Ovation confirmed to Beijing, Tianjin, China

[MADflyer]

After doing two preview sailings from Southampton, Ovation of the Seas will first sail to Barcelona and on to Dubai and Singapore for deployment from Beijing, Tianjin, China.

 

The first itineraries are posted on website cruise cal dot com.

 

Ovation Of The Seas Depart: 05:00 PM 06/12/2016 Singapore

Ovation Of The Seas 06/13/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 07:00 AM - 06:00 PM 06/14/2016 Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam

Ovation Of The Seas 06/15/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 06/16/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas Arrive: 08:00 AM 06/17/2016 Hong Kong, China

Ovation Of The Seas Depart: 03:00 PM 06/18/2016 Hong Kong, China

Ovation Of The Seas 06/19/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 10:00 AM - 07:00 PM 06/20/2016 Okinawa, Japan

Ovation Of The Seas 06/21/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 09:00 AM - 08:00 PM 06/22/2016 Seoul (inchon), Korea

Ovation Of The Seas 06/23/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas Arrive: 07:00 AM 06/24/2016 Beijing, Tianjin, China

[MADflyer]

The Ovation sailings are now open for sale on the RCI website.

[gep2]

After doing two preview sailings from Southampton, Ovation of the Seas will first sail to Barcelona and on to Dubai and Singapore for deployment from Beijing, Tianjin, China.

 

The first itineraries are posted on website cruise cal dot com.

 

Ovation Of The Seas Depart: 05:00 PM 06/12/2016 Singapore

Ovation Of The Seas 06/13/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 07:00 AM - 06:00 PM 06/14/2016 Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam

Ovation Of The Seas 06/15/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 06/16/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas Arrive: 08:00 AM 06/17/2016 Hong Kong, China

Ovation Of The Seas Depart: 03:00 PM 06/18/2016 Hong Kong, China

Ovation Of The Seas 06/19/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 10:00 AM - 07:00 PM 06/20/2016 Okinawa, Japan

Ovation Of The Seas 06/21/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas 09:00 AM - 08:00 PM 06/22/2016 Seoul (inchon), Korea

Ovation Of The Seas 06/23/2016 At Sea

Ovation Of The Seas Arrive: 07:00 AM 06/24/2016 Beijing, Tianjin, China

 

Fascinating! I predicted (back during Quantum's maiden!) that another of the other Quantum-class ships would also go to China. Obviously the next question is.... when does RCL announce they've ordered more Quantum-class? And will we eventually get another for the USA? Or will be they be deploying all of them to China as fast as they (Meyer?) can build them?

 

Presumably this means that Quantum's bookings in Shanghai are every bit as good as RCL had hoped. (I also predicted that Quantum is going to be _obscenely_ profitable in China!)

 

The downside of Beijing is that Beijing really isn't the port... the port for Beijing is in Xingang, which is a bus ride into Beijing... maybe about like the bus ride from Port Canaveral into Orlando...(?). And there really isn't much in Xingang proper to make it a cruise port city, so it's not like there will be a lot of local merchants eager to fund the construction of a pretty and modern cruise port, nice terminals, etc etc.

 

At least this means that Ovation will be built in China-mode to begin with...! No big reconfiguration like Quantum will undergo on her way to China.

[John&LaLa]

This should make all the haters happy. ;)

[John&LaLa]

Fascinating! I predicted (back during Quantum's maiden!) that another of the other Quantum-class ships would also go to China. Obviously the next question is.... when does RCL announce they've ordered more Quantum-class? And will we eventually get another for the USA? Or will be they be deploying all of them to China as fast as they (Meyer?) can build them?

 

Presumably this means that Quantum's bookings in Shanghai are every bit as good as RCL had hoped. (I also predicted that Quantum is going to be _obscenely_ profitable in China!)

 

The downside of Beijing is that Beijing really isn't the port... the port for Beijing is in Xingang, which is a bus ride into Beijing... maybe about like the bus ride from Port Canaveral into Orlando...(?). And there really isn't much in Xingang proper to make it a cruise port city, so it's not like there will be a lot of local merchants eager to fund the construction of a pretty and modern cruise port, nice terminals, etc etc.

 

At least this means that Ovation will be built in China-mode to begin with...! No big reconfiguration like Quantum will undergo on her way to China.

