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Ovation of the Seas vs Islander
The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas was built in 2016. It's 16 years newer than the Islander, which was built in 2000 and renovated in 2024. The Islander formerly sailed as the Costa Atlantica before it was brought to the Margaritaville fleet.
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 Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Ovation of the Seas is 97% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas holds 98% more passengers than the Islander based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Ovation of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Islander.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Quantum | MAS Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 168,666 | 85,619 |
| Length | 1,138 | 960 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 127 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,180 | 2,114 |
| Crew | 1,500 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 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 Ovation of the Seas has sixteen different dining options like Cafe Promenade, Chef's Table, and Wonderland. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eight options have an additional fee.
The Islander has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are JWB Prime Steakhouse, Far Side Sushi, and Islander Dining Room. Six of these restaurants are complementary and the other six 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 33% more dining options than the Islander.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 16 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 8 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas has 2 fewer bars than the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The Ovation of the Seas has 10 bars like Casino Bar, Schooner Bar and Vintages. On Islander, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Flip Flop Atrium Bar, Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits and Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander |
|---|---|
| •Bionic Bar • Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Music Hall • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Vintages | •5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar • Bubbles Up Lounge and Champagne Bar • Coral Reef Lounge • Flip Flop Atrium Bar • Havana Daydreamin' Sports Bar and Lounge • Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits • Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club • JWB Prime Lounge • LandShark Bar and Lookout • Love and Luck Casino Bar • The Far Side Lounge • The Tiki 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 Ovation of the Seas and the Islander 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 Margaritaville at Sea Islander has the same number of pools as the Ovation of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.
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 | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| 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. On the Ovation of the Seas, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Islander, only 71% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bionic Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bumper Cars | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Indoor Sky Diving | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| North Star | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterslide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Margaritaville at Sea 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 more expensive than on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
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 | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $2.95 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | 64.99 |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $17.99 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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