Jamesszy94 Posted March 22 Author Report Share Posted March 22 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. PPPJJ-GCVAB, KristiZ, Sweety and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 Thanks for sharing. Didn’t keep up closely once I left on my own cruise last Sunday but enjoyed reading. Jamesszy94 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 22 Report Share Posted March 22 7 hours ago, Jamesszy94 said: It was a very nice sailing and to get away from reality and civilization if only for 10 days This is one of the best parts of cruising! Jamesszy94, Sweety and OCSC Mike 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesszy94 Posted March 22 Author Report Share Posted March 22 Final thoughts addendum: Picton is kind of boring if you don't join a shore excursion - the main city centre can be walked around in a total of like 30 minutes, the outskirts of the city centre - there's not really much to see, it's all industrial buildings. It's definitely a one and done for me personally. Napier is very beautiful and definitely worth checking out - the Art Deco style buildings are beautiful and it was fascinating getting to know the history of Napier and the Hawkes Bay region and how they basically rebuilt from the ground (pun intended) up after the earthquake in 1931. It's definitely a port you can visit more than once and if I ever decide to sail to New Zealand again, definitely will be exploring more/joining a shore excursion to see the wineries Wellington is also a very beautiful city, but because it's the capital, it has a very "big" city feel. It's your typical big city with lots of shops, eateries, lots of people and lots of landmarks for you to check out. The most famous thing about Wellington is probably the cable car that takes you up the top to the Botanic Gardens/Space Observatory and you definitely get a nice view of Wellington - definitely worth checking out. The Sounds were the best part of the cruise, just sailing through the fjords of Dusky, Doubtful and especially Milford Sound was very breathtaking and I'd argue is even more beautiful than Alaska (Alaska is still amazing!) The weather was spectacular and definitely worth checking out if you ever get the chance. JohnK6404, KristiZ, MaryS and 5 others 6 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.