Live Ovation of the Seas Alaska May 17-24, 2024 with Kmom

[KmomChicago]

One o’ dem clear floors to the abyss. 

[KmomChicago]

I love stairwell art. 

[crzndeb]

4 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Apparently you cannot ever turn off the balcony screen and it has blackout curtains which are needed as I like dark sleep space. 

There should be a remote for the virtual screen. If there is, hit the power button. If not, pull back the curtain and there should be buttons on the side of screen. Hit that power button. It will be nice and dark then.

 

Also, some of the VB cabins have a couch. You will notice when walking down the halls, so I grabbed one of those for my B2B on the Anthem next April.

Edited May 18 by crzndeb

[TravelGirlinDallas]

My favorite stairwell art on Ovation was the melting teapots. 

[KmomChicago]

So gotta shout out to the Windjammer. Three cruises on RCI and always have an exceptional experience. The crew are so welcoming and kind and cheerful in what must often be a tiring and challenging job. It’s hard for me to bother eating anywhere else because I just absolutely love it.
 

Food is a little hit or miss, more hits than misses IMHO, but I am not a picky eater and I love the variety and ability to get little tastes. Usually I eat whatever I take even if I don’t love it. I hate waste with an uncontrollable passion.
 

A lot of work goes into every calorie produced, starting with the plants that harness sunlight and convert it to stored energy and the animals up the food chain who convert it to protein and the people and systems that handle and process and transport and finally prepare it into a finished dish. 
 

I realize that’s very boring and extremely serious and logical but you shouldn’t be surprised as you were already warned I am Spock.

[KmomChicago]

16 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

There should be a remote for the virtual screen. If there is, hit the power button. If not, pull back the curtain and there should be buttons on the side of screen. Hit that power button. It will be nice and dark then.

@crzndeb Aha! Thank you! You have been promoted to Diamond status on this live trip report! 
 

Edited May 18 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

15 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

My favorite stairwell art on Ovation was the melting teapots. 

Awesome, now I need to go find them!

[Tiggercat]

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Anyone who knows anything about canceling after final payment, please weigh in.

 

 I am still not sure I handled everything the best way or whether my various worries about the benefits and consequences of cancellation were correct.

Recently, I cancelled 1 person in a reservation 2 days before sailing. It was clear that I was only cancelling the 1 individual. They had the insurance through RCCL so no worries….NOT! “The System” actually cancelled the entire reservation. The person that was NOT cancelled found out when she tried to print her luggage tags 8 hours before she was leaving to go to airport to fly to Miami. Unfortunately, this was at midnight and come to find out RCCL does not have a 24 hour help desk. (They claim that they do but if you call it, they say that they don’t open until 8:00 am) To make a long story short, my friend was able to still cruise because when we called at 8:00 am the manifest wasn’t sent in yet and it was confirmed from listening to taped recording of phone conversation that only 1 person was supposed to be cancelled. (30 minutes later she would have been out of luck!) She was given an inside cabin instead of the balcony she paid for! Be careful if you have to cancel someone!!!

[sdear]

4 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Thanks for the question. I love this room. Apparently you cannot ever turn off the balcony screen and it has blackout curtains which are needed as I like dark sleep space. 
 

The idea is very interesting. Because it’s not a real balcony it can be set on one of the longer walls and not on a short one opposite the entry door. It’s located where a sleeper sofa would be if this cabin held a third person. 
 

This leaves the back wall open for the bed. One thing I often dislike is the need to walk all the way around the bed to get to the window or balcony. It makes an already small space feel crowded and cluttered. This layout is great.
 

I have a decent amount of open floor space. Lighting is thoughtfully placed and the room, though an interior, feels luxurious. It’s as silent as a tomb, just the white noise of the HVAC, if not quite as dark. 

There’s a European style electric water kettle provided, with English Breakfast tea, instant coffee packets and sweetened condensed milk pouches. I am enjoying a cup this morning after the kind of deep sleep I seem to get only on cruises in inside cabins. 🛌💤😴

Thanks for the info.  Kind of looking forward to it......we do have a balcony  room too that i can use as well..so best of both worlds.  

