The Sad Story of a Cruise Ship with Nowhere to Go

While “cruise news” isn’t really my forte, this particular story has several personal connections, so I’m going to play the role of Lois Lane with the hope that Superman will fall in love with me and fly me over to the Ovation of the Seas, currently playing the role of a “Flying Dutchman” in the Puget Sound near Seattle.

What’s a “Flying Dutchman” you ask?  It’s a legendary ghost ship unable to port and destined to sail the oceans forever.  And why is Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas currently void of passengers and playing such a depressing role?  That brings us to today’s story!

Why is the Ovation of the Seas Floating Around the Puget Sound?

First, let me explain my two personal connections to this story.  On October 15^th I returned home to Seattle from the Ovation of the Sea’s last cruise to Alaska for the year.  Just prior to this sailing, crew had received word that the Ovation’s Australia season had been cancelled due to Covid-related travel restrictions. 

As such, many crew members would be heading home, unable to finish out their contracts.  The vibe on that last sailing was both celebratory and somber.  We honored crew (giving them a standing ovation at the conclusion of our last dinner in the main dining room) for their hard work and adaptability as they welcomed guests back to cruising post-pandemic and we wished them the best as many headed back to their home countries to face an uncertain future. 

As I walked back home to my apartment in downtown Seattle on debarkation day, I reflected on the many lovely and interesting conversations I’d had with crew members over the past week and hoped they’d be okay.  I also wondered where the Ovation of the Seas would spend the months between the end of her 2021 Alaska season and the start of her 2022 one, which is currently scheduled to kick off with a sailing embarking in Vancouver on May 5, 2022 and debarking back in Seattle (which will be her home port for the remainder of the Alaska season) on May 13, 2022. 

This brings me to my second connection to this story.  In the weeks since that last cruise, I have spotted the Ovation in various locations in the Puget Sound.  First, as a cruel form of torture, she was anchored for a few days in Elliott Bay within swimming distance of my apartment.  And I would have too, if I didn’t swim like a sea lion under attack, flailing about trying to resist certain death (That’s why I need Superman to fly me!).  To be perfectly honest though, I did briefly contemplate swimming over there anyway, figuring they’d have to rescue me and bring me aboard if I could just get close enough before reaching the point of actual critical distress.    

I chickened out though and didn’t see the Ovation again until a few days ago on an early morning walk when I could have SWORN I caught a glimpse of her out near the north facing tip of West Seattle.  I rushed home to get a better look (I live in a high-rise facing Elliott Bay), but by the time I got there, she was gone.  I thought I’d hallucinated the whole thing.

Sooooo…while I don’t have any news on my crew friends (if any of them happen to be reading this, I’d love to hear from you), I do have news on the whereabouts of the Ovation of the Seas and some reassurance as to my mental state (with visions of cruise ships dancing in her head).

According to Peter McGraw, a spokesperson for the Port of Seattle, the Ovation of the Seas has been floating around the waters of the Puget Sound since October 15^th with a skeleton crew and is currently anchored in Yukon Harbor where she will remain for the next few days before venturing out a bit further into the Pacific Ocean.  She has two trips to Pier 66 in Seattle scheduled for Friday, November 12 and Monday, December 13.  The purpose of these two brief stays will be to onboard provisions, refuel, and reposition crew.  You may also notice some police activity at the pier on that first day, but only if they catch me sneaking onboard.  Otherwise, I’ll be blogging live from the Ovation of the Seas beginning on November 12^th! 

And so ends my career in journalism – fated not to fall in love with a covert superhero, but instead to live out her days as a stowaway on a cruise to nowhere. 

And with that…

Class Dismissed.

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