Jamesszy94

Final thoughts and OBSERAVATIONS: Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I feel like Mike wasn't as enthusiastic as Steve from Canada - but I take that back, Mike was super funny all the time and he was very friendly and made everyone laugh a lot. It was probably the first night and I shouldn't have made judgement so quickly 

This is my third time sailing Ovation of the Seas - and while she's a great ship and I love sailing on her, I found myself not doing as much as I did on previous sailings with her - I don't know if it's just because I was lazy or if it was because I'd already done everything and seen every show there was to see (the Broadway Style ones precisely). And most of the Trivia's were all the same more or less; Harry Potter, 70's/80's/90's Tunes, Scavenger Hunts, Star Wars - all the usual trivias. I don't know what it is. I'll be happy once we get a different ship and try a different sailing - I do hope Ovation comes back to Sydney though after the 2025-2026 Asia season - she's a great ship and I definitely do love sailing her, I just wish there was more variety in Sydney sailings. 

The Windjammer was definitely my least favorite part of the ship and even my dad agrees. We ate in the WJ mainly for breakfast and lunch - I had lunch a few times at Sorrento's and two70 though. But the thing about the Windjammer is that there's no variety - it's all the same food every. single. day. Chips, burgers, bacon, hash browns, sausages - they literally change one station and that's it, but even then it's like half a station. They occasionally put out things like tacos, tortillas etc, but everything else is the same and they have FOUR stations JUST FOR SALADS (TWO OF THEM ARE LITERALLY JUST FOR CHEESE AND HAM/PROSCUITTO ETC) AND FRUIT. Honestly, the food in the MDR was way nicer than the food in the Windjammer.

It was a very nice sailing and to get away from reality and civilization if only for 10 days and I very much enjoyed the shows even if I'd seem them before - I like re-watching shows cause I know they change casts. They've kept Ovation in really good condition, all her decor is still very nice and she's very clean. There are parts of the ship that are starting to show some wear and tear though - like the carpet in the WJ is a bit dated and starting to mould, the stools in the casino are all worn and could use some replacing, and there are some parts of the ship that are starting to rust (but the rust can't be helped, it's just what happens when ships are exposed to seawater for too long). Also one of the lifts wasn't working the entire sailing which didn't help after the shows or when people were trying to get off the ship. 

I'm not sure if I'm just being cynical or if people are genuinely just lazy - I saw SO many able bodied people take the lifts JUST TO GET FROM the THIRD FLOOR to the FOURTH floor or they'd take the lift just for one level...honestly... just walk the stairs, it's a lot faster than waiting for the lifts.

Day 10: 

Woke up to go to the Windjammer as usual... then started packing a bit for the dreaded disembarkation date

Then I attended a show named "Kazoo that Tune with Mike & Neil" in the two70 where yes - as the name says, they play hit tunes using the Kazoo and the audience has to guess what song it is. Pretty funny if I do say so myself. After Kazoo that Tune - I  went with dad to the duty free shops to buy some liquor and I went to buy some Royal keyrings. It was then time for lunch in the WJ - I wasn't feeling too hungry cause I was kinda full from breakfast but also cause I had a bit of a headache (I think cause of the weather and the rocking of the ship got a bit much (I don't get seasick easily, but the rocking was pretty bad)). Dad told me there was an emergency like I mentioned above a passenger fell and hit his head and fell unconscious because I think he probably lost balance from the rocking of the ship - the waters were very rough. I just stayed in my room to watch YouTube video and laid down and had a rest. About an hour later I felt a bit better so then I attended Game of Thrones trivia in the Music Hall - I did better than I thought I would, I got 18/24. One of the answers was "Name Daenerys Targaryen's 3 Dragons" - incase some people haven't watched the show here, the name of the dragons are; Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion. But when the trivia host was reading out the answer - he had it as Drogo instead. 

