This cruise spends most of its time at sea - and that's the best part

It will be five days until we next sight land, and we couldn't be happier. The Pacific Ocean stretches before us, as unending as it must have seemed to Magellan, Cook and the early Polynesians. Sure, we might have WiFi, a warm bed, cornucopic dining and breakfast mai tais (with extra lime juice to ward off scurvy), but we are, in our minds at least, traversing the greatest ocean like true adventurers.

Our vessel, Royal Caribbean's 168,000-tonne behemoth Ovation of the Seas is undertaking what is known as a "repositioning cruise". These mainly occur at the change of the season in autumn and spring when a cruise line's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of making a few bucks in the summer cruising season in another hemisphere.

Following the southern summer, Ovation is heading back to the lucrative USA market, and our journey takes us from Sydney to Hawaii with stops in Auckland and French Polynesia along the way. On this 18-day cruise, the ship will spend just four days in ports. This watery itinerary may not appeal to everyone, but as long as you love the ocean blue and your ship offers enough to keep you occupied, a repositioning cruise is an appealing way to get to another part of the planet.

Ovation of the Seas certainly ticks the "enough to keep you occupied" box. And many more besides. She is a floating resort, where the only commodity in short supply is boredom.

Perched on the top deck midship is North Star, a glass capsule reminiscent of a London Eye pod on the end of an extendable mechanical arm. The arm gently elevates the pod 90 metres above sea level and reaches out over the port and starboard sides of the ship, providing 360-degree views of the expanse of water and the ant-like passengers below. Some experience North Star in port while others prefer an oceanic aspect.

Astern on the top deck, the unlikely shipboard pursuit of skydiving takes centre stage, within a giant transparent tube. RipCord by iFLY is effectively a vertical wind tunnel. A steady powerful blast of air neutralises gravity, allowing the amateur to wobble in mid-air, and the expert to perform twists, somersaults and pirouettes with the dexterity of an Olympic diver.

Lesson one is about just maintaining your balance in the freefall pose. Much of the two one-minute sessions involve trying to keep your shoulders from popping out of their sockets and your face from contorting into the Joker. An adjacent viewing platform lets friends and family laugh at you at close range. I don't know how many lessons it takes to effortlessly hover and swoop, but it looks totally worth it. And on a long repositioning cruise, you have the time.

Adjacent to RipCord is the FlowRider wave simulator, where high-speed water flows along rubber matting on an inclined platform. From gun surfers making cutbacks and 360s to newbies who can't hold on to a boogie board, this is a gnarly hoot. For those - like me - lacking the requisite skills, inevitable wipeouts flush you gently, albeit inelegantly, to the back of the machine. FlowRider is in constant operation and is available at no charge.

The SeaPlex indoor active space alternately offers basketball, soccer, roller skating and dodgem cars. And pickleball, a truncated form of tennis, which is massively popular and very serious business. (Pro tip: Don't play for money against people with their own pickleball racquets and McEnroe-esque headbands.)

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The pool deck is always a hive of activity, replete with a kids' waterpark, the main pool and jacuzzi, plus regular rock and reggae bands. Behind an adjacent sliding door, the quieter Solarium is a glass-covered indoor pool area, a cosy option on chilly, windy days. And beyond that, behind another sliding door, is the ship's Nirvana - an enclosed adults-only pool and jacuzzi area with views over the bow. Such is the lure of this utopia that sun lounges are staked out early each morning.

But wait, there's more. A lot more. You can join grog tastings, sushi classes, craft classes, dance classes, bridge tournaments, lectures, bingo, game shows, and jigsaw and trivia comps.

There are 12 bars to explore, including Bionic Bar where a robot arm stylishly creates your desired tipple without discussing the weather or sports. In addition to the main dining room, Ovation has four specialist restaurants, which are all excellent. At Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver, the garlic prawn linguini and chianti-braised short rib are spectacular.

Need entertainment? Roll up to a show at the Royal Theatre, take in classical recitals, comedy shows and singalongs, groove with headphones at the silent disco, belt out your best karaoke or watch a movie on the big screen on the pool deck at night.

You can play table tennis or snooker on the self-levelling gyroscopic pool table, climb the rock wall, join fitness classes and gym workouts, get a spa treatment or a blow-dry at Vitality Spa and try a little duty-free retail therapy in the shopping mall.

THE SHIP: Royal Caribbean International's Ovation of the Seas

THE SIZE: 347 metres, 2090 suites, 4180 guests

GOOD TO KNOW: Repositioning cruises are usually less than fully booked and tend to attract fewer children. They are also often less expensive than regular routes - just don't forget you have to get home somehow.

GET ON BOARD: In April 2025, Ovation's sister ships Quantum of the Seas (21 days from $3999 per person) and Anthem of the Seas (18 days from $2865 per person) set sail on repositioning cruises from Sydney to Honolulu.

EXPLORE MORE: royalcaribbean.com

The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean International.