Fantastic time on Ovation of the Seas from Vancouver to Hawaii. It is evident that cruising is back, because the ship was at capacity and felt crowded at times. Still, on such a big ship, we could always find space for what we wanted to do - and could get decent seats in shows if we got there early enough. Food was decent, and drinks were always good. Staff rocks !
Embarkation
2 out of 5
No enforcement of timed entry slots. Long lines, took 2 hours from curb to on board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room staff members were great. Food was average to above average, depending on entree. We had one steak that was way to tough, but everything else pretty good. With the bad steak, we just chose another entree, so, no big deal.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Plenty to do on these Quantum Class ships. Do not miss the NorthStar experience which takes you out over the ship in a gondola extended on a crane arm. Make reservations as soon as you get on board, because this fills up quickly, and some rough sea / wind days they do not deploy the NorthStar.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Pretty good headliners. The live band is always good. Comedian Mike Pace was good. The production shows in the 270 Theater are fantastic. What a great venue that is, much different than the traditional cruise ship theater.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
RCCL staff members are great. Always friendly and they try to go out of their way to ensure you have a good vacation. Our cabin attendant, Roman, rocked. He made our vacation awesome.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Fairly new ship, and Ovation looks it. Staff always cleaning. Despite it being at full capacity, we did not get Covid or anything else :-) .
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very comfortable cabin, plenty of room for two. If there's a complaint or two that I'd have it would be the goofy, uncomfortable "couch" area and the opposing doors from the lavatory area to the shower/sink area. My wife and I would often hit the other door when exiting from the different areas.
Ship tip
Make reservations on the App as soon as you get on board. You don't need their wifi to use the App.
A fun city to visit. Plenty to do around the cruise port area. We stayed at the Pan Pacific, which is in Canada Place (the pier location). On the morning of the cruise, I took our luggage downstairs via the elevator to drop our luggage off while my wife got ready. Then we walked downstairs at our assigned time to check in. Easy . . .expect for the ridiculous lines.
RCCL warned us that the Boeing Factory was not running the factory tour part, but we elected to go anyway. The movie and exhibits they had in their visitors center were interesting, but it was not the same as seeing the big planes being built, in person. The cost of the excursion was for the bus and the visitors center, but, way too much for even that, in my opinion. We elected to do this excursion because we have been to Seattle lately and find that the city is being rundown by homeless and crime. It's a shame for such a previously beautiful city.
Very nice area, touristy with shops & restaurants - or you can venture out. We took the Atlantis submarine tour, and it was great. Real sub that goes to a depth of 132 feet. I'm a scuba diver, but my wife has never been underwater and seen the amazing views. We enjoyed it.
We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for 3 days after our cruise to relax prior to the long trip home - and time change. It's a fantastic resort that you never have to leave for entertainment, food, etc. - but it's not cheap and the check in lines are ridiculous. If you are a Hilton Honors member use the Hilton App to check in. That way you won't be one of the hundreds of people standing in line when early check in time comes at 12:30pm.
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