Our Cruise Love Story: How We First Met on Ovation of the Seas
Some trips begin with a booking. Ours began with two incredible poems.
Around February 20, 2019, Jenn entered an Instagram poetry live with only a few minutes remaining....
Leon was reading that evening and had reached the end of his planned material, so he invited viewers to send him something of their own.
Jenn sent two poems. Leon read both of them twice... and practically fell on the floor (they were so good).
Less than seven whirlwind weeks later, we met face to face at Sydney's Circular Quay and walked toward Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas.
The eight-night South Pacific cruise that followed became our first date, our first trip together, and the beginning of a decision that redirected both of our lives.
This is not our complete relationship story. It is the story of the cruise itself: what it felt like to meet an online partner for the first time, how Ovation introduced Leon to cruising, our stops in the French territory of New Caledonia and country of Vanuatu, and why one week at sea became much more than either of us had ever expected.
Key Takeaways
● We sailed on Ovation of the Seas from Sydney from April 9 to 17, 2019, visiting Nouméa in New Caledonia and Mystery Island in Vanuatu.
● It was Leon's first cruise and Jenn's second, but it was our first time meeting in person after almost seven weeks of messages, poetry, and video calls between Canada and England.
● We found Ovation spacious and impressive. It was remarkably easy to enjoy as a couple, with excellent service, memorable entertainment, and plenty of places to spend time together.
● When the ship returned to Sydney, Jenn left the rest of her planned four-week journey and flew to England. Our first date ultimately lasted an entire month.
Our Royal Caribbean Cruise at a Glance
Cruise line
Royal Caribbean
Cruise ship
Ovation of the Seas
Sailing dates
9–17 April 2019
Cruise length
Eight nights
Departure port
Sydney, Australia
Cruise region
South Pacific
Port stops
Nouméa and Mystery Island
Why it mattered
Our first meeting
Before the Cruise: Two Poets Across the Atlantic
Leon had joined Instagram in early 2019 to share poetry and promote his debut poetry book, Out of the Shadows. After only a few weeks on the platform, a poetry account invited him to become one of its regular Sunday live readers.
Jenn was also new to Instagram. She was preparing to launch Closer Lives Poetry, a community built around words, connection, and giving poets a place to be heard. By complete chance, she opened Leon's live just as it was nearing its end.
Those two submitted poems led to our first conversation. Messages became longer conversations, then video calls, voice notes, poetry, and a level of vulnerability that neither of us had expected (but gratefully accepted).
Our wider romantic story explores that period and everything that followed in much greater depth. Here (in this post), what matters is that by April we no longer wanted a relationship that existed only through screens.
Jenn had already arranged to spend approximately four weeks aboard Ovation of the Seas with a friend who worked on the ship.
Her journey was due to begin in Sydney, travel through the South Pacific, and continue toward Tahiti, Bora Bora, Hawaii, and eventually Alaska.
Leon could only take a little more than a week away from work. Joining the first sailing offered a practical, if slightly scary, answer to the ever-growing question: where should two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic meet for the first time?
Could we? Should we? What better way than on a cruise, right?!
Meeting for the First Time in Sydney
Leon flew from England via Abu Dhabi and arrived in Sydney on the morning of April 9. From the airport, he took the train to Circular Quay, excitement and nerves building, with the knowledge that Jenn was waiting somewhere beyond the platform.
Jenn had arrived first. Leon remembers coming through the station and seeing her among the crowd, spotting her jet-black hair instantly.
We had looked at each other during countless video calls, but locking eyes in the same physical space was, of course, completely different.
There were nerves. We knew each other's thoughts, voices, fears, and poetry, yet we were suddenly noticing all the smaller things a screen does not capture: height, movement, mannerisms, and the energy of standing close to one another.
The first hug changed the atmosphere. The familiarity returned, this time with an electricity that neither distance nor technology could possibly reproduce.
We found a coffee, sat outside, and allowed ourselves to settle. Then we took each other's hands, towed our cases, and walked along Circular Quay toward the ship.
Ovation was impossible to miss beside Circular Quay, with the stunning Sydney Opera House visible across the water. That in itself was a dream sight!
It was a remarkable setting for the beginning of a relationship, although at the time we were mostly trying to process the fact that the other person was finally real.
Boarding Ovation of the Seas Together
Our embarkation was not typical. Jenn was traveling with a friend who worked aboard Ovation, so we were able to check in more quickly and avoid much of the usual queueing and luggage process.
Anyone researching a normal Sydney embarkation should not treat our unusually smooth experience as representative.
We no longer remember the cabin category, deck number, or precise location (the first few days were a blur of love!). Jenn's friend helped arrange a separate cabin for us, and we believe it was relatively close to the crew accommodation.
