me disappointed in a minute, but first a tour!
Now while I’m the tour guide equivalent of Ferris Bueller’s economics teacher, “Bueller…Bueller…,” my good buddy JT of “Cruising with JT” over on YouTube and Instagram (be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel and follow him on Instagram – he’s awesome!) won’t have you falling asleep at work when the whole point of looking at cruise reviews was so you wouldn’t fall asleep at work! Here’s his full tour of the Ovation of the Seas (thanks for letting me share it, JT!):
Now that you’re acclimated to the ship, let’s talk about all the things that have me excited to sail again on Ovation of the Seas (hopefully with Mr. Cruise and H next time).
Let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start (any fellow Sound of Music fans here?): check-in. Royal Caribbean has check-in down to a science and it literally took me 5 minutes from the time check-in started until I was roger-rabbiting (my signature dance move) up the gangway. Even with extra steps due to Covid, the process was efficient (because most of it could be completed in advance on the app). Well done, Royal!
As I’ve mentioned, the Ovation of the Seas is a huge ship, one of the hugest (is that even a word? Where’s my 8 year-old when I need him!) and I don’t generally prefer huge ships. However, she was laid out so well and so easy to navigate that she didn’t *feel* like a huge ship. In fact, I became acclimated so quickly, crew on the first afternoon kept asking me if I was on a back-to-back (that may have also had something to do with the fact that I arrived to Pier 91 about 3 hours prior to my already earliest check-in time, so I was the 3rd person on the ship…lol). I was strutting around like a local, grabbing a quick slice of pizza at Sorrento’s, partaking of every free dessert, and parroting Dave Ramsey’s signature line, “better than I deserve” every time a crew member asked after my well being like we were long-time neighbors.
Seriously though, the Ovation of the Seas was really easy to get around and much of her square footage is dedicated to giant venues like the casino (more on that in a second) and the Seaplex (more on that later too). Getting from one place to another didn’t feel like running an ultra-marathon after winning a cupcake eating contest (more on that later too).
As much as my mother-in-law tries to lure me into a cruise casino to spend all my money doing something I hate so I can score a cheap rate on a future cruise, I don’t do cruise ship casinos. Or any casinos, at sea or on land or in space with a free shuttle ride to and from, $10 dollars in free play, and a complimentary buffet. I hate them. So while the Ovation of the Seas was super easy for me to navigate, it took me 6 of 7 days to finally find the casino (at the request of said mother-in-law) tucked away down on deck 3 all by his lonely (casinos are obviously male).
I loved not having to walk through the casino to get anywhere. They are loud and can be smokey and I just find the pressure to add numbers quickly very stressful (Mr. Cruise is an avid blackjack player and when we cruise together I have to take a Xanax before collecting the free cocktail he scored me at his table before spilling half of it as I sprint to the nearest ocean-facing lounger to breathe into a bag.).
In addition to the buffet and main dining rooms, the Ovation of the Seas has a great selection of included casual dining spots: Sorrento’s Pizza, Cafe Promenade, Cafe at Two70, Solarium Bistro, and Dog House.
This thin crust style pizza, very similar to what you’d get at Mod Pizza (land-based, fast-food pizza joint), was really good for cruise ship pizza and I found myself there frequently grabbing a second lunch or dinner or late-night snack. They generally had 3-4 pizza options available, but would also take requests for those willing to wait while they prepared it. They also had a rotating selection of antipasto if you wanted to make a full meal of it and head next door to Cafe Promenade for dessert. There was seating available and the service was fast and friendly.
Cafe Promenade, located in the Royal Esplanade on deck 4 midship next to Sorrento’s, is a small walk-up cafe sans seating that offers a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches, fruit, and desserts. It’s a great spot to grab a dessert to go with your pizza or a little snacky snack to take back to your cabin.
I loved the Cafe at Two70 as an alternative to (or addition to if you eat at least two full meals, three times a day plus snacks like me) the buffet. More about Two70 later, but for now know that it’s a gorgeous two-story aft facing space with floor to ceiling windows at the back of the Ovation of the Seas on Deck 5 that hosts various shows (including Pixel’s Cabaret), events, and parties. The Cafe at the entrance of Two70 is open for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast it serves a menu of breakfast burritos, sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, fruit, pastries, and a bagel station with a variety of flavored cream cheeses and other toppings such as fish, meats, and veggies. There is also a coffee bar available (for an extra charge). At lunch the menu includes sandwiches, bagged potato chips, a daily soup, and salad bar with pre-made or custom made salads.
