MS Ovation of the Seas

MS Ovation of the Seas

The Ovation of the Seas docked in Rotterdam, Netherlands on her Maiden Voyage.
History
Nassau,  Bahamas
Name:	Ovation of the Seas
Owner:	Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Operator:	Royal Caribbean International
Port of registry:	Nassau,  Bahamas
Ordered:	September 13, 2013
Builder:	Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany
Laid down:	March 5, 2015
Launched:	February 18, 2016 (float-out)
Christened:	June 24, 2016 by Fan Bingbing
Completed:	April 8, 2016
Maiden voyage:	April 14, 2016
In service:	April 14, 2016
Identification:	Call sign: C6BX9 IMO number: 9697753 MMSI number: 311000397 DNV GL ID: 34050
Status:	In service
General characteristics
Class and type:	Quantum-class cruise ship
Tonnage:	168,666 GT
Length:	348 m (1,142 ft)
Beam:	41.2 m (135 ft) (waterline) 48.9 m (160 ft) (max)
Draught:	8.5 m (28 ft)
Decks:	18 (16 passenger-accessible)
Installed power:	2 ×  Wärtsilä 12V46F (2 × 14,400 kW) 2 ×  Wärtsilä 16V46F (2 × 19,200 kW) 2 ×  Cat 3516C HD (2 × 2,500 kW)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 ×  ABB Azipod XO thrusters (2 × 20.5 MW) 4 ×  3,500 kW (4,694 hp) Brunvoll FU115 bow thrusters
Speed:	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity:	4,180 passengers (double occupancy) 4,905 passengers (maximum occupancy)

MS Ovation of the Seas is a cruise ship operating for Royal Caribbean International (RCI). The vessel is the third ship in the Quantum class, which surpasses RCI's earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 GT, becoming the second largest class of passenger ships behind RCI's Oasis class ships on a gross tonnage basis. The Ovation mainly sails from Tianjin during the northern summer season and repositions to Sydney during the southern summer season.

On February 11, 2011, RCI announced that it had ordered a new class of ships from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, the first of which was scheduled to be delivered by fall 2014. At the time, the project was code-named "Project Sunshine". On February 29, 2012, the company announced that a second "Project Sunshine" ship had been ordered and would be delivered by Spring 2015. Just under a year later, on January 31, 2013, RCI announced that the official name of the new class of ships was the Quantum class.

Ovation of the Seas, the third vessel in the Quantum class, was laid down by Meyer Werft on March 5, 2015. Before the first piece of keel was lowered into place, Adam Goldstein, President and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the holding company of RCI, placed a lucky coin in the dock. The keel will eventually be formed of 74 blocks. The first section was launched on 20 June 2015.

Ovation of the Seas was delivered on April 8, 2016.Ovation of the Seas entered service on 14 April 2016.

"Ovation of the Seas" arrived from Hamburg to the Port of Southampton, UK on April 10, 2016, to begin a series of inaugural events, including press previews and a limited number of "Shake-down" and mini cruises for VIP's, specially invited guests and members of the public. The ship berths at the City Cruise Terminal in the Western Docks, where its fleetmates also dock when visiting the city.