11 secrets of Australia’s newest mega ship, Ovation of the Seas
A MASSIVE ship arrived in Sydney this week and it’s rewriting the record books. This is why the world is talking about Ovation of the Seas.
OVATION of the Seas arrived in Sydney this week and its rewriting the history books.
Here’s what you didn’t know about Australia’s new biggest ship.
• WHAT IT’S LIKE ON AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST SHIP
• CRAZY FOOD ON AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST SHIP
• 27 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR NEXT CRUISE AWESOME
• 8 WAYS TO SAVE ON A CRUISE HOLIDAY
1. It’s big. Like really big
OK, this one’s more a well publicised fact than a secret. But let’s just recap the numbers: at 348m long, 18 decks high, weighing in at 168,666 tons and with capacity for 5000 guests and 1500 crew, Ovation of the Seas is the fourth largest cruise ship in the world, making her the largest cruise ship to sail Australian waters, and by far the largest ship ever home-ported here. If stood upright, the ship would be almost as tall as Uluru. And with more than triple the rooms of the Crown Metropol in Melbourne and the Four Points Sheraton in Sydney, the ship will be the biggest hotel in the nation.
2. It’s so big it’s spawned a whole new lexicon
This ship is so huge, and at the cutting-edge of technology, that regular words can’t cope.
So the folks at Royal Caribbean have coined a new term, “SuperCruising” to describe the new category of holiday experience introduced to Australia by Ovation of the Seas.
“SuperCruising is a holiday experience unlike anything else you can find in Australia,” says Adam Armstrong, Royal Caribbean’s Australia & New Zealand managing director.
Other terms to add to your vocab include “virtual balcony” (80-inch, high-definition LED screens display real-time sights and sounds of the sea, providing all staterooms with a view) and “FlowRider” (the surfing simulator that pumps 130,000 litres of water per minute to create a wave-like water flow).
3. It’s a financial windfall for Australia
Her two-day visit to Sydney is expected to inject over $3.3 million in passenger spend alone, while her maiden Australian season is expected to inject more than $35 million into the national economy.
4. The technology is mind-boggling
Ovation of the Seas boasts the fastest internet at sea, VOOM, as fast as you’re used to on land. The ship has a live global video gaming suite with Xbox Live where gamers can compete with others around the world. And then there’s the robotic technology. At the Bionic Bar, guests’ cocktail orders are mixed by robot bartenders, and in the multimedia venue Two70, a troupe of six dancing Roboscreens stage surprise performances.
5. It’s as high as you can get at sea
The on-board viewing capsule, the North Star, which transports guests more than 90m above the sea to deliver awe-inspiring 360-degree views, was this month acknowledged in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest viewing deck on a cruise ship.
6. It’s seriously powerful
Ovation’s four bow thrusters produce 4694 horsepower each — more than double the horsepower of a five-car city train. And if you dare to take on the iFly skydiving experience, you’ll discover it moves air as fast as a V8 Supercar, at up to 250km/h.
7. It’s environmentally friendly
The 168,666 ton vessel is one of the greenest ships to ever visit Australian shores, setting a new standard in environmental stewardship technology. The ship is equipped with next-generation technologies such as air lubrication systems on the hull to reduce fuel consumption. Plus Royal Caribbean has removed all incandescent lighting. The ship was designed and built only to use LED or fluorescent lights, many of which are operated by motion sensors, only operating when needed.
8. It’s a treasure trove of Australian art
With some 11,000 pieces of art on board — from paintings to spectacular installations like the giant pandas that sit on the top deck — the Ovation of the Seas collection is valued at $5.9 million. And about 20 per cent of the collection comes from Australian artists.
9. Guests can join the circus — or escape to Wonderland
It really is a whole different world on board, with a 18 dining options and a ridiculous array of entertainment on offer.
The flagship restaurant is Jamie’s Italian — Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant at sea — but guests can also step through the looking glass and enter the world of Wonderland, an Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant where chefs let their creativity go wild.
And when it comes to activities, there’s not only a surf and skydive simulators, but a roller-rink, rock climbing wall, bumper cars — and if it all gets too much you can run away and join the on-board circus school with flying trapeze.
10. Its godmother is Fan Bingbing
Cruise ships traditionally have a godmother who christens them before the ship officially sets sail. Ovation of the Seas’ is Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, the world’s fourth highest paid actress, best known for her role in Hollywood blockbuster X-Men.
11. You can check it out yourself
Itching to get a look at it yourself? Ovation of the Seas will sail through the heads at 5am today on its journey into Sydney, before docking at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay at 6am. The ship will stayed docked in Sydney Harbour overnight, before departing at 4pm on Friday, December 16 on a New Zealand voyage.
If you’re keen to get on board yourself, check out Royal Caribbean’s 72-hour sale. A 12-night South Pacific & New Zealand cruise departing Sydney on January 28, 2017, starts from $2075.
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