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MSC Poesia vs Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas
The MSC Poesia was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2025. The Poesia will receive a major dry dock refurbishment before its North America debut in May 2026 that will add new venues and Yacht Club cabins with associated areas. It's 8 years older than the Ovation of the Seas, which was built in 2016 and renovated in 2026.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Poesia is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 964 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas, the Poesia is 45% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
MSC Poesia holds 39% fewer passengers than the Ovation of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Poesia has less space per person compared to the Ovation of the Seas.
| MSC Poesia | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Musica | Quantum |
| Gross Tonnage | 92,627 | 168,666 |
| Length | 964 | 1,138 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,550 | 4,180 |
| Crew | 1,027 | 1,500 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 40 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Poesia has seven different dining options like Butcher's Cut, Kaito Sushi Bar, Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Ovation of the Seas has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chef's Table, Solarium Bistro, and Fish & Ships. Thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Ovation of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 114% more dining options than the Poesia.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Ovation of the Seas might be a better choice then the Poesia. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Poesia | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 7 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 7 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 29% | 47% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Ovation of the Seas below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The MSC Poesia has a total of 3 pools and 4 hot tubs.
The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas has the same number of pools as the Poesia and more hot tubs.
| MSC Poesia | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Poesia. Only 43% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Ovation of the Seas, 79% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Poesia | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✗ | ✓ |
| North Star | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC and Royal Caribbean are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on MSC Poesia will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| MSC Poesia | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 | $7.49 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Seattle
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Juneau
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Skagway
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sitka
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 6 - Sea Day
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 7 - Victoria
Ovation of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 8 - Debarking in Seattle
6 Hits & Misses of Ovation of the Seas
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