For Leon, stepping aboard was overwhelming in the best possible way. This was his first cruise, and the scale of the ship felt almost impossible to absorb.
The Royal Esplanade looked more like an enclosed city street than something floating on the ocean, with restaurants, bars, shops, art, and entertainment spaces extending through the ship.
Jenn had previously cruised around Europe on Symphony of the Seas, an even larger and grander one (to Leon, that barely seemed possible!). Ovation was no doubt incredibly polished and impressive, however, especially to someone seeing a modern cruise ship from the inside for the first time.
Then came the reality: after almost seven weeks of long-distance communication, we were not simply meeting for a 'date.' We were moving directly into the same cabin for eight nights. No pressure!
Our April 2019 Ovation of the Seas South Pacific Cruise
Our sailing was an eight-night round trip from Sydney between April 9 and 17, 2019. See the contemporary deployment information and archived port schedules for more information.
Date | Stop |
April 9, 2019 | Depart Sydney, Australia |
April 10 to 11 | At sea |
April 12 | Nouméa, New Caledonia |
April 13 | Mystery Island, Vanuatu |
April 14 to 16 | At sea |
April 17 | Return to Sydney |
This was Ovation's 2018 to 2019 Australian season. Jenn's longer journey was due to continue after the ship returned to Sydney, but Leon had only booked this first South Pacific leg.
⚠️ The dates and ports are historical. They should not be read as a current itinerary, and anyone planning a cruise today should check Royal Caribbean's current sailings directly.
What Ovation of the Seas Was Like in 2019
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Ovation of the Seas is a Quantum-class Royal Caribbean ship that entered service in 2016, making it only about three years old when we sailed.
Published specifications listed approximately 168,000 gross tons, 18 decks, 2,090 staterooms, and a capacity for about 4,180 guests at double occupancy.
The size mattered. Our sailing was busy, and Jenn's friend estimated that the large majority of passengers were Australian, but the ship rarely felt as crowded as its passenger count might suggest.
There were enough decks, venues, and quiet corners for people to spread out.
This account reflects our April 2019 experience. Ovation has since been updated, so current facilities, dining arrangements, packages, and policies may differ.
Pools, Views, and Activities
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The upper decks became one of our favorite parts of the ship. We spent time near the pools and loungers, watching the ocean and taking in the scale of the open deck.
Ovation's headline attractions included the North Star observation capsule, RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, and FlowRider surf simulator.
We did not try iFLY or FlowRider ourselves, but we enjoyed watching other passengers take them on. Our photographs also captured North Star rising above the deck.
We particularly remember the glass-covered indoor pool area. It offered a calmer place to sit when the weather was less cooperative, while still keeping the ocean visible through the surrounding windows.
At the back of the ship, the long view over the wake became another simple pleasure.
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Dining, Drinks, and Service
Our first dinner aboard was in the main dining room with Jenn's friend. We were not travel bloggers at the time, so we did not photograph menus or individual dishes in the way we would today.
What has lasted over the years in our memory is the overall impression: the food felt first class, the room felt special, and the service was consistently excellent.
The crew was one of Ovation's greatest strengths. Staff members always greeted us as we passed, were quick to help, and came from countries around the world.
Those small conversations contributed to the feeling that the ship was its own international community.
We bought a drinks package for the sailing. It was convenient, especially while socializing at the bars, but it also felt expensive. Once we had paid for it, there was an unspoken temptation to keep ordering drinks to justify the cost.
We had a wonderful time, but the package occasionally encouraged us to drink more than we otherwise would, something we would consider much more carefully today.
That memory stayed with us, but when we later crossed the Atlantic aboard Regal Princess, we chose not to buy the ship's drinks package.
Entertainment and Evenings
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Our evenings included live music, a piano performance, theater productions, and an acrobatic show.
The photographs bring back the color and scale of those venues, from a performer suspended above the stage to a full musical ensemble playing to a packed room.
We also explored the casino and wandered through the Royal Esplanade. Much of our entertainment was less structured, though.
We were happy simply walking the ship, stopping for a drink, talking for hours, and letting one venue lead us toward another. It was the perfect setting for simply going with the flow.
Motion Sickness and Sea Days
The sea conditions were generally good, but both of us felt some motion sickness during the first couple of days.
We took seasickness tablets available on board, adjusted quickly, and had no significant problems afterward.
A typical sea day was unhurried. We would wander the decks, sit near the pool, watch activities, meet friends for drinks, eat, and continue the conversations we had begun online.
Ovation offered an enormous program of things to do, but we did not feel pressure to complete a checklist. The ship gave us a setting; what we most wanted was time together.
A First Date at Sea That Changed Everything
A cruise is an intense way to meet an online partner. There is no gradual progression from coffee to dinner to a weekend away.