The Solarium Bistro is located in an adults-only area at the front of the ship on deck 14. It includes a small buffet for breakfast and lunch. Most items are repeats of selections available at the Windjammer Buffet, but it can be less crowded and chaotic here. The space is also open for a sit-down Mediterranean-style dinner by reservation only.
This hot dog stand is located in the SeaPlex sports complex on decks 15 and serves the following menu:
If the world’s cruise ships were competing in a high school popularity contest, with looks and style taking priority over brains and substance, the Ovation of the Seas would be crowned prom queen while the little Holland America ships I love so much huddle dateless in a corner rolling their eyes while musing on about how she doesn’t even have a naturalist onboard (more on that later).
As much as I love my little Holland America ships and while my wardrobe is always at least two decades behind, I actually strongly prefer contemporary art, design, and decor and the Ovation of the Seas did not disappoint in this area. While sometimes I couldn’t tell if it was art or a scene from the medical unit…
…the ship’s art was both modern and prolific, my favorites being animal-themed.
There were also many large indoor and outdoor installations I loved:
I’m a simple gal, I don’t need much to keep me happy on a cruise – mass quantities of food, a comfy place with a view of the sea to veg out for hours digesting said food, and an outdoor space to walk as I attempt to work off some small portion of the calories, equal to those required to power football night in America, I eat in a single day.
I’ll address the other areas shortly, but when it comes to lounging, Ovation of the Seas scores major points in the “hit” column. Between Two70, the Solarium, and the pool areas, there are plenty of spots to perfect your relaxation game (mine was already superb, but everyone has room for improvement).
The Ovation of the Seas spends part of her year in Alaska, so having indoor heated pools is important. While the outdoor pool was drained and closed for most of our sailing, the indoor pools were open and available to enjoy each day. It’s also nice to have pool loungers with a roof overhead so your cocktail doesn’t quickly become one part vodka and two parts rain. The two indoor pools (one available for everyone and one located in the Solarium and for adults only) are located on deck 14.
Royal Caribbean advertises their internet packages as “the fastest at sea” and if my experience is typical, they aren’t lying. After having virtually no internet on Carnival earlier in the summer and rather spotty internet on NCL just a week prior, my Instagram followers were graced with regular photos and updates in my signature informative and hilarious style (read as I lost A LOT of followers that week due to my constant, annoying, and low-key offensive updates). I was even able to download some new audio books and a yoga class (even though I only purchased the “Surf” package, not the “Surf + Stream”).
Presented in Two70, a much smaller and more intimate venue than the main theater, Pixel’s Cabaret was my favorite show on the Ovation of the Seas. It combines high tech effects (including six movable LED screens who play “robots” in the show) with live music, dance, and aerial gymnastics. The show itself is hard to both understand and describe without this primer provided by Royal Caribbean:
The Maestro and the Agents of Rhythm invite you to an electric multi-dimensional world where you will be transported into invisible realms. Each night, the portal opens for a limited period of time and the audience can immerse themselves in a multimedia show brimming with kaleidoscopic sounds, effervescent colors, and dazzling movement.
But I loved it! It was one of the most entertaining show’s I’ve seen at sea. Don’t miss it!
While the Windjammer buffet in general was a bit blah (typical cruise ship buffet food – plentiful but lowish quality), the desserts were whatever the opposite of blah is (halb, I suppose). And on the last day, just when I thought I already knew heaven (I was on a cruise ship, after all), the Windjammer exploded in dessert. This “dessert spectacular” at lunch included cupcakes, cake pops, dessert parfaits, lava cakes, and freshly made crepes. I competed against myself in a cupcake eating contest and, guess what, I won! Prize was a Pepto shooter to wash those babies down.
And at dinner, over a dozen gorgeous cakes were offered, making some of us (me) regret already having ordered two desserts in the main dining room. They were almost too beautiful to eat (almost).
In addition to the standard supervised kids’ program (or as us parents call it, the FREE BABYSITTING so I don’t have to hang out with my kid on vacation!), arcade, and pools, the Ovation of the Seas has so many other unique offerings for kids, teens, and uh hum, grown ass adults who act like kids. I’m not gonna lie, I did hop in a bumper car and pretend I was crashing into that person who leaves like 3 car lengths between their car and the one in front of them at a red light: move up! CRASH!
To be real though, I don’t really care about the “amusement parks at sea” on these huge, newer ships. In fact, they are kind of a turn-off for me. BUT, I was really, really excited to get home to show all my photos to my 8 year-old and I really, really want to take him on the Ovation. He would love the SeaPlex, a sports complex with a myriad of activities from basketball to bumper cars to video games.
There is a kid’s water park:
And a climbing wall and surf and sky diving simulators:
While some of it costs extra (so leave room in the budget), the Ovation is definitely a family friendly ship.
