The arrival of Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas to Australia is being met with plenty of excitement and attention from an Australian public that is fully embracing having a brand new cruise ship to themselves.  While not everyone reading this post might be in Australia to take advantage of this momentous occasion, we all can enjoy some beautiful photos of Ovation of the Seas down under.

Royal Caribbean took some wonderful shots of Ovation of the Seas in Sydney harbor, and we just had to share them with all of you.

Ovation of the Seas' arrival into Sydney marks her first summer season of Australia and New Zealand itineraries. She is the newest and largest ship in the region accommodating 4,180 guests at double occupancy and 1,500 international crew members.

From Asia to the Caribbean, in the summer or in the winter, guests on Royal Caribbean's Quantum class ships can luxuriate by the pool no matter the weather. The smart ships fully retractable roof can open or close to suit all climates.

The newest, largest and most tech-laden cruise ship to ever call Australia home arrived yesterday in her new homeport of Sydney.

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas has pulled into Sydney Harbour, which marks a momentous occasion for the Australian cruise market. Ovation of the Seas becomes Royal Caribbean’s fifth locally-based cruise ship, joining sister ships Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, and making Royal Caribbean the single largest cruise line operating in Australia this season.

"Ovation of the Seas is an absolute game changer for cruising down under. SuperCruising is a holiday experience unlike anything else you can find in Australia – and it can only be found on Royal Caribbean," said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Australia & New Zealand. 

"Over the last decade we have committed to bringing the biggest and best cruise ships to our doorstep – and today is the climax of that story. This occasion marks the first time that a cruise line has ever based a brand new ship in this market."

"At 348m long, 18 decks high, weighing in at 168,666 tons and with capacity for 5,000 guests and 1,500 crew, Ovation of the Seas is the fourth largest cruise ship in the world, making her the largest cruise ship to sail Australian waters, and by far the largest ship ever home-ported here."

Ovation of the Seas' two-day visit to Sydney is expected to inject over $3.3 million in passenger spend alone, while her maiden Australian season is expected to inject more than $35 million into the national economy.

If you want to learn how to surf from the best, the first ever "Flow with a Pro" cruise will take place on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas in December this year

This special cruise is sailing from Fremantle to Sydney, complete with tuition, expert advice and demonstrations from Adam Wildman, European flowboarding champion in 2013, 2014 & 2016 and Royal Caribbean’s home-grown FlowRider Ambassador.

Guests can ‘Flow with a Pro’ on Ovation of the Seas from Fremantle to Sydney, departing December 6, 2016 for a nine-night cruise. During this cruise, guests will receive access to complimentary group lessons from Adam Wildman, plus he will showcase some of his spectacular tricks with free guest demonstrations along the way.

Adam Wildman first discovered his talent for flowboarding on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas on a family holiday in 2009, and has now turned his passion into a profession. Hailing from the Gold Coast, his sport takes him all over the world. Having successfully defended his title as European Champion earlier this year, Wildman takes on the best of the best at the World Flowboarding Championships in Singapore.

"If you’ve ever thought about giving flowboarding a go, Ovation is the perfect place to test your talents. The most important thing to remember is that falling is half the fun! No matter your age or skill, you’re guaranteed to have a great time," said Adam Wildman, Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider Ambassador.

The signature FlowRider - which can only be found at sea on Royal Caribbean - mimics ocean surf conditions by pumping water at speed over the soft, padded riding area, which riders can ‘drop in’ on from the top of the FlowRider. Surfers will find it’s a slightly different experience to an ocean wave, since the water flows in the opposite direction, making it all the more fun to master. Guests can choose two different riding styles, stand-up traditional surfing and boogie boarding or knee boarding.

With an 11,000-piece art collection on Ovation of the Seas, guests can experience a wide variety of contemporary works by artists from across the world. Iconic pieces - from the playful “Mama and Baby,” featuring larger-than-life pandas on the top of the ship, to the high-tech “Sky Wave,” the first ever kinetic sculpture at sea - are a source of inspiration to international guests.

Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas completed her Global Odyssey cruise by arriving in Tianjin, China, where she then held her official naming ceremony.

This was the first ever naming ceremony in China and the ship also features the first Chinese Godmother, world famous actress Fan Bingbing, presided over the celebrations which culminated with the maritime tradition of the breaking of a champagne bottle on the hull of the ship to wish good fortune to the ship and all who sail on her.

Ovation of the Seas is a ship of many firsts, including the first to make China its homeport immediately after its delivery.

Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, said “We are excited to bring our newest and most technologically advanced ship to China. The unprecedented first-at-sea experiences will provide an incredible vacation adventure to our guests in the region. Chinese consumers have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and this ship meets that standard like no other – this is a cruise from the future.”

“With the arrival of Ovation of the Seas in Tianjin, Royal Caribbean now has the largest fleet in the region. Now, Chinese guests can enjoy a wider variety of world-class cruise experiences and destinations right from their home market. We believe that this ship will continue to take cruisers to new heights with our extraordinary activities, creative entertainment and diversified dining options.” said Dr. Zinan Liu, President, Royal Caribbean International – China and North Asia Pacific, “We can provide the unforgettable and unexpected cruise experience that the Chinese market deserves.”

As further testament of its commitment to China, Royal Caribbean continues to invest in people though its strategic collaboration with the Tianjin Marine Talent Institute. Royal Caribbean has built a training facility site for onboard crew training and development in hotel operations and over 100,000 jobs have been created in the past four years for major ports cities in China. Royal Caribbean is committed to cultivate talent for the cruising industry in China.

Royal Caribbean's newest Quantum-class cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, arrived in Hong Kong earlier today.

Ovation of the Seas is on a 53-night global odyssey cruise that began from Southampton, England and will eventually see her way to Tianjin, China on May 3rd. She will then have a season in Tianjin in June before coming to Hong Kong in November.

To enable Hong Kongers to get a first-hand glimpse of the massive ship, Royal Caribbean arranged for Ovation of the Seas to visit Hong Kong today and stay for one night en route her 52-day maiden voyage from Europe to Tianjin, China for a naming ceremony officiated by the first ever Chinese Godmother Fan Bing Bing. The Ship was officially delivered to Royal Caribbean on April 8th 2016.

Ovation of the Seas is the third addition to the Quantum class ships, and is a sister ship to Quantum of the Seas that visited Hong Kong last year. Built by Meyer Werft in Germany at a cost of USD 1 billion, the 168,666 tons vessel has 2,090 staterooms for up to 4,180 guests and will be the largest cruise liner ever to be based in Hong Kong.

Photos copyright Royal Caribbean International.

The grand entrance of Ovation of the Seas into Hong Kong was marked with a prestigious ceremony graced by senior government dignitaries and key industry stakeholders. These included the Honorable Gregory So Kam-leung, GBS, JP (Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development); Mr Philip Yung, JP, (Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development - Commerce Industry and Tourism); Miss Cathy Chu Man-ling, JP (Commissioner for Tourism); and Mr. Anthony Lau (Executive Director, Hong Kong Tourism Board). They were joined by executives from the cruise line including Mr. Michael Bayley (President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International) and Mr. Henrik Loy, Captain of the Ovation of the Seas.

To mark the event, a themed ovation to Hong Kong was arranged in keeping with the vessel’s name to celebrate the occasion. This “Cel-Ovation of the Marvels of Hong Kong” drew parallels between Hong Kong’s achievements and those of Ovation of the Seas in offering a world class “Cruise Extraordinary” experience to Hong Kong people.

To this end, Royal Caribbean presented trophies to five Hong Kong celebrities who have achieved regional or global acclaim in the five areas. For Technology the trophy went to science whiz Chan Yik Hei, dubbed "Son of the Star"; for Art it went to music prodigy Wong Ka Jeng, for Culinary it went to the esteemed chef, Ricky Cheung; for Entertainment it went to dance producer Mak Chau Shing; and for Sports it went to speed climber Lisa Cheng, Hong Kong's very own ‘Spider Girl'.

