Two more ships have resumed operations, with the worldwide resumption of cruising nearing completion. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sun and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas resumed service with sailings to Alaska.
For Norwegian Cruise Line, only one more vessel is out of operations. For Royal Caribbean, the resumption of service for Ovation of the Seas is the second time it has done so. Since October last year, the cruise ship has been on an operational pause when Royal Caribbean canceled the summer season in Australia for the Quantum-class cruise ship.
More Cruise Ships Return to Service
The summer season in Alaska is beginning to ramp up as more and more cruise ships commence their season in the North. Two cruise ships, do so this week after being on operational pause.
Norwegian Sun has not sailed with guests for over two years since the first cruise ban was put in place in March 2020. For Ovation of the Seas, the service return is, in fact, the second time the ship has returned to service.
Ovation of the Seas sailed in Alaska last year. But, due to the cruise ban in place in Australia until recently, her scheduled season down-under was canceled. Since October last year, Ovation of the Seas had been on her second operational pause in two years.
Both ships are now back in operation, and both are sailing from one of the busiest cruise ports in the world this summer, Seattle, Washington.
Norwegian Sun Returns To Alaska
The 2018- refurbished Norwegian Sun returned to service on May 5, welcoming guests back onboard from her homeport of Seattle, Washington. The Sun-class cruise ship is the sixteenth Norwegian Cruise Line ship in service and will be sailing to Alaska and Canada all summer, offering cruises ranging from five to nine nights in length.
Sailing from Seattle, Norwegian Sun’s first cruise is a short five-night voyage calling in Ketchikan, Alaska, and Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to Seattle on May 9.
Her next cruise will be a nine-night voyage, calling to Icy Strait Point, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia.
The 78,309 gross tons Norwegian Sun is currently scheduled to sail in Asia for the winter. On October 11, Norwegian Sun will depart Seattle and set sail to Tokyo, Japan.
The vessel will stop in Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, and Seward, Alaska; and arrive in Hakodate, Japan, on October 25. The cruise will conclude in Tokyo on October 27.
Ovation of the Seas Returns To Service, Again
It’s a double comeback for Ovation of the Seas. The 158,000 gross tons cruise ship will sail 21 voyages in Alaska this summer.
Calling Seattle home, she will visit popular ports in Alaska, such as Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau, while also making regular stops in Victoria, British Columbia.
With regular scenic cruising through the Tracy Arm Fjord, guests will have ample opportunities to use the amenities onboard the Quantum-class cruise ship, including the North Star. The glass observation capsule gently rises more than 300 feet in the air and rotates upwards and over the ship’s sides, giving guests 360-degree views.
Read Also: How Much Does an Alaskan Cruise Cost? – What to Budget
After her season in Alaska, Ovation of the Seas will reposition from Vancouver to Hawaii on September 30, calling in Seattle, Lahaina (Maui), and Honolulu, Hawaii.
The following cruise will bring Ovation of the Seas to Sydney, Australia, while visiting Moorea, French Polynesia, Papeete, Tahiti, Napier, Wellington, and Picton, New Zealand, before arriving in Sydney on October 29.
