In 2016, the largest cruise ship ever to grace Australian waters arrived in Sydney and 6400 people sailed away with her.
If you think skydiving, bumper cars, signature name restaurants, Martini-mixing robots, a roller-skating rink and surf-wave riders sound more like a glitzy Las Vegas hotel or theme park, then you’d be forgiven.
But all of this is available onboard the megaliner Ovation of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas made her maiden voyage from Sydney (December 15, 2016) and Hobart (18th) en-route to New Zealand before commencing her inaugural homeported season here.
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Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas cost $1.4 billion to build and will be the first purpose-built megaliner to be based in Australia.
“The really special thing about Ovation of the Seas is that she’s appealing to an incredibly wide range of travellers,” said Adam Armstrong, Managing Director for Royal Caribbean in Australia and New Zealand.
“Existing cruisers are excited about the new amenities she offers but she’s also fascinating Australians who have never cruised before. She is redefining the concept of cruising and we are delivering an entirely new way to holiday.
“There is no denying that Ovation of the Seas is big; at around 6,400 passengers and crew, she’s the size of a small Australian town. But with that size comes more choice, space, variety and options. Choose to do it all, or nothing at all – this is what makes a ship like Ovation of the Seas so exciting.”
Ovation of the Seas statistics
Ovation of the Seas – Martini-mixing robot Bionic Bar
Cabins
- Interior State Rooms – All interior cabins have the revolutionary ‘virtual balcony’. The outside view is projected on the wall giving a real-time outside view.
- Ocean View Rooms – Twin beds that push to a king-size. Separate sitting area with sofa, window seat and lounge chair.
- Ocean View Balcony – Twin beds that push to a king-size bed. Sitting area with sofa and private balcony.
- Family Junior Suite – Larger cabin with one-and-a-half bathrooms. Two twin beds that convert to king with a sitting area with sofa that converts to double bed and private balcony.
- Grand Loft Suite – This large one bedroom, two bathroom, two-deck high loft suite offers panoramic views and generous space. An open living and dining room has a sofa that converts to an additional double bed. Bathrooms have a bathtub, a private balcony with dining area with the master bedroom located upstairs.
- Owner’s Suite – This oversized suite has a master bedroom and sofa that converts to a double bed. One-and-a-half bathrooms, a marble entry and dining area are matched with a wrap-around private balcony with a seating and private outdoor dining area.
- Royal Loft Suite – This one bedroom, two bathroom, two-deck-high stateroom has an open living and dining area with a bonus dry bar and sofa that converts to double bed. A separate media room downstairs leads to a large private balcony with whirlpool and dining area for up to six people.
Dining
Ovation of the Seas has no less than sixteen dining venues. Restaurants, food halls, buffets, hot-dog stands, a British pub, steakhouse, Japanese restaurant and cafes are spread throughout the massive cruise-liner.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has his land-based restaurant chain, Jamie’s Italian, onboard for diners. There is a small surcharge and reservations are highly recommended.
Chops Grille also has a small surcharge but worthy of the extra fee.
Entertainment
Two70 is a state-of-the-art entertainment venue and theatre. Large-scale productions with 18 projectors surrounding the stage combine to create an ambient surface over 30 metres wide and more than seven metres tall.
Many other entertainment favourites are found onboard such as world class shows, Jackpot Bingo and many more.
Shopping
Boutique shopping can be found along the Promenade and several other areas of the ship. Clothes, jewellery, luxury watches and beauty products are all at duty free prices.
