pavdwi wrote a review 4 Jan

Melbourne, Australia53 contributions9 helpful votes

Beware - they are scammer. Big mistake! Never go again! Our group of six families was cruising to New Zealand during Christmas 2024. We were disappointed! 1. There was a virus on the cruise. We were back one week, but my family and friends still got sick. So many people got it, and there were coughing sounds everywhere on the cruise. Our group of 22 people got sick. 2. The cruise departs from Sydney to NZ, but they charge US currency ($2 US for a small bottle of water). My friends got changed a few times for just one glass of cocktails. Everything is overpriced. 3. According to the itinerary, the cruise was supposed to depart at 6 p.m. but left Sydney at 1 a.m. the following day. 4. They cancelled one port, Picton, due to bad weather. However, there was no snow, as it is summer in New Zealand. Picton was 22’c on 21/12/2024. We stayed for five days on the cruise, and we got seasick. All the children wanted to go home. They also reduce the time, allowing you to stay on the mainland according to the initial itinerary. We had to get a line for 1.5 hours to get out of the ship when it reached Christchurch; very bad organising (they allowed us from 11:00-4:00, but we could not get out until 1pm). 5. One of my friend’s sons had an asthma attack and could not breathe. They requested medical service in the morning but could only see the boy at 5pm. And it costs $200 US to see the doctor. 6. The food on the cruise was terrible; most of the fine dining foods at the restaurant were similar to those in the buffet. 7. I had ordered two cups of almond milk coffee and was given soy milk. They did not notify us that they didn’t have almond milk on the cruise. 8. They try to push us to buy cheap wine…

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clemo_606 wrote a review Dec 2024

Albion Park, Australia70 contributions48 helpful votes

Overrated

After cruising on several other ships we had high hopes for the Ovation of the seas but were somewhat disappointed The food was below par especially in Jamie’s Italian restaurant The ship presents very well and the staff were really good but prices of items onboard are a rip off,for example a box of chocolates which are $12-15 dollars in Australia were over $55.00 after converting from the US dollars that are charged on board. They also have the slowest elevators on any ship I’ve been on.…

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PeteC wrote a review Nov 2024

Auckland, New Zealand33 contributions8 helpful votes

A floating shopping mall with an excellent food court but not a "ship" experience

Pros: - Very modern, spacious cabin layout - Nicely presented, varied and tasty food offerings at the "Windjammer" buffet - Very friendly and attentive staff throughout the ship, the crew seemed relaxed and joked a lot between themselves - always a good sign - Very stable, in moderate wind the ship did not sway at all - Exit/Entry doors are sliders and automatic, a real plus in windy conditions - Lift programming works well, almost no wait time even during morning "rush" hours - The tenders are spacious and the bumpy ride was the only "I am at sea!" experience of the whole trip Cons: - Overall, this was not a "ship" experience. Going through moderate winds and waves at 20kts did not even register as movement. Due to the size and layout of the interior public space it felt like an overcrowded shopping mall with lots of restaurants. - Any "extras" like internet access, drink packages and excursions are very expensive - The adult only rule of the "quiet" area in the solarium was not enforced by the crew. - The library is located in the Two-Seventy", badly designed and was only accessible via stairs. There was loud music or game shows going on most of the time, not a place to read your book - There is no "promenade" to enjoy a walk with a look over the water. The walkway on the lower deck does not go around the ship and has no view due to the life-boats at the same level, the walkway on the upper deck is narrow, overcrowded, used by joggers, squeezed in by deck-chairs left and right and has barely a view of the horizon - The "Skyrail, Kurunda and Cairns" excursion was very expensive and not worth the money. After a long wait in the theatre to disembark, we arrived 30 min late to the bus which rushed us through Cairns (not much to see there anyway), then up to Kurunda for a planned 90 min stay which was cut by the tour guide to 1 hour and 15 min. The description of the tour lists a number of things to do in Kurunda but in reality it was a mad rush just to visit the little Koala zoo and buy some gifts. There was no explanation given why we had to rush and we could have easily spent more time in Kurunda. A shop owner explained to us that most of their customers complain about the time pressure on this tour. The Skyrail itself was a nice experience but the "rainforest" does not look much different from the average bush/forest in N.Z. - The dining-room experience was just average with very confusing booking/time requirements - The free TV programs and movies are pathetic, any decent movie is pay-only and cost around US$ 12 to watch within 24 hours - De-boarding the ship late (9:30) was a mistake as we had to leave the cabin by 08:00 anyway Overall it was a mixed experience which we will not repeat.…

