North Star on Ovation of the Seas

This post will share our review, photos and experience on the North Star on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. I will also share general details about North Star on all Royal Caribbean ships.

About the North Star

The North Star was introduced by Royal Caribbean in 2014 with the first Quantum Class ship, Quantum of the Seas. It is a clear glass observation capsule that can hold up to 14 guests (plus the operator). The capsule (or “pod”) is attached to an extendable, mechanical arm that slowly elevates guests 300 feet above sea level, directly above and over both sides the ship, providing an incredible 360-degree view. Per Royal Caribbean, it is the winner of the Guinness World Record for tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship! Additionally, Royal Caribbean’s Voom WiFi works inside the North Star pod…not sure why you would need it, but I’m sharing anyway.

Which Royal Caribbean Ships have the North Star?

The North Star is on all Quantum and Quantum Ultra-Class Ships

Quantum Class

• Quantum of the Seas
• Anthem of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas

Quantum Ultra-Class

• Spectrum of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas

North Star Price & Experience Options

Royal Caribbean offers several experiences to choose from, each varying in length of time and price:

Basic Experience (Complimentary)

The North Star Basic Experience is complimentary and included in the cost of the cruise. This ride is 15 minutes long and typically only available in ports. According to reviews, the pod just goes up and down, not over the sides of the ship. We did not partake in this experience.

Extended Experience ($19 per person)

The North Star Extended Experience is slightly longer at 16 minutes. During this experience, you go straight up, then over both sides of the ship. This was the experience we chose.

Premium Experience ($69 per person)

The North Star Premium Experience is a 20-minute ride. The biggest reason for the increased cost is that it is during high demand times, such as sailing through the glaciers in Alaska. We did not partake in this experience, but saw the people that did. There were several time slots for the North Star while at the Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm and I’m sure they’re view was spectacular! But our balcony was plenty amazing and included in the cost of our room HAHA

As with anything you read that is not from the official site, these details can change and it is always best to check your Cruise Planner for the most accurate, current info for your sailing. The details I provide are based on our sailing on Ovation of the Seas in Alaska with additional details per my research/knowledge.

North Star Restrictions

Guests must be at least 42 inches tall or 48 to ride alone and weigh a maximum of 300 lbs.

The North Star is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to the entrance and a ramp into the pod. One wheelchair per time slot is allowed.

How to Book the North Star

Prior to the cruise, the Premium Experience was available to book in the Cruise Planner. The basic and extended experiences were not available in the app until we were actually on the ship, but not for the entire week all at once. Each day, available slots would open for the next day or two. Just use the app to select your experience, date/time, enter the number of people, and reserve…for paid experiences, you will check out and the cost will be added to your bill.

The basic (FREE) time slots fill up fast! We had an excursion for each port day, so we were pretty much left with the Extended experience as our only option except for a few slots here and there at the beginning or end of our port day.

Our North Star Experience in Alaska

We finally decided to reserve the Extended Experience on our last day, but it was in the morning on our way to arrive at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in the afternoon. So while we did not get the glacier view, there was a lot to see at that point. I also wasn’t aware that the free experience doesn’t go over the sides of the ship. If that was true at the time of our sailing, I would have been disappointed.

About 10-15 minutes before our scheduled time, we checked in at the North Star desk. We were each weighed – which is not a fun thing when it’s the last day of your cruise!

When everyone was checked in and the last group finished, we ventured up the stairs and walked into the North Star capsule. The Operator gave a brief intro and then we began our trip upward!

It was so cool getting to see the ship from that angle! It was similar to flying low over the ship in a helicopter, but without feeling nauseous.

The pod was extremely sturdy; it didn’t rock back-and-forth even with all of us moving around. There were a few other people in there with us, not the max of 14, but we didn’t feel crowded. We were all also good at slowly moving around the pod to give everyone a full view from all angles…it was like an unspoken rule we were all willingly following.

When we first woke up that day, you couldn’t see anything! It was so foggy and they even were blowing the horn every 2 minutes as an alert for nearby marine craft. We were so nervous this was going to be our view…

Thankfully, it cleared up and we had the most incredible view.

We could see our room!

As you can see, I got a lot of photos of the ship and its wake. You wouldn’t have that wake picture if you did the experience while in port since the ship wouldn’t be moving. I did get a few out into the ocean…kinda 😉

Definitely bring your sunglasses if it’s sunny!

We feel like we chose the right experience for us and our family of 4. We had a moderate amount of time, over the ocean but near land, and got the full up and side-to-side tour.

Is the North Star right for you?

If you are scared of heights, then this is not the experience for you. Otherwise, this is a chill way to experience this kind of height and view over a cruise ship. If you are willing to pay a little, this is a great way to be entertained during a sea day. Or take advantage of the free times if you don’t plan on getting off the ship for the entire length of your port day.

As I mentioned earlier, weather could affect your experience or even cause it to be cancelled. Some days are gorgeous where you can see for miles…

…and other days may be a little more dreary. This, of course, isn’t Royal’s fault, and you should enjoy the experience the best you can…or hey, even book another time to do it again!

Ovation of the Seas was an incredible ship, and the North Star is one of its main attractions that we did not want to miss, especially since none of the recent ships closer to home in the Caribbean have it. We definitely recommend it for all ages.

And if you need a reminder, just look up or to the side at any point while onboard, it was always there!

“I always feel like…somebody’s watching meeeeee”