This was the longest cruise I’d ever been on, and I’d highly recommend it for unwinding and making the most of the onboard amenities throughout the 18-night trip - but things took a turn for the worse when we hit the Sydney cruise terminal.
Onboard Ovation of the Seas in Honolulu
Cruise Terminal Drive
I was staying at the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort hotel and typically, the trip to the cruise terminal takes about 15 minutes. But when a massive cruise ship like Ovation of the Seas was boarding, that drive stretched out to a whopping 45 minutes!
Drive from the Sheraton hotel to the cruise terminal
Many people were at the hotel, all preparing to board the same ship, as evidenced by the tags on their luggage. Riding an Uber to the cruise terminal, it was surprising to encounter only a 6-minute wait, particularly during such a busy time with numerous people traveling the same way.
Boarding
Boarding at the Honolulu Cruise Port went smoothly and without fuss, especially when stacked against other ports where I’ve kicked off cruises in the past. Opting for a grand suite comes with priority boarding, cutting down on lines and wait times. It was as simple as emptying your pockets for security, flashing your passport and set sail pass, and stepping aboard - everything else is handled digitally these days in the Royal Caribbean app.
First day Onboard
As always, my first step upon boarding the ship is to thoroughly explore every corner and crevice, getting a feel for the layout so that when I’m inevitably running late, I won’t find myself frantically wandering in circles. I snagged a coffee and started my stroll, all while securing reservations for the onboard restaurants I had my eye on, ensuring my preferred times didn’t slip away.
After that, an announcement rang out that the staterooms were open, giving me the chance to ditch my backpack, unpack my luggage, and get settled in early - saving me from dealing with it later that night after what was sure to be an exhausting day, especially with a 6AM start!
Grand Suite Stateroom
There are numerous photos of the grand stateroom 10234 on Ovation of the Seas available, so I won’t include any pictures this time.
The standout feature of this stateroom is its balcony, which extends outward from the ship’s side, offering a complete side view and all the way down the side to the aft (rear).
Suite Stateroom 10234 on Ovation of the Seas is located on the starboard side of the ship.
With the cruise promising to be a long stretch, I picked a roomier cabin, anticipating a lengthier stay than my usual trips and needing space to unwind. On top of that, I loved the priority access to entertainment venues with the best seats and the twice-daily stateroom refresh - essential for me, since I’d rather spend my time on anything but cleaning. I’m not messy by any stretch, so it’s mostly just the fresh towel swap that I look forward to.
10 Night Dining Package
I splurged on the dining package for this cruise, opting for 10 nights at specialty restaurants for $499 USD (roughly $780 AUD). The ship offered a heap of options, and I found myself returning to Chops Grille and Wonderland again and again for the incredible food.
Chops Grille
Whenever I’m on a ship with Chops Grille, it’s a must-visit for me, especially for its delicious steak and the crab cake that kicks off the meal perfectly.
Crab cake for the first course
Perfectly cooked steak for the main course
Wonderland
In 2019, my family and I explored the Wonderland experience aboard Symphony of the Seas, and I was captivated by its uniqueness compared to any other restaurant on the ship or ashore - a delight I eagerly anticipate revisiting whenever the opportunity arises.
Over the course of the 18-night cruise, I had the pleasure of dining at Wonderland on two separate occasions, each time exploring a variety of dishes from the menu. As a seafood lover, I was delighted to find such appealing options available, making them my top choice whenever I ate there.
The one downside I’d mention about Wonderland is its perplexing menu. It’s not really the water painting gimmick to reveal the menu that throws me off, but rather the vague names and descriptions of the dishes. The whole concept of categorising everything into fire, ice, sea, and land just leaves me scratching my head every time!
Crispy Crab Cones
Liquid lobster
Tomato Water (Pepper spherification, bread foam)
Reconstructed Caprese
Sashimi of red and white tuna
Baby vegetables in the garden (soil, pebbles)
The chicken and the egg, crispy skin, potato purée
Snap, crackle and pork
The Rib “I” Luscious Short Rib
Mushroom Garden
The World (chocolate orb)
Warm caramel sauce is poured over The World to melt it
The Forbidden Apple
Take a look at the menu and see if you can make sense of it - the names and descriptions can be pretty confusing!
Izumi
I’ve consistently loved Izumi’s menu on every Royal Caribbean ship I’ve experienced, and with 18 nights to sample the full range of dishes, this cruise was an ideal opportunity to try everything over a few nights.
The food at Izumi is consistently exceptional, leaving little room for critique or elaboration - it’s just that good. There’s not much more to say about it because the quality speaks for itself, but I’d highly recommend making a point to visit if you’re onboard.
Mixed sashimi of tuna, salmon, shrimp (prawns) and yellowtail.
Shrimp firecracker spring roll deep fried shrimp and crab meat.
Crossing The Equator Ceremony
This was a bizarre, one-of-a-kind, and delightful experience all rolled into one, with the crew delivering top-notch entertainment. Spaghetti, flour, raw eggs, and tomato sauce were gleefully dumped over some crew members, topped off with a fish slap! The pool deck was packed, as if nearly every passenger on the ship had gathered to witness this spectacle.
My view from the suite sun deck watching the crossing the equator ceremony
As part of the ceremony you get a novelty certificate a few days after in your stateroom, commemorating the crossing.
