We have been on over 10 cruises and we were very excited about going on the Ovation of the Seas. 4th largest ship in the world and not even 12 months old. Check in was excellent and all the staff were also very good setting the scene for a good 3 day break.
It is always busy on the first day of cruising although trying to get a drink seemed to take a very very long time. Day 2 did not get much better and for the first time in my life I felt that I needed to tell someone after I waited about 25 minutes to get a drink before dinner. I went to Guest Services and asked if I could see a manager from Food and Beverage. I nice young gentlemen came and saw me and I explained that all the bars are understaffed. Without being to committal he agreed and said that they did not anticipate it to be as busy as it was.
The food and service in the restaurants (except Windjammer) were well below par and clearly understaffed as well.
The cabin was very well appointed. The inclusion of 2 USB charging ports on the desk is an excellent idea. The TV size and responsiveness of channel changing was excellent (can sometimes have lag time). The bathroom was very good and the curved shower door rather than curtain was excellent. Sound proofing was also very good compared to some other ships. Cabin Steward "Sony" was great !