Cruising, Royal Caribbean Style.

Well I’m back with another post about cruising. There are so many amazing ships and cruise lines, so how do you even pick?! Many of us end up with a favourite, sometimes it’s just the incentives they have for being a repeat customer, other times it’s because we love the class of service. However, if you’re new to cruising, try a couple different lines before you commit long term to one in particular. They each offer something unique, and you can’t know what you’ll prefer, until you’ve tried them.

Last time, I wrote about crising, I featured Celebrity Cruises, and I have to say I do love them, because they suit my demographic. However, I just had the opportunity to tour a Royal Caribbean (RCI) ship. The Ovation of the Seas is beautiful and incredibly impressive. Seriously, I had no idea that they were that fabulous. It was the sort of ship that I wanted to stay on and never get off!

So once again I have to thank Lenora Perry at Expedia Cruise Ship Center, for the invitation. It’s amazing having a travel agent that supports you in all your endeavours; and helps you expand your horizons.

I have to start by saying that, RCI is the ultimate multi-generational form of travel. There is literally something for every single age group. From kids zones, to adult only zones, family fun, casual dining to getting dressed up for a special family dinner. The best part is that just about every single activity is free, meaning there are no extra charges to ride the Flow Rider, use the climbing wall or even ride the bumper cars.

Our tour started at the top floor, and I’ll start there, but generally, I’m going to jump around and just give you a sense of the ship as a whole, so in no logical sequence at all, enjoy the tour.

Even the North Star is free all day, with a small reservation fee for sunset and sunrise.

What impressed me most was that despite being such a massive ship, they have segmented every area to make it feel smaller. I know that doesn’t make sense, but it just doesn’t feel that big, nor like there are that many people on board. And that’s because the dining rooms are also segmented, same food, but each dining space has its own vibe/feel, and they aren’t too big. And there are all these amazing little pockets of seating scattered everywhere.

This is the Flow Rider, and it’s free, you may have to wait your turn on a sea day, but this was a port day, and there were only a few people taking turns.

The kids pools and outdoor playzone, and the outdoor pool offers something for everyone in your group. Below is an aerial shot to give you perspective.

The above space is a very cool multi-purpose room, it’s a gym, with two courts. It can be converted into a gigantic party room, bumper cars are also part of the daily transformation, plus it is also a trapeze school!

The room below, is at the rear of the ship, and is basically a gigantic solarium. It’s the Adults ONLY zone, no kids under the age of 18.
The pools cascade downward, so it’s a multi-level space, with lounging chairs spread throughout. All I can say to this space is “Yes please!”.

This state of the art entertainment lounge not only gives you a spectacular view at the forward end of the ship, but is designed for amazing interactive entertainment. Here’s a crazy stat, this room cost more to create than the entire cost of the very first RCI cruise ship! Yup, you read that correctly.

This is how the rooms transforms when they have a show!

What I liked about the RCI design concept was the art was found in the design as much as it was in the decor. There is a central corridor from one end of the ship to the other. This open concept isn’t found on all cruise lines.

One of many lounges to hang out in, none a very big, so you always get the sense of being in an intimate setting.

We weren’t able to see any of the staterooms. However, I’ve scooped some of their corporate pics to share with you, as it will give you a really clear picture of what to expect. All of these are of the Ovation of the Seas (in 2019), bearing in mind that every ship is decorated differently!

So this video gets special billing because frankly, it’s pretty cool. RCI is leading the way with technology aboard their ships. If you have an inside cabin, it won’t feel like it! Check out this video on their virtual balcony staterooms, they have cutting-edge technology delivering a view in every room with real-time floor-to-ceiling displays. So what your neighbours with balconies are seeing, you’re seeing!

And last but certainly not least, are the Royal Suites. They sleep 6 with two bedrooms, and a pull out sofa. You get your own living and dining room, and two huge bathrooms, the master suite comes with its own ocean view soaker tub, and as you can see, has two levels. Oh, and the deck, you have your own private deck big enough for group dining with multiple loungers.