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

There should be a remote for the virtual screen.

Correct.  We helped Beta test Navigator when they tested these screens out back in 2014, we met the implementation team too.  Since we've had this type cabin 3 times, recently on Voyager last month.  We really liked them.  Interesting to note the cameras they use are in real time from both sides of the ship and I think I remember a wake shot sometimes too and it also records sounds.  On Navi the view was of the pier and you could see the steves loading luggage and hear it just like you were standing on a balcony.  It was so cool and it put me right to sleep on my bed in the cabin for a few.😴

Edited May 18 by BecciBoo

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, Tiggercat said:

Recently, I cancelled 1 person in a reservation 2 days before sailing. It was clear that I was only cancelling the 1 individual. They had the insurance through RCCL so no worries….NOT! “The System” actually cancelled the entire reservation. The person that was NOT cancelled found out when she tried to print her luggage tags 8 hours before she was leaving to go to airport to fly to Miami. Unfortunately, this was at midnight and come to find out RCCL does not have a 24 hour help desk. (They claim that they do but if you call it, they say that they don’t open until 8:00 am) To make a long story short, my friend was able to still cruise because when we called at 8:00 am the manifest wasn’t sent in yet and it was confirmed from listening to taped recording of phone conversation that only 1 person was supposed to be cancelled. (30 minutes later she would have been out of luck!) She was given an inside cabin instead of the balcony she paid for! Be careful if you have to cancel someone!!!

@Tiggercat thanks, makes me think I did right by just leaving it. Changing names on the shore excursions was enough trouble today but is hopefully fine.

 

What a terrible mess for the person incorrectly cancelled and losing the balcony!

[KmomChicago]

Watching the first naturalist lecture in Two70. 

[link99]

Thank you for this live report. Will be on Ovation 2 weeks from yesterday. If I may ask what is the inside ship temperature like. Is it stuffy like too much heat or does it run on the cooler side. I seen the outside temp is cold so hopefully they don’t over compensate with the heat. Also looking foreword to see what happens in Skagway with the pier issues and if you make it into the glacier. Keep up the great reporting. Well done.

[KmomChicago]

Okay I meant everything I said about Windjammer but we just had an excellent lunch in the MDR. Like wowsa. 
 

Salmon salad app

 

 

 Butternut squash risotto. 
 

Key lime pie.

 

[KmomChicago]

4 minutes ago, link99 said:

Thank you for this live report. Will be on Ovation 2 weeks from yesterday. If I may ask what is the inside ship temperature like. Is it stuffy like too much heat or does it run on the cooler side. I seen the outside temp is cold so hopefully they don’t over compensate with the heat. Also looking foreword to see what happens in Skagway with the pier issues and if you make it into the glacier. Keep up the great reporting. Well done.

Hi @link99. It’s comfortably cool. Everyone is in long jeans today, closed toe shoes. A few t-shirts but mostly long sleeves. A fair amount of sweatshirts, flannels, and light jackets walking around indoors. 

[KmomChicago]

@link99 my understanding is Ovation doesn’t get canceled in Skagway, Quantum does. So I am not worried but will confirm.

[LATTELOVE]

Following and thank you !!

I would love to do this cruise when we

retire.  In the meantime we will follow all 

live reports to Alaska for when we are ready.

 

Thanks again!!

 

[KmomChicago]

A lot of people brought their lunch in to Two70 for the prior activity and left their dirty dishes lying all over including the floor. 
 

Not cool. Make Kmom angry 😤 at your peril!

[ninjacat123]

5 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I don’t know what shatsuka is but it was egg with some spicy salsa like stuff with some slippery unidentified substance (tofu, more eggs, something else?) Worth a taste but probably won’t choose again.

 

Really like the dal, successfully avoided vast trays of smoked salmon.

Shakshuka is a Northern African dish, very tasty and healthy. I make it for Christmas Eve bfast. To balance out that healthiness, I make Overnight Blueberry French Toast for Christmas morning. Oink!!😹

[ski_mom]

7 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

thankfully my mom, who no longer cruises, is home and gives the cats lots of affection.  They’re still gonna be annoyed with me but not too bad.
 

