Was looking forward to trying a brand new ship in Aus and it didn't disappoint. Was concerned about the negative reviews but that wasn't our experience at all - ignore the negatives this ship has so much to offer. Have cruised a lot with different companies and Ovation is amazing - even better than Quantum. Sparkly and new, beautiful contemporary decor and well designed. It is a big ship which maybe doesn't suit everyone but there are so many cool things to do onboard. Embarkation took a long time as they delayed it due to extra cleaning of the ship. Smart check-in with the tablets was quick (do your online check-in and load a pic makes it so much quicker) but customs took a while.

The Ship

So many different venues and activities on offer i can't see how anyone would be bored - and we didn't have to pay extra for them. Couldn't get a booking for Ifly sky diving or the North Star before the cruise but booked on day 1 - there were heaps of spots available. Loved the Ifly so much fun and did dodgems a couple of times. There was a queue we waited around 25 mins. I'd recommend downloading the app Royal IQ before the cruise which you can use to book activities, shore excursions, dining etc so we never needed to line up to make bookings - clever idea. If you don't have the app there are tablets all over the ship you can log into for free. Read more