Game of Thrones trivia ended and then I went out to the casino to play Keymaster - I don't expect to win, I just wanted to have a bit of fun. After this - I went to the Royal Esplanade to buy some keyrings from the shops. Dad went to buy Duty Free liquor and he opened the bottle immediately....  After this we just stayed in our room until dinner time - I got Spaghetti Bolognese again and the Shrimp Cocktail. Desert I ordered some kind of apple crumble with ice-cream. I also ordered extra strawberry ice-cream - thought I'd treat myself on the last day. Dad went up to ride the bumper cars one last time while I went back down to the room to pack on the way I decided to play the keymaster at the casino again, it was so random, I turned around to have a look at the claw machine and there it was! A green $25 Royal Caribbean casino chip just on the floor, I picked it up and contemplated what to do with it - we had to have our suitcases out by 10pm. This is when disaster struck!! I got back to my room but the ship was rocking so much, I lost my balance in the bathroom and dropped my phone and it hit one of the corners at the bottom of the sink, the entire screen started skitzing out and hasn't stopped since - alas, accidents happen (it was time to buy a new phone anyway). The cruise director notified us that due to a medical emergency on board, we were sailing at full speed (19.5 knots) back to Sydney and would arrive a few hours earlier than expected. We went up to the WJ again for fruit...(as you do) and then the cruise director notified us that one of the shows had to be cancelled because the rocking of the ship was too much and it was causing a list to one side - apparently the tech inside two70 can't operate if the ship lists to a certain degree. Not really a big deal for me since I had already seen Spectra's Cabaret. After this, we went down to NextCruise to put a $200 deposit down for the NextCruise whenever we decide on a sail date and ship. We were offered $100 onboard credit for this (I just told the lady to use it to settle our account and she said okay). After NextCruise - dad went back to the room to do some final packing and rest while put out my luggage and then went to watch the Farewell show - it was a person named Paul Brasch - pretty funny. Then Mike (CD) came out and basically thanked everyone for cruising with Royal and told us to have safe trip home in the morning.

After this I went back to the room and it was time for bed.

Check this video by @Matt to see the differences between each Radiance class ship - starts at 8:04 

"Best" is subjective, what might be the best for someone else might not be the best for other people. Just have a look around each ship and see what you think you might like/dislike - but smokeybandit said, they should be nearly carbon copies of each other save a few differences.

38 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

I have never seen a "family restroom"on any Royal ship.

I don't know what it's called but it's the one for babies where there's a change table inside. 

Day 11: dreaded disembarkation day

Day 10: will update when I get home

But: the ship was rocking a lot and there was a medical emergency in the windjammer where one passenger fell and hit his head and fell unconscious. We had to sail full speed back to Sydney so we arrived approximately 1am instead of the usual 4am. 

If you feel uncomfortable using the mens restroom, you can use the family restrooms - it's not ideal but if you're that worried, it's an option, most of the time, the public restrooms aren't that full, so not many people will be in there at any given time. 

Most people cruise to get away from reality. Some people will probably stare and talk and make snide comments, but most of them won't care. There are LGBT+ meetings onboard where other LGBT+ cruisers can meet each other. 

Cruising is just like any other holiday experience you'll probably take. It's no different to judgemental people back on land, you'll find judgemental people everywhere. 

1 hour ago, jbrinkm said:

  

I've always seen these door hanging order forms that you fill out the night before. Sometimes in a folder. 

Oh yeah those still exist, but I still prefer if it was done on the TV, much easier and less hassle waiting for someone to come collect the tags.

The ship is going through the Tasman Sea right now and it's rocking a lot. My dad made a good point. It doesn't matter how big the ship is! The ocean is always bigger. Also it annoys me when people call it a boat and not a ship...lots of first time cruisers on here calling it a boat...

1 hour ago, jbrinkm said:

What did it end up being about?

Do they still give you the tags you can put on the door at night? I prefer anything over having to call...

If you have access to Apple TV and are a space nerd, I cannot recommend For All Mankind highly enough. My husband and I just started Season 4 and it is a phenomenal show. 

Greek/Spanish?? Those feel like VERY different types of food to me... (And what is a stickybeak?)

All of the scenery in your photos is gorgeous. 

Live. Love. Legs ended up being some 90's and 2000's hits with music, lights and dancing. Pretty cool show. What do you mean about the tags you put out at night? I don't think so? You can only order room service by calling now. I think it ended up being Mediterranean instead of Greek/Spanish. I don't remember. I'll definitely check the show out. 

Day 9: Not really much happening. Sea Day as we make our way back to Sydney!

WJ for Breakfast. After the WJ. I went to do the morning trivia in the music hall while dad went back to the room. After morning trivia was over, I went over to the captain and officers session where we could ask questions about the ship or anything related to Royal. Some questions were very weird and some weren't related to the ship at all. Captain/Hotel Director confirmed Ovation is going into dry dock in 2026 - possibly when she finishes the 2025-2026 Asian season. And also Lelepa is still on the cards for 2026. Some people just would not stop talking while the captain/officers were answering the question - not only is it rude, it's a bit disrespectful for people who want to go there to hear what the crew have to say. Regardless, it was pretty interesting to see what the captain and officers had to say. Captain said we have ~4,551 people on board and ~1250 crew on board. 