 

Not that it's my business, but curious why your mom no longer cruises?  My mom just turned 80.  Last summer she took us all (my sister's family and my family) on an Alaskan cruise.  She typically cruises with my family on our summer cruise.  This year, she is not.  We booked late and when we booked there weren't any handicapped rooms available.  She uses a scooter now when she cruises and the rooms are just too hard to get into when you have a regular room.

 

I feel bad that she's not going with us because she loves to go and I am just afraid every year that she misses will be closer to her not being able to go again.

[KmomChicago]

33 minutes ago, ski_mom said:

Not that it's my business, but curious why your mom no longer cruises?  My mom just turned 80.  Last summer she took us all (my sister's family and my family) on an Alaskan cruise.  She typically cruises with my family on our summer cruise.  This year, she is not.  We booked late and when we booked there weren't any handicapped rooms available.  She uses a scooter now when she cruises and the rooms are just too hard to get into when you have a regular room.

 

I feel bad that she's not going with us because she loves to go and I am just afraid every year that she misses will be closer to her not being able to go again.

Thanks for the question. The short answer is she no longer enjoys it enough to bother. 
 

The longer answer is the logistics are too annoying and uncomfortable, coupled with age-related chronic health issues. She also rented a scooter for her last two cruises, mentioned in my list. It helped a lot; those would not have been possible without it.
 

Regardless it still adds up to more trouble than it’s worth. Plus she already did all the cruising she wanted to do before she got to this point. Has happily closed that door and moved on as she always planned and expected to do.

 

I did offer her the spot vacated in my room, of course, for this cruise, and she declined. I ask her every few months if she wants to go anywhere or do or see anything and she’s just a lot more comfortable at the house. 
 

Keep in mind 80 is often still very spry and sprightly, and also often rather feeble, tired and maybe a little grumpy. It’s not (solely) her age that is the deciding factor.

[ski_mom]

1 hour ago, KmomChicago said:

Thanks for the question. The short answer is she no longer enjoys it enough to bother. 
 

The longer answer is the logistics are too annoying and uncomfortable, coupled with age-related chronic health issues. She also rented a scooter for her last two cruises, mentioned in my list. It helped a lot; those would not have been possible without it.
 

Regardless it still adds up to more trouble than it’s worth. Plus she already did all the cruising she wanted to do before she got to this point. Has happily closed that door and moved on as she always planned and expected to do.

 

I did offer her the spot vacated in my room, of course, for this cruise, and she declined. I ask her every few months if she wants to go anywhere or do or see anything and she’s just a lot more comfortable at the house. 
 

Keep in mind 80 is often still very spry and sprightly, and also often rather feeble, tired and maybe a little grumpy. It’s not (solely) her age that is the deciding factor.

Makes sense.  My mom is kind of in between - in that she's not really feeble, but definitely not spry either lol.  i look at her and my MIL (who is now 84) and my mom gets around much better, but definitely tires out easily even though she still wants to go and just go slowly.  

 

[Sunshine3601]

3 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

@Tiggercat thanks, makes me think I did right by just leaving it. Changing names on the shore excursions was enough trouble today but is hopefully fine.

 

What a terrible mess for the person incorrectly cancelled and losing the balcony!

You handled the cancellation the correct way, IMO.   Treating them as a no show will automatically refund their port fees & taxes after the cruise is over.   You should not have to call to request.   I'm loving your review - thank you for sharing😊

[KmomChicago]

Formal night in MDR. Vegan pea risotto and Indian vegetarian (available on request, it was a hot spicy red curry).

 

Edited May 19 by KmomChicago

[Badatz2]

15 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

I don’t know what shatsuka is but it was egg with some spicy salsa like stuff with some slippery unidentified substance (tofu, more eggs, something else?) Worth a taste but probably won’t choose again.

 

Enjoying your review. We will be on the Ovation after the summer.

Just a side note the food is called Shakshuka not Shatshuka.  It can be made with unlimited types of additions, but the base is usually eggs and tomato sauce.  I don't like spicy food and can always get the restaurant to make it to my request.