I love this art installation, slash, great place to meet, it’s the center point of several restaurants. Including Jamie Oliver’s Italian place.

As I said, the art is really unique and interesting, these are just a few examples, and are found throughout the ship. The first one, you have to look up to see, and was several stories high.

The Wonderland chair was connected to the Wonderland restaurant, which is of course Alice Wonderland themed. But don’t be fooled by the theme, this is just as much a grownup restaurant as a kids wonderland. This is one of the paid restaurants, but I can tell you, I’d be paying!

Here’s how RCI describes this concept “At Wonderland, our chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes to invent an elaborate dreamscape of never-before-seen fare. The story begins as you “brush” the menu and find your element— Wind, Ice, Fire, Water, Earth and Dreams— each with a selection of small or shareable fantasies. And magical elixirs whisper “Drink me.” Amidst amorphous mirrors, mystery and sensory surprises, the intention of it all becomes more certain with each maddeningly delicious bite.”

Then there’s the very novel Bionic Bar… and no, you can not help yourself to the “floating bottles” just calling out self service – hahaha!

Then there’s the Rip Cord “tube”. Which would be an amazing thing to do, in the words of RCI; you can, “experience the exhilaration of skydiving without ever leaving the deck, courtesy of RipCord® by iFLY®. Feel what it’s like to fly, as you float on air within the safe confines of this ground-breaking simulator.”

There are restaurants throughout the ship, several are speciality restaurants, and they have a charge associated with them, however there are packages when you book, and this is one of them. They are worth it! I love eating in them because of their international flavours. Then there are all the restaurants included in your experience, so there is literally no chance of getting bored, every pallet will be satisfied.

Moving on, I touch on their amazing world class entertainment, they have multiple casts for each ship, so that the teams don’t burn out. Each team rehearses for months prior to the start of their contract. RCI dedicates a huge amount of resources to creating amazing shows, that simply won’t be forgotten. You’ll feel as if you just paid big bucks for a Broadway show. Whatever you do, do not skip the entertainment. Reservations needed.

WEDDINGS – let’s talk about that for a minute. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, getting married on a cruise ship has to be one of the least stressful way to celebrate the most important of days in your life.

Get married on the day of embarkation, and you’re welcome to invite sailing and non-sailing guests to share in your special occasion. Choose from available venues onboard, RCI has everything you need to make your wedding as beautiful and seamless as you can imagine. From the right venue to the right menu, the cake, photographer, flowers, entertainments, music you’ll find fantastic choices onboard.

Their inclusive wedding packages leave room for customization and those special personal touches, so the cake, flowers, music, breakfast-in-bed, and more are up to you. You’ll have a personal wedding planner to walk you through every possibility. Then when you step onboard, ready to tie the knot, you’ll be free to enjoy your special day and your guests, while your day-of wedding coordinator takes care of the details.

Included in all your packages you’ll enjoy VIP treatment while you sail — including a bottle of Moët & Chandon, dinner for two at a specialty restaurant, mimosas & breakfast-in-bed, chocolate-covered strawberries and more. Plus, priority check-in means less time in line and more time for your adventure together. Check out their wedding brochure here.

MARRIAGE DOCUMENTS Royal Weddings can assist you in obtaining a marriage license for many destinations. Unless otherwise indicated, both shipboard and destination weddings are legally recognized in the port of call. Royal Caribbean visits more than 200 ports worldwide, but here are a few of our most popular wedding destinations.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what RCI can offer, whether it’s a family vacation or your wedding. Just remember, the destination and the time of year will determine both your choice, and your budget, do you need to fly to your port of departure, or can you drive. Do you have a dream destination in mind? These will be your biggest decisions. Talk to a cruise ship professional, they’ll help, and it won’t cost you anything extra to utilize their expertise.

And If you have a suggestion for a city/country that you’d like me to focus on, please send me a message to maria @ theeventfultraveller .com and I’ll get to it asap.

Please consider sharing and pinning because each share truly helps me out! Thanks – Maria