I’ll be posting a full tour and review of my stateroom (so check back), but for now know that I loved the size, storage, layout, decor, and location of my ocean view balcony stateroom on deck 7 near the forward elevators.
I know it’s not right to compare your children and you should love them all the same. And, like my children, I love all cruise ships. But, let’s face it, one of my kids eats his boogers and the other licks his butt (one’s a dog and one’s a human – I’ll let you guess which is which). That’s to say that, while I love them both dearly, they have some less than desirable characteristics. And while I loved my past two cruises, this one on the Ovation and one a week prior on NCL’s Encore (you can read my full review HERE), there were a few things about each of them that bugged me. On the Encore, one was her extremely narrow stateroom hallways. So narrow that I took a pregnancy test (forget the Covid test, I just assumed I had that) when I got home just in case – it felt just about that intimate when you had to pass by someone in one of those hallways!
So I was very relieved to see the wider hallways on the Ovation of the Seas.
Cruise line websites are notoriously bad. And I’ve had some frustrating experiences with cruise line apps too (not naming names to protect the guilty). But Royal’s app was exceptional and functioned well from check-in to booking restaurants and shows to checking the daily schedule and building a daily calendar for myself. High five to the programmers who designed it! Well done! Now take your talents over to Carnival (oops, let that slip…you know I love you Carnival).
As a vegetarian there was always at least one appetizer course and one entree I could order from the regular menu, but I was thrilled with a different vegan menu each night with additional selections I could choose from. And I didn’t have to order a day in advance like on most other lines. I just got handed the vegan menu along with the regular one and was able to pick and choose from both depending on what sounded best. This menu is available to anyone who wants it. I suggest taking a look, even for my meat eating cruise friends. I’m not trying to convert you or anything (I’ll save that for the end of this post when I try to get you to subscribe to my sub-par blog), but I swear there were some delicious soups and appetizers that might appeal to you, especially if you’re a regular on Royal and a bit bored with the regular menu.
While in general I thought the main dining room food was about average for cruise line food, I was impressed with the vegan offerings. In addition to appreciating having more choices, I also thought the creativity and quality of the vegan items on the Ovation was very good compared to what I’ve had on other lines. The soups and sauces were particular winners. If you want to see the vegan menus, I’ll be featuring them in a future post, so check back. In the meantime, you can look at all the other Ovation of the Seas dining menus here:
Even though most of them were about to be unemployed (their contracts were terminated early due to Ovation’s Australia season being cancelled), the crew worked so hard and were so friendly. This was an unusually tough season for them, emerging from a pandemic with new risks and protocols. I did what I usually do, bring along a pack of these cards…
…and include an extra cash tip inside for all the crew members who made my vacation special. This time I tried to be extra generous, knowing many could probably really use the extra money as they headed home to their families and loved ones facing an uncertain future.
While navigating the seas with thousands of humans necessarily packed in closely together has been challenging for the cruise industry post-Covid, I was generally pleased with the Covid protocols on the Ovation of the Seas. Vaccination was required for anyone eligible to receive it. The small number of unvaccinated children onboard were tested twice, once a few days prior to sailing and again at embarkation. Vaccinated guests were also required to show a negative Covid test at embarkation. While I wish they had administered the test at embarkation at their expense like NCL does, I did feel reassured with the extra layer of caution testing provides (even if it’s not perfect).
Once onboard masking was required anywhere vaccinated and unvaccinated guests were together and social distancing was encouraged with many tables and seating areas blocked off. Many venues were “vaccinated only” and one had to show a blue wristband, indicating they were vaccinated, to enter. All crew were masked at all times, unless performing on stage. Hand washing was required prior to entering the buffet and all items at the buffet were served by crew (which, for someone who both likes giant portions and doesn’t like her giant portions to intermingle on her plate, wasn’t ideal – but I get and appreciate the need to do it).
I took advantage of Royal Caribbean’s new “Royal Up” bid-based cabin upgrade program on this cruise. Following in the footsteps of other lines who have been doing this for quite sometime, Royal is now allowing guests to bid on a room upgrade. RIP, upgrade fairies. Maybe we’ll see them flying around Coco Cay in retirement bliss. More likely though, we’ll be greeted by them the next time we’re at Walmart.
This new program means the line can maximize profits by filling more expensive cabins that have remained unsold as the cruise date approaches and means that passengers can potentially get a good price on a better cabin. A few notes about this new program. First, the algorithm used by the line to accept bids will remain a mystery. We can help bring some color to it by reporting our successful bids, but ultimately it’s going to continue to feel a bit random at times. Second, you should know that if your bid is accepted, you will not be able to select your specific cabin – one within that category will be assigned to you at some point before sailing. And third, be careful you’re not actually bidding more than you could just pay by upgrading your cabin at the current rate with the cruise line or with your travel agent. Always check current prices and be sure you’re bidding under them.
