Ovation of the Sea is COMING to Australia & New Zealand!!!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Noumea, Lautoka, Fiji.

 

There is also Nuku'Alofa, Tonga and Pago Pago, American Samoa.

 

and Depends if she is going to do tender ports.

 

 

 

For NZ I think Auckland (Don't know where they will put her mind you!), Tauranga (maybe, if the harbour is deep enough for her), Wellington, Port Chalmers, Fiordland.

 

I think Royal Caribbean said about doing tenders with her, so that could mean Akaroa and Bay of islands??

 

What about Picton??, The Queen Mary 2 got in ok, (mind you she had to tender, so if the Ovation of the Seas does tenders).

 

 

 

QM2 docked in Picton as did Voyager. They can use the new log wharf on the other side of the hill and are shuttled into town.

 

 

 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I believe Royal Caribbean have just pledged a large sum to upgrade Port Vila terminal. I imagine this will be in time for Ovation.

 

Container terminal at Nouméa would probably handle it as well.

 

Thats good news re the upgrade.

Golly...5,000 pax will swamp Port Vila.

Good for business though:):)

 

 

[mtn_couple]

interesting.... looking forward to the itinerary release, although I found Voyager a bit too big. How much bigger is this one?

[woodyren]

Will be on Quantum next month as it repositions to China. If it is a good as expected on board and the prices are reasonable we will probably book the repo on Ovation from Asia to Australia.

 

If the prices are off the planet we will wait and pick the bones out of the last minute bargains that should be available on the rest of the RCL ships local sailings that season.

 

We can then look at Ovation once the novelty wears off.

[timtam2]

I've got the 3 nighter coming up on Quantum and now it will be a 'sampler' for Ovation. Id be interested in the repo from Asia....

[Jacs]

So excited about this! We had to cancel our cruise on Quantum from Dubai to Singapore but now I get to experience this class ship without the expensive airfares :D I don't care where it goes, I want to experience the ship. It could sit at circular quay for a week for all I care :P

[Cruisegroover]

I'm in 7th heaven about this. After making the 24hr trek in 2013 to Florida for Oasis I now only have a 20 min drive! Happy dance!!!!

 

Don't care where it goes as previous people have said the ship is the destination. I suspect all 5 cruise will sell out quickly.

[GUT2407]

I think Ovation might be too large for me especially as the crew to passenger ratio is quite low - 5000 passengers, 1500 crew - but I'll be interested in a short cruise just to check her out.

 

Happy to hear that Radiance is staying - she's very special!:)

 

Gae

 

 

Must agree that's more than 3:1, I normally look for 2:1 or close.

[woodyren]

Must agree that's more than 3:1, I normally look for 2:1 or close.

 

Did you count the 2 robots?

[GUT2407]

She could dock at Noumea. (I think:confused:)

Where else in the South Pacific?

Even NZ ports could be limited.:eek:

 

However , a ship like that is a destination in itself.

 

 

I think a lot of ports would be overwhelmed with 5000 PAX.

[GUT2407]

If she is here Dec-April as has been suggested there will, I suspect, be more than 5 cruises, maybe only 5 itineraries, with repeats.

[woodscruise]

Todays Travel daily had her here for 5 cruises only due to Sydney Ports bookings. It was also mentioned that it will be coming from Singapore and that a cruise company will have it as a charter. Gavin Smith also advised that fares will be from 199.00 per day and that this class of ship will be featured in Australia for many summer seasons.

[Esilef]

Todays Travel daily had her here for 5 cruises only due to Sydney Ports bookings. It was also mentioned that it will be coming from Singapore and that a cruise company will have it as a charter. Gavin Smith also advised that fares will be from 199.00 per day and that this class of ship will be featured in Australia for many summer seasons.

 

 

From $199 pp per day would make a couple $2786 for a 7 night cruise minimum. Hope they don't over price it but I guess if they can get it they will try (and us on here will be waiting to snap up any last minute deals)

[gaechann]

Must agree that's more than 3:1, I normally look for 2:1 or close.

 

The QM2 staff ratio is almost 2:1 & it's very noticeable! Main Dining Room meals never took more than 1hour for instance! It seems to us that there were lots of idle staff just waiting for passengers to turn up in bars etc.

We also noticed that if a particular bar did become busy then there would be an influx of staff every time.

Of course you pay for this top class service so you can't expect cheap cruises with low staff ratios!

[GUT2407]

The QM2 staff ratio is almost 2:1 & it's very noticeable! Main Dining Room meals never took more than 1hour for instance! It seems to us that there were lots of idle staff just waiting for passengers to turn up in bars etc.

We also noticed that if a particular bar did become busy then there would be an influx of staff every time.

Of course you pay for this top class service so you can't expect cheap cruises with low staff ratios!

 

 

Our first few cruises were on Pacific Princess and they had, at that time a fraction over 1 crew for every 2 guests, we got spoiled. Our other Princess cruises were slightly lower but still more or less 2:1. But even on Celebrity it was pretty close to that.

