Cruise Spotlight
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Ovation of the Seas vs Panorama
The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas was built in 2016. It's 3 years older than the Panorama, which was built in 2019 and renovated in 2024. The Panorama is the only cruise ship to have a Sky Zone trampoline park on board.
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 Ovation of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,138 feet long and 136 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.2 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Carnival Panorama, the Ovation of the Seas is 26% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas holds about the same number of passengers as the Panorama 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 Ovation of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Panorama. 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.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Quantum | Vista |
| Gross Tonnage | 168,666 | 133,868 |
| Length | 1,138 | 1,055 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 122 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,180 | 4,008 |
| Crew | 1,500 | 1,450 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 34 |
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 Ovation of the Seas has sixteen different dining options like Chops Grille, Solarium Bistro, and Fish & Ships. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Panorama has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Blue Iguana Cantina, Cucina Del Capitano, and Bonsai Teppanyaki. fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Panorama might be a better choice. It has 19% more dining options than the Ovation of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Panorama might be a better choice then the Ovation of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 16 | 19 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 15 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 44% | 53% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas has 4 fewer bars than the Carnival Panorama. The Ovation of the Seas has 10 bars like English Pub, Schooner Bar and Vintages. On Ovation of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Bar and Havana Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama |
|---|---|
| •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Music Hall • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Vintages | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Fahrenheit 555 Bar • Guy's Pig and Anchor Brewhouse • Havana Bar • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Tides Pool Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Ovation of the Seas serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like 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. The Panorama serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Ovation of the Seas and the Panorama 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 Ovation of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
The Carnival Panorama has the same number of pools as the Ovation of the Seas and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Panorama. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Ovation of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
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.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5
(Carnival Edition) (Royal Caribbean Edition)
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8
(Carnival Edition) (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 Ovation of the Seas, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Panorama, only 65% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| North Star | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Zone | ✗ | ✓ |
| Skyride | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Carnival 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 Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Panorama.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Carnival Panorama | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.75 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 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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