Good, just ignore the large group taking 100’s of pictures!

Item: Ovation of the Seas
Rating: 4.7
Author: PJandJesse

Ovation of the Seas Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

PJandJesse

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 5

Helpful Votes: 55

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Alaska Glacier Explorer (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 09, 2022

Ship: Ovation of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7212

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Royal is still obviously going through the troubles of restarting a massive industry, sourcing things for ships all over the world from all over the world, training staff to standards, and trying to operate in accordance with local, state, federal and multiple countries guidelines. They’re doing their best. When something isn’t available, or the bartender gives you a true pour, I’m sorry, but you need to go with it. Is everything perfect at your job? I’m guessing not. So please be kind to these crews trying to give you a great vacation. The ship is sailing basically full now, most things feel normal. Then you’ll ask for a straw and people will start rummaging through cabinets, and may say “I think we’re out of straws, I’m sorry”… then 30 minutes later you’ll get another drink with 2 straws. Just 😆 and carry on. You’re cruising again!!! Go with the flow.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

They somehow made it easier? Still learning coming out of COVID life. So this trip we were quickly let inside with our boarding pass, through security and onto check in, which was just a quick look at documents, and onto chairs to wait for ship clearance. Took about 15 minutes car to bar!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

I’d say the food slipped slightly due to staffing this cruise. Either they pushed so much on you you wasted food at specialty dining locations or the opposite, you’d ask for a wine list and would be told what kind are you looking for and they’d try to find that type, but they wouldn’t get the list because the servers knew how little supply they had vs what the menu would show. Also, it seemed that once a bar used its 1 specialty bottle of liquor (kracken rum, avion tequila) for the cruise… that bar wouldn’t get it again. The bartenders were quick to tell you “o this is basically the same”, we’d go with it, but it seemed they were being told to push what they have instead of supplying guests with what they asked for.

Wonderland

4 out of 5

My complaint year after year, I only go if there’s someone who hasn’t gone. Otherwise it’s exactly the same food served exactly the same way. I’d really like to see this venue have the best chef onboard be given some creativity rights here. Give them a guide what’s to be expected quality and artfully done, but let them really offer a culinary experience themselves. No matter which ship you’re on you will have “tomato water” and “green ice cream cones”… let these chefs show Royal and its guests what they can do. All that to say it was fine, again having the same dishes as the last 2 times I came here with 1st timers. But all said they wouldn’t come back again if it’s just always the same menu. I think this venue is best for groups to share as many flavors aren’t well liked by everyone so you’ll be passing around the 7 appetizers to each other.

Chops Grille

5 out of 5

Service this year, on this ship was MUCH better. Service speed felt a lot more responsive to each party, if they wanted a more typical in and out service it was given, if they were more slow enjoyment the waiters seemed to be more aware this time. We did lunch and dinner here and bother we’re about 1.5 hours instead of the 2.5-3+ hours I’ve sat through in the past. So I’m very happy with this years experience

Jamie's Italian

5 out of 5

Love Jaimie’s. Did feel a little like they had a pasta quota to make 😆 as in everyone who eats her must have 2 pasta dishes minimum. Even if you’re very clear we just want this or that, they’ll really push you to get pasta, and more pasta. We ate here 4 times in 7 days. Yes, we are crazy, but we know what we like. The restaurant is so much more than just pasta, that’s why we went so much. The servers were really great. Our favorite was Michelle.

The Café @ Two70

5 out of 5

Less personal made selections than years past, hopefully just a staffing issue and we’ll get the full 270° cafe experience back soon.

Sorrentos

5 out of 5

Always had some pizza ready.

Solarium Bistro

5 out of 5

Great not well known food location by most of the guests. Well maintained and stocked.

Sky Bar

5 out of 5

Good when it was open

Schooner Bar

4 out of 5

It was always easy to get a drink here. Bartenders made good drinks, but not so much talkers. Also every time we’d ask for a straw they really hated looking for one.

North Star Bar

5 out of 5

Great refill after coming off Northstar

Izumi

5 out of 5

Love the food and staff here. Wish the sushi chefs interacted with people seated at the sushi bar, that personal experience would give this restaurant more life, but otherwise great service from all here.

Bionic Bar

4 out of 5

I find the experience to be cute and fun, the drinks are so/so depends what you are going for. If you have the drinks package, go crazy, if you don’t have a drinks package, maybe stick to the human bartenders.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

The adult solarium pools were heated this season!!! They were great! IFly was great, Northstar good as well (all in port done for free). Participated in the LGBTQ+ meetup, seemed we had the stuck up gays and the normal gays and I guess we weren’t a good mix 😆 as is the case on land, but we met a few friendly gays, and the staff working the bars of these events was lovely to us all. Trivia’s, scavenger hunts, napkin folding, towel animals… so much to do that was so much fun through the days.

Casino Royale

3 out of 5

It was extremely smoky inside. I had fun playing my $20 + $4 platinum credit, but otherwise I’d avoid the e tire floor as it just smelled like an ashtray, even the non smoking machines.

Whirlpools

5 out of 5

The forward adult Solarium whirlpools are great. So big they never feel too crowded

RipCord by iFLY

5 out of 5

Our instructor was a little aggressive… but I think we liked it? 😆 great experience, 2nd time going, will do this anytime I get the chance.