 

And I agree prompt service wherever we went without feeling smothered.

 

Our worst service levels were on Pacific Jewel which was about 3 1/2:1 you just felt there was never anyone to serve you. [2000+ and 620 crew]

[OzKiwiJJ]

I think Ovation might be too large for me especially as the crew to passenger ratio is quite low - 5000 passengers, 1500 crew - but I'll be interested in a short cruise just to check her out.

 

Gae

 

Yikes! That is a low crew to passenger ratio. Service for drinks on Rhapsody was bad enough but with that ratio service overall will be appalling. You'll probably have to mix your own drinks but still pay 18% service charge for the privilege! Instead of two waiters serving twenty people (two tables of 10) in the MDR it will probably be one waiter serving 30-40 people.

[marquisite]

AWESOME news!!! It was only a matter of time. That Otago NZ article from 2014 on Quantum-class simulations looked like pretty concrete evidence for this happening eventually. It is a privilege having the opportunity to pick a never-cruised-on-before RCI ship sailing from Australia (mix it up a bit but still have some similarities). Radiance, then Voyager, Rhaposdy and next up Legend. And still two others (Explorer / Ovation) left to choose :D.

 

On the Adelaide (Outer Harbour) port schedule I have spotted a suspect entry for Voyager of the Seas on 12 December 2016. Unlike all the other calls by Voyager previously and in the future (which includes sister-ship Explorer) which berth at the Passenger Terminal , this one says "Voyager" will anchor off shore and tender in. Very fishy!

 

If she is here Dec-April as has been suggested there will, I suspect, be more than 5 cruises, maybe only 5 itineraries, with repeats.

 

Legend of the Seas on her maiden season homeporting out of Brisbane is also in the range of Dec-April, but for the 2015/2016 AU summer. Much smaller ship, but the point is Legend isn't just doing 5 sailings ;)

Edited April 15, 2015 by marquisite

[Miamia65]

Very exciting news but its a bit confusing and we will have to wait for the official itinerary to come out.

 

The cruise critic article refers to ovation being given 5 slots at sydney OPT and 5 itineraries to be announced and open for booking in May this year -

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/news/news.cfm?ID=6303

Edited April 15, 2015 by Miamia65

[shazzygirl67]

I think the media has got the story wrong, Ovation here December 2016 to April 2017 and only 5 cruises that just doesn't add up. I agree with what others have said, maybe they mean 5 itineraries. If the journalist doesn't know much about cruising they could easily mis-interpret what was meant.

 

5 cruises would mean that they would be 24 night cruises .... even if its 4 months of cruising that's 120 nights, divide 5 into 120 that equals 24 nights - I doubt that this is correct.

 

Just saying!

 

The article on Cruise Critic said that Royal had said that as the OPT is booked out 2 years in advance that they could only fit her in for 5 cruisings (The CEO or whoever the Royal guy was stipulated that it ment that potentially 25,000 people could travel on her for her first season here. They continued with that they would be able to include her in the following 2 seasons.

[Miamia65]

The article on Cruise Critic said that Royal had said that as the OPT is booked out 2 years in advance that they could only fit her in for 5 cruisings (The CEO or whoever the Royal guy was stipulated that it ment that potentially 25,000 people could travel on her for her first season here. They continued with that they would be able to include her in the following 2 seasons.

 

shazzygirl, I was editing my post and deleted and re-wrote it by including the cruise critic article. You must have grabbed my post before I edited it and deleted what I had written. So maybe it's 5 x 14 night or longer itineraries?

[Cruise ship fan]

I don't see where they can got booking in December for the OPT. The only days it isn't taken is the 1st and 25th. As the 25th is chistmas that only leaves the 1st.

[MMDown Under]

Todays Travel daily had her here for 5 cruises only due to Sydney Ports bookings. It was also mentioned that it will be coming from Singapore and that a cruise company will have it as a charter. Gavin Smith also advised that fares will be from 199.00 per day and that this class of ship will be featured in Australia for many summer seasons.

 

You can see why they want to build these mega ships. From lead fare, $985,050 per day, plus tips.

 

I wonder if an Australian Cruise Company will be chartering the ship. I cruised on the original Royal Caribbean charter from Hawaii to Sydney. A ship full of Aussies, with 1 Kiwi, was a memorable fun cruise!

[timtam2]

I'm not going to be happy if the repo from Singapore is chartered to one agency. That means only one thing 'over priced'

Edited April 15, 2015 by timtam2

[woodyren]

I will only book if the price is reasonable. When we booked Quantum that was the case. Around the $150per day mark for a balcony.

 

I don't have to sail just because it is a brand new ship. After the hype dies down prices will normalise.

[Sparky74]

...fares will be from 199.00 per day...

 

I'm afraid that's a little steep for us :eek: but hopefully it will mean less demand and cheaper prices on other ships. :)

 

I'll keep my eye out for an inside cabin bargain, maybe back on Radiance of the Seas. :cool: