xSAILEDx Ovation of the Seas - May 2, 2023 - May 11, 2023 (9 Night Hawaii Cruise)

[BrianAlt]

Hello!  Anyone here joining us on this cruise?  My wife, Sheri, and I will be joined by our friend Eric.  

Hope we have some others here.  

[Jeff Barber]

My fiancée and I will be on this cruise. Not my first time cruising but it is the first time on Royal Caribbean.

[BrianAlt]

On 1/3/2023 at 4:44 PM, Jeff Barber said:

My fiancée and I will be on this cruise. Not my first time cruising but it is the first time on Royal Caribbean.

May I ask, why did you choose this ship/itinerary for your first Royal Caribbean cruise?

[Jeff Barber]

We love Hawaii so we were looking for something that included Hawaii. The timing of the cruise was also a perfect fit for our schedule. Love that we get to see Vancouver too. Curious about 5 days in a row on the water but we'll see!

[Jearlean Cook]

Hi folks, does anyone know if there's a theme night on the Ovation cruise May 2 2023.

[BrianAlt]

On 3/13/2023 at 1:37 AM, Jearlean Cook said:

Hi folks, does anyone know if there's a theme night on the Ovation cruise May 2 2023.

Nothing has been announced, but there are always some theme nights that go on.

[BULLMASTIFFBOY]

My wife and I are booked. Question if any one knows. There is a post on RCL that a pre-test covid test is needed, but can be "self-administered" ... the statement on RCL website is as clear as mud.

Canada does not require any test to enter country, and we are Canadian, so the testing rcl talks about seems very strange.

Does anyone know what process will be needed at boarding?

 

thanks

[BrianAlt]

You need to take a self-administered antigen test (or better, you won't be thrown off for a PCR or proctored antigen test) and take a picture of it and present that, along with your vaccination card, at check-in.  It's an honor system that your test is current.

As for WHY, I can't tell you other than it's part of the crossing from Australia.  At this point, I just go with the flow.  

[BULLMASTIFFBOY]

just received this update 

[BrianAlt]

Yup.  Makes things easier.  

[Claudia B.]

Anyone have tips on packing? Trying to keep it to a minimum, e.g., one pair of long pants sufficient? Thanks.

[BrianAlt]

On 3/25/2023 at 5:00 PM, Claudia B. said:

Anyone have tips on packing? Trying to keep it to a minimum, e.g., one pair of long pants sufficient? Thanks.

Maybe two?  Depends on what you like to wear.  Weather should be mostly good, but the crossing could be cool or rainy.  Hard to know.

[Ann I]

First time cruising so much to learn.

Was hoping to go to active volcano in Hawaii Island but there doesn’t seem to be an excursion. Does someone else want to join me to arrange one?

Or is there another forum that I should be asking this?

[twangster]

49 minutes ago, Ann I said:

First time cruising so much to learn.

Was hoping to go to active volcano in Hawaii Island but there doesn’t seem to be an excursion. Does someone else want to join me to arrange one?

Or is there another forum that I should be asking this?

Royal tends to stay away volcano excursions since some guests lost their lives in a New Zealand eruption a few years ago.  They stopped volcano related excursions globally after that.  It was a terrible disaster.  

[BrianAlt]

17 hours ago, Ann I said:

First time cruising so much to learn.

Was hoping to go to active volcano in Hawaii Island but there doesn’t seem to be an excursion. Does someone else want to join me to arrange one?

Or is there another forum that I should be asking this?

Probably best to rent a car and drive yourself.  

[Casino chip collector]

Hi everyone,

I collect Royal Caribbean Casino Chip as a collection.  If you happen to visit the casino, please help to take a look whether they have a unique $5 chip design or an inaugural chip with the ship name on it.  Currently there is no online information on these two chips.

Sharing photo of my collection.

Regards,

[KevinK]

I

On 4/28/2023 at 7:56 PM, Casino chip collector said:

Hi everyone,

I collect Royal Caribbean Casino Chip as a collection.  If you happen to visit the casino, please help to take a look whether they have a unique $5 chip design or an inaugural chip with the ship name on it.  Currently there is no online information on these two chips.

Sharing photo of my collection.

Regards,

I collect them also, so far I got Oasis , Anthem & Adventure.  I just got off Anthem this morning.  They are all new chip now, none of them have the ship name on it.  I heard they are replacing all of them to standard chip with just Royal Caribbean name.  I will be on Ovation in 10 days, hopefully, they still have one with the ship name.

[Casino chip collector]

15 hours ago, KevinK said:

I

I collect them also, so far I got Oasis , Anthem & Adventure.  I just got off Anthem this morning.  They are all new chip now, none of them have the ship name on it.  I heard they are replacing all of them to standard chip with just Royal Caribbean name.  I will be on Ovation in 10 days, hopefully, they still have one with the ship name.

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.  Pity I still missing the $5 Anthem of the Sea, less likely to get one online as compared to the $1 chip.  Hopefully you get some next week on the Ovation before they are replaced.  Please keep a look out whether they have unique $5 chip.  So far, no information online.

Happy to find another collector.  Have a safe and wonderful trip.

‘Regards,

[KevinK]

1 hour ago, Casino chip collector said:

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.  Pity I still missing the $5 Anthem of the Sea, less likely to get one online as compared to the $1 chip.  Hopefully you get some next week on the Ovation before they are replaced.  Please keep a look out whether they have unique $5 chip.  So far, no information online.

Happy to find another collector.  Have a safe and wonderful trip.

‘Regards,

I really want to sailed all of the 27 ship so I can collect their chips, but the way I see it, I might not be able to collect all of them.  I sailed only from NJ, Symphony & Odyssey will sail in NJ next Summer....  Hopefully they will still have those chips with the ship name.  Or else I will have to go ebay.

[Casino chip collector]

53 minutes ago, KevinK said:

I really want to sailed all of the 27 ship so I can collect their chips, but the way I see it, I might not be able to collect all of them.  I sailed only from NJ, Symphony & Odyssey will sail in NJ next Summer....  Hopefully they will still have those chips with the ship name.  Or else I will have to go ebay.

When I first started collecting casino chip, I collect them during my visit.  
Subsequently, I expend my collection by buying chips from the casino I visited, but either the chips are no longer available or I did not see them during the visit.  

Then I expand my collection further by collecting from the same casino brand, but not the casino that I went.  Examples those casino which are located in Singapore, and having casino outside of Singapore.

Currently, I am at my fourth phase.  I receive a pair of Quantum of the Seas chips from my friend.  After I research online, I fell for the colourful design.  Started collecting them online.  I wish Royal Caribbean will have more variety of Cruise in Singapore.  Currently Spectrum of the seas is the only Royal Caribbean cruise at my region.

I collected the Symphony chip from eBay.  Odyssey like Ovation, there is very little info online.  They do not seem to have a unique chip apart from the $5 inaugural chip which is very rare.  If you happen to be on Odyssey, hope you can find some.  Perhaps release two to me for my collection.  I normally buy two to display both sides of the chips.

Nice to meet a fellow collector.  Keep in touch. 

[KevinK]

49 minutes ago, Casino chip collector said:

When I first started collecting casino chip, I collect them during my visit.  
Subsequently, I expend my collection by buying chips from the casino I visited, but either the chips are no longer available or I did not see them during the visit.  

Then I expand my collection further by collecting from the same casino brand, but not the casino that I went.  Examples those casino which are located in Singapore, and having casino outside of Singapore.

Currently, I am at my fourth phase.  I receive a pair of Quantum of the Seas chips from my friend.  After I research online, I fell for the colourful design.  Started collecting them online.  I wish Royal Caribbean will have more variety of Cruise in Singapore.  Currently Spectrum of the seas is the only Royal Caribbean cruise at my region.

I collected the Symphony chip from eBay.  Odyssey like Ovation, there is very little info online.  They do not seem to have a unique chip apart from the $5 inaugural chip which is very rare.  If you happen to be on Odyssey, hope you can find some.  Perhaps release two to me for my collection.  I normally buy two to display both sides of the chips.

Nice to meet a fellow collector.  Keep in touch. 

I think by the time Symphony arrive in Bayonne, I am afraid they will be generic chip.  As i heard they are replacing all ship with generic chips now..  I might post it here ask some feller cruiser whoever at current ship and still have it, maybe ask him to get it for me..   

[Casino chip collector]

6 hours ago, KevinK said:

I think by the time Symphony arrive in Bayonne, I am afraid they will be generic chip.  As i heard they are replacing all ship with generic chips now..  I might post it here ask some feller cruiser whoever at current ship and still have it, maybe ask him to get it for me..   

I wish there is a place we can feedback to Royal Caribbean that the unique chip is an icon for the ship.  I am sure they will save some money and logistic to use generic chip, but what they will loose is some fans who view the chips as a representation of the ship that they have visited.  I guess they must have considered that when they made such decision.