Ovation of the Seas

Alaskan cruise

September

Pros: Beautiful scenery

Cons: Weather was very cold, dreary and rainy in September and October

Recommended: Yes

Recommend doing the sled dog camp highlight of the trip They canceled our shore excursion to shed dogs in Skagway Refund our money. When we first got on the ship we went to shore excursion desk and we’re able to book a different shed dogs tour in Juneau.

Ok, not great

August

Pros: Great attitude of staff

Cons: Food quality, cost of excursions

Recommended: No

The best thing about this cruise was the positive attitude of all staff including cabin attendants and wait staff. Usually, the food on cruises is outstanding…not this cruise. Food quality was a 7 out of 10. Not once did I think to myself, wow this food is really good. This is the first time that I didn’t gain weight on a cruise as I was never tempted to overeat. Although it wasn’t the cruise line’s fault, the ship did not visit a glacier. The glaciers were the highlight of my last cruise to Alaska. The costs of some of the excursions were 5 times higher than our last cruise on the same itinerary. Overall, cruises are always enjoyable, but this one did not meet my high expectations.

Great experience

August

Pros: Wonderful staff and dining

Cons: Need to pay for more stuff on this boat than the oasis

Recommended: Yes

Overall we had a great time ! We were at the main dining or windjammer a lot and the food was delicious. The staff were all wonderful! I would recommend to go in the winter because we didn’t see much of the glacier . It’s still beautiful regardless . I think if there was another stop we could’ve made in Alaska, then it would be better !

Tremendous Ship

May

Pros: Balcony Suites and everything about the ship!

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

This is our second Royal Caribbean Cruise and we loved the Ovation of the Seas. The ship is very well laid out and exceeded our expectations.

Lots to do and eat on the Ovation

August

Pros: Food, cabin attendants, entertainment, stores, pubs, customer service

Cons: Large ship, will need to explore to find things. Do to size of ship we could not dock in Ketchican or Skagway, we had to take a bus from Wards Cove in Ketchikan for 20 miles then walk a long way to the town, while 4 other ships got curb side service at the port. Due to rock slide in Skagway we had to tender ashore in life boats. In both of these ports people with special needs on scooters or wheelchairs could not go into town. It rained the entire time in all of the Alaska ports. Dress warm and bring rain gear.

Recommended: Yes

We had a couple join us and the woman had a scooter. Due to her disabilities and where we were at piers, two of the 3 Alaska ports could not enjoy this part of trip. We were able to get into Juneau as this ramp was very accessible however it was pouring which made it a bummer on the scooter and they quickly went back on board. No doubt due to the weather my wife and i both got a bug and she tested positive, then basically stated in the room for the last 4 days and missed our excursions. Upon heading back from Juneau, all patrons were treated to a pod of whales breaching on both sides of the ship in open water and fortunately my wife was on the balcony to see them ip close. This was our 2nd cruise to Alaska and probably our last. In both cruises my wife got sick and missed most of it. Cruise was good though and boat is big and beautiful. Not many wearing masks...washy washy before yummy yummy in the windjammer. Oh. The steaks in Chops were fabulous.

Travels to Alaska

June

Pros: Staff, cleanliness of the ship and several activity and entertainment options

Cons: Elevators were warm when filled with people.

Recommended: Yes

A great selection of food options and staff on the ship made the experience wonderful, very helpful and always welcoming. The ship was really nice and well kept. With as many people this ship accommodated we never felt that it had 4,000 o or more on board. We had a great experience and will look to do this again in the future. This was the first cruise ever for the family.

Trip of life time

June

Pros: Food drinks hospitality weather great

Cons: Not enough time to do everything

Recommended: Yes

Awesome trip

Alaska

August

Pros: Scenery

Cons: Need to see more ports

Recommended: Yes

Few people on the ship so it was much nicer than being overloaded

Ovation of the Seas - Alaska

August

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Wonderful trip and ship was beautiful. Staff always very helpful. Evening shows were wonderful.

Ovation perfect for Alaska

July

Pros: Ship is ideal for Alaska. Great indoor viewing areas. Excellent food options. Free Port Valet luggage service for departure was an added bonus.

Cons: Not really any. Think RC’s IQ app could be more user friendly for group texting. .

Recommended: Yes

Seamless boarding and disembarking. As good as it can get. Do take advantage of the Free Port Valet service when leaving.

Alaska Cruise

June

Pros: Perfect

Cons: n/a

Recommended: Yes

This was the most perfect trip we have ever been on. From the moment we stepped onto the ship, to the moment we stepped off, everything was absolutely perfect. We could not have asked for anything to be any nicer. Andy, who took care of our stateroom, was phenomenal. We traveled with our grandchildren and our granddaughter celebrated her 7th birthday. Andy, as well as the entire crew, made her feel so special for the entire cruise. Everything was so organized, including the excursions. I just want to give a huge THANK YOU from our family to the family of the Ovation of the Seas for making this the most enjoyable and memorable vacation we've ever had.

Trip to New Zealand

January

Pros: the boat staff, and all the activities on board the ship

Cons: rocky seas going from Australia to New Zealand

Recommended: Yes

We had a blast on this ship! It was larger than the one we sailed on before, and what a difference that made. There were a ton of activities to do while on board, and the staff on the ship were exceptional. We made friends with several of the bar tenders, and left there feeling sad that we won't see them again. The overnight excursion in Milford Sound was the highlight. I'd recommend that to anyone heading that way. After that excursion, the others were only a repeat of what we had already seen.