With some of the largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean accounts for around 17% of the cruise market worldwide. It is widely recognized for great passenger experience, entertainment options and a large number of innovations over more than thirty years. The Miami, FL based company has been awarded ‘Best Overall Cruise Line’ by Travel Weekly, thirteen years in a row.

With a length of 348 metres, about 168,666 tonnes and a passenger capacity of about 5,000, the Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class of ships are second only to their Oasis Class, in terms of size, making them the second largest ships in the world. Royal Caribbean operates three ships under the Quantum Class – the Quantum of the Seas, the Anthem of the Seas and the Ovation of the Seas.

All three ships in the Quantum Class offer a wide array of exciting features such as the RipCord the iFLY (Simulated skydiving), the North Star (elevated observation capsule), SeaPlex (indoor sports and entertainment complex), FlowRider (surf simulator) and Two70 (aerial entertainment with a 270 degree view).

The Ovation of the Seas, launched in February 2016, is the latest addition to the Quantum Class. With home ports in Tianjin, Singapore and Sydney, the Ovation of the Seas extends Royal Caribbean’s coverage of South East Asia and Australia. With 2,090 staterooms, it has a maximum capacity of 4,950 passengers (4,180 passengers in double occupancy). With more than 1,500 crew members, Ovation of the Seas boasts of an impressive ratio of 3.3 passengers per crew member, at full capacity.

As the youngest ship in its fleet, Ovation of the Seas offers some of the latest technology innovations, exquisite cuisine and diverse entertainment options. It has 16 decks that are accessible by passengers, including 8 decks that have balcony staterooms overlooking the ocean. It offers four types of staterooms – suite, balcony, outside view and interior staterooms. The interior staterooms all contain a ‘Virtual Balcony’ – an 80 inch HD TV that relays the ocean view inside the room, so that each and every stateroom on the ship gets an outside view. With 18 restaurants, 12 bars/lounges, 1,281 theatre seats, whirlpools, pool decks, spas, solariums and cafes, passengers have a large number of dining and relaxation choices. The following features make a cruise on the Ovation of the Seas unique:

• Fun and entertainment programs for families and kids, including Adventure Ocean, Royal Babies, and Royal Tots programs
• The Splashaway Bay kids water park
• The Casino Royale, one of the most spectacular casinos at sea
• 3 pools, including an indoor pool with retractable roof
• A full service Vitality Spa and a Vitality Fitness Center

The Ovation of the Seas currently offers a number of exciting packages and cruise options, covering some of the best ports in the Asia-Pacific region, across China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Far East. Most of the cruises have been recently announced and will start in 2017.

The ship is docked in Sydney as its home port till February 2017. Starting from Sydney gives passengers the chance to spend a few days in this bustling city, try out the local restaurants and explore the Outback. Major attractions here include the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Garden, Darling Harbour and Bondi Beach. The Ovation of the Seas offers a number of new cruise packages starting from Sydney:

• New Zealand Cruise (15 nights): Covering Hobart (Tasmania), Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound, Dunedin, Wellington, Picton, Tauranga and Auckland. Packages start at USD 2,324 per person.
• Tasmania and Southern Australia Cruise (5 nights): Starting at USD 1,093, it starts and ends at Sydney and covers Adelaide and Hobart (Tasmania). There are also 5 night cruises from Sydney to Hobart and back, starting as low as USD 863 per person.
• South Pacific & New Zealand Cruise (12 nights): Covers Noumea (New Caledonia), Mystery Island (Vanuatu), Bay of Islands, Tauranga and Auckland.
• Reefs & Jungle Cruise (14 nights): Starting at USD 1,419 per person, the cruise starts at Syd-ney, taking passengers to Brisbane and Darwin in Australia, then sails to Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) before ending at Singapore.

In March and April, 2017, Ovation of the Seas will dock at Singapore. As one the world’s leading financial centres, Singapore offers visitors a beautiful combination of towering skyscrapers and quaint old-world localities. From iconic architecture, eclectic nightlife, rich ethnic influences and great local cuisine, Singapore is a melting pot of tradition and modernity.

Starting from Singapore, Ovation of the Seas will offer a number of short, single destination getaway cruise packages to either Penang (Malaysia) (3 nights or 4 nights), Phuket (Thailand) (4 nights) or Bangkok (5 nights), ranging from USD 340 to USD 559 per person. There are also a few longer cruise options such as the China Repositioning Cruise (12 nights) which departs from Singapore and visits Ho Chi Minh City and Hue in Vietnam, then sails to Hong Kong, then on to Incheon (South Korea) before finally docking at Tianjin – Beijing. Packages start at USD 1,251 per person.

From May 2017 onwards till November, the ship will homeport at Tianjin, the largest coastal city in North China, and the fourth largest Chinese city overall. Used as a foreign concession port by the French and the British in the nineteenth century, Tianjin’s rich legacy can be seen in its old European Style buildings. It is also one of the most advanced cities in China, and in many ways is a symbol of modern China.

While the Ovation of the Seas is docked at Tianjin, it will offer a short 4, 5 or 6 day packages to cities such as Busan, Incheon and Jeju Island (South Korea), Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Sakaiminato and Okinawa in Japan. Prices start at USD 649 pp. Most of these cruises start and end at Tianjin, but a few start at Hong Kong. There is also a 9 day Hong Kong to Singapore cruise package that covers Chan May, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Sanya (China) and finally ends at Singapore. The 9 day cruise package starts at USD 1,324 pp.

At present, Ovation of the Seas is offering a special promotion offers that include 1 night free on some sailings. Make sure you plan your schedule and book well in advance, so that you get the best staterooms and cruise offers.

Author The author tracks and covers holiday packages and popular tourist places. He has recently forayed into coverage of cruise packages and alternative holiday destinations. In this particular article, he provides he views on the latest ship launched by the Royal Caribbean, the Ovation of the Seas.