 

I seriously doubt it is quite as simple or as close as easy as the trip from MCO to PC. :eek:

 

For its inaugural season, Ovation of the Seas will homeport in Tianjin, approximately 70 miles southeast of Beijing

Edited March 25, 2015 by John&LaLa

[mc-cruiser]

It is pretty obvious Royal Caribbean is not interested in providing the opportunity for US based loyal RCCL guests to sail aboard a new, different class ship. It seems perhaps the main reasons are NOT simply because Asia is a up and coming market but FIRST they won't have Crown & Anchor benefits for most of the guests as they are first time cruisers. Second, the regulation are very lax in Asia.

 

Maybe it will be good to work out the kinks but since they had built up the arrival of Quantum in the US and changed that to ultimately end up in China makes me wonder if they really care much about C & A members with more than 2 -10 cruises. Its disappointing that they are flooding the market with two new ships and waiting for the third to possibly be home ported in the US. Many of us have been on Oasis and Allure many, many times and a new ship would be motivation to sail more often to get used to and enjoy the newer ship layout.

[John&LaLa]

But everyone hated quantum.

[gep2]

But everyone hated quantum.

 

I spent 27 days onboard Quantum in November and December. Sure, there were some disappointments, but overall, I think she's an incredibly fine ship.

 

From a purely investor standpoint, I think RCL's making a brilliant strategic move to send Quantum and Ovation (and more) to China. Nobody else in the industry has anything (in their fleets, and even on the order books... barring maybe the new Carnival orders just announced) that can compete with Quantum-class. Instead of pushing them into the overcrowded and picky US market (where all of us, myself included, typically are looking for bargains) it truly makes a lot more sense to grab and nail down for RCL a big chunk of the exploding (and no doubt obscenely profitable) Chinese market.

 

My biggest regret to having Quantum go to Shanghai is to say "au revoir" to Urso Major.

 

Anybody who "hates" Quantum doesn't deserve her....!

[roquejo]

It seems perhaps the main reasons are NOT simply because Asia is a up and coming market but FIRST they won't have Crown & Anchor benefits for most of the guests as they are first time cruisers.

 

You are absolutely correct!!!

 

Because I am currently in Emerald going to Diamond soon, and with Asia being a new market, my C&A membership in Asia is already very high so have greater chances for free upgrades as well as more recognition being only a select few in this region....

 

Compared with if I cruise non Asia on a mature market, I'm just a lowly Emerald considering some cruises I've been to have around 200+ diamond C&A members!!!

 

Add to that most Chinese only go on short cruises of 5 nights or less... it will take them almost forever to go up the C&A ladder..

 

So imagine the privacy I will have in the Diamond lounge when I turn Diamond this Sept.

 

I recalled 2 years ago when I am just a lowly gold on my 2nd cruise with RCCL aboard Mariner from Shanghai.. the C&A welcome back party have only less then 20 attendees!!!!

 

That is why for the past 2 years half of my cruises are in Asia with RCCL and this year 75% of my cruises with RCCL are in Asia.

Edited March 27, 2015 by roquejo

[thejewgernaut]

I seriously doubt it is quite as simple or as close as easy as the trip from MCO to PC. :eek:

 

For its inaugural season, Ovation of the Seas will homeport in Tianjin, approximately 70 miles southeast of Beijing

 

There is a great bullet train from Beijing to Tianjin. However, it doesn't put you that close to the port, and China is not terribly easy to get around if you don't speak the language -- I had to buy my train ticket by writing down the train number I wanted since none of the ticket window sales people spoke English.

 

My guess is that for non-Chinese cruisers, the RC transfers will be the way to go. However, if you are the type of tourist interested in cruising out of China and going through the visa process and traveling that far, you're likely more tolerant of the challenges of getting to the port -- that is a more adventurous trip than 10 minute cab ride to FLL or 40 minute ride to Port Canaveral!

[roquejo]

There is a great bullet train from Beijing to Tianjin. However, it doesn't put you that close to the port, and China is not terribly easy to get around if you don't speak the language -- I had to buy my train ticket by writing down the train number I wanted since none of the ticket window sales people spoke English.