Equator Crossing Certificate
If you have some free time, have a look at the video below, which features the full ceremony. It runs for about 30 minutes, so feel free to watch it whenever you can set aside a half-hour to enjoy the event footage.
Suite Lounge
The suite lounge aboard Ovation of the Seas, located at the aft of deck 12, turned out to be one of the most peaceful and relaxing spots on the entire ship. With air conditioning providing relief from the heat, it was a welcome escape, especially since outdoor temperatures were high 90% of the time before we reached New Zealand.
Entertainment
The show I went to see was We Honestly Love You, performed by Susannah Mirana singing some of Olivia Newton-John’s most popular songs, I was a bit doubtful. But as a huge fan of her music, I was pleasantly surprised. It was way better than I thought it would be, and it sounded just like her! I really enjoyed the entire performance.
Although the video is brief, I make an effort to avoid bothering those around me with a bright screen while recording. I chose a seat in the back row on the upper level to minimise any disturbance to others so I could still take a quick video, while still being able to enjoy the music myself.
Bridge Tour
While staying in a suite, I received an invitation to tour the bridge of Ovation of the Seas. The process required me to undergo a security scan with a metal detector wand to check for prohibited items, followed by instructions to adhere to a strict policy throughout the bridge visit. The bridge tour was canceled a few days prior due to the weather conditions we were navigating, but it was later rescheduled, and I was relieved that it wasn’t called off completely.
Observing the navigation and ship controls for steering, along with the transparent floor on both sides of the bridge, highlighted the immense challenge of manoeuvring such a massive vessel.
Halloween Onboard
This was my first time experiencing a unique onboard event where the entire ship was decked out from top to bottom with jack-o’-lanterns, blood-stained Royal Caribbean uniforms, tons of balloons, and spider webs. I was amazed by the effort they put into the Windjammer, especially with the Halloween-themed desserts.
Some of the desserts and theming in the Windjammer were amazing, and delicious!
Halloween display inside the Windjammer. Yes the cake was edible!
The theming throughout the ship is included in the gallery below and was on point for Halloween, perfectly capturing the spooky spirit of the season with decorations and eerie details.
Royal Promenade
Royal Promenade
Guest Services
Outside the main dining room
Next Cruise just outside Two70
Outside Cafe Two70
Inflatables outside the entrance to Two70
Inside Two70 looking down from the second floor
Music Hall
Bloody crew uniform inside the Music Hall
Ports of Call
This 18-night cruise brought us to an a couple of unique ports, one of which I’m eager to return to in the near future - New Zealand.
Raiatea, French Polynesia
Royal Caribbean was clearly caught off guard by the sheer number of passengers disembarking at the first port in 7 days. Getting off the ship went smoothly enough, but getting back on was a nightmare - a gruelling two-hour wait in a line under the blazing sun at ~30°C (~95°F), with barely any shops around to grab water. It wasn’t until about an hour and a half into the queue that Royal Caribbean finally got enough lifeboats running to handle the crowds and providing water, and by then, it was no shock that people were on the verge of collapsing from the heat.
Later that day, once everyone had made it back onboard, the ship buzzed with talk about how challenging the port had been for transportation, though Royal Caribbean stayed silent, offering no acknowledgment of the ordeal.
Moorea
While we were anchored near Moorea, French Polynesia I had a chance to try out the North Star prior to going ashore later that morning and checking out the local markets. It’s a cost-free way to take in a decent view of your surroundings, but from where we were docked, there wasn’t much worth seeing. I’d have preferred a different spot, but sadly, that wasn’t an option this cruise.
My main gripe with the North Star is trying to take photos with reflections from all sides, leaving many of my shots cluttered with other people’s images, making it far from an ideal photo opportunity.
I skipped the local excursions since none caught my eye that were on offer from Royal Caribbean, but I did venture ashore to check out the local markets and their wares. Regrettably, most of it was generic, mass-produced junk from China, slapped with a “Moorea” label - nothing unique or captivating enough to grab my attention.
View from the North Star of the ship
North Star in the afternoon at Moorea
New Zealand
Rain cancelled my plans to explore New Zealand, confining me indoors for most of the time. To make matters worse, it was a public holiday, so with many shops closed, options for entertainment or experiences were slim. I ended up at the SEA Life Aquarium for a nearby activity and managed to snap a few photos of the distant New Zealand skyline.
New Zealand skyline
Debarkation in Sydney
My harsh take on Sydney’s main cruise terminal: where relaxation vanishes in an instant.
This process was a major letdown at the end of an incredible 18-night cruise. It involved a series of redundant document checks - despite already being verified at earlier terminal checkpoints - followed by border security counters with malfunctioning computers that only worsened the painfully long queues. To top it off, confused passengers had no clue where to go, and staff made things worse by directing people into the wrong lines. I chose to hold onto my bag the night before instead of letting the crew take it, avoiding the headache of figuring out where to retrieve it and allowing me to head straight to the terminal exit. Given the utter chaos and disorganisation I witnessed, I’m thankful I made that call!
It felt as though this terminal had just opened the day before, with zero organisation or prior experience among the staff running it. This might have been a one-time event, but I’m not planning to cruise into or out of Sydney anytime soon.
Selfie at the Tahiti cruise port
Ovation of the Seas
Oct 13 - Oct 31, 2024