As for me? I bid just above the minimum accepted bid to move from an inside cabin to an ocean view balcony cabin. I bid $105. And I won! This cruise was soooooo cheap to begin with, so I ended up getting an outstanding deal on a beautiful balcony cabin. For me this new process worked well. Go HERE for answers to frequently asked questions on the new program.
I missed getting daily towel animals on NCL, so I was happy to see them on the Ovation. As I mentioned before, I like to name them and I sometimes give them elaborate backstories. I also like to picture the discarded ones in a remote room of the ship somewhere smoking cigars together and gossiping about all the freaky things they’ve seen guests do in their staterooms when they think no one is watching: “Yesterday I saw this crazy lady doing yoga in her underwear while stuffing her face with cupcakes!” (That was me.)
Even though I’m in my 30’s, my mom still has to text me before all important occasions: holidays, birthdays, my anniversary, etc. I feel kind of bad when she has to remind me of her own birthday (that’s why I have to take her on cruises with me). Also, I don’t think I’m actually in my 30’s, but it seems I’ve forgotten how old I am too.
So I appreciated all the ways the Ovation of the Seas compensated for my poor memory. First, the Royal app sent me reminders of all the activities I’d added to my calendar, usually an hour or so in advance so I wouldn’t miss them.
Second, there was a little card placed right on my pillow when we entered a new time zone. Which meant I wasn’t too late for two breakfasts in the morning (phew!).
And third, these:
I never took the elevator on the Ovation except for the 2 or 3 times every day that I forgot what day it was: “Oh, it’s Thursday! But why do I care again?”
Overall I loved this ship and look forward to sailing on her again, hopefully with my family next time. But there were some misses for me, places where I feel she fell short. I mean, we all have room for improvement. So in that spirit, here are some things I didn’t love about my cruise on the Ovation of the Seas.
While I look younger than I really am (I single handedly stock the toy isle at my local Goodwill with all the stuffies I’ve won at the “guess my age” game at amusement parks), I act way older than I really am. At home I legit eat dinner at 5:00pm and I’m in bed by 8:30pm. So when I saw the open hours for “Your Time Dining” didn’t start until 6:45pm, I approached the podium pleading to change to the 5:30pm set dining time. And I wasn’t alone – there was a long line of others trying to figure out how to dine in the main dining rooms earlier.
Dining was challenging due to having to separate vaccinated and unvaccinated guests in separate dining rooms. Two dining rooms were designated for unvaccinated guests on deck 3 and two dining rooms were dedicated to vaccinated guests on deck 4. And early, late, and your time dining were all in the same dining rooms (normally ships have separate dining rooms for set dining times and “your time” dining). So the idea was that you’d fill up the dining rooms with 5:30pm set diners, then open it up to “your time” dining at 6:45pm as the 5:30pm diners were finishing up, then seat the late dining guests at 8:15pm. I guess it was a good idea in theory, but it ended up being a bit of a chaotic mess at times.
To make matters worse, if you wanted to make a reservation for “your time” dining, the only reservations available, even if you made them on the first day, were after 7:00pm at the earliest. Way too late for this gal, especially if I wanted to see an evening show (a 7:00pm dining time would overlap with the earlier shows).
So what I was advised to do (and ended up doing every night) was just show up to the podium by 6:00pm (I usually got in the line by 5:45pm). By 6:00pm, they had a good idea of who wasn’t going to show up for the 5:30pm set seating and would start to open up those tables to “your time” diners.
By 6:45pm each night there were long, long lines of people waiting to get in for “your time” dining:
What I wish they had done on Ovation and, honestly, what I wish every cruise line would do, is follow the NCL model and just make all dining in the main dining rooms “your time” (or as NCL calls it “freestyle”) dining. It’s just simpler, especially during Covid times.
Unlike some places (looking at you Nassau. You too Freeport), Alaska is really more of a bucket list destination. While there are probably some people that hopped on the Ovation just to experience the ship (likely because they have been to Alaska before), most were there to experience Alaska. So having an experienced naturalist onboard to orient and educate passengers about the history, geology, wildlife, plant life and other features unique to this spectacular area of the world is important and offered on most other lines and ships.
I’ve cruised to Alaska numerous times and on nearly every sailing (with the exception of the Encore – but we did have park rangers onboard for our day at Glacier Bay and the ship’s CruiseNext team offered some Alaska specific programming) had a naturalist onboard offering lectures about all things Alaska, wildlife spotting opportunities, commentary on scenic cruising days as we sailed through fjords and viewed glaciers, and other programs. It’s always added so much to the experience! In fact, I consider it essential. The Ovation of the Seas offered nothing like that. I almost couldn’t believe it. I kept checking the schedule every day expecting to see something. Zip. Nada. Nothing. I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending the Ovation of the Seas to Alaska for this reason (unless someone is just cruising for the ship – then I would definitely recommend it!).
If you haven’t yet identified me as a giant nerd, you’re probably either exceedingly kind or just tuning into this lecture. Because I’m a giant nerd. My favorite cruise activity is eating. But my second and third are reading in a comfy spot with a view of the sea and walking the promenade deck while listening to an audio book. And while the Ovation fit the bill when it comes to appropriate reading spots, she does not have a wide, open to the ocean, wraparound promenade deck like my favorite ships. Instead I had to make do with this area on deck 5 pictured below (there was one on both the port and starboard side):
The blue track did not wrap all the way around the ship (so I had to go out and back), views were mostly obstructed by life boats, and it was very narrow, making passing others tricky. I really wish the new mega ships included old-school promenade decks. I realize it’s a small, weirdly specific thing, but it really does impact my experience.
Those of you who are #LoyalToRoyal will probably be shocked at this and I may even lose credibility with you, but hear me out. I’d heard so many great things about the entertainment on Royal Caribbean that my expectations were really high. And I remembered the ice skating show I’d seen on my last Royal ship being pretty darn cool (I mean, I can barely walk in a semi-straight line on a moving ship, let alone…).
But I found the entertainment lineup on Ovation of the Seas (with the exception of Pixel’s Cabaret) pretty underwhelming. Not that any of the performances were bad, far from it. They were great, but they were pretty typical cruise ship shows. Nothing special or unique.
I was particularly disappointed with “The Beautiful Dream” which was billed as a “Broadway like show.” It was cancelled on the night it was originally scheduled due to rough seas, but was rescheduled for the following night. I was so excited (I really, really didn’t want to miss it), but before I could even settle into my seat (it clocked in under 40 minutes) or find the plot, it was over. Now while it was outstanding for what it was (the music, the set, the costumes, the choreography, and the performances were top-notch), it was not a “Broadway like show.” Part of the problem was that I’d just seen “Kinky Boots,” an actual Broadway show, on the Encore (if you have the chance to see this, do it!) and The Beautiful Dream just didn’t come close.
While the gym was large and included everything most people would need to maintain their exercise routine at sea, there were a few things about it that really bothered me (again, these are weirdly specific, but I think worth mentioning).
First, it didn’t open until 7am. That’s extremely late for a gym to open. In all my cruises, I’ve never had a gym open any later than 6am. Why would I want to exercise so early in the morning you ask? Because I want breakfast! And then a second breakfast! And the dining room was nearly closed for breakfast on the Ovation of the Seas by the time I got my workout and shower in.
And second, the spin room wasn’t open to use unless you took a class. I use a Peloton bike regularly at home because I love (love, love) to eat and they’d advertise a reality show of my life by showing my pants and describing them as “larger than the average-sized sedan” if I didn’t exercise. But I didn’t want to take the ship’s spin classes because a) they weren’t offered at a time that worked for me and b) ship classes aren’t usually very good and definitely not worth paying extra for, in my opinion.
(You really can hate me for this one – I totally get it.)
International food on cruise ships is often really good since chefs come from all over the world. And I’m partial to Indian. Some of the best Indian food I’ve had has been on cruise ships (no, seriously). Sadly, the Indian at the Windjammer buffet was an exception. The selection was very, very small (with just one hot vegetarian and one hot non-vegetarian entree and no appetizers, bread, or cold dishes) each day. And it was served with generic, one-size-fits-all, slightly overcooked short grain white rice (no basmati, which is standard for Indian food). I guess it’s what one would expect of cruise ship Indian food if they hadn’t had it before. But if you’ve ever had Indian food on NCL (they do it the best, IMO), you’ll be really disappointed on Ovation of the Seas.
Despite what the last 6 items may lead you to believe, it turns out I’m more fun than anyone thought! No, seriously. Overall, I loved the Ovation of the Seas and can’t wait to book another cruise on her (for the last time, everyone knows cruise ships are too beautiful to be men). And while I wouldn’t recommend Ovation of the Seas if this is your one shot at Alaska (I’d go with Holland America, Princess, or Celebrity, in that order), if you love a big ship with lots of bells and whistles (and legit bumper cars and surfing), there’s hardly a better one. And with that…
Class Dismissed.
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