Ovation of the Seas -- Need Help Chosing the Right Balcony Cabin

[ShazM]

Ok, we were closer to the mid ship elevators whereas your room is at the front elevators. If you did decide you want a drink and wanted to be away from crowds then you could try Vintages which is a bar right next to Jamie's Italian and is nice and quiet in there, away from the main shops and crowds on that deck. Jamie's is excellent on that ship if you wanted to pay and have dinner at a specialty restaurant. 

[RoyMartin]

3 hours ago, ShazM said:

Ok, we were closer to the mid ship elevators whereas your room is at the front elevators. If you did decide you want a drink and wanted to be away from crowds then you could try Vintages which is a bar right next to Jamie's Italian and is nice and quiet in there, away from the main shops and crowds on that deck. Jamie's is excellent on that ship if you wanted to pay and have dinner at a specialty restaurant. 

That won't happen. We don't drink. We're just wanting our cabin to be nice and quiet.

[The_Big_M]

20 hours ago, RoyMartin said:

I can imagine trying some shows, if we can find stuff that's age appropriate for our son. Perhaps he'll enjoy the kid's center but we'll have to see. He's brilliant but not neurotypical. We home school. So he's not going to dive into a scene with a bunch of kids and feel right at home. He's the kind of child who likes to spend time with adults unless he finds another kid like himself. So this will be a new kind of adventure. We'll see . . .

 

Not sure how much you've read about the kids club, but good advice is to introduce him first day. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a better chance when everyone is new and in the same boat, rather than going later when people have already started hanging out with each other so it's harder being the new one joining an established group.

 

Also, the kids club does have their own sessions on different activities e.g. wave rider, bumper cars, so can be useful to get a quicker/more fun with your own group go then just joining the public sessions which often have long queues.

[taglovestocruise]

19 hours ago, ShazM said:

Ok, we were closer to the mid ship elevators whereas your room is at the front elevators. If you did decide you want a drink and wanted to be away from crowds then you could try Vintages which is a bar right next to Jamie's Italian and is nice and quiet in there, away from the main shops and crowds on that deck. Jamie's is excellent on that ship if you wanted to pay and have dinner at a specialty restaurant. 

Big ditto. Jamie's and Chop's were both excellent, Vintages was our go to bar before dinner and after the late show. Best Negroni I have had in years. Bartender made a awesome Cucumber and Elderflower Martini for my wife.      

[crzndeb]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:02 AM, RoyMartin said:

Most of my concern is for her because she's very noise sensitive

I am also noise sensitive to certain noises. More of repetitive noises. I always take ear plugs. They’re a life saver for sleeping.

[crzndeb]

12 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Bartender made a awesome Cucumber and Elderflower Martini for my wife.      

This is good to know. I’m a martini drinker, and this sounds delicious. Will definitely have plenty of time on Ovation to try one…..or more. LOL

[taglovestocruise]

3 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

This is good to know. I’m a martini drinker, and this sounds delicious. Will definitely have plenty of time on Ovation to try one…..or more. LOL

[RoyMartin]

5 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

 

Not sure how much you've read about the kids club, but good advice is to introduce him first day. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a better chance when everyone is new and in the same boat, rather than going later when people have already started hanging out with each other so it's harder being the new one joining an established group.

 

Also, the kids club does have their own sessions on different activities e.g. wave rider, bumper cars, so can be useful to get a quicker/more fun with your own group go then just joining the public sessions which often have long queues.

Thanks. I'd like to read more about it. Do they allow the parents to participate too? My son isn't used to being far from us given that we home school and work from home.

[RoyMartin]

1 hour ago, crzndeb said:

I am also noise sensitive to certain noises. More of repetitive noises. I always take ear plugs. They’re a life saver for sleeping.

That's a good idea. Problem is our son has type one diabetes. He wears a glucose monitor which needs to wake us if his blood sugar drops too low or goes too high.

[Jessejo]

Would like to know about the “view” from an obstructed view balcony on Deck 6.  Can you see anything?

[Biker19]

43 minutes ago, Jessejo said:

Would like to know about the “view” from an obstructed view balcony on Deck 6.  Can you see anything?

Yes, though exact obstruction and how annoying it may be to you will depend on the exact cabin. View some cabin review videos on that deck on any Q class to get an idea.

[Jessejo]

34 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Yes, though exact obstruction and how annoying it may be to you will depend on the exact cabin. View some cabin review videos on that deck on any Q class to get an idea.

Thanks. Where can I find those videos?  YouTube?

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Jessejo said:

Thanks. Where can I find those videos?  YouTube?

Yes. Cruisedeckplans has links to them by cabin. 

[Jessejo]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Yes. Cruisedeckplans has links to them by cabin. 

Thanks again.  I’ll look for them.

[RoyMartin]

I had originally booked the kind of balcony room that RCL picks. Then I began looking at those videos and decided to pony up the extra $500 to choose my own. Saw some of those obstructed rooms and I know myself well enough to know that I'd not be happy. Even though my wife said it would be fine and she'd rather save the money. I'm really sensitive to aesthetics. No matter how beautiful Alaska is, I'd be unhappy having part of the view blocked by a piece of industrial looking metal. At the end of the day, I rejected rooms considered unobstructed because supports running from higher in the boat would be in my view off to the side.

To each his/her own. I'm sure some folks wouldn't really care if a lifeboat were partially blocking the view. Or a cowling. Someone posted video in which he said he preferred it that way, as the cowling blocked some of the wind. It's a great idea to watch the videos. Then us new cruisers can at least do our best to not make a mistake booking a room that won't satisfy us.

These are obviously very much first world problems. There are billions of people who would be thrilled to be on any cruise ship in any room. Who would be thrilled with much less. Just to be able to feed their children, for instance. But once we're paying for an experience like this, it makes sense to do it in a way that's likely to feel satisfying.

[Biker19]

13 hours ago, RoyMartin said:

I'm really sensitive to aesthetics. No matter how beautiful Alaska is, I'd be unhappy having part of the view blocked by a piece of industrial looking metal.

Don't book on deck 13 either then - while categorized as unobstructed, you may not like the support beams in the way on some of those balconies (nor the large overhang above).

[RoyMartin]

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Don't book on deck 13 either then - while categorized as unobstructed, you may not like the support beams in the way on some of those balconies (nor the large overhang above).

Yes, thanks. I've ruled out deck 13 for several reasons. Those support beams and the fact that deck 14 is a public deck. Don't want to wake to the sound of chairs being dragged across a pool deck.

I've also ruled out certain cabins on deck 12 because a bit of those support beams are visible from those cabins. So it's either deck 12 where it bulges out or deck 11 mid-deck, halfway between the elevators. The room that we're in now is a bit close to the elevators and the children's program. But moving down a deck means a slightly less panoramic view. Hard to know having never cruised or been on this ship.

[TexasTexas girl]

Hello

We need some input on #8562, with large balcony on Ovation of the seas, going to Alaska for 7 nights.

How comfortable is the couch bed? Is room doable for 4 adults? Pros and cons of room please

 

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, TexasTexas girl said:

How comfortable is the couch bed? Is room doable for 4 adults?

Welcome to CC.

That is quite subjective. Doable, yes, though a bit tight. Two cabins might work better.