We moved almost immediately from a nervous first hug to sharing a cabin and spending each day together.
The surprising part was how natural much of it felt. We already knew one another emotionally, so the connection did not need to begin from zero. Instead, we were learning the physical details that video calls had left out.
Some of the funniest discoveries came from language. Leon's British English and Jenn's Canadian English produced words, expressions, and assumptions that did not always line up.
Our different cultural reference points also became clearer as we compared everyday life in England and Canada. Closet, wardrobe, trunk, boot... oh, it was endless!
The experience was romantic and exhilarating, but also intense. A first date that lasts eight nights leaves little room to retreat behind a carefully managed version of yourself.
We saw how the other person handled tiredness, crowds, unfamiliar places, shared space, and the constant decisions of travel.
That may have been the cruise's greatest gift. It allowed us to discover quickly that we did not only enjoy talking. We traveled well together (go figure).
Nouméa, New Caledonia
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We arrived in Nouméa beneath heavy clouds on April 12. The approach revealed green hills, turquoise water, the working port, and the city stretched along the shoreline.
We explored independently rather than taking a major shore excursion. Our photographs show us traveling away from the port, walking along a waterfront beach and park, and watching the rain move across the bay.
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The weather shortened our visit. Rain was either falling or threatening for much of the time, so we did not try to force a full day of sightseeing.
Instead, we walked, talked, and stopped at a cafe for a sweet treat before returning toward the ship.
It was a quieter port day than Vanuatu, but it still mattered. Nouméa was the first international destination we explored together, and even a gray, rain-soaked morning felt exciting because it was ours.
Mystery Island, Vanuatu
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Mystery Island felt completely different. Ovation anchored offshore on April 13, and a yellow tender carried us across the water.
The ship remained visible in the distance, enormous against the green mountains of neighboring Aneityum.
From the landing area, the island felt wonderfully undeveloped, with no roads or large resort buildings in view.
We stepped into clear blue water, pale sand, and a coastline that invited us to keep walking.
We followed the beach away from the busiest landing area, passing palms, low woodland, rocky stretches, and long pockets of almost empty sand.
It became our first beach day together and one of the most visually memorable parts of the cruise.
Our walk eventually took us through a wooded area to a cultural performance.
Local performers danced in traditional dress as visitors gathered beneath the trees.
We also saw simple local structures and cooking areas before returning to the beach.
Afterward, we sat near the water and absorbed the setting before taking the tender back to Ovation.
There was no complicated return journey or independent transport to manage. The same tender operation that brought passengers ashore was the route back to the ship.
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Mystery Island gave us the South Pacific moment we had imagined: a ship offshore, mountains under low clouds, a beach almost to ourselves, and the strange realization that this was still technically our first date!
The People We Met Along the Way
Cruises create a temporary community. People cross paths at the same bars, restaurants, activities, and viewpoints until unfamiliar faces begin to feel familiar.
We met Aaron and Paris while sitting outside near one of the bar areas. We started sharing drinks and stories, then found ourselves spending more time together around the ship and over meals.
They were Australian, which added another cultural perspective to the British and Canadian comparisons already filling our conversations. More importantly, the four of us simply clicked.
We remain friends today, and their family has since grown to include two children. The fact that a friendship formed during this one sailing has lasted for years is part of what made the cruise more than a romantic bubble for two people.
When Eight Nights Became One Month
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Jenn's original plan was to remain at sea for approximately four weeks with her friend.
After Sydney, the journey was due to continue through destinations including Tahiti, Bora Bora, Hawaii, and eventually Alaska.
About three days into our sailing, Leon raised a different possibility: what if Jenn left the ship in Sydney and came back to England instead?
It was not an immediate decision. Jenn had been looking forward to the remaining destinations and was unsure until the final couple of days. Leon may have applied a little gentle persuasion, but the choice was ultimately hers.
She said yes!
When Ovation returned to Sydney on April 17, we watched the Opera House appear in the early morning light.
We disembarked together, then traveled to the airport for separate flights to England. Jenn's flight was roughly an hour ahead of Leon's.
Our spontaneity produced one memorable oversight. Leon had not given Jenn his home address before she landed. When British immigration officials asked where she would be staying, she could only explain that the person she was visiting was still in the air and would provide the details after landing!
Everything was resolved, but it is not a mistake we would make as experienced travelers today. Anyone entering another country should carry the full address of their accommodation, onward or return information where required, and the documents needed to explain the visit without depending on someone else's phone being available.
Jenn stayed in England for the rest of her month away. With only the weekend remaining before Leon returned to work, she suggested driving to Scotland.
Leon thought five hours sounded like an excessive drive (typically British). Jenn, being Canadian, considered it practically down the road!
