Ovation of the Seas Refurbishment Adds 40 Staterooms

Published on Aug 19, 2025, 3:27 pm CDT

6 min read

Royal Caribbean will refresh Ovation of the Seas in 2026 under its Royal Amplified program, adding 40 new staterooms, reworking multiple venues, and expanding Casino Royale ahead of the ship's Alaska season. Updated deck plans show cabins placed across five decks, largely in areas now used for meetings and fitness. Dining and bar changes include Starbucks, Izumi Teppanyaki, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, and Pesky Parrot, while the upper level of Music Hall converts to Sound Cellar. A redesigned pool deck brings private casitas and a new whirlpool.

Key Points

Why it matters: Significant hardware upgrades raise comfort, dining choice, and nightlife on a high-demand Alaska ship.
Travel impact: 40 added cabins, expanded casino, refreshed restaurants and bars, and a reworked pool deck.
What's next: Dry dock ahead of summer 2026 Alaska deployment, with similar work on Harmony and Liberty.
Cabin locations: New rooms on Decks 5, 9, 12, 13, and 16, replacing low-use public spaces.
Venue swaps: Music Hall to casino and Sound Cellar, Bionic Bar to Pesky Parrot, La Patisserie to Starbucks.

Snapshot

The 4,182-guest Ovation of the Seas, delivered in 2016, will undergo a Royal Amplified update before returning to Alaska in summer 2026. The project adds 40 staterooms across five decks, largely replacing the conference center, part of the fitness center, the Photo Gallery, and a suite lounge. Casino Royale takes over the former Music Hall footprint on Deck 3, while the Deck 4 level becomes Sound Cellar, a late-night music space. On the Royal Esplanade, Starbucks replaces La Patisserie, and Pesky Parrot subs in for Bionic Bar as Royal Caribbean phases out robotic bartenders. Wonderland converts to Izumi Teppanyaki, and Jamie's Italian becomes Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. The pool deck gains private casitas and a new whirlpool.

Background

Royal Amplified, introduced in 2018, modernizes mid-generation ships with new dining, attractions, and upgraded accommodations to keep pace with newer hardware. In June 2025, Royal Caribbean confirmed three 2026 amplifications, including Ovation, Harmony, and Liberty. The scope typically includes refreshed pool decks, expanded casinos, and brand-standard restaurants that appear across the fleet. For broader context, see our prior coverage, Royal Caribbean Plans 2026 Ship Revamps to Elevate the On-Board Experience. The Ovation work follows strong guest satisfaction on recent amplifications and comes as Alaska demand remains resilient among North American cruisers.

Latest Developments

Stateroom additions reshape Decks 5, 9, 12, 13, and 16

Ovation will gain 40 new staterooms, with most added on Decks 12, 13, and 16 by repurposing the conference center, part of the fitness center, and a suite lounge. An additional set of cabins arrives on Decks 5 and 9, taking over technical space and the former Photo Gallery. The update also introduces new accommodation types, including the Ultimate Family Suite and a Panoramic Suite option, expanding choices for multigenerational groups who favor Alaska's scenic routes. By shifting low-utilization public rooms to revenue cabins and family-forward suites, the line aligns ship design with current booking trends that favor flexible, connected, or view-rich accommodations.

Casino expansion and nightlife repositioning

Casino Royale will grow substantially by absorbing the current Music Hall footprint on Deck 3. The upper level of Music Hall becomes Sound Cellar on Deck 4, a dedicated late-night venue programmed for amplified live music and DJ sets. Expanding the casino mirrors fleet moves that emphasize more table space, additional slots, and improved non-smoking areas, while Sound Cellar preserves late-evening entertainment capacity in a more compact layout. The reconfiguration also simplifies traffic flow around the Royal Esplanade during peak evenings, with clearer routes to restaurants and bars.

Dining and pool deck refresh to match newer ships

Royal Caribbean will swap several venues to align Ovation with its newer ships. Starbucks replaces La Patisserie for a full branded coffee experience. Pesky Parrot, the tiki-inspired bar that debuted on Utopia of the Seas, replaces Bionic Bar as the brand retires robotic bartenders. Wonderland transforms into Izumi Teppanyaki, while Jamie's Italian becomes Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, standardizing two high-demand specialty concepts on this class. Topsides, the pool deck gets private casitas and a new whirlpool, offering more shade and semi-private lounging that plays well on cool Alaska sea days and busy warm-weather repositionings.

Analysis

Strategically, this refurbishment concentrates on three levers that reliably move the needle on guest satisfaction and revenue. First, added staterooms and new suite types answer sustained demand from families and friend-groups who prioritize space and views on scenic itineraries. Second, replacing Music Hall with a larger Casino Royale aligns Ovation with a fleet trend toward bigger, better-segmented gaming floors, while Sound Cellar maintains nightlife variety without duplicating square footage. Third, standardizing popular dining across ships reduces confusion and strengthens brand familiarity, which in turn supports pre-cruise sales and onboard upsell.

For Alaska specifically, private casitas and a refreshed whirlpool elevate sea-day comfort when temperatures dip, and Teppanyaki adds a book-ahead specialty experience with strong social appeal. The switch from Bionic Bar to Pesky Parrot signals Royal Caribbean's pivot away from novelty hardware toward themed, service-forward bars that convert more consistently. Taken together, Ovation's changes echo the playbook used on recent amplifications, while preserving the Quantum-class identity built around SeaPlex, RipCord by iFly, and broad weather resilience. Advisors can cross-sell confidently against newer ships knowing the onboard mix now looks and feels current. For policy context that also affects planning, see Royal Caribbean Drink Package Rule Tightens.

Final Thoughts

Royal Caribbean's plan for Ovation prioritizes spaces travelers actually use, pairs familiar restaurants with a stronger bar lineup, and keeps late-night energy intact through Sound Cellar. With cabins added across five decks and more suite variety, families and friend-groups gain flexibility for Alaska planning, while the bigger casino and refreshed pool deck update the ship's vibe for the mid-2020s. If Alaska is on your 2026 list, the Ovation of the Seas refurbishment makes a strong case to book early and lock preferred dining and stateroom choices.