 

My guess is that for non-Chinese cruisers, the RC transfers will be the way to go. However, if you are the type of tourist interested in cruising out of China and going through the visa process and traveling that far, you're likely more tolerant of the challenges of getting to the port -- that is a more adventurous trip than 10 minute cab ride to FLL or 40 minute ride to Port Canaveral!

 

I booked the ship's transfer from the airport on my last year's Voyager sailing, they charge around close to $70. And it is quite far...

 

Will likely do the same on my upcoming Voyager cruise as it ends in Tienjin.

[John&LaLa]

You are absolutely correct!!!

 

Because I am currently in Emerald going to Diamond soon, and with Asia being a new market, my C&A membership in Asia is already very high so have greater chances for free upgrades as well as more recognition being only a select few in this region....

 

Compared with if I cruise non Asia on a mature market, I'm just a lowly Emerald considering some cruises I've been to have around 200+ diamond C&A members!!!

 

Add to that most Chinese only go on short cruises of 5 nights or less... it will take them almost forever to go up the C&A ladder..

 

So imagine the privacy I will have in the Diamond lounge when I turn Diamond this Sept.

 

I recalled 2 years ago when I am just a lowly gold on my 2nd cruise with RCCL aboard Mariner from Shanghai.. the C&A welcome back party have only less then 20 attendees!!!!

 

That is why for the past 2 years half of my cruises are in Asia with RCCL and this year 75% of my cruises with RCCL are in Asia.

 

Why do you want to hang out in an empty lounge? Seems kind of depressing

[roquejo]

Why do you want to hang out in an empty lounge? Seems kind of depressing

 

To escape the mainlanders due to the cultural differences problem (for some peace and quiet)... you will know what I mean if you have taken a cruise from China... :p

 

but I know these have been discussed somewhere in this forum...

[John&LaLa]

To escape the mainlanders due to the cultural differences problem (for some peace and quiet)... you will know what I mean if you have taken a cruise from China... :p

 

but I know these have been discussed somewhere in this forum...

 

Didn't think of that. Actually, I don't think I ever would have thought of that. :what:

[MVPinBoynton]

We just came back from a China/Japan cruise that started in Tianjin. There is nothing to do around the port itself. It is in the middle of a free trade zone. The cab ride to the town of Tianjin is supposed to be around $100 each way, so it isn't convenient. We took a tour to Tianjin, so it wasn't an issue.

 

The terminal is quite modern looking; but for some reason they don't have the jetway type boarding that I would think would be necessary for a ship of the Quantum size. We boarded the Nautica on a gangplank that was fine; but slow.

 

 

The bus ride to Beijing is around 2.5 hours. But oh what amazing things there are to see there.

 

With the Quantum's size, it won't be able to get into downtown Shanghai; which was quite a treat on a smaller ship. Being able to watch the city lights of Shanghai from your balcony or top deck is special.

 

 

Having these new ships in Asia should give people the incentive to visit this amazing part of the world. It is well worth the long flight over there.

[gemz]

Interesting read about China's market and cruising http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-china-cruises/

[floridaglen]

I thought I read on Cruise Critic that Ovation was sailing from Australia :confused:

Edited April 23, 2015 by floridaglen

[MVPinBoynton]

Interesting read about China's market and cruising http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-china-cruises/

 

Excellent article. Thanks for the link.

[gemz]

Excellent article. Thanks for the link.

 

You're most welcome. I thought it was a good read to see how these cruises are.

[MVPinBoynton]

You're most welcome. I thought it was a good read to see how these cruises are.

 

After just cruising in China and Japan, I can really appreciate what the article was talking about. The customs and personal interactions are so much different than in the USA. It is going to be a challenge for the cruise lines; but they will figure it out.

[gemz]

After just cruising in China and Japan, I can really appreciate what the article was talking about. The customs and personal interactions are so much different than in the USA. It is going to be a challenge for the cruise lines; but they will figure it out.

 

Definitely so many differences between China and the west. Having been to China a couple of times it is interesting to read or think about how they'll change things for the clientele. The guy smoking in his cabin and having no regard for the rules is concerning. The smoking in China is crazy!

[little britain]

I thought I read on Cruise Critic that Ovation was sailing from Australia :confused:

 

She is. An Australian TA has chartered the whole ship for the repo....This will be at the end of November 2016 and will be a cruise of 15 nights from Singapore to Sydney. Sounds fabulous.