We went, and we still consider it one of our best travel adventures. The route through the Cairngorms, Balmoral, Inverness, and Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness became the next chapter of a first date that had started outside a Sydney train station.
From One Cruise to a Life of Travel
Ovation did not create our connection, but it gave that connection somewhere to become real. The cruise moved us from poetry and pixels into shared days, shared space, and the practical unpredictability of travel.
The years that followed included an engagement, Leon moving to Canada, building a home together, and eventually deciding to leave conventional life behind.
In 2021, we began traveling full time and gradually turned Closer Lives into a record of the places, ideas, and experiences shaping us along the way.
Our Story provides the concise chronology, while A Romantic Love Story of Two Poets explores the relationship in greater emotional depth. This article owns a smaller but decisive piece of that history: the eight nights when a cruise became the bridge between an online connection and a shared life.
We have since returned to cruising, including a transatlantic crossing aboard Regal Princess.
Yet, Ovation will always be the ship against which every future cruise is measured, not because everything was perfect, but because it was where our wider travel story truly began.
Would We Recommend a Cruise for Couples?
Yes, with the right expectations. A cruise gives couples a combination that is difficult to reproduce on an ordinary trip: multiple destinations, long stretches of uninterrupted time, entertainment close at hand, and enough different spaces to change the mood without reorganizing the entire day.
Ovation worked particularly well for us because it balanced activity and privacy. We could watch a show, meet people at a bar, explore a port, or simply sit beside the water and talk. Even on a busy sailing, the scale of the ship gave us room to move.
For a couple meeting in person for the first time, however, a cruise is a major commitment. We met first in a busy public place and had independent passports, money, flights, and existing travel plans.
Anyone considering something similar should share their itinerary with trusted people, keep control of their own documents and finances, agree on boundaries, and have an independent exit plan.
Our leap worked for us, but it should not be treated as a universal model. A shorter, lower-pressure first meeting may be the better choice for many people.
Would We Sail Royal Caribbean Again?
Absolutely. Based on this sailing, we would happily choose Royal Caribbean and Ovation of the Seas again.
The strongest parts of our experience were the ship's scale, the quality of the public spaces, the food, the international crew, and the service that consistently made us feel welcome. Ovation offered enough variety for active passengers without making us feel that every hour needed to be scheduled.
The main reservation is price. Royal Caribbean felt more premium than our later Princess experience, and extras such as the drinks package could become expensive. The package was convenient, but we would evaluate it much more carefully next time rather than assuming it was essential.
For couples who enjoy lively ships, varied entertainment, prominent onboard attractions, and plenty of dining and social options, Ovation can be an excellent fit.
Travelers seeking a smaller, quieter, adults-only experience, or a lower overall price point, may prefer another ship or cruise line.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did we sail?
We sailed from Sydney on April 9, 2019, and returned on April 17. It was an eight-night round-trip South Pacific cruise.
Which ports did we visit?
Our two port calls were Nouméa in New Caledonia on April 12 and Mystery Island in Vanuatu on April 13.
Where did we first meet?
We first met at Circular Quay station in Sydney. Jenn was waiting when Leon arrived by train from the airport. We had coffee, walked around the harbor, and then boarded Ovation together.
Was it Leon's first cruise?
Yes. Ovation of the Seas was Leon's first cruise. Jenn had previously taken a cruise around Europe, so she had more idea of what to expect.
Did we feel seasick?
We both felt some motion sickness during the first couple of days. We took seasickness tablets available aboard the ship, adjusted, and had no major problems afterward.
Was the drinks package worth it?
It was convenient but expensive. We also felt pressure to order enough drinks to justify the cost, so we would assess the price and our likely consumption much more carefully today.
Is Ovation good for couples?
It was for us. The ship combined active attractions, shows, restaurants, bars, pools, and quieter ocean-view spaces, giving us plenty of ways to spend time together.
Is a cruise a good first date?
It can be memorable, but it is unusually intense. Couples meeting after an online relationship should meet publicly first, retain independent documents and finances, share plans with trusted people, and maintain an exit option.
Did Jenn finish her cruise?
No. Jenn left Ovation when it returned to Sydney and flew to England instead of continuing through the Pacific. She spent the rest of her month away with Leon.
Would we sail again?
Yes. We would sail with Royal Caribbean and aboard Ovation again, while looking more critically at optional packages and add-on costs.
Related Reads
Read A Romantic Love Story of Two Poets for the fuller relationship story, including the poetry connection, engagement, and our move toward a shared life.
Our Story follows the wider Closer Lives chronology, while Who We Are explains the experiences and values behind the way we travel today.
Explore our Cruises collection for the rest of this growing series, including firsthand cruise reviews, port stories, planning advice, connectivity, budgeting, and couples travel.
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