Royal Caribbean announced today it will homeport Ovation of the Seas in Singapore in 2017 for one season.

The announcement was made during Ovation of the Seas’ maiden call in Singapore, where a plaque and key ceremony was held in the presence of over 200 government and industry partners, with Mr Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Mr Alexander Hungate, President and Chief Executive Officer of SATS, and Ovation of the Seas’ Captain Flemming Nielsen. 

Over her 10 sailings from March to April 2017, Ovation of the Seas is expected to add some 42,000 additional guests to the Singapore cruising scene, and delivering millions through in-port spend. She will offer return trips ranging from 3 to 5 nights to Penang, Phuket, Bangkok (Laem Chabang), and a one-way cruise to Tianjin with calls at Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My) for an overnight, Hue/Danang (Chan May), Hong Kong and Seoul (Incheon).

Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President, International, Mr Gavin Smith said, “We’re thrilled to bring one of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to Singapore and the region, and take cruise travel here to new heights.

“Joining Mariner of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, the addition of Ovation of the Seas means we will have the largest cruise fleet deployment of any brand in Southeast Asia.

He said, “Our investment reaffirms our commitment to Singapore and the region, and the bright future we see for the region’s cruising industry.”

Mr Smith further shared with the deployment of Ovation of the Seas, plus the return of Voyager of the Seas in May and Mariner of the Seas in October, this will increase Royal Caribbean’s capacity in 2017 in Southeast Asia by 30 per cent over 2016. 

Mr Yap Chin Siang, Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Planning), Singapore Tourism Board, said: “The homeporting of the Ovation of the Seas is a testament to the appeal of cruising from Singapore. It is also very timely - the upcoming Visit ASEAN@50 celebrations in 2017 will highlight the best of Southeast Asia, and cruises offer the perfect way to experience the warm hospitality of the region.

“We also hope that this deployment will spur the region to enhance cruise infrastructure to accommodate more ships like the Ovation. As the lead co-ordinator for Cruise at ASEAN, Singapore will continue to work with our neighbours to develop our region into a preferred cruising destination.”

Royal Caribbean announced Ovation of the Seas will extend her second Australian season by six extra cruises, spending a further five weeks home ported in Sydney during the summer of 2017/18.

New cruises in 2018 include

• an eight-night South Pacific sailing departing February 18 priced from $1,449 per person
• a five-night Tasmanian cruise departing March 8 from $1,049 per person
• two 10-night New Zealand cruises departing March 13 and 26 starting from $1,819 per person
• a three-night sampler departing March 23 priced from $669 per person; all roundtrip from Sydney
• a 14-night repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore, departing March 26, 2018, which stars from $2,069 per person

This is the second time in a matter of months that Royal Caribbean has added new Ovation of the Seas sailings.  In late April, Royal Caribbean added four more sailings to the 2016/2017 cruise season.

“Such is the excitement and anticipation of Ovation of the Seas’ arrival that we’re extending her second season before she has even commenced her first in Australia,” said Adam Armstrong, managing director for Royal Caribbean in Australia and New Zealand.

“The really special thing about Ovation of the Seas is that she’s appealing to an incredibly wide range of travelers. 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,” Armstrong continued.

Royal Caribbean is really getting into the celebratory mood with the launch of Ovation of the Seas, including a new beer bottle that celebrates the occasion too.

Karen Keeley shared with us this photo of a special Heineken bottle available to guests on Ovation of the Seas, that features a special look.

The bottle is a fun souvenir for guests and it is not the first time Royal Caribbean has partnered with a company to create a souvenir bottle.

When Oasis of the Seas launched, Royal Caribbean and Coca-Cola created a special Coke bottle just for Oasis of the Seas (which can still be found on eBay).