Ovation of the Seas Has Left the (Shipyard) Building

Pictured here, Royal Caribbean International’s newest cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, which is being constructed at Meyer Werft, a Papenburg, Germany-based shipyard, began its conveyance last Friday. The conveyance is a unique process for ships built at Meyer Werft as the shipyard is situated inland along the banks of the River Ems and the ship must make the trip from Papenburg down the river backwards to get to the North Sea. The journey will be completed in 12 hours.

At 346 meters long (1,138 feet long) and 41 meters wide (136 feet wide), this 167,800 gross ton ship is one of the largest ever to go through conveyance. Thousands of revelers from the surrounding local villages typically line the 26 mile route along the river bank to watch and celebrate the ship’s journey.

Ovation of the Seas will be officially launched in April 2016, when she departs Southampton, England for Tianjin, China on a 52-day Global Odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin on June 24, 2016. Ovation of the Seas, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.

Ovation of the Seas features a new set of first-at-sea onboard experiences, such as Ripcord by iFLY, a heart-pounding skydiving experience; North Star, a thrilling adventure that transports guests more than 300 feet in the air on a breathtaking journey; cutting-edge transformative venues including SeaPlex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever. Guests also will enjoy a landscape of 18 restaurant concepts as vast and varied as dining in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Ovation spans 18 decks, encompasses 167,800 gross registered tons, carries 4,180 guests at double occupancy and features 2,090 staterooms.

What is a "conveyance" all about? Join Cruise Diva on board for the conveyance of Celebrity Eclipse to find out.

Image Courtesy Royal Caribbean International