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Anna S wrote a review Nov 2024

78 contributions1 helpful vote

Syd to Airlie beach& Cairns- clean, well-presented, great range of entertainment & wonderfully attentive staff

Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas – 13 November 2024 (Sydney to Airlie Beach & Cairns) Embarkation We arrived at 12:30 pm and faced a 20-minute wait to drop off our luggage. After that, we skipped the general queue due to our Junior Suite booking, heading straight to customs. The entire process took about an hour from the time we lined up to stepping aboard. Junior Suite (Room 8222) Our Junior Suite was a lovely upgrade from our previous balcony room. It offered more space, with a couch, coffee table, desk, and a larger balcony featuring two lounge chairs, a coffee table, and footstools. The room was well-appointed with plenty of storage: one large wardrobe, two smaller ones, many drawers, and a safe. Slippers and a dressing gown were provided, and the room was clean and well-presented. The bed was firm, as others have mentioned. We requested the King-sized bed be converted to twins, which was done in a few hours. The bathroom was spacious, though there was no exhaust fan, and the nightlight stayed on all night, which I found a bit too bright. The air conditioning did not appear to be adjustable in the temperature, and the hairdryer was ineffective due to low voltage (I had my own but the airflow was still quite weak). Dining We avoided the dining packages due to our specific dietary needs, opting to eat exclusively at the Windjammer, which offered flexibility in meal timing and portion sizes. The vegan options were minimal, consisting mostly of salad, fruit, and a few labeled vegan dishes, though vegetarians had more variety (many dishes included dairy and eggs). For those not following plant-based diets, there were abundant choices such as pizza, burgers, baked potatoes, cheeses, various types of bakery items, meats. Specialty dining venues required additional fees but had no vegan options. Suite guests can access Coastal Kitchen at no extra charge, though the vegan options here were also limited. One tip for Windjammer: it can get very busy, especially at peak times. Try going early or late for a quieter experience. Entertainment & Activities Entertainment was excellent with nightly shows, including musicals, comedy, and magic performances. The upper decks were popular with families and young adults, though the sunbathing area felt crowded, as deck chairs were packed closely together. I preferred the quieter Solarium, which was adults-only but located in an enclosed space. The rock-climbing wall was usually quiet, and indoor sports venues like bumper cars and dodgeball competitions can be quite busy—expect to wait for at least 30 minutes for bumper cars. The gym was spacious and well-maintained, with a variety of equipment including treadmills, exercise bikes, dumbbells, and pin-loaded machines (but no barbells). Towels were provided. Shore Excursions Shore excursions were quite expensive compared to booking independently. However, the convenience of guaranteed return times and transport to and from the ship may be worth it. We experienced a very long and rocky tendering process, which included waiting in the Royal Theatre before being transferred to a boat. The rough return trip on a lifeboat was uncomfortable, with many guests becoming seasick. We learned to be cautious about choosing shore excursions when rough seas are expected. One highlight of the trip for us was the full-access ship tour. We had lots of opportunity to ask questions and go behind-the-scenes. Certainly something that I would do again on another ship. Other Observations A common theme on the ship was the constant upsell of dining packages, spa services, photography, and internet, especially during the first few days. While it can be a bit much, the staff were consistently friendly, attentive, and professional throughout the trip. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. The cruise takes care of all the basics—cleaning, meal preparation, etc. However, keep in mind that this is not an all-inclusive experience—many things (like internet, premium drinks, and spa services) come with additional fees. Despite the rising cost of cruising, this remains an experience we'd love to repeat in the future.…

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David H wrote a review Oct 2024

North Dundas, Canada157 contributions1 helpful vote

Overall a nice cruise to Hawaii but there could be some easily made improvements

We have been on about 10 cruises with Royal Caribbean and have been overall happy with the service and experience. This was a nice one-way trip to Hawaii. The room was quite spacious and the room attendant, although new was helpful with our requests and very friendly. Travelling overnight was quite smooth across the Pacific. 2 things that could improve are: 1. Main Dining: We understand that there are limited dining tables, however when placed in the Main dining we were surrounded by children yelling and screaming. We don't have anything against families at all, but we found it very noisy so we preferred for the remainder of the trip to have our dinner in the Windjammer which was unbelievably much more quieter! We are cruising again with RCL in Feb 2025 and hope to request a quieter table. 2: Casino Royale: Machines need to be updated on this ship. Not sure where these machines come from, but they look like the machines that Vegas discarded many years ago.…

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