After captain's session, Wizarding World trivia happened in the Royal Theatre - I got 22/27 - there weren't as many people there as I thought there would be and there weren't as many as the Star Wars Trivia. After the Wizarding World Trivia we headed over to the WJ for lunch - lunch was the same stuff as the previous 10 day.. I really wish they'd change things up.  After Lunch in the WJ - there as the "NextCruise Destination Trivia" which tests you on your knowledge of Royal destinations around the world. Not many people knew Petra in Jordan. Petra is on my bucket list of places to visit but unfortunately with the situation in the Red Sea at the moment - probably not going to be possible in the foreseeable future. After NextCruise Destination Trivia -  I went to the Royal Esplande to buy some Royal Caribbean shirts. The designs this year aren't that good... (It seems like Royal are really skimping on a lot of things). Then I went back to the room to have a nap . Our dreaded disembarkation information arrived . I opted for Luggage Assist this time because my suitcase is super heavy and I didn't want to lug it up 2 flights of stairs to the two70 (that's where we have to wait).

Theme for dinner was Royal night - the menu wasn't that great for the second night in a row; I basically just had prawns (shrimp) and for desert I just had baked alaska and strawberry ice-cream. After dinner we headed back to the room where we started to pack a little bit, then we headed to the WJ for fruit and deserts. Dad went back to the room to get ready for bed while I went to the Royal theatre to watch a show - Patrick McCullagh - he's pretty funny and the tricks he does are pretty simple, but he adds comedy to his tricks which adds to the appeal. There was this lady in front of my though who I felt was being very disrespectful, not only was she filming the whole thing (I know technically filming isn't prohibited, but most people don't) anyway, she was scrolling instagram, texting and it basically felt like she wasn't really interested in the show - her screen was very distracting... and the performer is trying to put on a good show and there's just people who don't seem interested. Regardless, it was still a good show and I think most people had fun, the acting by some of the guests were a bit cringe and over the top though, but that's just me. 

After the show finished - It was time for bed. 

Day 10: Final sea day.

Will update when I get back to Sydney. 

Just attended the session where they ask questions to the captain and the other officers.

Something mentioned about Lelepa in 2026 (couldn't hear properly cause people wouldn't stop talking over the captain - lowkey a bit rude)

Captain basically confirmed Ovation (and by extension Quantum and Anthem, dunno about Odyssey or Spectrum) is the largest ship that will fit into Sydney, unless they get a bigger port. He mentioned something about 7 metre gap between the ship and the rock - again couldn't hear properly cause people wouldn't be quiet..

Hotel Director also basically confirmed that Ovation is going into Dry Dock in 2026.

There were a few questions I wanted to ask but didn't get the chance cause people kept rambling on..

Day 8 - We went through the Sounds of Auckland! - Doubtful Sound early in the morning. Went up to the WJ for breakfast, needless to say... lots of people fighting over tables near the window. After breakfast, dad went to play bumper cars and I went to the arcade where I spent ~$10 on one of the machines to win a wireless charger. After winning the wireless charger, we sailed through Dusky Sound - it was pretty cold and windy on the top deck - bad mistake wearing shorts .  The Fiordlands of New Zealand are spectacular and I definitely recommend people sail through them at least once. After Dusky Sound, I headed over to the WJ for lunch. After lunch, we went back to the cabin to nap. Around 3pm, we sailed through Milford Sound. Milford Sound is easily the most beautiful of the New Zealand Sounds. They were nice enough to stop the ship for us to take photos. 

After Milford Sound, we waited for dinner. It was Asian night. The Pad Thai was very dry and the Sweet and Sour Pork just wasn't good. The Dumplings were very good though . So much so that I ordered 4 portions . Desert was the weakest part of the night. 

After dinner, dad didn't wanna do anything so we just went back to the room. I went to watch a game show in the two70 "The Majority Rules Game Show" where like the name implies - the majority answer wins. It was pretty funny... too bad I have noone to participate in these game shows with. Dad doesn't like doing anything. After this ended - I went to watch the production show - A Beautiful Dream (a show I've seen before, but like watching for the different cast). Just as good as the last time I saw it. 

It was pretty late at this point so I just went to bed. 

Day 9 - Sea Day

Day 8 - The sounds. Will update on the morning. 

