Yet another giant cruise ship is heading to Los Angeles as competition heats up
Cruise fans in Southern California are about to have another major option for sailings to Mexico.
Royal Caribbean executives this week revealed that the line's giant, amenity-packed Ovation of the Seas would reposition to Los Angeles for Mexico cruises starting in May. It will become the largest Royal Caribbean ship to ever be based in the city.
Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley and Senior Vice President for Sales Vicki Freed made the announcement Tuesday during a preview event for the line's new Utopia of the Seas, as reported by several media outlets that were at the event, including Seatrade Cruise and Travel Weekly.
According to the reports, the executives said the 4,180-passenger vessel would join Royal Caribbean's 3,388-passenger Navigator of the Seas in sailing from Los Angeles. Navigator of the Seas also operates voyages to Mexico.
Bayley and Freed said Ovation of the Seas' new itineraries out of Los Angeles will range from three to six nights in length. As of late Thursday, the sailings were not yet posted on the Royal Caribbean website.
The deployment marks a major expansion for Royal Caribbean on the West Coast and is a last-minute switch for the vessel. Ovation of the Seas was originally scheduled to sail out of Tianjin, China, next summer on sailings aimed at the Chinese market.
Currently, Ovation of the Seas is sailing to Alaska out of Seattle and will soon reposition to Sydney for fall and winter sailings to ports in Australia and New Zealand. It was slated to move to Tianjin after those voyages.
Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean announced plans to move Quantum of the Seas, a ship from the same series as Ovation of the Seas, to Los Angeles in the fall of 2025 — it's still scheduled to begin sailing from Los Angeles in October 2025.
At 168,666 tons, Ovation of the Seas will be one of the biggest cruise ships from any cruise line to ever be deployed to Los Angeles.
Among vessels that have sailed out of Los Angeles, only Norwegian Cruise Line's 3,998-passenger Norwegian Encore is bigger — and only by a tad. Norwegian Encore measures 169,116 tons.
When measured by tonnage, two other Norwegian ships that sail from Los Angeles seasonally, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy, are slightly smaller than Ovation of the Seas. They measure 168,028 tons and 167,725 tons, respectively.
Other major ships sailing regularly from Los Angeles — including Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Firenze and Carnival Panorama — are significantly smaller than Ovation of the Seas.
Related: The best Royal Caribbean ships for every type of traveler
Ovation of the Seas will be the first vessel from Royal Caribbean's popular Quantum Class of ships to sail year-round from Los Angeles.
Unveiled in 2014, the Quantum Class is known as one of Royal Caribbean's most innovative series of ships. In addition to a wide range of restaurants, bars and showrooms, the five ships in this class feature some of the most unusual attractions you'll find at sea, including skydiving simulators and bumper car pavilions.
Related: 35 tips and tricks that will make your Royal Caribbean cruise better
Royal Caribbean has operated Quantum Class ships out of Seattle during summers for sailings to Alaska, but a Quantum Class ship has never been based in California for sailings to Mexico.
Notably, Royal Caribbean's decision comes just three months after startup cruise brand Virgin Voyages announced that it planned its first Los Angeles sailings in 2025. The Virgin sailings will take place on the line's next new ship, the 2,770-passenger Brilliant Lady.
Cruise giant Carnival also recently added a new ship to the Los Angeles area. One of its newest ships, Carnival Firenze, began sailing from Los Angeles County's Port of Long Beach in April.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
- 8 cabin locations on cruise ships you should definitely avoid
- Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
- Which cruise brand is best for you? A guide to the most popular lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise
- The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.