Cabin had an unobstructed balcony on the 13th deck.  Plenty of room, decent sized balcony that was shaded overhead by the extension of the 14th deck which shielded our balcony from wind and harsh sun.  Loved it.

Part of the Dunedin Highlights excursion, this was a stop so we could have a look at the building.  I'm sure it had a lot of interesting facts about it, but I don't recall hearing much from our driver.

Dunedin

Steam Engine Train Ride to a small boring town in 100 year old carriages.  When we got to the unlovely town, all the shops were closed even though we arrived before 5pm.   And on the return trip, we were rushed back on the train, but waited a full 20 minutes before it pulled out from the station.  This is one of the tours that led me to question if the cruise line didn't want us spending our money on land.  More money for them if we spent it on the ship???  The only highlight of the tour was when a train staff member brought out his guitar and we all had a sing-along.

This is a must-see for all Lord of the Ring/Hobbit fans, and is the reason we chose this cruise.  2,000 visitors a day are let through Hobbiton in small groups led by a Hobbiton (not a cruise ship) guide.  The enthusiastic guide was entertaining when we could hear him, which was most of the time.  It was a thrill being able to see all the hobbit holes, especially Bag End, and Sam Gamgee's hole.  No interiors exist, but the exteriors are just what they looked like in the movies.  One learns the most interesting of the movie making details.  And at the end of the tour each guest can order a free beverage at the Green Dragon Inn.  I do wish that the opportunity to have lunch there had been an option, but it was not.  The gift shop has some things for sale, but not at many things as I expected.  (If they had sold mini hobbit holes, they would have made a mint.  Alas, there were none.)  This was the best shore excursion of the entire cruise.

This was acceptable visit to a Maori Meeting House, and a Maori School.  The few Maori at the meeting house were attentive, and those that spoke to us were passionate about Maori traditions and history.  At the Maori school the teens, dressed in traditional Maori costume, presented a number of dances.  At both places, our group experienced the elaborate greeting ritual once used to determine if visitors were friendly or hostile.  This would be a good excursion for folks interested in the Maori, but because it is low key, might be a bit underwhelming. This was another tour in which we were told, as be boarded the bus, that we were short on time, which led me to believe that at the Meeting house we were supposed to hear and see more that what we actually experienced.  We did have light refreshments given to us at no extra cost, and there was an opportunity to purchase inexpensive mementos.

This was the only excursion where the timing was perfect.  The jet boat not only goes fast, but it makes turns and partial spins and in doing so THOROUGHLY SOAKS everyone on the boat (no matter where you sit) with salt water.  ANYTHING in your pockets will get wet, and you are well warned of that before you get on the boat, and are given the opportunity to leave all of your stuff with the attendants at the jet boat booth.  Great fun for roller coaster buffs, and people who like to get wet.

The day we went the Blue Mountains were enshrouded in a thick white mist which meant that we could hardly see anything, but that wasn't the fault of Royal Caribbean.  When the white mist is absent, the view is spectacular, like the Grand Canyon, but covered in pre-historic vegetation.  There are three different viewing rides that were included in this debark excursion, all of which would have normally have been excellent had it been a clear weather.  And they have a nice gift shop (useful since New Zealand has hardly any gift shops.)

And being so large a ship it was able to offer features that would be missing on smaller ships such as: a climbing wall; sports area that offered (one at a time) bumper cars, roller skating, table tennis, a huge main theater in the front of the ship, an area with a tremendous view that doubled as a theater via unbelievable technology, a shopping mall on deck four, four different main dining restaurants, several specialty restaurants, casino, many bars including one bar that had two robotic bartenders, and a stage in the Music Hall, an open air pool area large pool with huge outdoor movie screen and several smaller pools/hot tubs, and another covered pool area with large pool and a number of smaller pools/hot tubs, a glass enclosed solarium for adults only at the front of the ship, a ride called 'The North Star' that lifted fourteen people in a enclosed bubble 90 meters into the air, a 'wave rider' for boogie boarding, and an 'i-fly' that simulates sky diving.And there was NO FREE ICE CREAM available (other than as dessert after dinner in the main dining rooms, or on the last few days of the cruise in the buffet) except for very small soft serve cones available by the pool.

Ovation of the Seas Review

Amazing Ship, So-so Food, Most Shore Excursions Need Improvements

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Ocean View Balcony

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Dunedin

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