Day 7: CONT

After finding the duck, we went back to the room where we just chilled for a bit, I went out the Music Hall to do the Morning Word-Search Challenge and then stayed for the morning trivia. The word search was about feeling and emotions - there was one word that nobody would find though "Euphoria" which is kind of funny if you ask me. Then trivia happened. One of the questions was what is the longest word that contains 26 letters, naturally you'd think the alphabet right? Nope, apparently the answer was "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which 1 - isn't even a real word, and 2 - doesn't have 26 letters. It's got like 32... so that was clearly a misleading question. After trivia finished, I walked around the Royal Esplanade for a bit - they have watches 2 for $40 and they look pretty good - anyone have experience with buying those kinds of things on the ship? then I went up to Deck 15 to hang around in the arcade and the SeaPlex. I spent about $14 trying to win a PS5... I was never going to win, but it was fun trying. After the arcade, I went back to the room to watch YouTube videos - the weather outside was raining and it was like ~10 degrees celsius. Miserable weather to be hanging out outside. Turns out dad went to the SeaPlex and saw me but I didn't see him, he was playing Table Tennis with some Chinese couple he'd met. Then we went up to the Windjammer for lunch - honestly, lunch service is probably the worst. I can see now why people don't go to the Windjammer.... (more about the Windjammer later). Then we went back down to the room to nap/shower/rest. We went down to the MDR at around 5:15pm. It was Italian night - naturally you'd assume there was lots of pasta and you'd assume correct. They had a grand total of 4 pasta dishes on the menu. I ordered the lasange and the vegan Spag Bol - can you even call it spaghetti bolognese if it doesn't have meat in it.. desert was Tiramisu - finally a desert I actually like. After dinner dad wanted to try the Bumper Cars - I didn't ride them - I'm not a huge fan of dodgems/bumper cars. I saw the guys that were staying in the Star Class suite and their genie there, naturally they got to skip the queue... like I said above must be nice having a genie to be able to get you to the front of the line for things. But again, I digress.

Dad wanted fruit so we headed over to WJ to get some fruit. After dinner - I walked around the Royal Esplanade a bit more then went back to the room.

I was going to go out for the comedy show, but I'd already showered and in my PJ's.... plus the Royal Theatre is on the other side of the ship... First world problems.. 

Just been in my room the whole time watching YouTube and getting some work done. So didn't really do much else today. 

Tomorrow is Day 8 and we arrive in the sounds (Dusky, Doubtful and Milford) so that'll be some great views. 

Observations:

- The main dining room was busier than usual today for some reason. Maybe people just didn't like what was on the menu at the Windjammer or the weather was just terrible and people wanted to eat and then stay in their rooms? Who knows, but the service in the MDR today was not as great as previous nights when it was less chaotic and busy. 

- The Windjammer was also surprisingly not busy, considering it's Greek/Spanish night. I don't know if it's just because people don't really care about the food, but we went around 7:30pm today (way earlier than usual) and it was not even packed, we could find a table easily. Honestly, I'm liking the Windjammer less and less each day. They never have anything different and it's literally just the same thing every night. (beef, curry, rice, pasta) - they just change like 2 stations and that's it and I guess they also change the desert stations - but like barely. The fruit stations are nice, but come-on, give us some variety in fruit.  Might just stick to the WJ for breakfast only, but we skipped the WJ for breakfast today and only went there to get fruit.

Must be nice having a genie be able to get you to the front of the line! 

I guess I'll never know

24 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

You have to call to get the 5th passenger and more added. They will even have a separate reservation number. 

Ah okay, thank you Ashley.. kind of annoying that we have to call, but I guess it is what it is. 

There'll be 5 adults and 2 toddlers (Time of sailing, my niece will be 6 and my nephew will be 4)

So I'm turning the big 30 this year... but it'll be in August and I'm planning on doing a belated sailing next year to celebrate me turning 30. I wanted to bring my brother, my niece and nephew and my SIL with me on a cruise - Unfortunately there's no way for me to use a travel agent in Australia - so I have to book through Royal directly.  But Royal's website is a bit hard to use since the max you can put into one room is 4 people. How do I book the 2-Bedroom Family Grand Suite or the UF GLS (if I decide to sail on SY, WN or SP) or anything that will fit more than 6 people in it if it doesn't let me put in more than 4 people when choosing rooms. I don't know if that makes sense. 

On Royal? They probably don't care what you wear, it not like there's someone outside the MDR going "Nah, no shorts!!! Get lost". I saw someone shirtless a few days ago in the MDR...

On other cruise lines like Cunard where the dress code is more heavily enforced, you'd probably be turned away.

Thank you for the blog! Looks like you had an amazing time on Oasis with the kids! Despite only being confined to the FlowRider viewing bench for 90%? of the time Safe travels home and look forward to your next blog whenever that is. Always love reading your insights. 

(Can someone tell Royal to send an Oasis class ship down to Australia?)

Day 7 - Solarium Bistro for Breakfast. I wanted some fruit so we headed over to the WJ... on the way.. Look what I found on top of the lifts.

The Solarium Bistro is honestly such an underrated venue - might go there again tomorrow - they more or less have the same stuff they have at the WJ minus the omelet station I guess + it's never packed there the times I've been. It's just a way more pleasant experience in the Solarium Bistro than the Windjammer.