Ovation is Seabourn’s Latest Floating Five-Star Hotel

The luxury cruise line’s sleek new ship features just 300 suites

When the Adam D. Tihany–designed Seabourn Encore launched early last year, it piqued the interest of even the most cruise-averse jet-setters with its promise of an intimate, yacht-like experience and sleek interior spaces more akin to a five-star hotel than a floating megalith. And now, Seabourn has hit that high-water mark again with the delivery of Ovation, sister ship to Encore.

Setting off on her maiden voyage today from Venice,  Ovation features just 300 suites—all boasting ocean views and private terraces large enough to host intimate alfresco meals (if the Thomas Keller­–led restaurant gets old, that is) and, in the top-of-the-line Wintergarden suites, indulgent hot tubs. Back inside, the staterooms feature separate living quarters and plush bedrooms, outfitted in Tihany’s classic palette of dark woods, nautical navy, and lush red. And while the Ovation’s guestrooms are actually big enough to comfortably lounge in, the nearly 700-foot-long ship offers plenty for guests to indulge in while not exploring one of the ports of call on their itinerary.

Guests can catch some rays as the ship makes its way through the Baltic or the Norwegian Fjords by settling into a sun lounger by the pool or can reserve one of the cabanas on the top deck’s retreat—which come outfitted with sleek TV’s beachy shutters and spacious couches. Make their way down the gleaming, curvaceous central staircase and they’ll find the art deco-style observation bar where they can watch the ocean slip by with a craft cocktail in hand and the Grill by Thomas Keller, which serves elevated American food inspired by the 1950s and 60s. The Dr. Andrew Weill–led spa offers a needed respite from the indulgences found elsewhere on board, offering yoga, meditation seminars, and other wellness-focused workshops alongside with the requisite spa menu of detoxifying facials and muscle-relaxing massages.

After the Ovation wraps it’s inaugural 11-day journey in Barcelona, the ship will head north to spend the rest of the summer crisscrossing the Baltic and through Scandinavia on a series of seven-day itineraries, all of which are available to be booked now. The ship will also offer extended trips through Norway and the British Isles.