Focus Photo Gallery

5 out of 5

Happy they made sure I had a digital copy before I walked away with my purchase pics

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The performances were all done very well. The show “A beautiful dream” we all left going it was nicely done, the actors and singers did well…. But wtf did we just watch? Was the show about a man’s wife dying and he’s suppose to forget her? And if he does he’ll be tempted by hookers?! But then he’s back on his boat and his wife is there, but she’s not? I know this shows been on this ship for years, and most of these songs are in all of Royals other shows too, I think it’s about time to trade this show out. With all of that said, the performance was done very well with the material the performers had.

Two70 Lounge

4 out of 5

This bars always a bit slow given it’s size vs staffing. But drinks do come eventually!

Solarium

5 out of 5

The adult solarium is my favorite place to be. Adults only. Solarium bistro. Sunshine bar, windows everywhere. And staff does chase the kids out keeping it adults only. This cruise there was a large international group who seemed to be doing photo shoots everywhere all the time… this venue the staff really tried to keep them moving and remind them no kids in this portion of the ship.

SeaPlex

5 out of 5

This space and all of its uses really impresses me on each ship I go on.

Royal Theater

4 out of 5

Performers did the best they could with the material they were given. Beautiful sets. Great effort by performers. I just think the storylines are too rushed and are made to fit what feels like the sane 6-8 songs royal uses in all of their made up shows. Would really like to see a broadway style show on this ship.

North Star

5 out of 5

They made it work for our group to be on together when others were late. Great views.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Everyone working front line positions was so friendly and helpful, as in wow friendly and helpful. Anyone in a management or supervisory role either has to be new in their position (one restaurant manager came to our table to ask how everything was roughly every 5 minutes - it was a little creepy and we weren’t sure he realized he was checking in on us that often)… then just seeing officers and management / leadership around the ship I found that my normal acknowledgment of the managers and up level, saying hello, good morning / good evening as a sign of respect was rarely returned or acknowledged. Front line staff was incredible, upper management needs to relearn from their staff how to be friendly and happy. Times are tough in the service industry, we know, we work in it, leadership sets the tone, leadership needs to fix things bothering them or grin and bear it.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

I love the quantum class design. Having mainly 2/3 top decks with everything and 2/3 low ship decks having most everything else just makes sense. Large clear walk ways are great.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Our bed may be coming due for replacement, it wasn’t as comfortable as my last few cruises. But the room functions beautifully still. Great bathroom set up, so much storage. Tv placement and swivel is great, desk that’s a table very smart. Chairs and table and foot rest on balcony are great.

Ship tip

Take more summer clothes than you’d think going on an Alaska cruise. Keep in mind you’re more on and in the ship than outside. The ship is kept comfortable 72°-75°or warmer. So I wore shorts and short sleeved clothing more often than not. Adult solarium was kept at least at 75° unless someone left the windows open, which they did, but then staff would close them up and the temperature would get back to 75°-80°. There were off spots throughout the ship where it would be very hot. No one seemed to know what to do about that.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

5 out of 5

Self guided

Thumbs Up 0

Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska

5 out of 5

Beautiful!!! Wake up early and sit in the adult solarium. The views!!!

Thumbs Up 1

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5

Cute town anytime. We got lucky with beautiful weather. We did a whale watch this time. Besides getting lucky seeing a few orca, the humpback portion was mostly just seeing them blow at the water line then go back under. From the east coast when I’ve been we usually got to witness bubble feeding and that was a bit more exciting. The tour company we went with was very professional.

Thumbs Up 0

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5

We did a self set up bike tour / ride down the highway with SockEye Cycle. Great tour up the mountain, then safety training and safely guided down. Highly recommend this as you get to be close to nature more personally because you’re outside riding for roughly 15 miles. Just beautiful.

Thumbs Up 0

CRUISE ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER

5 out of 5

I was so excited we made it in as close as we did this year. There were lots of ice flows coming from the glacier, but the weather allowed us into the views, which were absolutely breathtaking.

Thumbs Up 1

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5

We could’ve planned what to do better here. We walked roughly 7.5 miles around the town and to / from the ship. Friendly people. Good hole in the wall food in Chinatown. Ask the crew where they like to eat in town because many get the day off ship and they’ve been a lot. Had lunch with many of our ship bartenders in Chinatown.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Since paper cruise compass are a thing of the past mostly I think we missed some directions. While I like hearing less from cruise directors (don’t make too many announcements that wake me up in my room) on disembarkation day, we need to know what’s going on and in room announcements would’ve helped. We couldn’t run to our stateroom door every time we thought we heard an announcement. We only realized people were getting off when we saw people walking out of the terminal from our balcony. Once we started our exit it was east enough. CBP is still hand checking each passenger getting off and their passport unlike Florida ports that have gone full facial recognition which is slowing this port down a bit especially with ships this large. Hopefully that’ll be an update for next Alaska sailing season.

Traveler Photos

Dessert item at Wonderland. Possibly the best part.

Some of our favorite solarium bartenders

Early morning ship walk, deck 5 facing forward

Beautiful moonset during sunrise around 5:45am

Inside sports court in roller skating mode

Status recognition winner with 1200+ nights

6 Comments

Other reviews of this sailing

Had a great time

No More Ovation of the Seas For Me!

This was my first cruise. It was nice. I think I would cruise again