Cruise Spotlight
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Allure of the Seas vs Ovation of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas was built in 2010. It was renovated in 2025. Allure of the Seas underwent a $100 million renovation in 2025 where they added water slides, a dry slide, new restaurants, and bars. It's 6 years older than the Ovation of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
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 Allure of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,187 feet long and 215 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas is 34% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas holds 31% more passengers than the Ovation of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Allure of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Ovation of the Seas. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Allure of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Quantum |
| Gross Tonnage | 225,282 | 168,666 |
| Length | 1,187 | 1,138 |
| Beam/Width | 215 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,484 | 4,180 |
| Crew | 2,200 | 1,500 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 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 Allure of the Seas has twenty-one different dining options like Chops Grille, Sorrento's Pizza, and Starbucks. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other thirteen options have an additional fee.
The Ovation of the Seas has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chef's Table, Solarium Bistro, and La Patisserie. twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Allure of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 31% more dining options than the Ovation of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Ovation of the Seas might be a better choice then the Allure of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas & Ovation of the Seas
| Restaurant | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas |
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Boardwalk Donuts | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Cafe Promenade | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Dog House | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| El Loco Fresh | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Solarium Bistro | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Two70 Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Cups & Scoops | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Fish & Ships | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Patisserie | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| 150 Central Park | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Chef's Table | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Table | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Izumi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Jamie's Italian | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Samba Grill | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| Coastal Kitchen | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas has 8 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Blaze | ✓ | ✗ |
| Boleros | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Live | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dazzles | ✓ | ✗ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music Hall | ✗ | ✓ |
| On Air Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pesky Parrot | ✓ | ✗ |
| Playmakers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Solarium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✓ | ✗ |
| Suite Sun Deck Bar* | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Lime & Coconut | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trellis Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vintages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wipeout Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
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.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Allure of the Seas and 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 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas has a total of 4 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas has fewer pools than the Allure of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs.
Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Both the Allure of the Seas and the Ovation of the Seas have wading adult-only pools in The Solarium. Allure of the Seas’ adult-only area is is open to the elements with some wind breakers, while Ovation of the Seas’ is fully enclosed and climate controlled. They’re both located in the front of the ship.
| Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 4 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
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. On the Allure of the Seas, 82% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Ovation of the Seas, only 73% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| North Star | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. 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 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas 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 understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $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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