Royal Caribbean Just Finished a Major Overhaul of Ovation of the Seas. Here Is What Changed.

Ovation of the Seas departed Singapore on April 17, 2026, having just completed a significant Royal Amplification drydock that touched nearly every corner of the ship. The first passengers to board the updated vessel are sailing now, with Alaska season sailings from Vancouver beginning May 15. If you have an Ovation booking this summer, the ship you board will look and feel noticeably different from the one that entered the yard.

The Royal Caribbean Blog published an in-depth first look with photos on April 18, giving us one of the clearest views yet of what the refurbishment actually delivered.

New Restaurants and Bars

The dining and bar lineup saw the most visible changes. On deck 5, Jamie’s Italian has been replaced by Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, continuing Royal Caribbean’s fleet-wide shift toward that updated Italian concept. Next door, a new Izumi Teppanyaki hibachi restaurant has been added adjacent to the existing Izumi sushi spot — a pairing that gives guests a more complete Japanese dining experience in one corner of the ship.

La Patisserie on the Royal Esplanade is now a Starbucks — something worth flagging for guests who rely on drink packages, as Starbucks purchases fall outside standard beverage package coverage.

The Bionic Bar, which housed the ship’s signature robot bartenders, has been replaced by Pesky Parrot, a tiki-inspired bar that made its debut on Utopia of the Seas. The robotic bartenders are out; frozen drinks and a mechanical parrot mascot are in.

Casino, Entertainment, and Nightlife

The casino received one of the more substantial layout changes. Casino Royale has expanded into the lower level of what was previously the Music Hall, adding meaningful floor space. The upper level of the Music Hall has been converted into a new venue called Sound Cellar, a music and dance space that replaces the entertainment programming the Music Hall previously anchored.

More Staterooms

Royal Caribbean added new cabins throughout the ship. Ten interior staterooms were created on deck 5, carved out of what was the photo gallery near the Schooner Bar. Additional cabins were added on deck 16 near the fitness center. The suite tier also got attention — the Suite Lounge has been relocated to deck 14 midship, replacing the former teen club, The Living Room, which Royal Caribbean determined was better suited as an adults-only retreat for suite guests.

The headline suite addition is a new Ultimate Family Suite — the two-story cabin with an in-suite slide that has become a signature Royal Caribbean offering on its newest ships, now available on Ovation for the first time.

Pool Deck

Splashaway Bay, the kids aqua park, has been reworked and expanded on the pool deck, offering more water play options for families. The broader pool deck layout has been updated as part of the same overhaul.

What This Means for Alaska Guests

Ovation of the Seas is one of the most prominent ships in Royal Caribbean’s Alaska deployment, operating open-jaw sailings between Vancouver and Seward all summer. The timing of this drydock was clearly deliberate — get the ship through Singapore, get it amplified, and have it arrive in the Pacific Northwest in May ready for its busiest season of the year.

For guests who have sailed Ovation before, the ship that shows up in Vancouver will be a meaningfully different product. The restaurant lineup is refreshed, there are more staterooms to book, the suite experience has been improved, and the pool deck is larger. That is not a cosmetic update — it is the kind of refurbishment that genuinely changes what a sailing on this ship delivers.

Bookings for Ovation’s Alaska summer are open now through Royal Caribbean’s website.