| If Ovation of the Seas is an example of the future in cruising, then I for one, will look forward to aligning my future with hers. She is 348 metres long and 49 metres wide with a draft of 8.5 metres. Maximum passenger occupancy is 4,905 supported by 1,300 crew. Her 18 decks weigh in at 168,666 gross tons, but we won’t talk about a lady’s weight any further! Her first splash happened just over three years ago on 14th April 2016 but you’d never know it. Stateroom appointments are new looking and elegant in the minimalistic way of current decor. Little touches about the stateroom, like lamp bases matching with curtains and interesting abstract paintings on the walls, all add to the finish of this delightful ship. In practical terms the staterooms have plenty of storage, whilst still allowing room for a desk and three seater couch, along with a luxurious King sized bed. And its great not to have to make it every day as well! This all provides us with a stateroom on the ninth deck with everything we could ever need or want. I suspect that the rooms are a touch narrower in width than others we have slept in, but with extra length (I suspect) it gives the feeling of more space. With a deeper balcony, the whole is more than adequate for our needs to sit and while away the hours. That said however, with the gale force winds roughing up the seas which sent waves crashing over the fourth deck windows yesterday, I suspect we won’t be spending much time sitting out there unless we put on our scarves and beanies! Of course I very much suspect that the slight narrowing of floor space would ultimately produce a few extra balcony rooms at intervals and that’s no surprise. Of course ships need to be built to allow a maximum number of rooms to accommodate as many passengers as it is possible to take. Cruising is an expensive undertaking for cruise companies with port fees and maintenance the least of their worries. With 4,700 passengers on board on this voyage to New Zealand, you’d think locations would be congested with queues but the only place we encounter this is on the first day, immediately following the mandatory muster drill where life jacket practice is demonstrated and advice on what to wear to a real one is discussed. (Dress warmly and bring your medication!). As we make our way to the Diamond lounge for our complimentary drinkies, we encounter a knot of people going everywhere but in our direction. The public areas are open plan with extremely high ceilings which I think gives the decided effect of roomy space. Decorated as it is with modern and enchanting artwork, sculpture and huge electronically driven installations it is a feast for the senses at every turn. There is a many decked, fibre optic glistening waterfall carrying autumn leaves throughout its length which changes colour as the night wears on. There is a similar installation mounted above a mirrored surface which looks like autumn leaves falling into a still pond. You have to touch the mirror to see that it is indeed such and not a pond and where I touch, there are finger marks there before me! We pass a screen on the wall showing many varied butterflies lined up in a grid. When each one is touched, it flies away only to return to a new spot on the grid. Touching many of the insects causes a beautifully coloured swirl of brightly coloured wings as they rapidly find a new place to rest. As we round a corner, we discover a Bionic Bar, tucked in amongst expensive shops sporting all the high end brand names displaying every requirement a cashed up passenger might need. Perhaps a shot of something stronger might also encourage one to spend more? I know that a bar waiter might have a somewhat repetitive job in the mixing and putting together of drinks for his customers, but the Bionic variety make a parody of his role in providing alcoholic liquid to the thirsty. Here instead, two huge robotic arms access alcohol from hundreds of upside down bottles of liquor suspended above them and then blend in mixers and ice, delivering the required drink to the front of the table in automated, if not super quick time. A scary thought perhaps for those who rely on the hospitality industry for their employment. (A footnote to many occupations into the future where robots will take the place of their human counterparts - dispassionately delivering orders without the human failings of errors or inaccuracies in the delivery of their work. One thing this bionic brother cannot reproduce though, is the barman’s sympathetic ear as the customer pours out his/her woes in the rapid drowning of their sorrows. A stroll on the top decks this morning, elucidated what the younger generation could be doing to occupy themselves with all their free ‘at sea’ time. There is a Flow Rider Wave Machine, several pools and playgrounds for the young and young at heart, an IFly cylinder which we will trial towards the end of the cruise, weather permitting. (The experience is closed due to the rough nature of weather crossing the Tasman Sea to New Zealand). There is an arm which goes out over the ocean and rock climbing wall, dogem cars, roller skating rink, basketball courts to name a few activities best suited to the young or young at heart. For the more mature of our fellow travellers, there is a delightful Solarium area which is child-free including a cafe catering to those who having finished their book in the lounges out on the covered and sheltered deck, then work up an appetite. It is only just over 24 hours since we boarded and so every vista presents some new marvel. I really wouldn’t be surprised if there were more marvels around the corner but I think you would have to go far to beat the 270 degree lounge which is located at the very back of the ship. It is a vast triple decked common room which is highlighted by floor to ceiling windows onto the roiling ocean left in the ship’s wake. In front of these windows are huge electronic screens supported by robotic arms which move in unison as something akin to screen savers play out above. Last night these screens formed part of a multi entertainment event known as “Pixels” where human interaction was injected into the visual plethora provided by these vast screens. The background that the windows look out of become screens as well instead of reflecting the black ocean beyond. There are manholes where dancers suddenly are raised to the deck surface and ribbon dancers who drop from the ceiling on vast rings. The costumes are magnificent and throughout the event dancers and entertainers arrive at the stage from all sides of the auditorium wending their way through the seated audience and interacting with them. I need to go again to this performance to see everything I missed last night - there was simply too much to look at all at once. Put simply, this is the very best ship I’ve ever travelled on. Of the seventeen cruises we’ve indulged in, this one will go down in our memories as unforgettable in every way. |