Royal Caribbean reported on 14th March that the Ovation of the Seas, the third Quantum Class ship, had departed Meyer Werft for her 12 hour conveyance along the River Ems from Papenburg to Eemshaven. After completion at Hamburg the ship sailed to Bremerhaven. On 8th April the ovation of the Seas, RCI’s 24th ship, was handed over by Meyer Werft in a ceremony involving Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain receiving the new ship from the shipyard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer at the official handover ceremony. The ship then headed for the south coast of England, arriving at Southampton on 10th April (above) ready for her inaugurations and initial cruises prior to heading for Tianjin, China on a 52-day global odyssey. She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin on 24th June 2016. The 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. Royal Caribbean international has also announced that the ovation of the Seas will extend her maiden season in Australia, with four additional departures during the upcoming 2016/17 season.

The level of interest for the ship has exceeded all expectations, being 90% sold out by April 2016. So, four extra cruises from Sydney have been added to extend the season into late February 2017 from the original date of 23rd January. Guests booked on the repositioning cruise from Sydney to Singapore on that date were contacted and offered first choice of sailings to rebook, including the revised repositioning itinerary now scheduled for four weeks later.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s 74,077gt/1992 built Majesty of the Seas looks set to be transferred from RCI again, this time to the combined fleet of Pullmantur/CDF Croisieres de France in 2018. Reports suggest that RCI originally planned to move the vessel to Pullmantur in spring 2016, but later decided to retain her in the Royal Caribbean fleet after determining Pullmantur, the company’s Spanish arm, had to be restructured. Assuming that she does transfers out of RCI fleet, the Majesty of the Seas will offer short Bahamas voyages out of Port Canaveral in the meantime.